Telekom Austria Group has bought the interactive TV voting company Mass Response Service GmbH (MRS) from the Dutch company Twister Media Group for around E19.5 million as part of its plans to expand its television business. MRS, which among other shows is responsible the voting for the Eurovision Song Contest, reported a turnover in 2006 […]

From David Del Valle in Madrid With TV football broadcasts in the air, Sogecable and Mediapro are intensifying their respective attacks. Sogecable has accused Mediapro of pirating the TV signal to offer football matches with no legal TV rights to them. Mediapro has soon reacted by offering for free the commercial channel La Sexta, in […]

Belgacom reported profit that beat analyst estimates for the second quarter on higher sales of high-speed Internet access and raised its forecasts for mobile-phone and fixed-line revenue. Net income rose 12 per cent to E245 million a share, from E219 million a year earlier. The rising profit seems to validate Belgacom’s strategy of expanding its […]

Virgin Media chief executive Steve Burch was frozen out of the company’s sale process for two and a half months before his exit this week, according to a company filing with the SEC. “Since June 7, 2007, Burch has not communicated with any adverse party,” the company said in a filing with the US regulator […]

A consortium including Macquarie Bank's South Korean private equity arm and MBK Partners is set to acquire a 30 per cent stake in the country's second biggest cable TV group and targeting the remaining shares. Macquarie Korea Fund has signed a preliminary deal to purchase the stake from Goldman Sachs for about $650m (E479m), and […]

The turbulent 10-months at Alcatel Lucent has claimed two senior victims. Mike Quigley, the Australian once tipped to be chief executive of the French group, and Frank D'Amelio, the former Lucent executive who was put in charge of integrating the two companies, had both resigned, the company said. D'Amelio is leaving to become chief financial […]

The Office of Fair Trading will make its decision on whether to review contracts rights renewal by the end of summer. With the start of the TV trading season – which will see advertising deals struck between broadcasters and media agencies for 2008 – starting next month, any decision to review CRR is unlikely to […]

Digital media protection specialist SecureMedia has been acquired by US competitive communications provider Cavalier Telephone and TV. SecureMedia will remain an independent company, servicing current customers while pursuing new worldwide. The company will also provide technology and services to advance Cavalier Telephone and TV’s new business developments and long-term strategy. “When Cavalier first set out […]

Tom Bosco will oversee sales of video advertising across MySpace. “Tom’s proven track record of driving revenue around online-video products gives MySpaceTV an incredible advantage in the marketplace going forward. Video is a huge focus for us from a monetization perspective with virtually limitless opportunities on MySpace. Tom’s experience adds to our team one of […]

An association of computer and communication companies, including Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, accused several professional sports leagues, book publishers and other media companies of misleading and threatening consumers with overstated copyright warnings. In a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, the group, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, said that the National Football League, Major […]