The first-ever Entertainment Content Protection Summit in Los Angeles saw keynote speaker Taylor Hackford describe piracy as one of the most threatening issues that has hit the movie industry in its entire history, and call Google an “enabler” of illegal downloading. Hackford, president of the Directors Guild of America, stressed the need to stop piracy, […]
Liberty Global has announced an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the equity of Aster Sp. z.o.o (Aster Cable) from private equity funds of Mid Europa Partners. Poland’s Aster provides video services to 368,000 (including 92,000 digital TV), 177,000 Internet and 70,000 fixed telephony subscribers. Mike Fries, President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty […]
The European Commission has given itself an extra fortnight to consider the competition implications of News Corp’s bid to take control of Sky as News reportedly offers significant concessions to try and ensure the deal is approved. The EC decision deadline has been moved back from 8th December to the 22nd after it received […]
BiBC (British Internet Broadcasting Company) has confirmed the availability of a pan European premium content OTT TV service, to be deployed on Samsung connected TVs, Blu-ray Players and home theatre systems in various countries across Europe. The BiBC service will enable consumers to access premium content from networks such as ITV, Hit Entertainment, the Cartoon […]
Internet backbone provider Level 3 Communications says Comcast is demanding a recurring fee for transmitting internet movies and “other content” to Comcast customers, accusing the cableco of violating the FCC’s “net neutrality” principles. Comcast says Level 3 is misrepresenting the negotiations between the two companies. “Comcast is effectively putting up a toll booth at the […]
Microsoft is in talks with media companies to license TV networks for a new online pay-television subscription service through its Xbox and other devices reports the US press. Apparently Microsoft envisages a “virtual cable operator” delivered online for a monthly subscription. However some reports reference an alternate plan that sees the company cooperate with cablecos […]
Spain’s first pay DTT channel Gol TV is launching a full-frontal assault on TV piracy with its decision to cut its TV signal in almost 10,000 public places (most of them, bars, restaurants, hotels) where its broadcasts are allegedly being hacked. Mediapro, owner of Gol TV, has reported the case to the police and urged […]
BSkyB’s independent directors have written to Ofcom, warning the regulator that it risks generating a “perverse outcome” if Ofcom found in its investigation of a potential bid by News Corp that a deal would curtail diversity for British viewers. The directors reminded Ofcom that Sky News, the focus of some allegations of media domination in […]
French media group Lagardere will sell its stake in pay-TV group Canal+ France in an initial public offering (IPO) in spring 2011, its Chief Financial Officer Dominique d’Hinnin has stated. D’Hinnin told investors that Canal+’s majority owner Vivendi had never responded to a price proposal Lagardere had sent early this year, and there had been […]
Erik Huggers, Director of Future Media and Technology at the BBC has described maintaining an open and neutral Internet as “absolutely crucial” to the Corporation’s ability to deliver services. He told delegates at the FT Conference that certain ISPs had at one stage implemented traffic management that had severely affected the quality of users’ iPlayer […]