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Cable & Satellite TV & Radio
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| Key News about Cable & Satellite TV & Radio | top |
DirecTV's Stock Has Taken a Beating. Is a Buyback the Fix?
New York Times, October 17, 2005
It has been a tough year for shareholders of the DirecTV Group, the satellite television company controlled by Rupert Murdoch. Fears about competition from telephone and cable companies have buffeted its stock price, which has fallen 12.9 percent this year.
New Verizon Program Guide Lets Users Search for TV Programs
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, October 14, 2005
Verizon Communications Inc. yesterday showed off its new television service that will compete with cable by using fiber-optic lines, which can carry a dizzying amount of voice, data, and video at speeds impossible over the existing wires running into most homes. Verizon hopes to eventually replace with fiber optics all of the copper wire that currently carries its voice and data products to consumers.
TV Anytime, Anywhere
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, October 14, 2005
Now that millions of consumers have opened their homes and wallets for huge high-definition television screens, a new video revolution is afoot.
Video-on-demand Seen as Popular but Unexciting
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, October 14, 2005
Video-on-demand -- the video store in your remote control -- was for two decades the gee-whiz technology just over the horizon.
Welcome to the other side of the horizon, where "gee whiz" often morphs into "so what?"
Comcast's Roberts May Play Web Game with Google, AOL
Forbes, October 13, 2005
He's still merely the chief executive of Comcast, not too shabby in itself, as it's the No. 1 U.S. cable TV operator. But according to reports Thursday, Roberts wants to join his firm with search-engine giant Google, in a deal to nab a joint stake in Time Warner's America Online.
Comcast Surpasses One Billion On-Demand Program Views
PR Newswire, October 13, 2005
Comcast, the country's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, continues to change the way people watch television, today announcing that more than one billion programs have been viewed on the company's ON DEMAND service to date this year.
DISH Network Introduces PocketDISH Portable Media Companion; Three Handheld Styles Play Music, Store Photos, and Display TV Entertainment, Anywhere
Business Wire, October 11, 2005
EchoStar Communications Corporation and its DISH Network satellite TV service announced today the rollout of its PocketDISH, a new line of portable media companions.
Microsoft Sees a Future on the Small Screen
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, October 10, 2005
It took 12 years and more than $10 billion, but one of Microsoft's biggest dreams may finally be coming true: The company is close to becoming a major player in the television business.
Dollars and Sense: Brand X, Broadband and the Satellite Sector
Access Intelligence, October 10, 2005
The June launch of Wildblue Communication's broadband service preceded by only a few weeks a major legal milestone that promises to preserve broadband from burdensome regulation and enable it to develop. Since broadband has been the industry's El Dorado for so long, and since satellite broadband service is in its infancy compared to terrestrial service, legal developments in terrestrial broadband concern the satellite sector.
Talkswitch, Ramtelecom Team to Deliver Integrated Satellite-Based VoIP to Remote Businesses
Access Intelligence, October 10, 2005
Talkswitch, a company specializing in the design and manufacture of telephone systems for small and multi-location businesses, announced Oct. 5 that it has teamed with Ramtelecom to provide a satellite-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution to businesses in remote locations.
Online Pioneer Sets Out to Shake Up TV
New York Times, October 6, 2005
Set in an office building at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brightcove will offer three interrelated online services. It has tools that let television producers load their video onto its servers, arrange them into programs and display them to Internet users. It will help producers charge fees for their video, if they choose, or sell advertising on their behalf to insert into the programs. And it will broker deals between video creators and Web sites that want to display the video, arranging for the profits from such arrangements to be split any number of ways.
Adelphia Adds Music Videos, Sports to On-demand Channels
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, October 6, 2005
Adelphia Communications has boosted its "on-demand" content with the addition of music videos, news reports and sports clips from a Massachusetts company called Gotuit Media Corp.
Sirius Adds More Than 359,000 Subscribers in Third Quarter
Access Intelligence, October 6, 2005
Sirius Satellite Radio announced Oct. 4 it added more than 359,000 new net subscribers to its subscription satellite radio service in the third quarter 2005, bringing its total subscribers to 2.2 million.
XM Satellite Could Hike 2005 Subscriber Target
Forbes, October 5, 2005
Standard & Poor's Equity Research maintained a "hold" rating on XM Satellite Radio Holdings and reiterated a "hold" rating on Sirius Satellite Radio.
Viacom Offers More Split Details
MarketWatch, October 5, 2005
Viacom Inc. outlined a few more details about its plan to split itself into two publicly traded entities in a regulatory filing Wednesday.
Telewest Buy to Create UK Cable Giant
Datamonitor, October 5, 2005
UK cable giant NTL has revealed that it is finally buying Telewest Global, in a $6 billion deal NTL believes will create the country's second largest communications company. While the merger could prompt further industry consolidation, it will also help NTL to expand its product offerings for both residential and corporate customers.
Consumers for Cable Choice Membership Swells to More Than 365,000
PR Newswire, October 5, 2005
More than 365,000 residential and small business consumers from diverse groups across the United States have joined forces to urge public officials to reform outdated franchise requirements and give them a choice in cable television providers.
