Media UK

The Box - news archive

This is an archive of news about The Box. Some links may no longer work, due to the transient nature of the internet.

Music TV channel The Hits to be rebranded 4Music
From Media Guardian. Posted July 17 2008, 4.20pm
Music TV channel The Hits, which is owned by Channel 4 and Bauer Media joint venture company Box TV, is to be rebranded as 4Music. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

BBC World Service moving to new Freeview multiplex in the UK
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 16 2008, 3.51pm
BBC World Service listeners in the UK who access the international radio channel via Freeview will need to retune their set top box to continue listening after Monday 4 August 2008. The retuning (or rescanning) action is required as BBC World Service is changing to a different digital terrestrial multiplex – one of the bouquets [...] (more)

Humax releases Foxsat-HD update
From Digital Spy. Posted June 30 2008, 10.11am
Humax releases an update for its high definition Freesat box. (more)

Letter: Digital tick box
From Media Guardian. Posted June 27 2008, 11.04pm
Letter: We welcome the Commons public accounts committee's report on the digital TV switchover and its conclusion that the programme is on track (more)

Sky mulling legal action over EU STB tax
From Digital Spy. Posted June 24 2008, 9.21am
Pay TV firms and manufacturers may challenge the EU's imposition of import duty on some set-top boxes. (more)

TV set-top makers to challenge EC ruling
From Financial Times. Posted June 23 2008, 3.00am
Pay-television operators and set-top box makers are considering legal action against the European Commission after a tax ruling left many of them facing millions of... (more)

TV set-top makers to challenge ruling
From Financial Times. Posted June 22 2008, 7.11pm
Pay-television operators and set-top box makers are considering legal action against the European Commission after a tax ruling left many of them facing millions of pounds in unexpected cost (more)

Sky to drop HD box price in July
From Digital Spy. Posted June 17 2008, 10.05am
Sky will rebrand its Sky HD service and drop the upfront price of a box next month. (more)

Last.fm Now Available on Logitech Squeezebox Network Music Systems
From radio.about.com. Posted June 11 2008, 3.38am
Last.fm is now available to U.S., U.K. and German users of Logitech Squeezebox network music systems. This means owners of this 802.11g wireless-driven hardware can now stream Last.fm throughout their... (more)

Old boxes hit by West Mids Freeview change
From Digital Spy. Posted June 2 2008, 4.50pm
Changes to Freeview transmissions in the West Midlands render an estimated 1% of receivers unusable. (more)

Pace tunes into set-top deal
From Financial Times. Posted May 30 2008, 3.00am
Pace rose sharply yesterday on news of a deal to supply devices to a leading US cable TV operator that will let it convert its set-top boxes from analogue to... (more)

Sky News uses CoveritLive for Crewe by-election debate
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted May 20 2008, 1.05pm
Sky News yesterday used live blogging service CoveritLive to host a debate between candidates standing in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election (thanks to Simon Dickson and his Puffbox blog for the tip). Candidates Tamsin Dunwoody (Labour), Elizabeth Shenton (Lib Dem) and Edward Timpson (Conservatives) responded to questions directly from readers of the blog and Sky News' [...] (more)

BT Vision orders new Pace STBs
From Digital Spy. Posted May 13 2008, 7.07pm
BT Vision agrees a contract for provision of a new set-top box from Pace Group. (more)

HDTV platform launches in Hungary from Eurobird™ 9
From Media Network Weblog. Posted April 30 2008, 1.39pm
Hello HD, Hungary’s first High-Definition television platform, is gearing up for launch tomorrow from the Eurobird™ 9 satellite operated by Eutelsat Communications. Using two transponders leased on a long-term basis on Eurobird™ 9, Hello HD’s new television platform will feature industry-leading HDTV services including Eurosport HD, National Geographic HD, Filmbox HD and HBO HD, complemented by [...] (more)

Video service BlinkBox goes public
From Media Guardian. Posted April 23 2008, 6.15am
BlinkBox, the UK start-up that lets users 'mash' clips from TV shows and films as well as rent and buy movies, officially launches today. By Mark Sweney (more)

Sky: New EPG on the way for HD boxes
From Digital Spy. Posted April 22 2008, 10.39am
Pictures of a new-look EPG in development for Sky HD are leaked on the DS forums. (more)

In Video: Joe Calzaghe on 'Mr & Mrs'
From Digital Spy. Posted April 18 2008, 4.43pm
Joe Calzaghe discusses his forthcoming boxing match in Las Vegas on ITV gameshow Mr & Mrs. (more)

