Latest SATELLITE NEWS/TV LISTING SECTION

[mike566]

Maxxian Kneecaps Rogue Cable Modems
Introduces Tool That Detects, Disables Unauthorized Modems

Watch out, broadband deadbeats -- cable operators have access to a new way to cut you off.

Canadian network-management vendor Maxxian is introducing CounterStryx Tracker for Cable Modems, which finds unauthorized cable modems on an operator's network and disables their network access.

The software is an add-on to Maxxian's CounterStryx Operations Center and is similar to the tool the company sells for detecting and disabling set-top boxes that have active conditional-access systems but aren't associated with active accounts.

Maxxian claims the cable-modem tracker can boost revenue, by spurring deadbeats to pay up on their accounts. The company said that in the product's first production implementation -- with an MSO it declined to identify -- approximately 40% of the users whose modems were disabled returned to paying accounts within the first few months.

"The units come back to paying status faster than the set-tops we have shut down," Maxxian chief technology officer R.J. Juneau said. "A possible reason is that users are more dependent on their Internet connections than on their TV."
Key features of the tool include load management, false-positive elimination, daily data refresh and automated verification of the shutdown results. The company plans to show off CounterStryx Tracker for Cable Modems at the SCTE's Cable-Tec Expo 2010, Oct. 20-22 in New Orleans.

Maxxian claims its service provider customers manage and control more than 5 million set-tops. The only customer the company has identified is Barbados-based Columbus Communications that serves parts of the Caribbean.

Privately held Maxxian, founded in 2004, is based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.

[mike566]

MSG Enters Sweepstakes Element In Dish Disconnect Battle
'MSG Watch It Live Sweepstakes Offers Dish Subs Chance To See, Rangers, Knicks, Devils, Islanders, Sabres
10/8/2010

Locked in a contract impasse with Dish Network, MSG Network and MSG Plus are offering subscribers to the No. 2 DBS service a chance to check out some of the teams the regional sports networks cover -- live.
Aimed at shut out Dish subscribers, "MSG's Watch it Live Sweepstakes" affords fans the opportunity to win tickets to New York Knicks National Basketball Association games, as well as National Hockey League contests involving the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres.
The unusual tactic, involving the clubs the RSN holds telecast rights to, follows MSG and MSG Plus's disconnect with Dish that began on Oct. 1 over carriage fees.
New York Rangers netminder Henrik LundqvistNew York Rangers netminder Henrik LundqvistDish subscribers can visit IWANTMSG.COM to enter the sweepstakes to win tickets to see one of 14 games played by the teams live throughout the month of October. Fans can also visit the site or call 1-877-616-4MSG begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-877-616-4MSG end_of_the_skype_highlighting to receive a list of alternate providers in their area that carry MSG Networks.

MSG and MSG Plus will telecast nearly 400 live NBA and NHL games of the Knicks, Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres during the 2010-11 seasons. The Devils open tonight against the Dallas Stars on MSG Plus, while the Sabres face off against Ottawa on MSG.

For their part, the Rangers start their 2010-11 season on Oct. 9 against the Sabres on MSG, while the Islanders host the Stars on MSG Plus that night.

The Knicks, featuring All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire, tip off their NBA campaign on October 27 at the Toronto Raptors on MSG.
"We understand Dish subscribers are upset with Dish's decision to drop MSG Network and MSG Plus, so we wanted to offer this opportunity for our displaced viewers," said Dan Ronayne, executive vice president and general manager, MSG Networks, in a statement. "Unfortunately, Dish has chosen not to come back to the negotiating table since they dropped our networks, but we continue to call on them to negotiate in good faith with us so that New York area sports fans can once again watch the teams they love."
The sweepstakes will be mentioned on the RSNs, as well as via social media, including MSG's Facebook page and via Twitter. Additionally, the clubs will tap their data bases to reach out to fans to get the message across.
Elsewhere, MSG continues to place ads in New York area newspapers, pointing out that Dish subs can no longer watch the Knicks, Rangers, Devils and Islanders contests, while including the aforementioned phone number

and Web site to find alternate service providers. Similar ads delineating the absence of Sabres telecasts for Dish subs are running in upstate New York.

[mike566]

DTH ops launch price war on STBs

MUMBAI: For DTH operators, the festive season price war is on. Soon after Tata Sky slashed its set-top box (STB) price to Rs 999, Airtel digital TV has followed suit.

A late entrant in the India's highly competitive DTH space, Airtel digital TV has launched two new offers for its new subscribers and slashed the price of its STB to Rs 999.


In one offer, customers can purchase a new Airtel digital TV connection for Rs 999 and get started with an initial recharge of just Rs 200.

