Video Age International articles from February 2007

Video Age International archives from February 2007

The future of television is finally in Plainview.
February 1, 2007... The future of television--the one that will change both the current TV business model and the way TV is consumed--can coincidentally enough be seen in Plainview (not a play on words), a dormitory community on Long Island that's just a 30-minute...

U.S. studio cutbacks dictated by Wall Street.(Industry overview)
February 1, 2007... While a cursory look at the U.S. studios' bottom lines shows large amounts of cash sitting idle in their coffers (it's been reported that CBS has somewhere around $3 billion burning a hole in its corporate pocket; last year Disney's ABC...

Innovative service e-mails promo videos to TV buyers.
February 1, 2007... The logical evolution for an innovative professional TV trade publication such as VideoAge is to offer readers and advertisers a video service sent directly to their computer screens: Introducing the industry's first streaming media promo...

Alliance Atlantis through the years.
February 1, 2007... Earlier this year--almost 10 years after merging two Canadian companies to become a major player--Alliance Atlantis Communications (AAC) became a top draw for competitors by putting itself on the selling block. A proposed bid from CanWest...

African Telco gets into pay-TV.(World)
February 1, 2007... London, Europe and Africa-based African communications provider Gateway Communications is giving couch potatoes on the desert continent reason to rejoice. The company has announced that it will launch a pan-African pay-TV service, dubbed GTV,...

Canada's TV fund disputed.(Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission making changes to Canadian Television Fund )
February 1, 2007... Significant changes could be in store for the Canadian Television Fund (CTF). Following protests from cable operators Shaw Communications and Quebecor, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has created a task force...

Hispanic ad revenue to soar.(World)
February 1, 2007... Already the largest and fastest growing minority in the U.S., Hispanics are expected to provide even more robust revenue and cash flow growth for cable and broadcast networks and TV and radio station operators in the near future, according to a...

India in cellular game mode.(World)
February 1, 2007... India has been "jumping" into the Internet and mobile game market and according to Salil Bhargava, CEO of Jump Games, it will only get bigger. "India has a market of 120 million handsets, and that number is expected to grow to 500 million...

Claxson sells off some parts.(World)(Grupo Latino de Radiofusion)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Venezuela-based Claxson is selling its Chilean radio subsidiary to Spain-based Prisa Group's Grupo Latino de Radiofusion. The sale, worth the equivalent of $75 million, comes on the heels of the sales of seven of Claxson's TV channels to Turner...

Filipino moms add TV time.(World)
February 1, 2007... Moms, senior citizens and kids are the Philippines' most frequent TV viewers. According to a recent study by AGB Nielsen Media Research, which measures audience viewership in Mega Manila (the Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaro and Metro Manila...

Israeli cable TV's complete merger.(World)
February 1, 2007... A merger between Israel's three cable operators--Matav Cable Systems Media Ltd., Tevel and Golden Channels--is nearly complete. The merger agreement covers both television broadcasting and communications services provided via the cable network....

Dubai CABSAT exhibit grows.(World)
February 1, 2007... The 13th annual Middle East International Cable, Satellite, Broadcast and Communications exhibition (CABSAT2007) in United Arab Emirates' Dubai, which was held last month, attracted more than 500 satellite and electronic exhibitors from 50...

Jordan's ATV goes public.(World)
February 1, 2007... Since being established in 2004, Jordanian terrestrial and satellite TV company ATV has continued to make headlines. ATV was established as a limited liability entity, and became Jordan's first privately-owned terrestrial and satellite company....

Telco blocks YouTube in Turkey.(World)
February 1, 2007... In Turkey, a court order has forced local Internet service providers to block user-generated video site YouTube after prosecutors discovered clips that insulted former Turkish leader and founder of "modern" Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The...

Famous quote.(World)
February 1, 2007... "The average American home now has more television sets than people--according to Nielsen Media Research. There are 2.73 TV sets in the typical home and 2.55 people, the researchers said." Associated Press, Sept. 21, 2006

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... "I must admit I enjoy reading the VideoAge daily e-beat [newsletter] the most. It highlights the necessary facts without the fluff. It is always a very efficient read for me." Annernarie Lesiuk, Portfolio Entertainment, Toronto, Canada...

