ITV

Category: Technology

  • DHX Media closes SVOD and VOD deals globally

    DHX Media closes SVOD and VOD deals globally

    MUMBAI: DHX Media, a leading producer, distributor and licensor of kid’s content, has signed a slew of international subscription video on demand (SVOD) and video on demand (VOD) deals underscoring its aim of exploiting its library through new distribution platforms.

    New partners include Tesco-owned Blinkbox which has added to its offering for the UK and Ireland alongside a deal for the same regions with FUHU, which has added titles for NABI tablet users.

    Dailymotion will provide France, Switzerland and Belgium with various titles and also in France and Belgium, viewers will now also be able to access a selection of DHX Media content via the Canal Play Infinity and Belgacom platforms, respectively.

    Elsewhere in Europe, a number of DHX Media shows will be on demand in Italy through Media Network, while in Slovakia VOD content will be provided by Voyo, in Greece and Cyprus by Riverdrop and in Turkey by D-Smart and TTNET.

    In Russia TVZOR has acquired a number of series in SVOD and advertising video on demand (AVOD) deals. In the southern hemisphere, Wananchi has snapped up key titles for the East African market and Opticom for Argentina.

    DHX Media SVP Distribution Josh Scherba said, “We are firmly committed to seeking opportunities with new platforms, and with a catalogue totalling over 8,500 half hours of programming, we are well positioned to supply digital networks with a significant volume of quality content.”

  • Ban on YouTube continues in Pakistan

    Ban on YouTube continues in Pakistan

    NEW DELHI: The ban on YouTube in Pakistan imposed to protest the film ‘Innocence of Muslims‘ continues, though Interior Minister Rehman Malik had announced that it was being opened on public demand.

    Pakistan had lifted the ban on Saturday but re-imposed it later after discovering that the offensive content was still available on the online video platform.

    According to reports, all the ISPs in Pakistan received notification yesterday from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to unblock YouTube with immediate effect and submit compliance through return email by 1700 hours.

    Before ISPs could send the compliance report to PTA, Ashraf issued an order to block the YouTube again on the grounds that YouTube had not removed the blasphemous movie ‘Innocence of Muslims‘ from its servers.

    The second directive of PTA to the companies said: “In pursuance of withdrawal of earlier MoIT directive of opening of YouTube, you are all now requested to block complete “YouTube” website immediately in Pakistan from all possible routes.”

    The website will remain blocked till further orders. Moreover, you are also requested to block the particular IPs of following version of YouTube without disrupting the non-YouTube traffic.

    YouTube has been off internet in Pakistan for a hundred days, during which the PTA is understood to have held discussions with Google.

  • Videocon d2h to air ‘Vishwaroopam’ on 10 Jan

    Videocon d2h to air ‘Vishwaroopam’ on 10 Jan

    MUMBAI: DTH service provider Videocon d2h is set to telecast the premiere of the movie Vishwaroopam on PPV (Pay per View) mode.

    With this facility, Videocon d2h subscribers will now be able to watch the movie before it releases in the theatres.

    The movie, which will be telecast on 10 January, will be charged at Rs 1000 per view in Tamil language (Channel No. 221) and Rs 500 per view for Telugu (Channel No. 219) and in Hindi (Channel No. 220).

    The movie has been directed by and stars Kamal Hassan; one of the biggest cinema actors in the country.

    Videocon d2h director Saurabh Dhoot said, "We see this as a breakthrough innovation for the DTH platform and this could set a new precedent in the times to come. We are constantly aiming to widen our engagement platform through which we would leverage and connect with our consumers better by bringing newer entertainment modes right into the homes of our consumers."

    Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera added, "Vishwaroopam is the first Indian movie to be premiered on the DTH platform before its theatrical release worldwide. Tamil and Telugu movies are gaining huge popularity in the country and Videocon d2h is ensuring that it serves exclusive regional language films for the subscribers. Such collaboration with the movies will certainly usher in a new experience for all movie lovers."

  • Videocon d2h earmarks Rs 4.88 bn of proposed IPO proceeds to buy STBs

    Videocon d2h earmarks Rs 4.88 bn of proposed IPO proceeds to buy STBs

    MUMBAI: Bharat Business Channel, the Videocon Group‘s direct-to-home (DTH) television service provider under the brand Videocon d2h, plans to spend Rs 4.88 billion of the Rs 7 billion it intends to raise from an initial public offering to purchase set-top-boxes (STBs) and associated equipment.

