ITV

Tag: BSkyB

  • The History Channel to hit Scandinavia on 1 February

    The History Channel to hit Scandinavia on 1 February

    MUMBAI: The History Channel UK, a joint venture between A&E Television Networks (AETN) and British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), has announced an agreement to distribute The History Channel to Scandinavia, including Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

    Through an agreement with Norway’s Canal Digital, the channel will debut in Scandinavia on 1 February 2007. Available to approximately one million households across the region at launch, the channel will be broadcast in English with local subtitles for each of the four countries.
    The channel in Scandinavia will be programmed by The History Channel UK, but will offer a separate schedule from the UK service. The network will air on channel 27 in Norway, Denmark and Finland, and on channel 28 in Sweden, informs an official release.

    The History Channel features award-winning programming that covers a variety of topics, including ancient history, contemporary history, military history and conflict, and technology and transport. Among the original series that air on the channel are Battle Stations, Engineering an Empire, MegaDisasters, and Digging for the Truth; specials include The Crusades: Crescent and The Cross, Titanic, French Revolution and Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids.

    The History Channel UK commercial director Ian McDonough said, “Scandinavia is a hugely important market for us and we are excited to be launching The History Channel with a partner as strong as Canal Digital. The Scandinavian people have a keen interest in history and the channel’s programmes offer the highest production value together with topics ranging from the Ice Age to the Digital Age.”

    “We are very pleased to launch The History Channel Scandinavia, and expand significantly our European footprint,” said International AETN Vice President Sean Cohan. “As the brand’s visibility in the region grows, we plan to offer viewers our award-winning content across platforms – via mobile, broadband and VOD. We also look forward to introducing our other channels, The History Channel HD, The Biography Channel, Crime and Investigation Network in Scandinavia in the near future.”

  • Murdoch to leave BSkyB later this year

    Murdoch to leave BSkyB later this year

    MUMBAI: UK pay TV platform BSkyB CEO James Murdoch is believed to be leaving the firm later this year to take up a position at US media conglomerate News Corp.

    A report in the Mail on Sunday says that Murdoch will be replaced at Sky by the head of Sky Italia, Tom Mockridge. Reports add that News Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch is understood to have wanted his son to return to America at the end of last year.

    However James wanted to remain at Sky at least until this summer to see through the introduction of both broadband and high definition television, both of which were projects he instigated.

  • James Murdoch taking more hands on role at Star?

    James Murdoch taking more hands on role at Star?

    Truth will out. After months of rumour and speculation, the pieces of the puzzle as to what exactly has been going on behind the scenes at Rupert Murdoch’s Asian arm are falling in place (or so we believe).

     

    Conversations Indiantelevision.com has had with industry executives in India and Hong Kong aver that the countdown to yesterday’s announcement of Star CEO Michelle Guthrie’s departure had been set in motion months before. The first inklings of that came with the creation last March of a new executive structure within Star wherein Steve Askew was named president of Star Entertainment in addition to COO of Star; and the appointment less than a month later, of Paul Aiello as president of Star.

    Aiello’s was a newly created role that put him in charge of developing strategic and business directions for the pan Asian broadcaster while overseeing corporate functions including business development, strategy and implementation, Star Ventures, government affairs and corporate communications.

     

    Similarly, the schism that has riven Star India these past months also directly links back to events of March 2006 and the shake up in the Indian operations wherein two units were created – Star Group and Star Entertainment – with Peter Mukerjea made CEO of Star Group India and Sameer Nair promoted from COO Star India to CEO of Star Entertainment India. More on that later though.

     

    Back in Hong Kong, meanwhile, the next significant appointment was in September of David Butorac as president, Platforms. That announcement marked the return to the News Corp fold of a BSkyB veteran who was then COO of Malaysia’s Astro DTH operator.

     

    All these moves are said to have been orchestrated out of London by BSkyB CEO and now looking ever more likely heir to the Murdoch legacy, James Murdoch. That James would have a personal interest in the affairs of Star is not surprising since his three-year stint as chairman and CEO of Star marked his coming of age as an entrepreneur.

     

    When James joined Star in May 2000, Star was losing ?100 million a year. When he handed over charge to Guthrie in November 2003 Star’s India operations were extremely profitable and China was beginning to show profitability. Guthrie’s mandate was to drive the company further into these markets and steer it into DTH, and pure pay TV plays with higher subscription revenues.

