Austria continues analogue switch-off
May 31, 2007 by Robert Briel
Austrian transmission company ORS will this month switch off the analogue transmitters in the regions of Salzburg, Linz and Amstetten. The Vorarlberg region was the first to go all-digital in March, followed by Tirol in May. In October the capital of Vienna will finish the switch over to digital – exactly one year after the official start of DTT in the country. At the same time a second mux will come on the air, for which licences will be issued shortly.
Wallace & Gromit go Joost
May 31, 2007 by Robert Briel
Wallace & Gromit will soon be available through online TV service Joost as a result of a distribution deal signed between the company and Aardman Animations. The Aardman channel will offer a number of the studio’s most popular creations, including Creature Comforts and children’s classic Morph, as well as more adult fare such as Rex the Runt and The Adventures of Jeffrey. Brand new short films from up-and-coming animators will also be shown.
“Joost is an exciting new development in Internet television, and we are thrilled to be able to offer viewers our own branded channel,” said Robin Gladman, digital rights manager for Aardman. The agreement is non-exclusive. The Bristol-based studio is already distributing its content online via sites such as Atom Films as well as distributing programming on mobile platforms such as Orange TV.
French DTT gains ground
May 31, 2007 by Julian Clover
Established French broadcasters are already experiencing significant erosion in their audience share just a year after the launch of DTT in the country. Having already achieved favourable viewing figures in April, the channels have reached new heights in May.
According to Médiamétrie, the ‘TNT’ channels increased their combined average audiences by 3.1% to 17.1%, in data than runs to May 27. The channels are close to the second place position held by France 2. The public broadcaster is on 17.8% having lost 1.7% of its audience in the past 12 months.
Only TF1 and Canal+ appear immune from the rise of DTT viewing. TF1 has increased its audiences by 0.4% with further gains among female viewers. Another channel under pressure is M6, which has lost 1.8% of its audience in the last four years.
JumpTV available on AOL Video
May 31, 2007 by Robert Briel
JumpTV is now available on AOL Video in a new international section. The new partnership gives AOL Video users in the US access to over 60 television channels from countries all over the world. JumpTV specialises in the distribution of ethnic channels.
The launch of JumpTV on AOL Video coincides with JumpTV’s free-to-consumer launch in the United States and marks a change from a subscription-only service to a free, ad-supported online video service for some of its content in the U.S.
JumpTV has also made some programming available on Joost, in a move to make its content available across multiple platforms. Also, distribution is planned via specialist ethnic websites. So far JumpTV was only available on a subscription base, but the company recently announced it plans to offer free content funded by advertising.
“This partnership is an important milestone for JumpTV and a key complement to the launch of our free-to-consumer, ad-supported content offering in the US,” said JumpTV president and COO Kaleil Isaza Tuzman. Mike “JB” John-Baptiste, head of global distribution for JumpTV, added, “We targeted AOL as our first mainstream U.S. distribution partner for free, live TV because AOL has especially loyal users, an iconic brand, and unmatched experience in online video programming.”
Lieven Vermaele new Technical Director EBU
May 31, 2007 by Robert Briel
The Administrative Council of the European Broadcasting Union has approved the appointment of Lieven Vermaele as the new Technical Director of the organisation. He will take up his position on September 1st, and succeeds Phil Laven.
Apple TV brings YouTube on the tube
May 31, 2007 by Robert Briel
From mid-June Apple will bring content from YouTube to big-screen TVs. According to a press release, Apple TV will wirelessly stream videos directly from YouTube and play them on users’ television sets. The content can be accessed using the Apple TV remote control.
“This is the first time users can easily browse, find and watch YouTube videos right from their living-room couch, and it’s really, really fun,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in the release. “YouTube is a worldwide sensation, and Apple TV is bringing it directly from the Internet onto the wide-screen TV in your living room.”
In the beginning only a selection of YouTube clips will be available. Apple said initially “thousands of the most current and popular YouTube videos” will be available on Apple TV. The full YouTube catalogue is to be available this fall. YouTube members will also be able to log in to their YouTube accounts on Apple TV to view and save their favorite videos.
YouTube rival beefs up content
May 31, 2007 by Robert Briel
The as yet unnamed YouTube rival from News Corp. and NBC Universal is closing content deals at a fast pace. Contracts have been signed with more than 20 networks and TV and film studios including CNET Networks, Oxygen, Fox Cable Networks’ Fuel TV and Speed Channel and Sundance Channel. A deal with Comcast will unlock content from E! Entertainment Television, Style, G4, Versus and Golf Channel.
The new video website should launch sometime this summer, but no definite date has been announced. The content will also be distributed via various partner sites including AOL, Microsoft’s MSN, MySpace and Comcast.
Gemstar-TV Guide International’s TV Guide Channel will also be part of the offer. Its main aim seems to be to steer viewers to regular television, since TV Guide will show recommendations for the best shows, movies and music on TV, plus celebrity interviews and behind-the-scenes clips from popular TV shows.
FTTH debuts in Lithuania
May 31, 2007 by Chris Dziadul
The incumbent Lithuanian telco Teo LT has begun to install what will be the country’s first Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) network. Five of the biggest cities in Lithuania will be covered by the network, starting with the capital, Vilnius, in June, with the total investment expected to be LTL100 million (€30 million) over the next three years. Subscribers will initially be offered three new fibre-optic Internet plans – Basic Plus, Optimal Plus and Premium Plus – and in some instances also allowed free access to a wireless Internet service named Zebra in public areas. Teo LT already operates an IPTV service named Gala TV that currently has around 10,000 subscribers. It is also undertaking DTT transmissions.
Kamera inks Vidiots deal
May 31, 2007 by Robert Briel
Mobile content specialist Kamera has closed a multi-territory deal with IMImobile, a mobile value added service provider, for the comedy home video channel Vidiots. The contract sees IMImobile handling distribution of the channel into India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Middle East, Africa, Mauritius, Caribbean Islands and Latin American territories.
Henrik Eklund, CEO Kamera, said in a prepared statement, ‘This deal with IMImobile marks an important alliance for Kamera. We look forward to working together to ensure widespread distribution of Kamera’s mobile content.’
Vidiots, which features over 6,000 home video bloopers, is proving a global hit for Kamera. Over recent months a slew of deals have been signed, including mobile operators Starhub Asia, Singtel Singapore and Geocell in Georgia, as well as online publishers such as Vi Menn, Norway.
Zonemedia strikes Joost deal
May 31, 2007 by Chris Dziadul
Zonemedia is to supply content from its Extreme Sports Channel to the broadband TV company Joost. It will be made available in several parts of the world including Europe, Israel, South Africa and the Russian Federation. Chellomedia-owned Zonemedia will subsequently also offer programming from Zone Horror and Zone Reality, two other proprietary channels.
