A consortium including Bob Geldof’s independent production company, Ten Alps, and ITN is to retain the Teachers TV digital television contract after being named as the government’s preferred supplier. Education Digital 2 is now in final talks with the Department for Children, Schools and Families over the £50 million (E70m) five-year contract to provide news, […]
News Corp is reportedly launching two English-language satellite TV channels in the Middle East. News Corp is planning a film channel, potentially called Fox Movies, and a drama channel, according to Variety. The free-to-air satellite channels are to be launched later this year in partnership with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi billionaire who has […]
Australian Broadcast Corp (ABC) Managing Director Mark Scott has announced the public beta trial of ABC Playback, a media player, that offers full screen, full length video at no cost beyond fees charged by users’ Internet providers, via the Internet. The ABC will invite 5,000 Australians, with fast Internet connections to participate in the staggered […]
Interactive television won’t succeed until cable companies reach agreement on measurement standards, according to Starcom MediaVest executives. The initiative undertaken by six major cable companies, called Canoe, is a step in the right direction, said Jen Soch, MediaVest USA’s VP and director of advanced TV. Tracey L. Scheppach, vice president/video innovation director at Starcom USA, […]
Channel 4 and UK regional media development agencies will start a £50 million (E69m) digital commissioning fund as the broadcaster looks to retain its publicly-funded status whilst enduring tough economic times. The “4 Innovation for the Public” (4IP) fund will see a new senior executive report to new media director Jon Gisby to work on […]
Virgin Media will launch Arsenal TV on its TV platform on 18th March. The channel will be free for all Virgin Media’s XL TV customers, and included as part of the Setanta Sports pack for TV customers on M or L packages. Arsenal TV will show all Arsenal football matches in full, as well as […]
Neuf Cegetel is building on its successful experience and acquiring direct broadcasting rights to become a publisher of its own video-on-demand service, Neuf VOD. Neuf Cegetel signed with the main French cinema studios to offer some of the biggest box-office hits of the year, along with cartoons, documentaries, concerts, comedy shows and TV series. The […]
The Federal Communications Commission's decision to reinstate a 30 per cent cap on cable’s share of multichannel-video providers has drawn a writ from Comcast. Comcast is the nation’s largest cable operator and the closest to the 30 per cent cap at about 27 per cent of multichannel-video providers. The suit called the FCC decision arbitrary […]
ITV has signed a one-year deal to show F1 races simulcast on its broadband TV service. Practice and qualifying sessions will also be simulcast, with each Grand Prix available to view for 30 subsequent days via ITV.com’s catch-up TV service.
Telecom equipment vendor Anevia and Smart Com, middleware vendor, have launched an IPTV ecosystem compliance that aims to strengthen marketing and sales to European telecom operators and ISP of integrated solutions, featuring Smart Com’s IPTV middleware and Anevia’s live TV and VOD solutions.