     

    In both China (due to political reasons as much as anything) and India (the cycle of change?) there has been a deceleration but that doesn’t really tell the story. One could argue that it is also down to the advantages of being an owner but there is no getting away from the fact that during James’ reign there was clarity and simplicity in both executive chains of command as well as corporate structure and direction.

     

    To say that the executive command structure at Star today is convoluted would be putting it kindly. And nothing exemplifies this better than the India operations where there is a strategic/corporate CEO in Mukerjea, an operational CEO in Nair, and a president in Paritosh Joshi responsible for managing revenues. And there soon may even be a COO if reports of a move to India of long time Star Hong Kong hand Sanjay Das pan out as true. We’re surprised that the name of long-time Star loyalist and former India business development head Jagdish Kumar has not cropped up anywhere in the speculations.

     

    According to our reading of the events of the past few months, James has been preparing the ground for a return to the lean, mean management style that was in place earlier and this could more than likely see more executive churn right through the Star system. At the top of that list of potential near term departures is Askew, currently on four months’ sick leave.

     

    A possible offshoot of this could be that James will sooner rather than later have a far more role in running the affairs of Star, maybe take on a designation of chairman of Star or some such.direct

     

    And truth is that Star really means India, the rest of it being not much more than feeder operations. So James will perforce have to send out a clear message there. The present neither here nor there two-CEO proposition has proved an unmitigated disaster.

     

    If the head honchos at Star were convinced that Nair was the man to lead it into the new and uncertain digital future then they should have gone with him and let him do his job. The presence of a shadow CEO (Mukerjea) was a huge disservice to Nair and even more so to Mukerjea, who had helmed the fortunes of Star India in its period of greatest dominance.

     

    POSTSCRIPT: The reasons for Nair’s deciding to quit (informed sources say he put in his papers on 28 December) remain shrouded in mystery because his is after all the most high profile media chief executive’s job in the country (shadow CEO notwithstanding). If anyone could be said to have had reasons to quit it was Mukerjea, and by current reckonings, both have resigned. So there is certainly some serious damage control that newly inducted CEO Aiello has to deal with when he arrives in India on Monday.

  • Rive Gauche Television to slate array of reality, docu shows at Natpe

    Rive Gauche Television to slate array of reality, docu shows at Natpe

    MUMBAI: Rive Gauche Television SVP sales Dorothy Crompton, has announced that its slating out a catalogue of reality and documentary programming to international broadcasters at Natpe.
    Crompton said, “We look forward to bringing our ever-growing line-up to global broadcasters at Natpe because it reflects Rive Gauche’s commitment to refreshing the content level and quality of our properties. Rive Gauche has experienced tremendous growth over the last year and we anticipate continued success for our entire catalogue in 2007.”

    Entertainment and Reality Series:

    The Dog Whisperer, season three (20 x 60’) is hosted by canine psychologist Cesar Millan. Millan teaches dog owners to become the pack leader to resolve their pet’s behavioral issues. The series follows Cesar as he visits homes, and works with dogs and their distraught owners to solve the behavior problems.

    Produced by MPH Entertainment, The Dog Whisperer is already sold in 15 territories, including BskyB (UK); NHK B.F. (Japan); TV4 (Sweden); SBS (Netherlands); TV2 (Denmark) and TVNZ (New Zealand) and UBC (Thailand), asserts an official release.

    Is That A Nail In Your Head? (6 x 60’) showcases the shocking, true stories of medical science – all caught on tape. The series features patients who cope with real-life medical battles, facing staggering odds of recovery. Featuring video coverage of medical procedures, Is That a Nail In Your Head? allows viewers to explore the extremes of medicine and health conditions. The series is produced by LMNO.

    Beyond The Badge (10 x 60’) showcases footages of catastrophic crashes, shootouts and attacks on officers captured from police cruiser dashboard-mounted cameras, helicopters and television news crew. The series is a co-production of Matchlight Entertainment and Rive Gauche Television.

    Outrageous Home Videos (3 x 60’) captures the hilarious, candid action of kids in Crazy Kids Clips, Party Fouls and bizarre holiday moments in Holiday Bloopers from unique home video footage. The series is produced by Discovery.

    Documentary Specials:

    Dino Lab (1 x 60’) combines the latest scientific technology with a cast of living, breathing digital dinosaurs created by the same electronic animators who first brought the creatures to life in the Discovery Channel’s Dinosaur Planet. A wide variety of prehistoric creatures are dropped into a modern, controlled laboratory setting where lab technicians attempt to assess the creatures’ abilities with a variety of experiments.

