Satellite News Room

[SeCSaT™]

Now Sky hammers Virgin ads


Sky is considering a formal complaint against Virgin Media's latest ad campaign. Ads in newspapers say "The cheapest place to get Sky Sports isn't Sky". The ads claim to save consumers £70 (E101) each year compared with Sky.

Virgin Media said its new Sky Sports package would offer four Sky Sports channels with a range of digital TV channels and a TV on-demand library for £26 per month. However, the package is only available to Virgin Media phone customers, who pay an additional £11 for that service. Sky claim that the minimum price for a package of its four major sports channels would be £34, which would be £3 cheaper than Virgin Media.

Sky said: "For all their talk about honesty and transparency, NTL-Virgin are making misleading comparisons that ignore fundamental differences between our products".

[SeCSaT™]

BBC trials Freeview VoD

The BBC is to carry out a research trial of a video-on-demand service through the Freeview DTT service via the platform’s interactive capabilities. The BBC’s director of future media and technology, Ashley Highfield, told UK broadcasting press members that the corporation was working with a set-top-box manufacturer to segment part of hard drive on Freeview PVRs.

"It’s purely a research project, we don’t intend to launch it," said Highfield. The intention is to produce an easy to use interface for the interactive menu that would enable a viewer to call up from a carousel 50 hours of programming. "There’ll be no latency ," he claimed. "We see that as the future of the interactive service." The service could be made available to other broadcasters on the Freeview platform.

Highfield said that the BBC had talked to other broadcasters about the interoperability of the corporation’s planned iPlayer on-demand TV service with similar offerings as well as considering ways of getting the PC-based iPlayer and content onto other platforms. "The objective is to try to get the best service on every platform", he said, adding that he wanted to avoid what he described as "digital socialism". According to Highfield, "dumbing down would be the worst thing the BBC could do."

[SeCSaT™]

Ofcom concern at Sky DTT

Ofcom has expressed concern over BSkyB's plans for a pay-TV service on DTT fearing it might "unacceptably diminish the appeal" of Freeview. The regulator has announced a consultation on Sky's proposals for a four-channel pay service that would sit alongside Freeview channels and require a new set-top box for viewers. Sky needs Ofcom's approval for the launch of a subscription service.

Sky's plans are being interpreted as an attempt to limit the appeal of Setanta's paid-for sports offering, which will bring live Premiership football to DTT from August.

Sky's planned service will offer live football and other sports, as well as movies, entertainment and news. It would replace the company's current free-to-air offering of Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky Three. Ofcom said it would examine the impact of Sky's plan to use MPEG4 compression technology to squeeze out space for extra programming.

While the change would provide potential benefits, Ofcom wants to assess the "potential detriment associated with a reduction in the number of channels received by existing set-top boxes or digital televisions". It also flags the risk that existing STBs or digital televisions might be "incompatible with multiplexes broadcast using a combination of MPEG2 and MPEG4 coding".

Ofcom is also concerned that Sky's plans could affect consumer confidence in the digital switchover process under which the UK's analogue TV service is being phased out between 2008 and 2012. The regulator said it would examine whether any change in the channel line-up on digital terrestrial TV might "unacceptably diminish the appeal of the channels to a variety of tastes and interests, and whether a reduction in the current range of free-to-air channels would be compensated for by the proposed introduction of the new pay television channels".

[SeCSaT™]

RUV Iceland coming to satellite permalink



According to a report in Iceland Review Online, Iceland’s Ministry of Transport, national broadcaster RUV and Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor signed an agreement on 1 February to broadcast RUV via satellite. These broadcasts are to enable those living in rural areas and on ships better reception of RUV’s radio and television programmes.
The agreement is part of the Transport Ministry’s 2005-2010 telecommunications plan. The ministry estimates the project will cost about 1.7m euros over the next three years. RUV is scheduled to start broadcasting via satellite in April this year. Its transmissions will potentially be able to be received in north-western Europe.

[SeCSaT™]

Sky considering complaint over VM ads


Sky is considering a formal complaint against Virgin Media's latest advertising campaign.

