Advanced Television

Policy

Analysis: UK broadband 51% slower than advertised

British households are paying for broadband services that are, on average, 51 per cent slower than advertised, according to analysis from consumer body Which?. Results generated from 235,000 uses of the Which? broadband speed-checker tool show that, on average, customers are paying for speeds of up to 38 megabits per second, but actually only receiving […]

May 18, 2018

US Senate overturns Restoring Internet Freedom Order

The US Senate has voted to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Restoring Internet Freedom Order which replaced previous net neutrality legislation, passing a bill that has little chance of advancing in the House but offers net neutrality supporters and Democrats a political rallying point for the midterm elections. Democrats forced the May 16th vote […]

May 17, 2018By Colin Mann

Mediaset, Atresmedia face €5bn compensation claims

Spain’s two largest TV groups, Mediaset and Atresmedia, could face €5 billion compensation demands if the CNMC (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia) probe into their allegedly-illegal ad practices that distort the market finds that they are indeed guilty. Regional public broadcasters and smaller DTT operators could ask for sky-high compensation of up […]

May 16, 2018From David Del Valle in Madrid

South Africa urged to tax Netflix and Amazon

Calvo Mawela, the CEO of South Africa’s MultiChoice pay-TV service, is arguing that OTT newcomers such as Netflix and Amazon Prime should have value-added tax added to their subscription costs, as well as being forced to contribute to other South African media-related services, and pay licence fees.

May 14, 2018By Chris Forrester

Spain: Mediaset, Atresmedia, under CNMC scrutiny

Spain’s competition watchdog, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC), has launched a probe into alleged anti-competitive advertising practices undertaken by the largest TV companies Mediaset and Atresmedia. Both parties have been accused by media and ad agencies of obliging them to meet some ad investment quotas and the joint commercialisation of […]

May 14, 2018From David Del Valle in Madrid

Vaizey: Chancellor Osborne sought IP broadcast switch

Ed Vaizey, the former Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, has revealed that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer between May 2010 and July 2016, sought to move UK broadcasting to IP delivery. Delivering a closing Keynote Address on the Current Policy Landscape for Digital Communications at the DTG Summit in London, Vaizey suggested […]

May 11, 2018Colin Mann @ DTG Summit

Mediapro to appeal Court’s Serie A decision

Mediapro, the Spanish TV company, has confirmed it will appeal against the Milan Court’s decision to cancel its tender to sell the Italy’s Serie A football TV rights. Contrary to the alleged breach of competition rules, Mediapro believes that its commercial proposal meets the Serie A criteria. The company argues that its offer to operators […]

May 11, 2018From David Del Valle in Madrid

US: ‘Net neutrality’ ends on June 11

The US Federal Communications Commission’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order will take effect on June 11th, returning the regulation of Internet service providers to what the FCC describes as “the bipartisan, light-touch approach that fostered rapid Internet growth, openness, and freedom for nearly 20 years”. “I strongly support a free and open Internet,” declared FCC Chairman […]

May 11, 2018By Colin Mann

Court backs suspension of Italian Serie A rights

A Milan judge has upheld the suspension of the awarding of TV rights for Italian Serie A football to Spanish company MediaPro following an appeal by pay-TV broadcaster Sky Italia, the current holder of the rights. In his ruling, Judge Claudio Marangoni said

May 10, 2018From Branislav Pekic in Rome

Licensees fined for Sky Sports infringements    

Following successful legal action taken by Sky, James Barnes Bar and Jagtar Singh Nijar of O’Kane’s in Glasgow, Linelly Limited and Linda Davidson of Fox’s bar in Edinburgh and Claire Gorman of Cheers Bar in Cambuslang have each been ordered to pay £10,000 (€11,420) in damages for infringing Sky’s copyright by showing Sky Sports programming […]

May 9, 2018By Colin Mann