    Outside the lab, technicians put the digital dinosaurs through “real-life” trials, demonstrating their colossal size and strength. The testing space – part Olympic training facility, part obstacle course— is designed to illustrate paleontologists’ latest insights about these creatures in a dramatic and highly entertaining way. Dino Lab is produced by Quiet Motion and is distributed by Rive Gauche Entertainment.

    Cuba: A Lifetime of Passion (1 x 60’) looks at the current reality of the Cuban revolution and its uncertain future. This documentary highlights present-day Cuba, its revolutionary past and its impending changes. After four decades in power, Fidel Castro remains the central divisive figure in a decades-long struggle over what Cuba is, the meaning of the Cuban experience and the country’s future.

    With perspectives from the nation’s citizens, those within the exiled Cuban community in Miami, and American officials in Washington, this documentary reveals how Cuban-Americans and native Cubans are at odds about the country’s future.

  • BSky reaches two million DVR boxes

    BSky reaches two million DVR boxes

    MUMBAI: UK pay TV service provider BSkyB says that the total number of Sky+ boxes installed in customers’ homes in the UK has broken through two million for the first time.

    The milestone was reached after the number of Sky+ boxes grew by more than 50 per cent in 2006, putting Sky on track to pass its target of 25 per cent Sky+ penetration well in advance of the original schedule of 2010.

    The company says that the rapid growth of Sky+ highlights increasing demand from customers for the ability to take control over their television viewing. With two million active boxes, almost five million viewers are using Sky+ to record without video tape, pause and rewind live TV, and record all episodes of a favourite series at the touch of a button.

    To give customers even more choice and control, Sky plans to introduce a number of new enhancements to Sky+ in 2007 that will revolutionise the TV experience even further. These innovations will include the ability to use the internet to set a recording on your Sky+ box even when you are away from home. Customers will simply log on to www.sky.com to programme their box remotely.

    Also in 2007, Sky will introduce a new enhancement giving Sky+ customers the chance to enjoy a selection of the week’s best programmes on-demand. The service will be available to more than one million Sky+ and Sky HD customers from launch, making use of additional recording capacity on the hard drive of more recent boxes.

    Sky CFO Jeremy Darroch said, “Sky+ has changed the way millions of people watch TV. In its own way, Sky+ has as dramatic an effect on the experience of TV as the iPod has with music. There’s no going back once you’ve experienced the ability to take control over the TV schedules and we’re planning new innovations in 2007 to make Sky+ even better.

    “Passing the milestone of 2 million Sky+ boxes keeps us on track to break through our target of 25 per cent penetration well ahead of schedule. The rapid growth of Sky+ shows strong customer demand for additional services and gives us great confidence as our multi-product strategy moves forward this year.”

    Viewing behaviour in Sky+ homes

    To coincide with the milestone of two million boxes, Sky has published new research findings highlighting how Sky+ is changing the TV viewing habits of families around the country. The data, garnered from the Sky View research panel, provides an accurate measurement of how customers are using Sky+ to record – or ‘time-shift’ – television programmes.

    Drama is the genre of programming most frequently recorded by Sky+ customers, accounting for 39.3 per cent of all time-shifted viewing. Other popular genres are documentaries (14.9 per cent), entertainment (13 per cent) and movies (9.5 per cent). In contrast, some genres of content remain at their most popular when consumed live. News and weather account for just 0.6% of time-shifted viewing by Sky+ viewers, while current affairs programmes account for 1.2%. (Source: Sky View)

    These trends are reflected in the ranking of channels whose programming is subject to most time-shifting by Sky+ viewers:

    With the ability to record two programmes simultaneously, Sky+ resolves scheduling clashes and allows customers to record peak-time shows to watch at a more convenient time.

    Sky View research shows that, in Sky+ households, time-shifting accounts for 22 per cent of all viewing of programmes originally scheduled between 9 pm and 10 pm and 17 per cent of all viewing of programmes scheduled between 10 pm and 11 pm.

  • News Corp increases stake in NGC

    News Corp increases stake in NGC

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate News Corp is acquiring NBC Universal’s 25 per cent stake in two entities that run the international operations of the National Geographic Channel (NGC).

    Media reports state that News Corp said in a regulatory filing that it was buying the stakes in NGC Network International and NGC Network (UK) for an undisclosed sum. NBC Universal is a unit of General Electric.

