Advanced Television

Business

Private Media buys GameLink

The Private Media Group has completed the acquisition of GameLink, a leading US adult internet VOD and eCommerce company, in exchange for common stock of Private. "The acquisition will enhance Private's strategic digital media focus as a dominant and uniquely positioned global content production, distribution and development company in both the adult and mainstream entertainment […]

January 26, 2009

Sony $3bn loss

Sony has said it expects to post a record annual operating loss of nearly $3 billion because of the rapid deterioration of the global economy. It also announced a major overhaul that would include layoffs and factory closings. "The massive economic upheaval being experienced across the world is sparing no one in the consumer electronics […]

January 26, 2009

Sirius XM prices up as debt looms

Sirius XM Radio Inc plans to increase prices for subscribers with multiple accounts and begin to charge for its online music feed. While it is keeping its core rates unchanged — a condition to which Sirius and XM Satellite Radio agreed last year in order to close their merger — the move could anger subscribers […]

January 23, 2009

Virgin may re-list in London

Virgin Media is considering whether to delist on New York's Nasdaq – a legacy of its ntl past – in favour of listing back at home in the UK, as part of a review of company finances. "Our new CFO is looking at our capital structure, including how we are listed and what our dividend […]

January 21, 2009

FCC Martin parting shot

Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has issued notices of liability against several cable operators for their alleged failure to respond to an agency investigation into the migration of analogue channels to digital tiers. In total, 31 notices were assessed against numerous operations controlled by large cable operators. Those listed in the FCC Enforcement […]

January 21, 2009

Ofcom confirms C4 merger plan

As widely trailed, UK regulator Ofcom has recommended to government that Channel 4 should be underwritten as a PSB broadcaster via a merger or partnership with either BBC World Wide, the commercial exploitation part of the BBC, or Five. It says Channel 4 should receive £130 million (E140m) a year from the BBC Licence Fee […]

January 21, 2009

C4 to C5 or BT?

CHANNEL 4 held merger talks with telecoms group BT after it launched its IPTV service, it has emerged. The broadcaster's chairman, Luke Johnson, met Ian Livingston, chief executive of BT, on more than one occasion last year to discuss a tie-up. "They have obviously got a pipe into every home in the country, they have […]

January 19, 2009

Havas appoints joint CEOs

Havas Media, the sixth largest communications group worldwide, has announced its two global executives, Gabriel Saenz de Buruaga and Anthony Rhind, will take the helm at Havas Digital when chief executive Don Epperson steps down at the end of the month.

January 19, 2009

UK will hand out spectrum in return for bandwidth

In further leaks of Ofcom's forthcoming 'Digital Britain' report, The Sunday Times says the auction of further UHF spectrum freed by switchover could be ditched – instead companies will be given spectrum in return for commitments to invest in broadband access. Dropping the long-planned auction might sacrifice £5bn (E6.3bn) of public income in favour of […]

January 19, 2009

Orange IPTV probe

France's antitrust body is set to investigate exclusive content deals made by ISPs for their IPTV services – a move that could force Orange to open up its IPTV channel offering. The body will review whether deals between ISPs and content producers are anti-competitive, according to France's Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment France has […]

January 13, 2009