The satellite giant has asked Virgin Media to withdraw or change an advert, which it says makes "misleading comparisons" between the two company's products.

The Virgin Media ad states: "The cheapest place to get Sky Sports isn't Sky", and quotes its new Sky Sports package, which includes four Sky Sports channels plus other digital channels and its TV on-demand library for £26 per month. The ads also claim that customers would save £70 compared to Sky's offer.

Sky says its minimum price for a package of its four major sports channels would be £34, £3 cheaper than Virgin Media's which requires the customer to be a Virgin Phone subscriber, an £11 per month serive. Sky's package includes subscription-free broadband and free UK evening and weekend calls, and the company claims the equivalent set of products from Virgin would cost £70 a month.

Sky has now written to Virgin Media about its "misleading advertising" requesting it to withdraw or amend the adverts. Sky says it will contact the Advertising Standards Authority and Trading Standards next.

[SeCSaT™]

Kudelski Group will provide full end-to-end solutions to YPSO/numéricâble



The Kudelski Group (SWX Swiss Exchange: KUD), global leader in content protection and related digital television technologies, announced today that YPSO/Numéricâble, the leading cable broadband operator in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, has selected Kudelski Group technology for the national rollout of its Video-On-Demand (VOD) and interactive TV services.

Extending the solid baseline of Nagravision's leading content protection system, which already secures Numéricâble’s services, the Kudelski Group will not only provide its latest Nagravision conditional access system, but also deliver three additional technologies as part of the contract: the OpenTV Core 2.0 and HTML client middleware achieves portability across a wide range of set-top boxes; the Quative next-generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) provides full support for the interactive applications; the Lysis Content Management System (CMS) drives the entire content distribution chain and workflow for on-demand content. The Kudelski Group will additionally take care of the full integration with YPSO/Numéricâble's existing backend systems.

The Kudelski Group thereby leverages its entire suite of products to seamlessly introduce VOD into YPSO/Numéricâble's existing cable infrastructure.

André Kudelski, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for the Kudelski Group said: "This new contract reflects a strong endorsement of our strategy to offer a comprehensive suite of solutions that are truly service-defining for a compelling digital TV offer. The convergence of broadcast and broadband is a clear market trend and we are convinced that this pre-integration of Nagravision, OpenTV, Quative and Lysis represents the most competitive solution for broadcast and broadband operators that are looking at developing their offer with new services."

Pascal Dormal (Group Development Altice and YPSO/Numéricâble) commented: “The integrated approach offered by the Kudelski Group, bundling solutions from Nagravision, OpenTV, Quative and Lysis, is exactly what we were looking for. Not only does it fully comply with our requirement of a turn-key solution with advanced video on demand functionalities but it also allows us to considerably lessen the risk of launching this VOD service in a very short time to market. Our VOD service will stand out as the leading service in France, Bruxelles and Luxembourg enabling content and channel providers to develop their own On Demand presence, thanks to a flexible HTML-based interface and an environment built around their brand.”

[SeCSaT™]

CCTV-6 Takes HSM, Renews Academy Awards



China’s state-owned movie channel CCTV-6 has secured a deal with Buena Vista International Television–Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) for the Disney Channel original movie High School Musical and has renewed the rights to the live broadcast of the 79th Annual Academy Awards.

CCTV-6 has renewed its multi-year licensing agreement for the Academy Awards, including the 30-minute Red Carpet pre-show. Since 2003, CCTV-6 has been the exclusive broadcaster in China for the live telecast of the awards.

In a separate multiple movie package deal with BVITV-AP, CCTV-6 will also air the Emmy Award-winning High School Musical. The hit Disney Channel film has been licensed to six broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific region: Seven Network, The Movie Network Australia, TVNZ New Zealand, 8TV Malaysia, Fiji TV and TVB Pearl in Hong Kong.