    Videocon d2h will purchase two million STBs, outdoor units and accessories from Trend Electronics Ltd (TEL), a Videocon Group company, during the financial year 2014.

    Videocon d2h will buy from TEL 1.6 million standard definition STBs at Rs 1,400 per piece, 0.4 million high definition STBs at Rs 1,700 per piece and two million outdoor units and accessories at Rs 627 per unit.

    Videocon d2h expects 7-8 per cent of new DTH subscribers to purchase HD subscription packages. Approximately 30 television channels are available in HD apart from sports and movie channels.

    Videocon d2h brand owner Bharat Business Channel has 6.62 million gross subscribers (including inactive subscribers) as of 30 September 2012. The company started operations in July 2009.

    The company has filed a draft prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for its IPO and would be listing its shares on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

    Videocon d2h will use Rs 695.85 million of the IPO proceeds to repay or prepay part of its debt from banks and the remaining for general corporate purposes.

    As of October 31, 2012, Bharat Business Channel had outstanding secured indebtedness of Rs 16.62 billion from banks and indebtedness of another Rs 2.25 billion from Videocon Industries.

    The company plans to raise Rs 500 million through sale of equity before the IPO. If the pre-IPO placement is completed, the public issue size will be reduced to the extent of such placement, subject to the public issue size constituting at least 25 per cent of the post-Issue paid-up equity share capital of the company.

    All of Bharat Business Channel‘s secured loans are either guaranteed or supported through undertakings by Videocon Industries.

    The company incurred losses for the six months ended September 30, 2012 and the financial years 2012, 2011 and 2010 of Rs 2.70 billion, Rs 4.82 billion, Rs 5.28 billion and Rs 1.31 billion, respectively. For the financial years 2011 and 2010, it had negative cash flows from operating activities of Rs 1.18 billion and Rs 504.26 million, respectively.

    As of September 30, 2012, the company had a negative net worth of Rs 5.89 billion.

    The company said its auditors have noted that despite the erosion of our net worth and the fact that our accumulated losses exceeded the paid-up share capital, the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.

  • Pearson to invest $89.5 million in online book store Nook Media

    Pearson to invest $89.5 million in online book store Nook Media

    MUMBAI: Pearson, the world‘s leading learning company, has agreed to make a strategic investment in Barnes & Noble subsidiary Nook Media, the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products.

    Pearson has agreed to invest $89.5 million in cash in Nook Media at a post-money valuation of approximately $1.789 billion in exchange for preferred membership interests representing 5 per cent equity stake.

    Following the closing of the transaction, Barnes & Noble will now own approximately 78.2 per cent of the Nook Media subsidiary and Microsoft, which also holds preferred membership interests, will own approximately 16.8 per cent.

    Subject to certain conditions, Pearson will earn the option to purchase up to an additional five per cent ownership in Nook Media.
    Pearson‘s strategic investment in Nook Media will accelerate customer access to digital content by pairing its leading expertise in online learning with Nook Media‘s expertise in online distribution and customer service. This will facilitate improved discovery of available digital content and services, as well as seamless access.

    "We formed Nook Media to be a leader in the exploding market for digital content. Pearson is a forward thinking company similarly focused on reading and learning, with powerful assets and a terrific management team. We welcome their partnership in Nook Media, and look forward to working with them and Microsoft to deliver great digital experiences for our shared customers," said Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch.

    Pearson North America CEO Will Ethridge said, "With this investment we have entered into a commercial agreement with Nook Media that will allow our two companies to work closely together in order to create a more seamless and effective experience for students. It is another example of our strategy of making our content and services broadly available to students and faculty through a wide range of distribution partners."

  • Viacom in spat with Cablevision over fees

    Viacom in spat with Cablevision over fees

    MUMBAI: More than three million Cablevision customers may start 2013 without receiving 17 Viacom cable network channels as a result of the two parties‘ dispute over programming fees, The New York Post reported.

    The channel network and cable operator‘s five-year deal expires on 31 December and the former is now demanding an increase in fees in the renewed contract.
    Viacom‘s argument is that it accounts for 20 per cent of viewing but only eight per cent of Cablevision‘s overall programming fees, according to the publication.

    Earlier this year, Viacom was involved in a similar spat with DirecTV‘s which caused the operator‘s 20 million customers to lose Viacom‘s channels for nine days in July. The two parties were forced to reconcile after extensive discontent among viewers. Both sides suffered from the prolonged blackout, with Viacom losing ad revenue and DirecTV shedding subscribers. Its dispute over distribution fees with the Tribune Co. lasted more than two months and deprived customers in New York of local station WPIX 11.

