The broadcasting experts who met in Amsterdam on 17/18 February made some key recommendations on the EU treaty reforms needed in order to respond to the new challenges in the European audiovisual industry. They stressed the importance of universal access to and share in the information society. Public service broadcasting is seen as having distinctive… Continue reading Eu: Public Service Broadcasting
The ITC has received two applications to run Channel 5’s text service. Sky Five Text, jointly owned by BSkyB and Channel 5 Text, has bid £1.5 million and Text5, wholly owned by Teletext, has bid £313,000.The applicants can propose any mixture of teletext or similar services for either open or subscription-only access and no programme… Continue reading Battle Begins For C5 Text Service
EC Commissioner Mario Monti has promised that there will be a more energetic approach by the Commission towards the outstanding issues in financial services. In a speech to the European Parliament, Commissioner Monti confirmed that the Commission will shortly propose a draft Directive on distance selling of financial services, based on the provisions of the… Continue reading EU: Monti Promises Action
Future Publishing has now confirmed that it is launching a TV magazine for TV addicts *TV Listings Guides Set To Multiply.Cult TV will launch in June. The monthly entertainment title promises to provide features, reviews, star interviews and quirky facts and figures on all those all-time favourite series. Publisher, Stuart Anderton commented: “Cult TV will… Continue reading TV Cult Launching
On 5 March the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave a preliminary ruling in a seminal case concerning Sweden’s state-run retail alcohol monopoly (which generates six per cent of the national tax revenue). The case could have significant repercussions for Sweden’s state finances as well as for other European countries with similar monopolies. There are… Continue reading EU: ECJ Condemns Swedish Monopoly
Canal Plus, the French pay-TV broadcaster, has complained to the Conseil de la Concurrence (the French competition court) that its rival, TF1, is abusing its dominant position in the French TV market, via its advertising subsidiary, TF1 Publicite. It appears that the basis of the complaint is the claim by Canal Plus that TF1 Publicite… Continue reading FR: Canal Plus Brings Competition Case
The Vatican has issued a 30-page report entitled “Ethics in Advertising” in which it calls upon advertisers to desist from using allegedly sinful imagery and standards. Prepared by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the document accuses some advertisers of making “deliberate appeals to such motives as envy, status-seeking and lust.” However, the report also… Continue reading IT: Vatican Report On Advertising
On 21 February the French Senate amended a Broadcasting Bill to ensure that 20 per cent of radio frequencies for independent operators will be reserved for French-language broadcasting. The Senate also created a working group of members of parliament and broadcasting executives to study advertising on regional programmes on terrestrial channels.
The EP Culture Committee has adopted its Opinion on the Commission Communication relating to illegal and harmful content on the Internet. The adopted amendments stress education and the role of parents, the means for filtering information such as PICS, and that co-operation at Community and international level is essential.
It is reported that Digital Terrestrial TV will not have a major impact on the cable industry. Media analysts Merrill Lynch reached this conclusion after carrying out extensive research on the industry. The analysts claim that now is an opportune time to buy cable shares due to the recent drops in prices and the prospect… Continue reading Digital Terrestrial Won’t Knock Cable Shares