[SeCSaT™]

DirecTV to Bar: Last Call



DirecTV is cracking down on restaurants and bars that are misusing or misappropriating its programming, and it recently obtained a $50,000 judgment against a New York bar, according to the direct-broadcast satellite provider.

The company has also settled many other commercial misuse cases to date.

The $50,000 judgment was the result of a civil lawsuit DirecTV filed against Bounce Deuce for violations of several federal statutes including the Cable Communications Act of 1984, which provides for statutory damages of up to $100,000 per violation.

The lawsuit against Bounce Deuce was one of five complaints DirecTV filed last year against commercial establishments in New York and Florida. The DBS provider has several other commercial-misuse investigations under way across the country.

The judgment was entered against Bounce Deuce for its unauthorized showing of the 2006 NFL Sunday Ticket package. DirecTV filed two other similar civil complaints against commercial establishments in New York in December, and those cases are pending in federal court.

Last April, DirecTV filed civil complaints against two Florida commercial establishments for the unauthorized public display and misappropriation of DirecTV residential service for commercial purposes. Both matters have been resolved.

“Fraud and commercial misuse are on our front burner this year, and we will continue to aggressively target those bars and restaurants who misrepresent themselves as residential accounts to avoid paying the appropriate commercial fees,” James Whalen, DirecTV’s vice president of office of signal integrity, said in a prepared statement. “This illegal activity is not taken lightly by us or the courts and the fines under federal law are substantial.”

[SeCSaT™]

MTG Takes 50% Stake in Balkan Media Group



Modern Times Group (MTG), which today reported improved revenues and profits for the fourth quarter and full year, has reached a deal to acquire 50 percent of Balkan Media Group (BMGL) from Apace Media for 11.6 million euros, granting it access to the Bulgarian market.

MTG will assume management control of BMGL with effect from the closing of the transaction. The total consideration of 11.6 million euros includes the buy-out of a minority shareholder in a subsidiary of BMGL. MTG also has an option to increase its stake in BMGL over the next five years.

BMGL’s assets include 100 percent of Diema Vision, Apace Internet Balkans and Apace Media Bulgaria; and 66 percent of Television MM and TV ERA. Diema Vision and Television MM own six TV channels in Bulgaria: Diema, Diema 2, Diema Family, Diema Extra, MM TV, and M2, which are broadcast through nearly 400 cable networks, covering almost 70 percent of the 3.1 million TV households in Bulgaria. Apace Internet Balkans is a soon to be launched online social networking community in Bulgaria. Apace Media Bulgaria provides central services. TV ERA is an Albanian-language terrestrial TV broadcaster in Macedonia. For the first half of 2006, BMGL posted revenues of 2.63 million euros and an operating income of 340,000 euros. The channels generate the bulk of their revenues from subscription sales, with pay-TV revenues generated from fees paid by third-party cable and satellite broadcasters for the carriage of the packaged channels.

According to MTG, Bulgarian TV advertising brought in 75 million to 80 million euros in 2005, representing about two-thirds of the total ad market.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, the president and CEO of MTG, commented, “This transaction further extends our reach in Eastern Europe, into an emerging EU country with a fast developing economy and attractive media landscape. We have to date been present in the Balkan markets through the sale of our Viasat pay-TV channels to third party broadcasters, which has enabled us to ana*yze and explore new opportunities in the region. This investment provides us with critical mass and a scale bridgehead for further expansion in South Eastern Europe. There are significant operating synergies with our other broadcasting operations, and we will invest further to increase penetration levels, program ratings and market shares. We will utilize our pan-regional presence to facilitate the development of these very promising operations. This move not only consolidates and strengthens our pay-TV presence in the region, but also gives us access to high growth new advertising markets. Our intention is to create the number one Balkan TV channel operator.”

