July 20 2012 – HBO is launching a Russian version The premium channel, famous for shows such as “Game of Thrones”, “The Sopranos” and “Boardwalk Empire” is expected to be available on the NTV Plus satellite package and two cable systems, according to Russian newspapers.
Read more: http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/07/19/hbo-for-russia/
July 20 2012 – Rovi has announced its DivX Plus Streaming technology will be integrated into the “UniPhier” series of digital television and Blu-ray Disc integrated circuit (IC) solutions from Panasonic’s Semiconductor Business Group.
Read more: http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/07/19/rovi-panasonic-agree-divx-streaming-solution/
July 18 2012 – Media Nusantara Citra, the country’s largest listed media group, booked a 41 percent year-on-year increase in net income in the first half of 2012, the company has said.
Net income in the January to June period rose to Rp 749 billion ($79 million) from Rp 530 billion in the same period the previous year.
“Net income was boosted by a rise in operating net income and a lower interest cost as we paid our bonds in September 2011,” MNC said in a statement on Monday.
July 20 2012 – KUALA LUMPUR: The relisting of Astro on Bursa Malaysia will drive a re-rating for the media sector as the company is likely to emerge as the largest media stock by market capitalisation.
OSK Research Sdn Bhd (OSK Research) said although Astro’s long-term prospects appear to be less attractive, the company might be positioned as a dividend play with its highly cash generative local pay-TV business.
“If we were to exclude its overseas operations, Astro is actually a cash cow, chalking up earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of RM800 million to RM1 billion a year and thereby could be positioned as a dividend play,” it said in a research note yesterday.
It said Media Prima would benefit the most from the sector’s re-rating with it being the closest peer to Astro.
Media Prima is currently the largest free-to-air TV operator in the country, commanding the lion share of viewership at 48 per cent, followed by Astro with a 39 per cent share.
NEW YORK, July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Smart TV manufacturers are hoping that the popularity of apps with smartphone and tablet users makes its way to the living room. Manufacturers and retailers are selling more and more televisions preloaded with Internet-connected functionality, frequently referred to as Smart TVs. This provides an environment where consumers can use apps to do anything from surfing the Internet using a fully functional web browser, to streaming their favorite movies, TV shows and music right on their TV sets.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO)
Streaming video apps are the most popular apps for both Smart TV owners and consumers who don’t yet have a Smart TV. Three of the top five “must have” apps are Netflix (Owners 47%/Non-owners 34%), YouTube (Owners 44%/Non-owners 31%) and Amazon Instant Video (Owners 34%/Non-owners 23%). Social media giant Facebook (Owners 35%/Non-owners 29%) and online radio leader Pandora (Owners 28%/Non-owners 18%) round out the top five.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,634 U.S. adults (ages 18 and over) surveyed online between May 7 and May 15, 2012 by Harris Interactive.
Younger adults (those 18-35) chose YouTube (Owners 57%) as their top “must have” app over the more traditional experience offered by Netflix (Owners 54%) and Amazon Instant Video (Owners 38%).
Almost three-quarters (73%) of non-Smart TV owners indicate that they are not that familiar (39%) or not at all familiar (33%) with Smart TV or Internet Connected TV, despite the fact that shipment data suggests that manufacturers are continuing to ship more and more Smart TVs.
This could be a major barrier to future purchase consideration, as only 7% of those who are not familiar with Smart TV are likely to purchase a Smart TV within the next 12 months. Conversely, non-Smart TV owners with a greater level of familiarity are four times (4x) more likely to purchase a Smart TV, with 29% suggesting that they are likely or very likely to purchase a Smart TV within the next 12 months.
July 19 2012 – The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission board approved the draft of revised regulations yesterday preventing foreign dominance in the local telecom industry.
The draft will take effect next week, said Col Settapong Malisuwan, chairman of the NBTC’s telecom committee.
The revised regulation followed a public hearing held by a subcommittee last December.
Col Settapong said the NBTC believes the new foreign dominance regulation will not be a tool allowing another party to disrupt the third-generation (3G) licensing auction on the 2100-MHz frequency scheduled for this October.
The rule is designed to help local telecom operators avoid breaching the Telecommunications Business Act and the Foreign Business Act and not deter foreign investment, he said.
Read more: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/303189/nbtc-oks-regulations-on-foreign-dominance
July 18 2012 – Rovi has said it expects a fall in revenues of around $20 million after it experienced delays in adding new patent licences to service operators in Europe and in the US around the TV Everywhere concept.
Revenues in the second quarter are expected to total $158 million, as opposed to the $179 million the company achieved in 2011.
Read more: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2012/07/18/pressure-on-rovi-as-patents-fail-to-come-through/
July 18 2012 – Government censors will be implementing a “TV violence rating code” to get television networks to tone down graphic scenes of sex and violence in the news and other programs, while setting aside 15 percent of their airtime for “child-friendly” programming.
The Department of Education’s (DepEd) National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT) and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) on Tuesday released the implementing rules and regulations of the Children’s Television Act, a 1997 law promoting child-friendly television programming.
MTRCB chairperson Grace Poe Llamanzares expressed alarm that children, who watch an average of 21 hours of TV per week, are exposed to up to 18,000 scenes of simulated murder by the time they turn 18. That is equivalent to 1,000 scenes per year or up to three scenes per day.
Read more: http://entertainment.inquirer.net/50596/government-to-crack-down-on-sex-violence-on-tv
July 17 2012 – New Delhi – Broadcast regulator TRAI today told tribunal TDSAT that it was open to discussions with broadcasters to consider amending its directions on limiting advertisement time in TV channels.
During the proceedings, counsel appearing for TRAI said the regulator was willing to look into various issues raised by broadcasters that have opposed the move to put a cap on advertising time.
“There are issues… we are willing to consider. We are looking in a broad manner,” said TRAI counsel Mr Saket Singh.
“Whatsoever the issue, (after discussion) we may amend that also,” he said.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India also sought six weeks time from the tribunal for this process, which was granted by the TDSAT Bench headed by its Chairman, Mr Justice S.B. Sinha.
Read more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article3649222.ece
July 18 2012 – Music and entertainment giant GMM Grammy will launch a pay-TV service within the next couple of months after the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission grants licences for pay-TV service providers in August.
Chairman Paiboon Damrong-chaitham said yesterday that the company wanted to ensure that the regulations to govern satellite and pay-TV service providers were complete and ready for all players.
Once licensing comes into effect, the company is prepared to launch at least 10 pay-TV channels, he said.
Paiboon added that his company would offer prepaid service to registered customers who want to access pay-TV content on its 10 special channels via GMM Z satellite TV receivers. For example, the package that costs Bt300 monthly offers five or six sports channels, and the Bt200 package offers four entertainment channels.
The upcoming pay-TV services will be run by GMM Z, the satellite-broadcasting unit of GMM Grammy. GMM Z is also the trader and distributor of satellite TV set-top boxes under the same name.