    Viacom has been investing in programming to boost flagging ratings at its youth-oriented channels, home to popular shows such as "Teen Mom," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "SpongeBob Squarepants."

  • Mobile Advertising trends that will rule 2013

    Mobile Advertising trends that will rule 2013

    As consumers rapidly adopt the mobile, here are the top five trends that will drive mobile advertising in 2013:

    1. Smartphone Advertising will evolve to Smart Advertising

    Advertisers today are adapting their campaigns to the capabilities of smartphones. Also, many of them are only leveraging 1 or 2 smartphone platforms versus the broader mobile ecosystem. However, as the medium continues to grow rapidly in 2013 and demonstrates its potential as the most powerful Mass Media, advertisers with a smartphone-only strategy will miss out on a large chunk of consumers present on other mobile platforms. Mobile Internet enabled feature phones still dominate emerging markets (80% penetration) – even developed markets such as USA have 45% penetration. Advertisers will have to invest time evaluating the mobile habits and behaviour patterns of users to create smart campaigns that will connect with consumers, irrespective of the mobile platform they use.

    2. Developers will blend In-App purchases with Ad based revenues in parallel

    Developers using the classic in-app purchase model to monetize are seeing only 5-10% of their app users convert into paid transactions. With an increasing number of app users coming from emerging markets, this conversion rate will further reduce. So although emerging markets have a high mobile penetration, the GDP per capita is much lower & credit card penetration is only in single digits! Developers will have to take urgent action to monetize the remaining 95% of their app user base by plugging into telco billing for micro-transactions and using powerful Mobile Advertising solutions. 2013 will see such premium apps come into the Mobile Advertising foray and advertisers will benefit from being able to target the premium audience of these apps & games.
    3. Telcos will try to get back into the Mobile Advertising space

    Back in the day, TelCos were slated to have a significant stake in the Mobile Advertising ecosystem. However, as consumers data usage shifted from TelCo owned ‘on-deck‘ wap portals to the broader mobile internet sites and apps, it looked like they missed the Mobile Advertising bus. However, it is clear that TelCos are still looking to get back into the game, and cash in on the Mobile Advertising opportunity, especially in emerging markets. Leading TelCos have already made their moves by getting significant stakes in Mobile Advertising companies. Others such as Airtel have started their own foray with m-Advertising platforms. In 2013, we will see more TelCos scouting for viable opportunities and partnerships to participate in the rapidly growing Mobile Advertising industry.

    4. Windows Phone 8 will not curb Android‘s "mass market" smartphone momentum

    Windows Phone 8 launched in Oct‘12 amidst a lot of fanfare. However, given its high minimum hardware specification requirements, the devices that use it are likely to be only mid or high end in terms of pricing. Android devices have been around for over 4 years, giving it a considerable head-start and penetration with OEMs. Everyday over 1.3 million Android devices are being activated, with majority of them being priced for the "mass market", and in 2013 Android will cross an installed base of 1 Billion users. On the other hand, 2013 will also be the first year of Windows Phone 8 platform and its focus will be to first make inroads in the high end segment, which itself is a herculean task given the headstart iOS & Android have. Windows Phone 8 may over time bring down device prices by working with partners, but it is unlikely to happen in 2013.

    5. Consumer‘s mobile lifestyle will allow Brands to converge advertising, distribution & transactions!

    The Mobile is fundamentally altering consumer lifestyle today – it is changing how we live, work & play! Over the past few years brands have tried to integrate the mobile as part of their overall media mix. In 2013, brands will have the opportunity to take it to the next level – leveraging the Mobile for all the 4Ps of Marketing! Marketers are now realising that mobile is ‘place-shifting‘ purchases – i.e. purchase decisions are not taking place at a physical store but in the hands of the mobile consumer. Combined with the micro transaction capability of the mobile, m-coupons can alter the pricing paradigm with hyper-segmented offers! As more and more consumers use their devices for making purchase decisions which they traditionally made offline, the lines between advertising, distribution and transaction will blur.

  • PBS launches preschool second screen app for WordWorld

    PBS launches preschool second screen app for WordWorld

    MUMBAI: WordWorld, the three-time Emmy award-winning educational television series broadcast on the US PBS Kids, is launching a second screen integration for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with a new early learning app: Fun with WordFriends, rapidtvnews.com reports.

    The new WordWorld app features interactive games that help young children learn to recognise letters and form words to provide the fundamental building blocks for learning to read.

