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Archive for March, 2007

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BSkyB respond to Ofcom decision to launch investigation into pay TV

British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC Press Release

20 March 2007
BSkyB response to Ofcom statement
In response to Ofcom’s announcement of a market investigation into the pay-TV industry, a Sky spokesman said: ‘The marketplace for entertainment and communications services is fiercely competitive and changing fast.
From the BBC to Google, BT to Apple and Vodafone to Virgin Media amongst [...]

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Ofcom launch investigation into pay TV market – prompting Sky to demand investigation of Virgin Media

Ofcom has received a submission from BT, Setanta, Top Up TV, and Virgin Media, which asks Ofcom to investigate the pay TV industry and to consider whether to make a market reference to the Competition Commission under the Enterprise Act 2002.
Pay TV includes subscription and video-on-demand television services on all platforms: [...]

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Revealed: CRT televisions out of U.K. shopping basket

Here at OfcomWatch, we’ve always stayed away from simple ‘what’s hot / what’s not’ lists, mostly because Luke still listens to vinyl we respect people’s differing technology choices. Well, the U.K.’s Office of National Statistics has shed some interesting light on this yesterday (.pdf) as it justifies the U.K.’s typical ’shopping basket’ for 2007 inflation [...]

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European Commission: Regulate Mobile TV or Else

The EU has recommended that the mobile TV industry pick a single standard or risk minimal take-up of the technology.

Viviane Reding in her role as EC information society and media commissioner sounded like a scolding mother in a statement she released insisting that countries need to work together on mobile TV: “I am disappointed about the lack of progress made so far… Member states must work more closely together to devise a common approach, compare technologies, look at possible legal obstacles, make spectrum available throughout Europe and choose together the best way to ensure a quick and large take-up of mobile TV by Europeans, preferably based on a single standard.”

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Weekend to Respond to Digital Dividend Consultation

Guy Kewney has been urging via various fora that “It’s now (almost) too late to submit your comment on what should be done with the “digital dividend” – which is to say, if you think Sky should have a monopoly on High Definition TV, then you’ll be smiling.”

According to Ofcom itself “This review is about one of the most important decisions Ofcom has ever had to take – how to release the spectrum freed up by digital switchover for new uses.”

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‘It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future’ ~ Yogi Berra

I read Luke’s post earlier this weekend on the digital dividend review (DDR) and Philip Rutnam’s letter in the Guardian. Here’s my response:
Disclosure of interests. I am a Sony shareholder. Folks, if you want a high-quality, affordable high def TV I strongly recommend the Sony Bravia. Also, in less than a [...]

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Guardian’s MediaTalk – television companies ‘not really capable of regulating themselves’

I have been listening to the Guardian Unlimited’s MediaTalk show, which provides an overview of the week’s media news and offers up some comment and analysis from members of the Guardian’s team. It’s reasonably entertaining so check it out – link here.
In this week’s session, Emily Bell makes some interesting points in regard to the [...]

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Philip Rutnam tells it like it is on HD

Ofcom’s Philip Rutnam is a bright bloke. He doesn’t just ‘do’ public policy or regulation he actually ‘gets’ it. So when he sees the type of lobbying letter that was placed in the Guardian this week by a group of self interested parties calling for special treatment he responds by telling it like it [...]

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Will Richard Hooper get the BBC Trust Chair?

It is always interesting to see where ex-Ofcom people end up. Richard Hooper, Ofcom’s highly capable former deputy Chairman went to head up business publishing house Informa. But he stood down earlier this week. The Times City Diary picked it up yesterday -
“Richard Hooper, chairman of Informa, which has a lucrative business providing commercial information [...]

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Ofcom Consumer Panel’s letter to Ofcom – a friendly critique

We were bemused here at Ofcomwatch Towers by the Consumer Panel’s decision to write formally to Ofcom CEO Ed Richards in regard to the recent Sky-Virgin Media spat over carriage fees for Sky content. The rumble between the two companies has resulted in the loss of three Sky channels to Virgin Media customers – which [...]

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From Junk Food Advertising to This?

Earlier this week fashion house Dolce & Gabbana decided to pull all advertising from Spain to protect its “creative liberty.” D&G accused Spain of having a “climate of censorship” after it was accused of “justifying” violence against women. Armani is also under attack in Spain for its Armani Junior line.

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As if no one saw the YouTube lawsuit coming….

The FT had an interesting editorial on the Viacom v YouTube lawsuit and assesses the shades of grey in the issue. The lawsuit “poses the central question of the digital age: how can old [circa 1998] laws be applied to new technologies, in ways that balance the rights of copyright owners with the public interest.”

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Virgin Media Takes Broadband to the Next Level

Virgin Media announced yesterday that it will double the speed of its fastest broadband service to 20 megabits per second from 10 MB in order to attract new customers. The price will increase from 35 pounds per month to 37 pounds. The increase will take place from May.
Might this have anything to do with the [...]

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Number 10 e-petition lobbies against Ofcom’s ‘intervention’ in the Sky-Virgin Media content dispute

An e-petition aimed at lobbying Number 10 to have Ofcom remove requirements on Sky to provide its television content to competitors on ‘fair and reasonable’ terms has appeared on the Number 10 website. Not sure that the petition creator has the best grasp of competition law and what it aims to achieve.
Here is the slightly [...]

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Slightly Oftopic: Lessons for Digital Switchover

Coming to London for a few days, I stopped off at a cash machine in Oxford yesterday and withdrew some cash, including several twenty-pound notes — you know, the new ones with Gordon Brown’s portrait on them.
Actual quote from sales clerk at the globo-brand CD/DVD megastore this morning when presented with the new 20-quid note: [...]

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Mailcall! (more pressure on Ofcom over its DDR initial conclusions)

Today, the Guardian published two letters, one pushing HD and one pushing community media…
Letter 1:
“This year more than four million people will buy televisions that are “HD ready” – capable of receiving high-definition digital television. Many who make that purchase, spurred on by the promise of a vastly improved viewing experience, could be disappointed. [...]

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High Definition TV for All?

The BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sony, Samsung and the Dixons retail group are leading a campaign to ensure universal availability of high definition TV in the UK.
Members of the HDforAll campaign are pressuring Ofcom to ring-fence up to one third of the spectrum for digital terrestrial TV viewers. They claim that if Ofcom doesn’t step [...]

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Ofcom releases latest statistics on digital television

Ofcom say in their press release:
“Ofcom today published its Communications Market: Digital Television Progress Report for the fourth quarter of 2006 (October-December).
The report shows that at the end of 2006 almost half (48.5%) of the UK’s 60 million television sets were connected to a digital device, up from 44.7% in the previous quarter and 39% [...]

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Are audiences becoming content producers? Is it a good thing?

Important questions … definitely worthy of … a student essay competition!
The Voice of the Listener & Viewer (VLV) and Channel4 are sponsoring a student essay competition (details and rules here).
The question: ‘Critically discuss the ways in which, in today’s changing media environment, audiences are becoming content producers. Is this a significant trend and, [...]

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Next Generation Network Interconnection Event

As network architectures advance and regulatory pressures continue to impact interconnect revenue, join the experts and learn to adapt your business models and commercial approaches to gain best advantage.
Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th March 2007
Jolly Hotel du Grand Sablon, Brussels, Belgium
Click here to register.

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