MTG’s fourth quarter revenues were up 18 percent to SEK2.9 billion, with Viasat Broadcasting’s net sales up 14 percent to SEK2.3 billion. Profit for the quarter was SEK316 million, up from last year’s SEK288 million. For the year, MTG’s revenues rose 27 percent to SEK10.1 billion, with Viasat’s up 29 percent to SEK8.3 billion. Net profit for the year grew from SEK1.2 billion to SEK1.5 billion. Albrecht said of the company’s results: “It is over two and a half years since we provided our five year strategic objectives in June 2004, so we are now halfway through the timeline. We are outperforming the target of doubling the size of Viasat Broadcasting with annual sales for the division having now grown by 78 percent since the end of 2003. We have also achieved more than 15 percent operating margins in each of our three core broadcasting segments and a 17 percent full year margin for Viasat Broadcasting, whilst 40 percent of the group’s operating profits are now derived from Central and Eastern Europe.”

Albrecht continued: “Whilst the pay-TV and Eastern European operations continued to perform ahead of expectations, the results for our free-to-air business in Scandinavia were weaker than anticipated. We are addressing the ratings softness in Sweden by reviewing and improving every step of the programming acquisition, scheduling, sales and marketing process, in order to be able to regain the market position necessary to capitalize on advertising market growth and penetration increases.”

[SeCSaT™]

Egypt’s Al-Ahly soccer club to launch satellite channel in June



Al-Ahly, a Cairo-based soccer club founded in 1907, announced yesterday that its satellite channel will officially start broadcasting on 15 June, while test broadcasts will begin within days, local soccer news website filgoal.*** reported. In a press conference, Ahly chairman Hassan Hamdi said the Egyptian champions, and five-time African champions, will have the exclusive satellite rights of airing the team’s domestic games internationally, but they will be broadcast terrestrially as usual.

After three-year negotiations, Arab and Radio Television (ART) network has won the race to include Ahly’s new channel in its package, Hamdi said. ART will pay Ahly 33 million Egyptian pounds (about US$5.8 million) to cover all the club’s sporting and social activities. Another 800,000 Egyptian pounds (about $140,351) will be added to the funds on a yearly basis. Ahly will own 51 percent of the channel, which will be available for 15 Egyptian pounds (about $2.6) per month, and will have the right to choose the type of programmes that will be broadcast.

[SeCSaT™]

HD and IPTV boost global set-top box market



The global market for set-top boxes is being fuelled by rising demand for high-definition television (HDTV) services and internet protocol television (IPTV), according to latest ****ysis by US consultant Frost & Sullivan.

Its report, World Set Top Box Semiconductors Markets, estimates the global set-top box market was worth $1.8bn last year, and is forecast to reach annual revenues of $4.2bn in 2010.

"The introduction of IPTV functionalities such as digital video recording (DVR) presents a great opportunity for the growth of the set top box market," said Frost & Sullivan research ****yst Natarajan Krishnamurthy.

"In addition, growing penetration of HDTVs into the consumer electronics market has created a strong need for set top boxes to deliver better-quality video."

Krishnamurthy said manufacturers needed to transition from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4, as well as incorporate digital TV recorders and allow for video-on-demand and home networking in new devices

[SeCSaT™]

Avail Media opts for Intelsat

Content solutions specialist Avail Media is to offer Intelsat’s MPEG-4 content aggregation and delivery service - Intelsat IPTV. The service combines the strong video communities on the satellite service provider’s legacy PanAmSat fleet and the technical innovation in IPTV of legacy Intelsat.

Avail Media will be able to offer an enhanced IPTV solution, powered by Intelsat IPTV, to its customer base consisting of telco operators fibre-to-the-home providers and independent cable operators. Avail will offer its IPTV solution starting in the second quarter of 2007. Jon Romm, EVP, sales for Avail Media said that Avail Media would be able to distribute high-quality video and audio services to its clients in a robust fashion, and offered the opportunity to enhance the offering as the business grew.

The service will launch on satellites in Intelsat’s premium North American Cable Arc, easily accessible by telcos, cable systems and other video service providers throughout the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. "We are providing a service that can deliver a compelling proposition to all service providers in the value chain," said Vicki Warker, Intelsat’s SVP, global marketing.

