Top Up TV, the independent company set up to offer Freeview customers the chance to ‘top up’ their channels for a small monthly payment, has gone into voluntary liquidation.The south west London based company, which was founded in 2003, has placed itself into voluntary liquidation after undergoing a corporate restructuring and name change to Minds… Continue reading Top Up TV No More

Orange plans to offer a UK broadband television service this year, in direct competition with BT and BSkyB’s converged television and internet product, due to be launched shortly.Orange, which recently rebranded ISP Wanadoo with the Orange moniker (see Wanadoo Makes Way For Orange Price War Brews Over Free Broadband), and Orange’s 15 million mobile subscribers… Continue reading Orange Announces “Free” Broadband TV

Many older people in Britain do not understand new digital technology, says recent research by media regulator Ofcom.The study, which included more than 3,000 respondents, showed 77% of people over 65 and 73% of retired people do not keep informed about new developments in technology and are the least likely group in society to understand… Continue reading Industry Not Doing Enough For Whole Of Society

Commercial broadcasters’ battle over the BBC’s licence fee bid continues, with the commercial television and radio industries sending a joint letter to Tessa Jowell, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, outlining their collective grievances.British television and radio companies have joined forces to lobby government, in a bid to protect the commercial broadcasting industry… Continue reading Commercial Broadcasters Take BBC Licence Row To The Top

Capital Radio’s marketing director, Carl Lyons, has resigned from the GCap-owned radio station without another job to go to.It is understood that he plans to return to the new media sector, having joined Capital in 2003 to launch the Johnny Vaughan Breakfast Show. As an experienced brand marketer, Lyons was responsible for brand strategy through… Continue reading Lyons Leaves Capital

Egmont and Disney Publishing Worldwide have announced the launch of a new monthly magazine for girls aged five to seven, Disney Fairies, opening up a new avenue for advertisers.An extensive marketing campaign within Egmont’s Daisy magazine and their other titles, reaching a collective readership of over 300,000, will support the new publication. Egmont will also… Continue reading New Magazine Opens Up Ad Opportunity

Freeview will lead the analogue switch-off in Britain, with 60% of all new digital homes taking the service in 2006 and 2007, the latest report by ZenithOptimedia predicts.The report states that Freeview will become the largest digital platform in the UK, overtaking Sky Digital. 70% of television homes were digital at the end of 2005… Continue reading Freeview To Overtake Sky In Analogue Switch-Off

Eastenders and England’s last friendly before the World Cup ensured BBC1 was last night’s hands-down winner in the viewing stakes.Over eight-and-a-half million adults (39.4% of the viewing share) tuned in to see Peter Crouch’s post-goal robotic jig and the home team beat Hungary 3-1. Eastenders, with almost eight million adult viewers, won the biggest audience… Continue reading Soap and Footy Make BBC1 Clear Winner

Consumers are unaware of the true cost of switching to high definition television, with many of them unsure of the exact details of the technology, a survey by uSwitch.com has revealed.The survey shows that 2.6 million households plan to make the switch to HD television, but many could be confusing the technology, which gives vastly… Continue reading Consumers In The Dark Over HDTV

The Slingbox, a new electronics device that enables consumers to watch television by turning virtually any internet-connected, Windows-based computer into a personal television, is now available in the UK.The box, which is already available in the US and Canada, redirects or “placeshifts” a single live TV stream from a basic aerial connection, cable box, satellite… Continue reading Slingbox Swings Into Action