Khan tackles policeman in 'Beat The Star'
From Digital Spy. Posted April 18 2008, 4.22pm
Boxer Amir Khan will take on a 6' 5" policeman in new ITV1 show Beat The Star. (more)

A Boxing One-Two
From allmediascotland - Spike. Posted April 17 2008, 7.49am
The Scotsman obviously liked the story about ear-biting boxer, Mike Tyson, offering to provide counselling to former Rangers star, Paul Gascoigne..... so much so, they had it appearing twice in their Tuesday edition. Its ‘Strange World’ slot on the page 31 Opinion page ran... (more)

Remote control taken of TV set-top boxmaker
From Financial Times. Posted April 15 2008, 11.15pm
When the chief executive of Pace Micro Technology was told that Dutch electronics group Philips wanted a meeting, he thought bit wanted to make a bid. In fact, it wanted to make a sale (more)

Sky explains high definition box change
From Digital Spy. Posted April 14 2008, 4.37pm
Sky cites "obligations to content owners" in explaining the removal of component video outputs from new HD boxes. (more)

BBC: 'Wii beat Xbox and PS3 to iPlayer'
From Digital Spy. Posted April 10 2008, 3.10pm
The BBC's head of media reveals Sony and Microsoft wanted iPlayer, but their demands were too high. (more)

'Shocking' Xbox game ad banned by ASA over violence
From Media Guardian. Posted April 9 2008, 6.22am
A 'graphic' and 'shocking' poster, press and TV ad campaign for Xbox game Kane & Lynch has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority. By Ben Dowell (more)

Deal brings new content to BlinkBox
From Media Guardian. Posted March 25 2008, 12.01am
BlinkBox, the website that lets users edit film and tv clips, signs deal with FremantleMedia to bring more TV shows (more)

'Jhoom' movie mayhem on Sony TV in April
From Biz Asia. Posted March 21 2008, 1.11pm
Sony Entertainment Television Asia has lined up a spectacular movie line-up for April. The movie highlight is Yash Raj Film's 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom', which released last year and did fair business at the box office. The Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Lara Dutta, Preity Zinta and Bobby Deol starer will be shown on Sunday 27th April at 20:00. Over on sister channel MAX, comedy drama 'Aur Pappu Paas Ho Gaya' starring Krishna Abhishek and Kashmira Shah will be shown on Saturday 26th April at 20:00. There's also 'Partner' starring Govinda and Salman Khan on Saturday 12th April at 20:00 and the repeat telecast of 'Namastey London' starring Akshay Kumar on Saturday 19th April at 20:00. (more)

Static to release Playjam, Freeview hybrid
From Digital Spy. Posted March 19 2008, 2.49pm
Static is to launch a Freeview set-top box carrying its Playjam interactive content and games portal. (more)

Tower FM supports local boxer
From Radio Today. Posted March 18 2008, 8.23am
Boxing star Amir Khan has been taking time out from his training to help out Sainsbury's Sport Relief Mile, which is back by his local station Tower FM. (more)

MBC-Mauritius launches 2 digital channels
From Media Network Weblog. Posted March 17 2008, 1.12pm
MBC-Mauritius has launched two digital channels to speed up customer uptake of digital TV sets and set-top boxes (STBs) as the country plans to switch off analogue transmissions in 2011. The public broadcaster’s Advisor of Broadcast Engineering, Prem Seebaluck, said one channel is dedicated to local and international movies, while the other will be a sports [...] (more)

Sport on TV: A brush with royalty but not 'Off with his head'
From The Independent. Posted March 16 2008, 12.00am
Sport Relief came up with the intriguing concept of 'Sport Portraits' (BBC1, Monday and Tuesday), with five celebrated artists (and ex-cricketer Jack Russell) painting portraits of four sporting icons for a charity auction. The pop artist Sir Peter Blake, Jack Vettriano, Stella Vine, cartoonist Gerald Scarfe and photographer Rankin depicted the royal three-day eventer Zara Phillips, boxing funnyman Ricky Hatton and football's Fabio Capello and Didier Drogba. (more)

London weekly backs local boxer as he bids to unify titles
From Hold the Front Page. Posted March 12 2008, 5.45am
Major coverage of big fight put together by journalist while away on paternity leave (more)

UK digital forecasts - 2017
From Rapid TV News. Posted March 11 2008, 10.06am
Freeview, the UK’s free-to-air digital TV bouquet, is seemingly on a roll, with sales last year of 9.7m set-top boxes or integrated TV sets. (more)

Teletext responds to Extra complaints
From Digital Spy. Posted March 7 2008, 9.35am
Teletext promises to fix bugs in its new EPG for Freeview boxes. (more)

