From Colin Mann in Cologne ActiveVideo Networks has revealed that is to acquire interactive TV platforms and tools specialist Avinity Systems BV, bringing together two leading providers of cloud-based interactive TV platforms and applications, and expanding the reach and availability of the Web-based user experiences that are redefining interactive television (iTV 2.0). The transaction will […]
Sky1 commissioners Donna Taberer, Andrew O’Connell and Nan Whittingham are leaving the satellite broadcaster to join their former boss Richard Woolfe at Channel Five. Taberer is to become Five’s head of entertainment, O’Connell has been appointed head of factual and Whittingham is moving to the broadcaster as head of production. All three will start their […]
Europe’s largest entertainment group, Vivendi, has stood by its 2009 outlook said it was confident it could weather the global economic downturn as it posted a 16 per cent rise in first-quarter underlying earnings, slightly above expectations. The owner of NBC and Universal Music Group said it was on track to achieve its 2009 goals […]
Orange has confirmed it has dropped out of talks to purchase the technology for Project Kangaroo, the failed VOD joint venture from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. France Telecom, Orange parent company, had been in discussions to acquire the technology since the UK’s Competition Commission banned the project earlier this year. However, France Telecom […]
During the first three months of 2009 the “Chaînes Canal+” package commanded a 4.5 per cent share of French viewers, a 0.2-point increase from first-quarter 2008 that it says reflects the popularity of Canal+ Family and Canal+ Sport. The number of unique visitors to the new canalplus.fr website doubled to 2,354,000 in February, representing a […]
From David Del Valle in Madrid The largest Spanish cable operator, ONO, ended the first quarter with a net profit of E12.06 million, 61.4 per cent up than the same period the previous year, in spite of the fact that its revenues fell by 3.2 per cent to E338 million and its subs dropped by […]
Media regulator Ofcom has fined two Richard Desmond-owned companies that broadcast adult channels £52,500 (E59,000) for breaching the broadcast code. Ofcom levied a £25,000 fine against RHF Productions for promoting on Red Hot Services two websites that featured “extremely sexually explicit” R18 material, which is not supposed to be broadcast on any TV channel licensed […]
According to Ofcom and Sky, Project Canvas could need Office of Fair Trading scrutiny – but the final terms of the Project Kangaroo shutdown show the OFT already has significant control over the way BBC, ITV and Channel 4 can work together on VOD. The Competition Commission's draft final undertakings instruction, on how the Kangaroo […]
Sony has reported its first annual loss in 14 years, after being hit by a big drop in sales. It reported a loss of $1.04bn for the year to the end of March. The company blamed the global downturn and the strong yen for the loss. Worldwide sales were down 12.9%. It had previously announced […]
ITV saw its revenues decline 14 per cent in the first three months of this year, and said it now intended to cut costs by a further £40 million (E46m) in 2010. The firm, which announced 600 job cuts two months ago, said revenues for the January to March period totalled £425 million, down from […]