Sirius Satellite's Q4 Prospects Look Bright
Forbes, October 4, 2005
Bear Stearns maintained an "outperform" rating on Sirius Satellite Radio after the satellite radio provider announced third-quarter net subscribers of 359,000, a 97% rise from the year-ago period.
Sirius Adds 359,000 Subscribers in 3Q
BusinessWeek Online, October 4, 2005
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Tuesday said it nearly doubled the number of new subscribers to 359,000 in the third quarter.
Kagan Forecasts Cable Industry Will Grow Commercial Services Revenue to $10.7 Bil. by 2009
Business Wire, October 4, 2005
A new study from Kagan Research projects cable operators will be able to reach 60% of U.S. businesses by 2009 and estimates the total revenue for commercial data and voice services will pass the $10.7 bil. mark during that period.
U.K. Cablecos Combine in $6B Deal
Access Intelligence, October 3, 2005
In a move that has been mooted for years, the U.K.'s only two cable TV operators, NTL and Telewest, are merging to create a triple-play giant with more than five million residential customers. The deal - one of the most significant ever done in the U.K. telecom landscape - will see NTL pay $6 billion in cash and stock for Telewest.
DirecTV Takes First Step into Music Business with XM Deal
Access Intelligence, October 3, 2005
Beginning Nov. 15, DirecTV Inc. will offer its direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television subscribers access to XM Satellite Radio content.
Microsoft-Backed IPTV Could Be Threat to Satellite
Access Intelligence, October 3, 2005
Satellite pay-TV operators are facing more pressure than ever before in digital television markets across the world. While cable operators may still be seen as the natural enemy, other platforms are emerging, with computer software giant Microsoft Corp. set to become a major force in the market.
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Verizon's Muddy TV Picture
BusinessWeek Online, September 28, 2005
New York-based Verizon and peers including SBC Communications are locked in a land grab with cable-TV operators such as Comcast and Cablevision, which have long competed for high-speed Internet customers and are now carving out a widening share of the market for phone service. Telecom providers are trying to fend off phone-line losses and step up sales growth by providing the same package of services a customer can get from a cable carrier.
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Move over TiVo, Moxi's Box Muscles onto the DVR Scene
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, September 23, 2005
Digeo Inc., maker of the Moxi Media Center, lags TiVo and other manufacturers in penetrating the market for digital video recorders. But Moxi is making a big splash with some cable customers, because it's easy to use and packed with features.
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Sirius, XM Radio Continue to Grow, Compete
United Press International, September 7, 2005
While XM is making a splash this month, competitor Sirius Satellite Radio is gearing up for the long-awaited satellite debut of the Howard Stern Show, set to take place just after New Year's. Stern and Sirius agreed to a multimillion-dollar deal last October. Saffran said the Stern deal will help Sirius but may not be as big a landmark as some think. "I don't know if his move marks a pendulum shift," Saffran said. "There's a much larger majority who like Stern but are not sure they want to pay for radio yet." Fish said Stern's success on Sirius will have a huge impact on the company's future.
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Radio Fans Lament Loss of Local Feel
Inside Bay Area, August 29, 2005
Broadcast radio has steadily lost listeners while paid satellite radio subscriptions have skyrocketed. Those who are dissatisfied complain that traditional radio has become too corporate, there are too many advertisements and musical playlists have become generic and predictable. Critics say the radio industry is failing to develop a following among young people who have a plethora of entertainment choices and aren't as loyal to their local stations as their parents were.
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XM, Still One Step ahead of Sirius
Washington Post, July 29, 2005
Until recently, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and its rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. were engaged in a tit-for-tat, deal-for-deal face-off. Sirius landed the NFL; XM responded with baseball. XM signed an exclusive deal with General Motors Corp.; Sirius partnered with DaimlerChrysler AG. XM scored former NPR Morning Edition host Bob Edwards; Sirius lured away shock jock Howard Stern from terrestrial radio giant Infinity Broadcasting. But for all the billions the two companies have committed to differentiating themselves from each other, they are increasingly following similar business strategies, analysts say. And that might not be a bad thing for the satellite radio business, which while growing rapidly, has so far attracted only a tiny portion of the 193 million people market research firm NDP Group estimates listen to traditional radio. (Free registration required.)
As Satellite Radio Blossoms, Many Still Prefer Local Programming
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, July 22, 2005
Radio broadcasting is broadening its horizons -- in fact, it's literally out of this world with satellite radio signals broadcasting from outer space. With other FM radio competitors such as Jack-FM and Hank-FM, phasing out radio personalities and downsizing stations and broadcasting conglomerate corporations doing the same, satellite radio is offering its listeners a new spectrum of possibilities that grow daily. The only problem with satellite radio is there isn't a way to broadcast local weather, traffic situations, news or community events -- which is why local FM and AM radio stations still play a vital role in communities across the U.S.
Podcasting: Radio Revolution
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, July 20, 2005
Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern and 18-year-old Joel Szerlip of Riverside have something in common. No, Szerlip isn't a verbal whirlwind of politics, nor has he spent a considerable amount of time talking to starlets of the adult film industry. But like Limbaugh and Stern, you can hear his radio show on your digital music player or computer. "Radio is something I've always thought about getting into, and then somebody told me about this," said Szerlip, a sophomore at Cal State San Bernardino. "And even now, I'm still learning about it." Welcome to podcasts -- the newest trend in underground radio.