The second offer, bundled with subscription, works out to an effective pricing of Rs 806 for the STBs. The customer has to purchase connection for Rs 1690, but need not recharge it for the next four months. They would be entitled to four months free subscription to the Economy Pack (around 150 popular channels, worth Rs 200+taxes).

[mike566]

Boston Red Sox set to buy Liverpool Club for £ 300 mn

MUMBAI: Though there is opposition from Liverpool Football Club’s current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette, the club has said that it has agreed to sell it to the owners of the Boston Red Sox.

"The board decided to accept New England Sports Ventures (NESV)'s proposal on the basis that it best met the criteria we set out originally for a suitable new owner," Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton said.

The £300 million bid by New England Sports Ventures, the holding company for the Red Sox, was accepted by Liverpool's board of directors but for an opposition by the current owners who thought that they're getting “lowballed”.

The proposed sale to NESV would see Hicks and Gillett lose £144 million on their Liverpool investment. That figure stems from loans the two owners have given to the club that would probably go unpaid under the agreement between Liverpool and NESV.

[mike566]

Star Ananda to air Spanish European Cup qualifiers

MUMBAI: Bengali news channel Star Ananda has acquired football telecast rights to expand its base in West Bengal.

The news channel from the Media Content and Communication Services (MCCS) stable has bagged the TV rights to broadcast all the qualifiers that Fifa World Cup champion, Spain, will play in the build up to the UEFA European Championships in 2012.

In addition to the qualifiers, Star Ananda will also broadcast all the International Friendlies that Spain will play over the next two years.

Total Sports Asia (TSA), the independent sports marketing company which owns the media rights for the Spanish national team across Asia, was responsible for striking the deal with Star Ananda. Earlier this year, TSA played an instrumental role in launching Manchester United Restaurants, Cafes and Bars across India.

MCCS VP and head- marketing Neeraj Sannan said, “We value TSA as a partner and we are sure that the broadcast of the Spanish Qualifiers will add value to our channel. This association further enhances our commitment to a long term partnership with TSA.”

Added TSA associate director – sales and business development, Indian Subcontinent Vishal Jaison, “Football is on a tremendous upswing in India. We’re very happy to have chosen Star Ananda as the broadcaster for the Spanish Euro Cup 2012 Qualifiers and friendlies. After the fantastic ratings that the FIFA World Cup got, football viewership in India is clearly on the rise.”

Spain will kick off their qualifying campaign by playing Lithuania on 8 October. The World Champions and defending Euro Champions have been drawn with the likes of Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein.

[mike566]

Odyssey Pictures launches new service at Mip

Odyssey Pictures' division has formally launched their new producer's representative service business at the television trade events MipJunior and Mipcom in Cannes, France.

Odyssey will be representing independent film, broadcast and Internet content to international markets as well as providing completion, co-production and development financing. Odyssey's new service is being engaged hosting distributors and sales agents at their hospitality suite at Hotel Palais Stephanie in Cannes.

Odyssey's latest venture is starting out with a line up of clients as well as its first international rights deal. The operation currently represents a diverse roster of independent production companies creating live action and animated content, including: Dominique Paul Mougenot, ORG Studios USA, Glue Works Creative Management, All Channel Films and Foothill Entertainment.

On the sales side of their business model, Odyssey has already closed its first content licensing deal with a major international company. Mobigate, a Korean-based global mobile computing software company, has picked up the Korean, Japanese and Thai rights to the animation series Hermie and Friends from Glue Works Creative Management.

Odyssey has a history of distributing and financing movies like Sniper, Wuthering Heights and The Handmaid's Tale. The company provides diversified professional services to global media and entertainment markets.

Odyssey CEO John Foster says, "We are very excited to be in this new but familiar line of business. Because of our deep background in distribution, we already have the knowledge base and the contacts to place our client's work with important buyers around the world. We expect a strong deal flow from the Mip markets."

[mike566]

Viaccess Announces Next Generation Smart Card as Part of 360 Degree Content Security Strategy

PC5 is the next generation proactive and intelligent smart card to combat piracy

Viaccess, a France Telecom company and leader in global content security, today announced it will unveil a new generation smart card, PC5, designed to fight the latest forms of piracy, including Control Word (CW) sharing piracy, regardless of the distribution network.

This is the first time Viaccess will present the PC5 smart card, which is specifically designed to combat the current piracy market that has evolved today and to continue to protect the assets of Viaccess’ Pay-TV clients. This reinforces Viaccess’ strategy to supply customers with a new card every 24 months to remain a step ahead of piracy.

New features and benefits of the PC5 to provide 360 degree security services for operators include:

• Advanced Content Protection - The new PC5 smart card is engineered to provide future-proof content protection, while ensuring optimal compatibility with existing and deployed set-top-boxes (STBs).

• Flexible Content Protection - PC5 introduces over the air renewability of the CW protection system on trusted STBs. This enhances the CW security mechani*** that protect the connection between the smartcard and the STB.

