Advanced Television

Articles

Free BBC news video plan draws ITN complaint

ITN, the commercial news provider, is to complain to the BBC's governing body after the publicly funded broadcaster said that it would give away video clips to newspaper websites. John Hardie, the chief executive of ITN, warned that the BBC initiative risked "undermining the demand for content from independent news providers" at a time when […]

July 31, 2009

Virgin Media adds 4HD to HD line-up

Virgin Media has confirmed that Channel 4's high definition channel, 4HD, will join its HD line-up. The channel will be available to Virgin Media's 3.5 million digital TV customers and joins the BBC HD channel, ESPN HD, LIVING HD, FX HD, MTV Networks International's HD channel, MTVNHD, and National Geographic HD in Virgin Media's linear […]

July 31, 2009

Motive secures global rights for BesTV

Motive Television has secured the global rights from Adecq Digital SL to distribute the patented BesTV digital terrestrial technology to broadcasters worldwide. BesTV technology enables broadcasters using their existing DTT digital broadcasting signal to broadcast programmes to a DTT set-top box, offering viewers not only the complete range of available DTT channels, but also catch-up […]

July 31, 2009

Babelgum brings Funny or Die vids to mobiles

Independent web and mobile content platform Babelgum and comedy video portal Funny or Die have signed an exclusive, wireless licensing agreement to bring Funny or Die videos to mobile platforms. The agreement will bring new and library Funny or Die content to mobile users everywhere over the next two years. Plans include offering mobile users […]

July 31, 2009

Arqiva to buy Kangaroo

Arqiva is set to move into the VOD market with a deal to buy Kangaroo technology developed for the proposed joint venture between ITV, Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide. The company is said to be in the final stages of negotiations to purchase the technology which was developed for the proposed joint venture VOD service, […]

July 31, 2009

C5 Chief: Industry must consolidate

From Colin Mann in London Dawn Airey, the Chairman and CEO of UK commercial broadcaster Channel 5, has said that there must be industry consolidation to ensure the sector's continued existence. Pointing out that in comparable broadcasting markets, the industry had consolidated around a couple of major commercial players, Airey told members of the Broadcasting […]

July 29, 2009

Arqiva VOD service through Kangaroo

Arqiva is to buy the technology behind the defunct broadband TV venture Project Kangaroo and launch a video-on-demand service of its own. The company is now talking with broadcasters and content providers to stock up for the service. Arqiva said the new video-on-demand service would appear in the coming months and feature “both free-to-air and […]

July 29, 2009

BT bets on Sky Sports

BT Vision CEO Marc Watson expects Sky Sports to be part of its package by next summer. Watson told reporters that Ofcom's announcement last month that BSkyB should cut its wholsale price by almost a third will pave the way for a Sky Sports offering on IPTV platform BT Vision. Currently the platform doesn't have […]

July 29, 2009

RAI, Mediaset channels on Sky after Tivù Sat launch

By Branislav Pekic Italian public broadcaster RAI will continue to make available its three main TV channels (Rai Uno, Rai Due and Rai Tre) via Sky, even after the launch of the Tivù Sat DTH platform on July 31. Speaking during the presentation of Tivù Sat in Rome, the deputy director general of RAI, Giancarlo […]

July 29, 2009

Silverman joins IAC web TV venture

NBC Universal has parted company with Ben Silverman, its colourful programming head, who leaves to form a new venture with Barry Diller's IAC media group. Silverman had made a name for himself with Reveille, the TV company he started, which brought UK TV formats to the US and turned them into ratings winners. He also […]

July 29, 2009