    The deal will increase News Corp’s stake in NGC Network International to 75 per cent, with the rest held by National Geographic Television. The British unit is now owned 25 per cent by News Corp, 25 per cent by National Geographic Television, and 50 per cent by BSkyB.

  • Sky, Google unveil broadband alliance

    Sky, Google unveil broadband alliance

     MUMBAI: UK pay TV service provider BSkyB and the world’s most valuable media firm Google have announced plans to work together in bringing ground-breaking web-based services to Sky’s community of broadband internet customers.

    The set of multi-year agreements sees two of innovators in technology and entertainment join forces to create a customised experience for Sky Broadband customers.

    Sky will be Google’s first partner globally to deploy Google’s suite of search, advertising, communications and video services, all of which will be tailored and branded for Sky’s fast-growing broadband platform. Sky aims to ensure that its broadband customers enjoy the best possible online user experience with customised access to the full benefits of Google’s evolving suite of innovative products for PC, TV and mobile.

    Sky and Google will collaborate in three areas:

    Video: Sky will launch a multi-platform User Generated Video (UGV) portal powered by the first global deployment of Google’s syndicated video content tools. The site will allow users to edit, upload and share their own video content, including the facility to upload and download from a mobile phone. The UGV portal will form part of a content-rich experience for Sky Broadband customers that will enhance the appeal of Sky’s broadband services, build community and promote Sky content to online audiences.

    Communications: Sky Broadband customers will enjoy access to an online communications platform. This will include a fully customised version of Google’s email product, ‘Google Mail’, which will use the popular ‘@sky.com’ email address. Powered by Google with a user interface and functionality customised to Sky’s unique specifications, the platform will also offer access to key communications applications that attract and deepen relationships with internet users, such as contacts, calendar and instant messaging.

    In addition, Sky will explore opportunities to provide further services such as Google’s VoIP (voice over internet protocol) telephony services, enhanced storage and future product developments.

    Search and advertising Google will provide its search tools and targetted search advertising across Sky’s portfolio of online sites. The two companies will also explore future forms of web, TV and mobile advertising. Revenue generated by click-throughs on sponsored links will be shared between Sky and Google, increasing Sky’s exposure to the fastest growing segment of the UK’s advertising market.

    Sky CEO James Murdoch said, “These agreements will bring Sky customers a valuable set of services from the world’s leading search company, including cutting edge tools for video sharing and communications. Google has pioneered many of the web’s most loved and used features, so I’m delighted that Sky Broadband customers will be the very first

    online community to enjoy such unrivalled range and quality as well as a commitment to further innovation.

    In a short time, Sky says that it has emerged as an effective challenger by offering high-quality broadband that offers greater value than traditional cable and telcos. Sky says that it is on track to build a large and successful broadband business and is increasingly well positioned to participate in the rapid growth of online search and advertising.’

    Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt said, “Google is committed to giving people the power to explore, create and communicate. This alliance with Sky brings together two of the most innovative media and technology companies for the benefit of users. We will be delivering exciting new services for Sky Broadband customers all over the UK. We’re delighted to team up with Sky in one of the world’s most dynamic markets and we look forward to working together in the years to come.”
     

  • Star One, Star Gold launch on Sky in the UK

    Star One, Star Gold launch on Sky in the UK

    MUMBAI: Pan Asian broadcaster Star has announced the launch of Star One and Star Gold on the Sky digital TV platform in the UK.

    The launch expands Star’s Indian channel offering on BSkyB from the current line-up of Star Plus and Star News to a total of four channels.

    Indiantelevision.com was the first to report on 3 November that Entertainment channel Star One and movie platform Star Gold would debut in the UK later this month on BSkyB, which is over-35 per cent owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

    Star One and Star Gold will be available on BSkyB’s Entertainment Pack. The channels will enhance South Asian programming for viewers in 8.2 million households across the UK and Ireland.

  • NDS joins Anytime Technology partner programme

    NDS joins Anytime Technology partner programme

    MUMBAI: Anytime, Asia Pacific’s leading Video on-Demand (VoD) channel, today announced that NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, is the newest member of the Anytime Technology Partner Program.

    The Anytime Technology Partner Program is a collaboration between Anytime and the world’s leading VoD technology vendors. It aims to reduce the time to deploy secure, quality, VoD services in Asia Pacific. The Program allows technology vendors to come together to ensure process compliance and data flow compatibility from publishing, to billing API’s and royalty reporting. NDS Group is a NASDAQ-listed company; the largest shareholder in NDS is News Corporation.