What the secretary knew about Samuel Goldwyn.
February 1, 2007... Some secretaries take dictation. Some spend their days filing. Others type and type until carpal tunnel sets in. Few get to witness history in the making. But as evidenced by Adventures of a Hollywood Secretary: Her Private Letters From Inside...

U.K. distribs weigh in on MIP.(Brits' Fare 'n Fair)
February 1, 2007... Once again, Brit-based distributors and buyers will have a strong presence at MIP. Despite hailing from the same geographical origin, each company faces unique challenges and sees varied opportunities. Emmanuelle Namiech, director of...

Germany reaches for the Grosse Verkauf.(MIP Germanates)(Industry overview)
February 1, 2007... Traditionally, the German television industry has always been a major participant in the Cannes TV tradeshows. Even though the days when rows of German-chartered boats lined the piers across from the Palais de Festivals are long gone, Germany...

Seminars: crucial or colossal wastes of time?(Conferences & Confidences)
February 1, 2007... In a constantly evolving media landscape, where new technologies and business challenges seem to pop up everyday, it's no surprise TV executives want to be informed about new problems and possible solutions, and, at times, become "illuminated."...

Canada leverages its between-France-and-U.S. status.(Canucks Do MIPTV)(mobile internet protocol television )
February 1, 2007... There will be three groups of Canadian companies at MIP-TV: Those who are timid and sit by the escalators underneath the main entrance in the Canadian Pavilion (about 65 Canuck companies among them); those who are bold and have their own...

Canada loses terrestrial ground as biz consolidates to face future.(Canada's Shrinking)
February 1, 2007... In terms of available terrain, each Canadian could live on a 302,565 square meter plot of land (roughly 30 soccer fields), but in terms of airwave space, the country is shrinking. The Canadian broadcast industry is bracing itself for an...

Middle-aged market touts MILIA.(From MIP-TV to M-IPTV)(mobile internet protocol television)
February 1, 2007... It may be hitting middle age, but the 44-year-old MIP-TV shows no signs of getting heftier around the waist. It is still svelte, image-conscious and far from being relegated to the ranks of a past-its-prime conference. MIP is, once again,...

Execs rate trade shows--Cannes' two marts are tops.(Question Market)
February 1, 2007... While TV executives the world over often claim that technology has rendered TV markets less important, the fact is their calendars remain filled with international TV trade shows. While some have been scrapped over the years (the Monte Carlo TV...

Moving away from the past, not quite ready for the future.(NATPE Review)(National Association of Television Progam Executives trade show)
February 1, 2007... While NATPE's glory days of flashy booths and syndication superstars are undoubtedly in the past, the future of the TV trade show--which celebrated its 44th incarnation in 2007--is getting plenty of attention, with the market's feet firmly...

Cooking shows: entertainment primary, food secondary.(Spicing-Up TV)
February 1, 2007... While every country has its own signature cuisine and specific tastes, one common thread persists across the globe: People love to watch other people cook. Though nutritionists lament the fact that all over the world people are cooking...

The future of European TV is being bet on gaming.(Interactivities)
February 1, 2007... The European TV landscape has changed dramatically in the past five years. The proliferation of digital channels and the Internet have cannibalized and dispersed the audience. Advertisers, once the backbone of commercial broadcasting; are...

Aussie media laws switch gears, postpone analog switch.(No More Aussiefication)
February 1, 2007... In 2007, the traditional Australian media landscape looks set for change--possibly radical change--as new laws removing many of the previous restrictions on media ownership come into force. The new laws could severely alter the landscape in a...

Is the TV industry prepared for a "Pull" TV model?(Bracing For IPTV)
February 1, 2007... It seems as though the worldwide television sector is engaged in a tug of war: "Push" versus "Pull." To date, the industry has for the large part, followed a traditional model--what is known as "push-TV" technology. But if experts are to be...

Let's do lunch.(television industry meetings)(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2007... MIPDOC APRIL 14-15 Cannes, France TEL: (212) 370-7470 FAX: (212) 370-7471 www.mipdoc.com MIP-TV APRIL 16-20 Cannes, France TEL: (212) 370-7470 FAX: (212) 370-7471 www.miptv.com CARTOONS...

My two cents.(National Association of Television Program Executives seminars)
February 1, 2007... Speaking of NATPE, why is it that out of 65 total seminars at the most recent event in Las Vegas, I could only find three that were somewhat interesting? It's not like I have lots of time to devote to this particular aspect of the market (busy...