Advanced Television

Policy

FCC set to make net neutrality ‘basic Internet value’

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to pass net neutrality rules today after its chairman secured cautious support from two Democratic commissioners who favour stronger regulation of Internet traffic. The move, on the eve of today’s meeting to approve an “open Internet” order pave the way for a compromise that will prevent broadband […]

December 21, 2010

FilmOn condemns CBS ‘hypocricy’

FilmOn has been halted by a restraining order from the four US networks but now founder Alki David is attacking one of the plaintiffs, CBS with YouTube addresses including ‘CBS You Suck.’ He claims CBS is hypocritical on rights in Internet distributed video and says that through its subsidiary CNET, it has distributed over one […]

December 21, 2010

Ofcom raises concerns over BSkyB bid

UK media regulator Ofcom has written to News Corporation raising a number of issues relating to the media group’s proposed acquisition of the 60.1 per cent of BSkyB it doesn’t already own, according to UK media reports. The document, known as an issues statement, sets out concerns raised by interested parties, including commercial rivals, during […]

December 16, 2010From Colin Mann in London

US fileshare sites closed

Dutch anti-internet piracy group Brein and the US Motion Picture Association have teamed up to seize the domain names of 29 US-based websites that allow file sharing. The sites are focused on the Netherlands and facilitate the illegal sharing of films, TV series, music, games and digital books, according to Brein. “This year we have […]

December 16, 2010

Bitter spat at ATVOD UK meeting

The (UK) Association for TV on Demand held a stakeholders meeting with Ofcom on December 13th in order to discuss fees for 2011 licences. The meeting, highly charged from the beginning, saw some strong opinions expressed over the proposed fees from Ofcom, with some channel owners expressing grave concern that ATVOD itself, and Ofcom, were […]

December 15, 2010By Chris Forrester

IFTA urges stronger online copyright protection

Global trade association the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) has urged the US Department of Commerce and other government agencies to take concerted action to enhance effective online copyright protections. It contends that online piracy has put at risk future production by harming independents’ ability to recoup minimum guarantees. IFTA submitted the comments in […]

December 15, 2010

BBC Trust unveils strategy

A new strategy to deliver more distinctive, high quality programmes, improved value for money and greater transparency for all audiences has been published by the BBC Trust, the body that sets BBC strategy and top-level budgets . Launching the final conclusions of the Strategy Review, BBC Trust Chairman Sir Michael Lyons stressed that the BBC […]

December 15, 2010From Colin Mann in London

Entertainment coalition lends weight to Viacom vs. YouTube

An entertainment industry coalition representing the major studios and the independent motion picture and television programming industry has filed an amicus (interested party) brief in the case of Viacom versus YouTube. The brief filed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) urges the Court of Appeals […]

December 14, 2010

Australia: Convergence Review

The Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy has released draft Terms of Reference for a comprehensive review of the country’s communications and media regulation. Senator Conroy said technological innovations were rapidly leading to a converged media age and it was time to review current media and communications regulations. “You […]

December 14, 2010

Groups contest FCC net neutrality proposal

A wide selection of public interest groups is arguing that the open Internet principles suggested by the FCC last week fall short of “real” net neutrality More than 80 public interest groups, businesses and civil rights groups signed the letter to the Federal Communications Commission, saying net neutrality rules should ban paid prioritisation of online […]

December 13, 2010