• Increased Operator ROI and Management of Security Over Time - PC5 has embedded renewability against Pay-TV threats, including a card loader. PC5 implements over-the-air renewability of smart card software for increased protection against illegal modifications and emulations. These are few of new and additional means for operators to manage security over time and maintain the highest level of security versus evolving security risks.

“While some other companies seem to forget that security and anti-piracy are the cornerstones of the conditional access business and/or neglect the importance of fighting effectively on the field new forms of piracy, Viaccess confirms its focus on these fundamental components of its 360° security strategy which is illustrated in our PC5 smart card,” said François Moreau de Saint Martin, CEO, Viaccess.


“PC5 has been designed according to an in-depth analysis of the threats for the business of the pay TV operators, considering the latest evolutions of the piracy business. PC5 embeds technologies targeting modified original smartcards, smartcard emulations and other threats, and it also embeds brand new technologies against card sharing and control word sharing over different networks such as satellite and the open Internet,” he added.

-ENDS-

About Viaccess:

Viaccess is a leader in solutions to protect and enhance the value of content services. Viaccess provides world class solutions for content protection, delivering conditional access and DRM-based systems for all types of content, for all networks including broadcast, broadband, fixed and mobile networks and for all categories of devices. Its subsidiary, Orca Interactive, is a leading innovative provider of IPTV middleware and applications including groundbreaking content discovery and recommendation solutions that power next-generation interactive TV. Viaccess has more than 20 years of broadcast and broadband experience and is positioned to help content service providers to monetize the content consumption revolution. Viaccess solutions are deployed worldwide in 35 countries and on more than 80 digital platforms.

Viaccess S.A. is a France Telecom Orange Group company.

[mike566]

OnScreen Adds Univision's Conde
Joins Other Moonves, Chernin, Gotlieb, Other Top Execs At MCN/B&C Oct. 28 Event In New York

Univision Networks president Cesar Conde is the latest high-profile television executive to join the lineup of participants at the third annual OnScreen Media Summit presented by Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable in New York on Oct. 28.
Conde oversees three television networks - Univision Network, TeleFutura and Galavisión - and original programming arm Univision Studios. All are part of Univision Communications, the premier Spanish-language media company in the U.S. He reports directly to CEO Joe Uva.
The event at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel will take place the day after the 20th annual B&C Hall of Fame gala at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
OnScreen centerpieces will include a featured conversation with Peter Chernin, the former News Corp. president and founder of The Chernin Group; and keynotes from CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves, Group M global CEO Irwin Gotlieb and BOA/Merrill Lynch first vice president and managing director Jessica Reif Cohen.
Topics will include the challenges of delivering TV everywhere and anywhere; the media investment outlook; 3D and other TV technologies to attract viewers; and satisfying advertisers with advancements in audience measurement.

[mike566]

CNN Takes Long View On ‘Parker/Spitzer'
Execs Sanguine About Negative Reviews, Slow Ratings Start

Parker/Spitzer - the first chapter of CNN's primetime makeover - bowed Monday to a barrage of excoriating reviews.
Bart Feder, senior vide president of programming at CNN/US, however, is taking the long view.
"Critics do what critics do and their aim is to get page views and sell newspapers," he said Friday.

And perhaps all of the negative reviews on night one drove a little curiosity tune-in on night two. The show pulled in a lackluster 454,000 viewers on Monday, for a fourth-place finish in the cable news category's 8 p.m. hour

By Tuesday, Parker/Spitzer was up 13% to 513,000 total viewers. On day three, the show was basically flat (503,000 viewers), but it grew its John King, USA lead-in by 98% (which really doesn't bode well for King). However, it should be noted that those viewers totals are on par with CNN's 8 p.m. average for the just completed third quarter. And CNN's stated goal is to do better.

Feder said that at this point he's just encouraged that the show is adding viewers from its lead-in

[mike566]

BlueHighways TV Rides To Five New Affiliate Pacts
Reaches Deals With Providers in NC, SC, Kansas

BlueHighways TV has inked carriage pacts with a quintet of providers, four along the Atlantic seaboard and one in the Sunflower State.

Blue Highways, which features roots music, art and culture presented as a colorful tapestry of American life and heritage, reached agreements with Piedmont Communications, Surry Telecommunications and Wilkes Communications, all in North Carolina, as well as Sandhill Telephone Co-op In South Carolina and IdeaTek Systems in Kansas. Deal terms were not disclosed.

"Our network is extremely appealing to operators across the nation that are looking for higher viewer satisfaction," said BlueHighways TV CEO Stan Hitchcock in a statement. "BlueHighways TV programming is fresh and unique, and we are pleased to continue to deliver our network to an ever-growing audience of viewers."