    NDS solutions enable broadcasters, network TV operators and content providers to profit from the deployment of digital TV technologies including innovative solutions for digital video recorders, interactivity, secure broadband, home networks and content on the go. NDS boasts an impressive customer list, featuring some of the world’s leading pay-TV operators, such as BSkyB, DIRECTV, SkyLife and FOXTEL, informs an official release.

    “NDS is pleased to join the Anytime Technology Partner Program. We regard this as an important technology alliance to enable our customers to implement VoD services in a timely and seamless fashion,” said Sue Taylor, VP & GM of NDS Asia Pacific.

    “With their in-house expertise, ANYTIME will help us test and review a complete range of IPTV products and solutions and develop reference architectures for our customers. The Anytime Technology Partner Program is the answer to fast-tracking VoD deployments in Asia Pacific.”

    “NDS’s end-to-end deployments demonstrate the company’s ability to offer unparalleled expertise in content delivery and protection. Conditional access is a vital component in any VoD delivery model and NDS has the capabilities to bring content security to a new level,” said Anytime CTO Craig Ginsberg.

    NDS joins a rapidly growing number of the world’s leading technology vendors including Verimatrix, SecureMedia, Concurrent and Tatung as members of the Anytime Technology Partner Program.

    The Anytime Technology Partner Program has two levels of agreement – Technology compliance, and Cooperation & Co-marketing. If accepted into the Program, vendors can work with Anytime to ensure their products, services or solutions, comply with the highest industry standards for VoD content delivery.

    The Program is open to STB manufacturers, middleware vendors, Conditional Access and DRM hardware and software makers, VoD server manufacturers, and Systems Integrators. It is vendor-agnostic, ensuring that Telcos, ISPs and Digital Cable providers receive impartial advice and information on VoD delivery technology, the release adds.

  • BSkyB’s Q1 revenues up 11 %

    BSkyB’s Q1 revenues up 11 %

    MUMBAI: UK pay TV platform BSkyB has announced results for the first quarter ended 30 September 2006.

    Revenues increased by 11 per cent to £1071 million.

    DTH subscribers increased to 8.258 million, net growth of 82,000 in the quarter. Sky+ households increased by 139,000 in the quarter to 1,692,000, represtning a 20 per cent penetration of total DTH subscribers.

    Multiroom households increased by 46,000 in the quarter to 1,093,000, a 13 per cent penetration of total DTH subscribers. HD households increased to 96,000, net growth of 58,000 in the quarter.

    BSkyB CEO James Murdoch said, “This has been an important period for the company. We are building on our leadership in pay television and are becoming an increasingly well positioned challenger in the £20 billion combined industry for pay television, broadband and telephone services. Sky has delivered the highest first quarter subscriber growth for three years and is seeing high demand across our range of services.

    “One in three families in the UK and Republic of Ireland are choosing Sky for the widest choice in television and now almost a quarter of those families take at least one additional product from us as well. While it is still early, we are pleased with the progress since the launch of Sky Broadband and in just 15 weeks, we’ve seen a great response from Sky customers. Our preparations, pace of provisioning and investments in service and systems to manage demand are performing well. Our strategy is leading to an increase in revenue growth with overall revenues up 11 per cent in the quarter.

    “Our expansion into new areas is supported by continued growth and strong financial performance with pay television EBITDA up eight per cent in the quarter. A wide choice of quality programmes, innovative services like HDTV, Sky+, and broadband are not only attracting new customers, but also offering new services to existing customers. There’s never been a better time to join in.”

    The total number of DTH digital satellite subscribers in the UK and Ireland was 8,258,000, representing a net increase of 82,000 in the quarter and the highest first quarter net subscriber growth since 2003. Strong demand for Sky’s broad range of products led to an increase in gross additions of 14 per cent on the comparable period to 325,000; gross additions were 34 per cent higher than those recorded in the three months to September 2004.

    Sky+ the firm says continues to exceed expectations, with over 20 per cent of all Sky households now taking the product. At 30 September 2006, the number of households subscribing to Sky+ was 1,692,000, an increase of 139,000. During the quarter, the Group reduced the price of Sky+ for existing customers, removing the necessity to take a Multiroom subscription, and thereby allowing them to upgrade at the same attractive rates as new joiners.

    Sky HD subscribers more than doubled during the quarter to 96,000, the fastest ever customer take-up of an additional Sky product, and already representing three times the sales levels achieved by Sky+ in its first year.