Burrell refuses to return to witness box at Diana inquest
From Media Guardian. Posted March 7 2008, 12.02am
The former royal butler has refused return to the UK over the Sun newspaper's claim that he lied under oath to the Diana inquiry. By Stephen Bates (more)

Jock on the Box
From Radio Today. Posted March 5 2008, 7.47am
Channel M entertainment reporter and Wire FM’s former breakfast presenter Dominic Walker made his debut on French TV this weekend. (more)

Sport on TV: Wheel of misfortune for the girl born on wrong side of the track
From The Independent. Posted February 24 2008, 12.00am
From Russian Jewish boxers last week to Muslim woman racing drivers. And what could be better to avoid breaking oppressive dress codes imposed by the Iranian authorities than a racing driver's jumpsuit? (more)

Star reporter turned to boxing to boost self-confidence
From Hold the Front Page. Posted February 22 2008, 8.05am
A lucky escape in a bar brawl saw a change of fitness for Sheffield newsman (more)

WRN Partners with Gorillabox to deliver global mobile TV services
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 21 2008, 10.03am
WRN, the international London-headquartered TV and radio transmission company has partnered with Gorillabox, the fully managed mobile TV enabler, to provide a range of mobile TV services to media companies around the world. Gorillabox’s G-Box platform, which can create, host and deliver a mobile internet site, will be made available to WRN’s clients around the world. [...] (more)

Open TV passes 100m boxes, but where’s the money?
From Rapid TV News. Posted February 20 2008, 9.59am
100m of anything is a mighty large number, and Open TV's news that its interactive middleware is now used in more than 100m boxes and digital TVs is good news. Shame about the profitability though. (more)

'Chak De India' spells magic on Sony TV in March
From Biz Asia. Posted February 19 2008, 10.05pm
Shah Rukh Khan will be spelling magic for Sony Entertainment Television Asia in March when his movie 'Chak De India' gets its World TV premiere on the channel. The hockey themed movie released last summer and did average business at the box office. The film produced by Yash Raj Films is being screened on the channel as part of the network's exclusive tie-up with the production house. Sony Entertainment Television Network is the only Indian broadcaster that holds the rights to the entire Yash Raj Films library until 2012. 'Chak De India' will be shown on Sunday 23rd March at 20:00 on Sony Entertainment Television Asia. (more)

Paramount signs Xbox film download rental deal
From Media Guardian. Posted February 18 2008, 11.52am
The hit film Transformers will be available to rent via the games console Xbox 360 this week as Paramount signs a distribution deal. By Jemima Kiss (more)

Sport on TV: From kosher Russia with love for the American Dreamer
From The Independent. Posted February 17 2008, 12.00am
Heard the one about the Russian boxer, the rabbi's brother and the American dream? It's in the best possible taste. "Orthodox Stance" (BBC4, Tuesday) by the cut-above "Storyville" strand, told the tale of Dmitriy Salita, the son of Ukrainian �migr�s, who is working his way towards a world-title shot in the US while strictly observing his orthodox Jewish faith. (more)

Boxers unite with newspaper campaign to combat bullying
From Hold the Front Page. Posted February 13 2008, 12.45am
Trainers, charity and MP all back Star's new fight against bullies (more)

Freeview NZ wants PVR
From Rapid TV News. Posted February 10 2008, 2.08am
Freeview New Zealand is in talks with electronics manufacturers to licence a hard-drive set-top box to offer a PVR product on the open market. (more)

'Lost' gets pre-broadcast Anytime download
From Digital Spy. Posted February 1 2008, 2.52pm
Sky customers with a Sky HD or recent Sky+ box will be able to watch Lost 24 hours ahead of broadcast. (more)

Shake-up at Pace triggers sharp rise
From Financial Times. Posted January 30 2008, 2.00am
Profits at Pace Micro Technology rose sharply in 2007 after an operational shake-up at the digital television set-top box maker led to a 4.4 percentage point rise in... (more)

News Corp satellite sues Virgin Media
From Financial Times. Posted January 25 2008, 1.14am
Gemstar-TV Guide claims in a High Court action that Virgin Media, already embroiled in a case with BSkyB, breached its patent in its set-top boxes (more)

Threat to Virgin set-top boxes
From Media Guardian. Posted January 24 2008, 11.55pm
The relationship between Virgin Media and News Corp soured further yesterday with news of a high court action over the technology Virgin cable TV uses to display listings on screen and to select them (more)

Last.fm boasts 'world's biggest jukebox'
From Media Guardian. Posted January 23 2008, 6.47pm
Last.fm has launched a service it dubs the 'world's biggest jukebox' to allow anyone to listen to music via its website for free. By Mark Sweney (more)

