ITV

Tag: ITV Digital

  • Sky’s chief financial officer Stewart calls it a day

    Sky’s chief financial officer Stewart calls it a day

    MUMBAI: Sky’s chief financial officer, Martin Stewart, has announced plans to quit his position at Sky “to pursue other interests.”
     

    Stewart said, “I have been privileged to work at Sky in a uniquely fascinating phase of its development during which it has evolved from an analogue product to the UK’s leading digital platform with over seven million customers. After eight years of service to BSkyB, it is now the right time for me to pursue new opportunities.” He will leave the company in August.

    Stewart was one of the candidates competing to be the company’s CEO after Tony Ball resigned last year. The 40 year old Stewart was the finance director since 1998, before which he was a manager in the company’s finance division. Along with Ball he oversaw the successful strategy of switching all Sky’s customers to its digital service and giving away the set-top decoder boxes that subscribers need. Under them, the company reached its target of 7 millions customers and they saw off the challenge from ITV Digital.

    Sky’s chief executive James Murdoch said, “Martin has played an enormous role in the success of Sky and has been instrumental in the Company’s transition from analogue to digital. He will be leaving the company in a superlative position thanks in no small part to his contribution across the operations and strategy of the Group. On behalf of the management and the Board, I wish him every success in the future and thank him for his committment and personal contribution to the success of the business.”

    Reports further indicate that Stewart made several million pounds during his tenure.

  • BBC wins licence to show 27 digital channels

    BBC wins licence to show 27 digital channels

    UK broadcaster BBC is now firmly in charge of making sure that the conversion from analogue to digital television in Britain proceeds smoothly. It has been awarded the three licences which were left vacant after the collapse of ITV Digital.

    Tenders were invited for the licences in March after ITV Digital was forced into administration due to losses which exceeded 1 billion.

    As per the 12-year deal announced by the Independent Television Commission the consortium which is led by the BBC and BSkyB can start its new digital terrestrial service later in the year.

    Viewers will now get a bonanza of 27 digital free-to-view channels. In addition they will also enjoy radio and interactive services, through an existing aerial. The only cost incurred is that of a set top box for around 100.

    Reports indicate that the decision to give the licences to the BBC rather than a rival bid from ITV and Channel 4 gives a fresh start to digital terrestrial television.

    The Governments aim to switch off the traditional analogue signal by 2010 can only materialise if 95 per cent of homes have access to digital.

    Right now less than half the number have digital. Menawhile commercial broadcasters in Britain criticised the alliance between the BBC and BSkyB as being nothing more than “digital land-grab”.

    Under the BBC consortium, called Free To View, viewers will receive the five current analogue channels – BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 – plus several digital services including CNN, ITV2, BBC4, and the children’s channels CBeebies and CBBC. 

    They will also get three Sky channels: Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky Travel. 

    The corporation said it will spend 3.5 billion of licence fee payers’ money on the new service over the next 12 years, including more than 5 million a year on marketing.