The launch of digital TV has helped Pace Micro Technology buck the stock market trend and promise higher than forecast profits.Pace, which makes set-top boxes for both terrestrial and satellite digital TV services, said its pre-tax profits for the six months to October would exceed the £7 million predicted by market analysts.The positive trading statement… Continue reading Digital TV Boosts Profit Pace At Set-Top Box Maker
Carlton Communications has this afternoon announced that its discussions with Arsenal Football Club, with a view to a takeover, have been terminated. It was thought that talks were at an advanced stage although no financial consideration had been mentioned (see Arsenal and Carlton Update).It is understood that Arsenal is in talks with United News &… Continue reading Carlton Calls Off Arsenal Takeover Talks
The EC is expected to decide whether it will adopt guidelines for the evaluation of state aid to public television channels in the EU before the end of this year. However, in the face of strong opposition from MS, the Commission’s DGXV is to consult private sector broadcasters on current proposals. Following a number of… Continue reading EU: EC Guidelines For Public TV Financing
The Consumer Council meeting in Brussels last week adopted a resolution which recognises consumer concern over the development of the information society, and has called on the EC to ensure that consumers’ interests are fully taken into account in all current and future legislative proposals. Notably the Council drew attention to the need for measures… Continue reading EU: Country of origin in e-commerce
Jim Murray, director of the consumer group BEUC, has criticised the EC’s e-commerce proposals. Mr Murray said that consumers should not have to deal with the individual laws of the 15 member states. He added that it was absurd to treat on-line consumers in the same way as consumers who go to the supplier’s country… Continue reading EU: BEUC criticises e-commerce proposals
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is to launch a campaign to protect terrestrial television coverage of the World Cup football finals. FIFA, the world football governing body, has declared that the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea should appear on terrestrial television, but the EBU fears that in many countries some of the games… Continue reading EU: Plans for World Cup 2002
EU member states look set to derail the European Commission’s proposals for rules to govern the sale of financial services via telephone, direct mail or the Internet. The proposed law, which would give consumers throughout the EU 14 days to withdraw from contracts without any penalty, limit unsolicited sales and establish redress procedures for disputes… Continue reading EU: Distance Selling plan faces opposition
ITV has today been ordered to drop its current advertisements for digital terrestrial television (DTT) after the ITC found them to be denigratory to the satellite platform run by Sky Digital.Earlier in the week the watchdog upheld a number of complaints about these ads made by BSkyB and ITV was forced to change the format… Continue reading ITV Told To Remove Digital Ads By ITC
Representatives of the European audio-visual industry led by European Commissioner Marcelino Oreja have published a report proposing a number of initiatives for the revitalisation of EU audio-visual policy. Convened last year by Mr Oreja, the group is charged with developing recommendations for the orientation of audio-visual policy in the digital age, with a view to… Continue reading EU: Call to revitalise AV policy
The European Directive on the protection of private data entered into force on 25 October. The directive (95/46/EC) establishes a high-level of protection for the treatment of personal data in the EU and has led to disputes with the United States. Implementation of the directive is not yet guaranteed throughout the EU however. Several MS… Continue reading EU: Data Protection Directive