Setanta to show Calzaghe fight
From Media Guardian. Posted January 23 2008, 4.19pm
Setanta Sports has secured the exclusive rights to the highly-anticipated boxing match between Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins. By Mark Sweney (more)

Box Television hires new MD
From Media Guardian. Posted January 21 2008, 11.27am
Music TV firm Box Television, the Channel 4 and Emap joint venture, has appointed Virgin Media's Gidon Katz as managing director. By Mark Sweney (more)

Boxclever back in the picture
From Daily Telegraph. Posted January 20 2008, 12.01am
Two of Britain's most high-profile dealmakers will could this week become embroiled in a High Court case centring on the spectacular collapse of Boxclever, the television rental business, in 2003. (more)

Sky HD boxes to get new EPG this year
From Digital Spy. Posted January 16 2008, 10.08am
Sky confirms that high definition boxes will get a new version of electronic programme guide software this year. (more)

HBO buys partners out of Asia
From Rapid TV News. Posted January 16 2008, 3.46am
Home Box Office (HBO), the premium channel operator owned by Time Warner, has bought out two of the four partners in its Asian business. (more)

Boxing faces knockout by ITV
From Media Guardian. Posted January 14 2008, 1.19pm
ITV could drop boxing from its lineup as part of a rethink of the network's sports coverage. By Maggie Brown (more)

Matsushita join with Google for web on the box
From The Times. Posted January 8 2008, 11.35am
Matsushita Electric Industrial, the owner of Panasonic, is working on a deal with internet giant Google to develop televisions that display internet content such as photographs and videos. (more)

BT unveils Xbox Live on-demand TV
From Digital Spy. Posted January 7 2008, 11.14am
British Telecom has signed a deal with Microsoft to provide on-demand TV, movies, music and more. (more)

Premier League games coming to Xbox Live
From Digital Spy. Posted January 7 2008, 11.14am
British Telecom has signed a deal with Microsoft to provide on-demand TV, movies, music and more. (more)

Paramount at the box office summit with a couple of monster hits
From The Times. Posted December 29 2007, 12.00am
It could almost be the script for a film. An historic Hollywood studio transforms itself from an ogre to a star, with the help of films about . . . massive transforming machines and an ogre. (more)

The Best Films On Telly Over Xmas: 27-29 Dec
From Digital Spy. Posted December 27 2007, 9.12am
Check out the second part of our festive viewing guide, highlighting the best old and new films on the box. (more)

Pace Micro joins forces with Philips to make set-top box
From Media Guardian. Posted December 19 2007, 11.48pm
British-based Pace Micro Technology is to become one of the world's biggest TV set-top box makers after a tie-up with Dutch electricals group Philips. By Katie Allen (more)

Sky Sports News cleared over Ricky Hatton swearing
From Press Gazette. Posted December 17 2007, 12.00am
Sky Sports News has escaped censure from Ofcom after it broadcast offensive language during a live press conference with boxers Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather. (more)

Sir Alan Sugar to call time on Amstrad
From Daily Telegraph. Posted December 11 2007, 3.40pm
Sir Alan Sugar is to step back from the day-to-day management of Amstrad, as the set-top box company continues its integration with BSkyB, which completed its £125m acquisition of the group in September 2007. (more)

BBC sports awards peaks at 8.6m
From Media Guardian. Posted December 10 2007, 11.36am
Boxer Joe Calzaghe's crowning as the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year brought a peak audience of 8.6 million viewers to BBC1. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

Sport on TV: Hatton family milk acclaim as nation faces personality crisis
From The Independent. Posted December 9 2007, 1.35am
Regardless of whether he won or lost last night, Ricky Hatton should be the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year. The boxer actually has one, which helps. In fact it bursts out of him like a great big pounding heart the size of a punchbag. (more)

Spain has 7 million DTT boxes
From Rapid TV News. Posted December 5 2007, 8.51pm
According to the latest figures from Impulsa TDT, Spain has now reached 7 million DTT boxes. (more)

BSkyB’s new EPG details emerge
From Rapid TV News. Posted December 4 2007, 8.40pm
Sky has told broadcasters how its new EPG will function. It will be introduced on Sky HD boxes and some newer Sky+ set-top boxes during 2008. (more)

Sport on TV: Weight of a guilty conscience but it fails to pack a punch
From The Independent. Posted December 2 2007, 12.20am
It's what Ricky Hatton must have dreamed of before he went up to welterweight. He loves to binge on junk food and pints between visits to the ring, and his biggest fight used to be shedding the pounds. On 'Binge Britain: Diet Doctors Specials' (Five, Wednesday) European female flyweight boxing champion Cathy Brown was told to consume three fast-food meals a day for a fortnight to show what the damage would do. She put on three inches around the waist and her metabolic rate advanced by seven years. Imagine if she liked her lager too. (more)

