Advanced Television

Rights

No smooth sailing for Pirate Bay sale

There is uncertainty surrounding the purchase of file-sharing website The Pirate Bay by Swedish-based Global Gaming Factory (GGF). Trading in GGF shares has been suspended and there are reports that the firm’s chairman – Magnus Bergman – has resigned. GGF paid £4.7 million (E5.4m) to take over The Pirate Bay in June. The Swedish stock […]

August 24, 2009

ITV.com may triple revenue

ITV.com, the broadcaster’s online TV service, looks on course to more than triple this year to over £30 million (E34.7m) according to Screen Digest. ITV has struggled to build a sizeable revenue stream from its digital activities, most recently selling off Friends Reunited at a £150 million loss on its purchase price in 2005. However […]

August 24, 2009

CDN services to surpass $2bn annually by 2011

Over the next five years, the worldwide value of Content Delivery Network (CDN) services will pass $2 Billion annually by 2011 and continue growing thereafter, reports In-Stat. Growth in CDNs is a result of increasing usage of "over-the-top" Internet video, as well as their flexibility to manage content for delivery through multiple delivery channels to […]

August 19, 2009

UK may speed piracy plans

Under Digital Britain proposals the government set a target to reduce illegal filesharing by 70 per cent within a year, and has instructed Internet service providers to write letters to people spotted downloading copyrighted content, backed by the threat of court action against persistent offenders. Under the Digital Britain proposals, if that did not have […]

August 18, 2009

Discovery Joins Comcast Online Trial

US reports say Discovery Communications is the latest company joining Comcast’s OnDemand Online Trial. Until now Discovery has resisted, its' main concern about making its material widely available online has been the risk of cannibalizing its existing business and upsetting the cable operators that provide its bread and butter. In July, CBS became the first […]

August 14, 2009

C4 out of Virgin TV auction

Channel 4 has withdrawn from the bidding for Virgin Media’s entertainment channels, because it can't afford it. The broadcaster is reported to have told Virgin it would not submit a binding bid for Virgin Media Television, because it believes it has better uses for its limited cash resources. With Channel 4 out, Virgin Media faces […]

August 3, 2009

Pirate Bay faces E3m fines

A court in the Netherlands has ruled that the filesharing site must block its site for Dutch internet users within 10 days or face stiff fines. Failure to comply with the ruling will result in fines of E30,000 a day up to a maximum of E3m for the three founders of the site, Peter Sunde […]

August 3, 2009

Disney profits dive

The tough consumer environment took its toll on Walt Disney's Q3 earnings, with profits down 25 per cent on falling television advertising income and declining home entertainment sales. Bob Iger, chief executive, acknowledged the difficult economic conditions but said the company, which owns the ABC television network and ESPN cable channel, had detected signs of […]

August 3, 2009

Motive secures global rights for BesTV

Motive Television has secured the global rights from Adecq Digital SL to distribute the patented BesTV digital terrestrial technology to broadcasters worldwide. BesTV technology enables broadcasters using their existing DTT digital broadcasting signal to broadcast programmes to a DTT set-top box, offering viewers not only the complete range of available DTT channels, but also catch-up […]

July 31, 2009

Babelgum brings Funny or Die vids to mobiles

Independent web and mobile content platform Babelgum and comedy video portal Funny or Die have signed an exclusive, wireless licensing agreement to bring Funny or Die videos to mobile platforms. The agreement will bring new and library Funny or Die content to mobile users everywhere over the next two years. Plans include offering mobile users […]

July 31, 2009