    Utilising the same foundations established by the Department of Education-funded study which demonstrated that the WordWorld television programme improves children‘s literacy skills, the WordWorld: Fun with WordFriends app is the first in a series of interactive WordWorld learning tools for preschoolers.
    The app allows preschoolers to build words that come to life as the objects they represent.

    "Millions of parents worldwide know and trust WordWorld as an early learning platform for young children. Working with PBS, we‘re leveraging our award-winning content to develop fun and exciting early learning applications in the digital space," said WordWorld Director of Interactive Content Eric Kriegstein.

  • Telefonica to provide satellite Internet connectivity in Europe through Eutelsat

    Telefonica to provide satellite Internet connectivity in Europe through Eutelsat

    MUMBAI: Telefonica Global Solutions has announced an agreement with Eutelsat Communications, Europe‘s leading satellite operator, to provide high quality satellite broadband services to carriers from across Europe through the high-performance KA-SAT satellite.

    With KA-SAT, Telefonica aims at offering fast Internet access to carriers from all over Europe, especially in areas that are not within reach of terrestrial broadband networks, such as rural areas or urban belts, as well as fully diversified backup solutions in areas that do have terrestrial access.

    The Telefonica Global Solutions wholesale unit is a leading global solutions provider in the international wholesale market, with a broad and competitive catalogue of outsourcing services and solutions for international carriers, present in the leading markets in Europe and America.

    Eutelsat‘s broadband subsidiary, Skylogic CEO Jean-François Fenech said, "Telefonica has followed a path that has established it as one of the most emblematic and admired companies in Europe, making it the ideal partner for increasing the reach of satellite broadband. We are convinced that the implementation of satellite broadband via KA-SAT will successfully address the challenge of building a strong and fair digital landscape throughout Europe."

    Telefonica Global Solutions Director Eduardo Guardincerri said, "The bid for Eutelsat Ka band is the logical step for the evolution of the business of data communications via satellite in Europe, where land-based infrastructures have increasing capillarity. KA-SAT will allow us to offer high quality services at competitive prices, allowing us to update our catalogue of services for operators and corporations. It also allows us to complement the overall strategy of the Telefonica Group providing another access technology for services such as M2M or iHealth."

  • Trai against allowing govt or govt entities in broadcasting and distribution

    Trai against allowing govt or govt entities in broadcasting and distribution

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has stuck to its November 2008 recommendation that central and state governments or entities owned by them should not be allowed to be in broadcasting and television channel distribution businesses.

    Trai on Friday submitted its recommendations to the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on "Issues related to entry of government or government entities into the business of broadcasting and/or distribution of TV channels".

    The I&B Ministry had made a reference to the regulator in November to give its views on allowing central government ministries, central/state government departments, central/state government owned companies, central/state government undertakings, joint venture of the central/state governments and the private sector and central/state government funded entities may in the business of broadcasting and/or distribution of TV channels.

    Trai has also reiterated its view that the government should provide an appropriate exit route to government or government-owned companies which have already been accorded permission to carry on the business of television channel distribution.

    The immediate impact of the Trai recommendation is on Arasu Cable TV Corporation, the Tamil Nadu government-owned company engaged in cable TV distribution business.

    Trai has recommended that suitable provisions be incorporated in the proposed new legislation on broadcasting to provide for an appropriate exit route for such entities which have been already granted permission by the government but are likely to be hit by the proposed disqualifications.

    Trai has also said that the government should further strengthen the arm‘s length relationship between the public broadcaster Prasar Bharti and the central government. Trai said measures should ensure functional independence and autonomy of Prasar Bharti.

    Pending enactment of any new legislation on broadcasting, the disqualifications recommended for political bodies to enter into broadcasting and/or distribution activities should be implemented through executive decision by incorporating the disqualifications into Rules, Regulations and Guidelines as necessary, Trai further said in its recommendations.

    These recommendations are in continuation of the earlier recommendations that it had made in November 2008 following an exhaustive consultation process after the I&B Ministry in December 2007 sought Trai‘s recommendations whether state governments and political bodies should be permitted to enter into broadcasting and distribution activities.

    In the consultation process, Trai had comprehensively examined the issue in the broader context of both central as well as state governments and their respective organs.

    Trai based its recommendations on the Sarkaria Commission report which said a political party controls the executive and there could be "a temptation to use the media wrongly in party interest and not necessarily in national interest".

    While the observations in Sarkaria Commission report were made in the context of the Union Executive, the same logic, Trai says, applies to a state government as the spirit of the observation pertains to the exercise of power and control wielded by the government in question.