[SeCSaT™]

BBC trials Freeview VoD

The BBC is to carry out a research trial of a video-on-demand service through the Freeview DTT service via the platform’s interactive capabilities. The BBC’s director of future media and technology, Ashley Highfield, told UK broadcasting press members that the corporation was working with a set-top-box manufacturer to segment part of hard drive on Freeview PVRs.

"It’s purely a research project, we don’t intend to launch it," said Highfield. The intention is to produce an easy to use interface for the interactive menu that would enable a viewer to call up from a carousel 50 hours of programming. "There’ll be no latency ," he claimed. "We see that as the future of the interactive service." The service could be made available to other broadcasters on the Freeview platform.

Highfield said that the BBC had talked to other broadcasters about the interoperability of the corporation’s planned iPlayer on-demand TV service with similar offerings as well as considering ways of getting the PC-based iPlayer and content onto other platforms. "The objective is to try to get the best service on every platform", he said, adding that he wanted to avoid what he described as "digital socialism". According to Highfield, "dumbing down would be the worst thing the BBC could do."

[SeCSaT™]

S3 and Irdeto bring mobile television to computers

Mobile television could be received on laptop computers using inexpensive components that are already available. At the 3GSM convention in Barcelona, S3 and Irdeto showed a system based on a standard digital television receiver and a card reader.

Much of the momentum around mobile television is based on the assumption that people will want to watch video on their phones. Another possibility is that they could watch television on their laptops.

Inexpensive digital terrestrial television tuners have been available for laptop computers for some time, as have portable digital televisions and personal media players. Television reception remains a problem. In many cases, the only way to receive a reliable signal is through a rooftop antenna.

One of the proposed standards for mobile television, DVB-H, is based on the DVB-T standard used for digital terrestrial television in Europe and many other countries. Networks based on DVB-H are specifically designed to be received on handheld devices.

The system from S3 and Irdeto uses a standard DVB-T tuner and USB card reader to receive DVB-H broadcast services. The commercially available components cost less than £70.

They could be provided as an operator-branded or third-party bundle of a DVB-T tuner and card reader. The components could also be easily integrated into laptop designs at much lower cost.

“S3 and Irdeto have recognised that in order to be successful, operators require new business models to expand their mobile TV offering,” said John Maguire of S3.

Graham Kill, the chief executive of Irdeto, added: “The solution developed by S3 and Irdeto offers operators proven, cost effective technology to increase their audience. It gives operators the ability to further develop their mobile TV business model and roll-out services quickly and effectively.”

S3—Silicon & Software Systems—is a leading provider of software to receive broadcast, multicast and unicast services on mobile devices. Their onHandTV software is compatible with DVB-H, T-DMB, DAP-IP and MBMS transmissions.

Irdeto provides conditional access systems to broadcasters, including the first one implemented for mobile broadcasting services.

This DVB-H solution offers one way of watching television on a laptop. Wired and wireless broadband networks provide another possibility.

Once analogue signals are switched off and the power of digital terrestrial television transmissions is increased, watching ordinary free-to-air television on a laptop or portable media player is likely to become a much more practical proposition.

All of which could limit the appeal of watching television on a mobile phone.

[SeCSaT™]

Mobile TV not reliable enough

A survey of 22,000 European mobile users commissioned by Tellabs revealed that a high percentage of early adopters of mobile TV and video services are not keen on a second helping. The research, conducted by M:Metrics in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France and Spain, brought up an interesting statistic: on average, former users of mobile TV and video outnumber current users by more than 19 per cent. Users cited price, quality and reliability issues as the main reasons why they do not come back for more.

"If services fall short of user expectations on quality and reliability, it (developing content and services) could be money wasted," said Pat Dolan, Tellabs vice president for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "So while we share our industry's enthusiasm for mobile TV, the detailed results of this survey provide important food for thought for the global operator community, who want to address network backhaul issues to improve mobile TV and video services."

Forty-five percent of European mobile video and TV users cited pricing issues as a factor causing them to switch off the services. And nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of users who tried mobile video and TV stopped using the services due to concerns about service quality and reliability.