Advanced Television

Policy

OTT platforms: “No investment in local creation, no streaming in France”

Pushing OTT platforms to invest in local content production is what the upcoming audiovisual reform, promised by French President Macron, is aiming at. “If the platforms don’t respect the French law, notably in terms of local content financing, they won’t be able to stream anymore,” French Culture Minister Franck Riester has warned this week at […]

September 3, 2019From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris

Iraq bans US TV channel for 3 months

The Arabic Al Hurra TV channel has been hit with a 3 month broadcasting ban.  The channel is alleged to have transmitted a controversial 12 minute report on corruption within Islamic religious bodies. The programme was transmitted on Sunday. Al Hurra TV, founded in 2004 and based in Virginia, US, is widely watched in Iraq. […]

September 3, 2019By Chris Forrester

Vodafone, TalkTalk appeal Ofcom Openreach finding

Vodafone UK and TalkTalk have lodged an appeal with the Competition Appeal Tribunal to try and overturn Ofcom’s regulation published on June 28th. Helen Lamprell, Vodafone UK’s General Counsel, said the company “had not taken the decision lightly.” The fundamental problem, argue Vodafone and TalkTalk is that BT/Openreach has significant market power and so regulated […]

August 30, 2019

USA: 8 charged with video streaming piracy

A US federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging eight individuals with conspiring to violate federal criminal copyright law by running two of the largest unauthorised streaming services in the United States, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars by television programme and motion picture copyright owners. According to the indictment, Kristopher Lee […]

August 28, 2019By Colin Mann

Licensee fined £2.8K for illegal Sky Sports

Thomas John Holland of the Goat Inn in Sheerness, Kent in the southeast of England has been convicted of three offences of dishonest reception of a television transmission, in this case, Sky televised football matches, with the intent to avoid payment of the applicable charge. Sky Sports is only available to licensed premises in the […]

August 28, 2019By Colin Mann

Vivendi demands vote in Mediaset spat

Vivendi issued a statement on August 26th saying that following the decision by the Mediaset Board of Directors to refuse to allow it to vote at its latest Shareholders’ Meeting on April 18th 2019. Vivendi said “it has filed a request with the Court of Milan to issue an urgent order aimed at preserving its […]

August 27, 2019By Chris Forrester

Macron strikes rebate deal on digital tax

French President Emmanuel Macron told the G7 summit that a deal has been reached for companies liable for the country’s new tax on digital sales, while work at the OECD continues to find an international consensus on new tax rules. France will commit to pay a rebate if the amount due based on future rules […]

August 27, 2019

PM: “BBC should pay for over-75s licence fee”

Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, has reignited the row over who should fund free TV licences for the over-75s, urging the BBC to “cough up”. The PM has signalled that his government will not reverse policy by stepping in to subsidise the benefit, despite the Conservatives’ promise in the 2017 manifesto that it would […]

August 27, 2019

Mediaset hits Vivendi with Consob complaint

Mediaset has filed a formal complaint with Italy’s market watchdog Consob accusing shareholder Vivendi of leaking information with a view to disrupting its corporate restructuring plans, according to a Reuters report. A note to clients from investment bankers Deutsche Bank said: “Mediaset has asked Consob to demand Vivendi makes a public statement clarifying its position […]

August 23, 2019By Chris Forrester

Thai summit addresses piracy problem

Thailand’s  Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), Ministry of Commerce (MOC), Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) – the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific – and cable and satellite television operator TrueVisions hosted a Digital Content Anti-Piracy Summit which was held at the Ministry of Commerce Building in Nonthaburi. The anti-piracy […]

August 23, 2019