Advanced Television

Regulation

Piracy Protection product from Integro

Integro Insurance Brokers, a specialist insurance brokerage and risk management firm, has unveiled what it describes as a “revolutionary” product created for the entertainment industry. The firm’s Piracy Protection Insurance is designed to return lost revenue to film and TV rights holders and to curtail the damage caused by digital piracy. Integro claims it is […]

February 5, 2019By Colin Mann

Belgium puts Inmarsat questions to EU tribunal

A legal battle between Viasat (of California) and Eutelsat against Inmarsat and its in-flight European Aviation Network is about to involve the European Court of Justice. A Belgium Court of Appeal’s Market Court ruled on January 23rd that it wanted greater clarity on two specific legal questions and has asked the higher European Court of […]

February 4, 2019By Chris Forrester

IHS: UK broadcasters weigh Brexit options

Of the 1,039 cable and satellite TV channels licensed by UK-regulator Ofcom, 700 target other countries. According to IHS Markit, the companies most affected include Discovery, with more than 100 channels licensed by Ofcom, Sky and Sony, with 40 channels each. More than 100 channels that reach viewers in the UK and Republic of Ireland […]

February 1, 2019

BBC DG Brexit hope: ‘handful will move to continent’

The BBC Director General has confirmed to an MPs committee it will probably establish an HQ for its European operations in either Brussels or Amsterdam. Tony Hall told the Public Accounts committee a small office would be set up in a continental capital in order that country of origin restrictions once the UK is out […]

January 31, 2019

Bodyguard 2018’s most-requested iPlayer show  

Award-winning British dramas Bodyguard, Killing Eve and McMafia have been revealed as the top programmes requested on BBC iPlayer in 2018. The most popular show of the year was Bodyguard, with the first episode becoming BBC iPlayer’s biggest ever programme, with 10.8 million requests across the year. All six episodes of the political thriller appear […]

January 31, 2019

Broadband Forum: 42 Gfast certifications

Broadband Forum has revealed that there are now 42 certified-interoperable Gfast solutions for the 106MHz profile, as a new Gfast Market Update highlights the growing popularity of the technology among operators looking to deploy cost-effective last mile connectivity over existing copper lines. In the Market Update – Service Providers Leveraging Gfast to Complement Fiber Optic […]

January 31, 2019

Altice Portugal to challenge DTT price reduction

Altice Portugal will challenge the decision from the National Communications Authority (Anacom) to force the company to reduce the prices it charges for DTT distribution by 15.16 per cent. According to the operator, Anacom’s decision “has deepened the framework of legal uncertainty and of regulatory breach that have marked the DTT project, seriously compromising the […]

January 30, 2019From Branislav Pekic in Rome

Dish issues lawsuit against Univision

Charlie Ergen’s Dish Network, already in a serious carriage dispute with Hispanic service provider Univision, has increased the pressure by issuing a lawsuit alleging that Univision has infringed Dish’s streaming patents. Univison channels have been absent from Dish since last July. The specific patents cover adaptive bit-rate streaming, which is the technology that works to […]

January 30, 2019By Chris Forrester

SABC hit with “cartel” fine

South Africa’s public broadcaster SABC, already knee deep in allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement, has been fined by the country’s Competition Commissioner, along with two other media businesses, for price fixing of trading conditions. The sums involved, spread over the three offenders, amount to “millions of Rand”. The trio have reached consent settlements with […]

January 30, 2019By Chris Forrester

Italy introduces more content rules

Italian online broadcasters will soon be required to clearly indicate movies, TV series and documentaries produced in Italy in their online catalogues. Italy’s Communications Authority (AgCom) has mandated that broadcasters providing streaming services will have to include the indication of origin on all content (such as “Made in Italy’, “Italy” or “Ita”). Services that will […]

January 29, 2019From Branislav Pekic in Rome