Big Things Can Happen in Philadelphia, Cable Giant Comcast Shows
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, July 10, 2005
The Comcast Tower, Philadelphia's future tallest building, is still just a hole in the ground. But already, for better or worse, Comcast Corp. towers over Philadelphia and much of the American media landscape. While you were surfing its hundreds of channels and grumbling about its rates, Comcast became one of the most important and influential companies in Philadelphia -- ever.
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Satellite Killed the Radio Star
University Wire, July 7, 2005
Since recent years have seen radio become victim to both the mp3 revolution and XM radio, which announced in April a subscriber count of 3.8 million, the Jack FM format hopes to save the medium from certain technological doom. Radio has also been criticized for sins such as being overly corporate and repeating too much of the same music.
British TV: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Merge
Business Week, June 6, 2005
Britain's cable guys are having a tough time of it. Satellite service British Sky Broadcasting rules the airwaves with its massive selection of over 500 radio and TV channels, while Freeview, BBC's digital-TV service, has attracted nearly 5 million households since its launch in 2002. So last fall, Telewest Global, the country's No. 2 cable provider, upped the ante.
Cable Operators Delve into Video E-mail, Telephony
CED Magazine, May 2005
In a bid to separate themselves from other broadband competitors, cable operators are adding a medium they know well -video- to their e-mail services. And a small group of technology providers are also hoping to convince these MSOs to extend that visual to telephony as well.
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Bring it On: Cable Technology Poised for RBOC Onslaught
Access Intelligence, May 26, 2005
Cable operators are prepared to match Verizon, BellSouth, SBC and other RBOCs stride for stride when the telcos let loose their fiber-to-the-home networks, speakers at CableLabs' NY briefing said. Adelphia CTO Marwan Fawaz said operators are well positioned to launch advanced services as pungent and appealing as the telcos' offerings. "IPTV is not a monopoly for them," he said. "We can do it as well, and there's no reason we can't deploy the same opportunities."
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On-Demand Channels: A Niche Frontier
The New York Times, May 25, 2005
Television audiences have grown accustomed to on-demand programming, mostly in the form of pay-per-view movies and services like HBO on Demand that cost extra.
For several years, however, many television and technology companies have also been developing free video-on-demand services with all the determination - and uncertain futures - of oil prospectors. Now their free video-on-demand channels are expanding, seeking more viewers and asking advertisers to help pay the way.
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Broadcast Flap Allies Small/Rural Cablecos and Telcos
Access Intelligence, May 23, 2005
A seemingly broadcast-centric dispute over TV programming signals appears to have a deeper significance to the Internet access, broadband deployment and communication service plans of small and rural cable operators as well those of many of their geographically compatible telephone company counterparts interested in future IP-enabled video.
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The Real Meaning of IPTV
Busines Week, May 20, 2005
Today, amid the hard-fought battle for the living room, the hottest topic in the world of communications and networking is the emergence of IPTV. But despite the growing ubiquity of the acronym, the true meaning and potential of the technology behind it is still largely misunderstood -- and not just by the average consumer, but by many within the communications industry as well.
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Can Telcos Win the Battle for IPTV?
Information Week, May 9, 2005
There's a battle coming between cable providers and telecommunications carriers for the nation's televisions. The former hold the high ground of an impressive installed base, while telecom carriers are coming to the field with Internet television (IPTV), a promising technology that uses IP to deliver television feeds and other services to consumers. However, telecom carriers have a tough fight ahead of them. According to Forrester Research vice president Maribel Lopez, the author of the April report "Telcos' IPTV Reality Check," they're starting with some serious disadvantages, whatever the promise of IPTV.
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Satellite Radio
Busines Week, May 16, 2005
The first generation of portable satellite radio receivers, the Delphi MyFi and others offer a real alternative to the iPod in the fight for your pocket space.
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More Knots in Paul Allen’s Cable Tangle
Business Week, May 12, 2005
Behind the scenes, Allen faces even further indignity. The Charter chairman, who owns 57% of the company's common shares and controls 93% of its votes, could end up getting sued in Delaware Chancery Court by his own board of directors. That's almost unheard of in Corporate America.
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| Web Resources |
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National Cable and Telecommunications Association
The National Cable and Telecommunications Association, formerly the National Cable Television Association, is the principal trade association of the cable television industry in the United States. Founded in 1952, NCTA's primary mission is to provide its members with a strong national presence by providing a single, unified voice on issues affecting the cable and telecommunications industry.
http://www.ncta.com
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Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association
The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) of America is the national trade organization representing all segments of the satellite industry. It is committed to expanding the utilization of satellite technology for the broadcast delivery of video, audio, data, music, voice, interactive and broadband services.
http://www.sbca.com
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Broadcasting & Cable
B&C is a weekly publication focused on cable communications and broadcasting, including programming, regulatory news and technologies.
http://broadcastingcable.com/
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