Advanced Television

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ATIS releases key standard

ATIS has released a new standard created by the ATIS IPTV Interoperability Forum (IIF): "Network Attachment and Initialisation of Devices and Client Discovery of IPTV Services (ATIS-0800017)". This document specifies the initial set of activities that prepare devices in the consumer domain to receive and consume IPTV services. It is a foundation specification addressing fundamentals […]

October 21, 2008

TI Media sells PPV ops to Airplus

Telecom Italia Media (TI Media) has agreed to sell its pay-per-view activities to Swedish group Airplus TV. The Italian operator will spin off the activities into a new subsidiary controlled by Airplus and in which TI Media will continue to hold 9 per cent. Telecom Italia will also provide bandwidth for transmitting the pay-TV channels […]

October 20, 2008

Currie: "Ofcom should rule online"

Outgoing Ofcom chairman David Currie has said that his successor should expect the communications regulator to have an expanded remit with responsibility for stricter control over internet content. Currie said there was an appetite among legislators for putting a tighter rein on the internet now the medium had moved beyond its formative stages. Echoing comments […]

October 16, 2008

BBC Chair warns off Ofcom

The BBC chairman, Sir Michael Lyons fired a shot across the bows of regulator Ofcom over the proposals laid out in the regulator’s second review of public service broadcasting. Lyons warned against a “quick fix” and pointed out that it was not in Ofcom’s remit to help plug Channel 4’s funding gap by giving the […]

October 16, 2008

Currie: "Ofcom should rule online"

Outgoing Ofcom chairman David Currie has said that his successor should expect the communications regulator to have an expanded remit with responsibility for stricter control over internet content. Currie said there was an appetite among legislators for putting a tighter rein on the internet now the medium had moved beyond its formative stages. Echoing comments […]

October 16, 2008

BBC Chair warns off Ofcom

The BBC chairman, Sir Michael Lyons fired a shot across the bows of regulator Ofcom over the proposals laid out in the regulator’s second review of public service broadcasting. Lyons warned against a “quick fix” and pointed out that it was not in Ofcom’s remit to help plug Channel 4’s funding gap by giving the […]

October 16, 2008

Sky Italia men for Premiere

Premiere CEO Mark Williams has brought in execs from Sky Italia to try and rescue the floundering German pay TV group. Giovanni Brunelli, Marcello Maggioni and Gaetano Pannito have taken up executive positions at Premiere, with Brunelli named senior vp customer operations, Maggioni appointed senior vp sales and marketing and Pannito named vp sales. The […]

October 16, 2008

BBC: we will create an IPTV standard

From Colin Mann in Cannes The BBC intends to create an open industry standard IPTV platform to enable content providers to easily launch internet TV services, says Erik Huggers, BBC director of future media & technology. Speaking at Mipcom Huggers said the service, codenamed Canvas, would potentially be available through a set-top box, and enable […]

October 16, 2008

Viacom cuts forecast

Viacom cut its full-year profit forecast on Friday as the softening economy has clouded its ability to make accurate advertising projections. CBS also expects full year profit to fall in the mid-teens range and it will write down the value of its licenses by $14bn. Later, National Amusements, an entity that controls executive chairman Sumner […]

October 14, 2008

Sequoia: it's very bad

Silicon Valley's most successful VC Sequoia Capital called an emergency meeting for its portfolio companies and is bringing back messages it sent to entrepreneurs in 2000. Sequoia partners presented a long analysis of how the United States economy got to this point. It is not a "normal crisis," they warned, and it will take a […]

October 14, 2008