TV channels box clever with 'kangaroo' web plan
From Financial Times. Posted November 28 2007, 2.00am
The UK's three main terrestrial television companies yesterday presented a united front in the face of threats to their entire internet strategy, as they unveiled... (more)

TV channels box clever with 'kangaroo' plan
From Financial Times. Posted November 28 2007, 2.00am
The UK's three main terrestrial TV companies are co-operating on an internet joint venture that will offer 10,000 hours of archive programmes on demand (more)

TV innovators who think inside the box
From Media Guardian. Posted November 21 2007, 11.58pm
Anna Tobin: More and more frustrated viewers are souping up their TV recorders with extra storage space (more)

BSkyB box subsidies ‘justified’
From Rapid TV News. Posted November 14 2007, 8.31pm
BSkyB has had a tough month. Investors have seen Sky’s shares tumble 15% from 690p to barely 600p over the past weeks, largely on the view that its most recent profit numbers are sub-standard. Is this so? (more)

Freeview to offer built-in PC games?
From Digital Spy. Posted November 9 2007, 10.43am
t5 labs announces plans to offer households PC games via their terrestrial set-top box. (more)

Sky to revamp EPG on newer boxes
From Digital Spy. Posted November 2 2007, 10.38am
Sky is to offer a radically enhanced electronic programme guide on newer Sky+ boxes. (more)

Hadley Freeman: Brad just ain't box-office
From Media Guardian. Posted November 1 2007, 12.09am
Hadley Freeman: We see too much of A-list celebrities in magazines now to pay to see them in Hollywood films as well. (more)

Mobiles for the Masai as world goes crazy for gadgets
From The Guardian. Posted October 26 2007, 1.00am
From boxes of flat-screen TVs stacked up outside back street shops in Mumbai to Masai tribesmen clutching mobiles, evidence is everywhere that the desire to own consumer electronics devices has gone global. (more)

Hybrid Freeview and IPTV box revealed
From Digital Spy. Posted October 25 2007, 6.11pm
The man who founded Pipex reveals his hybrid Freeview and IPTV set-top box. (more)

Geo UK confirms Geo News UK launch
From Biz Asia. Posted October 24 2007, 9.43pm
Geo UK has confirmed to BizAsia.co.uk that its Sky Digital UK launch of Geo News will be taking place "mid-November." The channel has been in line to launch since the beginning of this year but was delayed to reasons unknown. New channels on Sky Digital have also been hit by delays because of memory space lacking on Sky set-top boxes. A spokesman from Geo UK said Geo News will most definitely be launching in the middle of next month and has not been affected by Sky Digital's new channel launch policy. Geo UK will exclusively announce the launch date for Geo News next week, keep it with us for more. Geo UK and its youth orientated channel Aag TV are currently the only two offings from the Geo Network in the UK. Related links: Ofcom raps Geo UK over "violent" news scenes Geo UK on cloud nine over Twenty20 cricket Aag TV ready to 'ignite' on Sky Digital on Monday Geo News sets eyes for Q1 2007 launch (more)

'Babul' premieres on STAR Gold in November
From Biz Asia. Posted October 23 2007, 9.45am
Asian TV channels are scheduling their best movie acquisitions to celebrate the festival of lights - Diwali. Where ZEE Cinema has lined up 'Vivah', Sony Entertainment Television Asia 'Namaste London', STAR Gold has confirmed it will be screening last year's bumper box office hit 'Babul'. The emotional family drama starring Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee will be shown on Saturday 24th November at 20:00. 'Ek Chalis Ki Last Local' starring Abhay Deol and Neha Dhupia will be the second mega premiere on STAR Gold. This will get its UK broadcast on Saturday 10th November at 20:00. (more)

Rugby and Lewis Hamilton are ITV winners
From Daily Telegraph. Posted October 23 2007, 12.01am
England's heroic sporting failures boosted viewing figures for ITV at the weekend as the nation gathered round the box for the rugby World Cup final and the Formula One title decider. (more)

Content sharing for Australian two
From Rapid TV News. Posted October 22 2007, 10.24pm
Two of Australia’s new media upstarts have linked for a content-sharing agreement to download movies, TV programmes, games and music on to set-top boxes. (more)

Dave launch may require STB rescan
From Digital Spy. Posted October 15 2007, 3.13pm
The launch of Dave - previously UKTV G2 - on Freeview may require a rescan for some set top boxes. (more)

Channel 4 asks Emap about taking full control of Box TV
From The Times. Posted October 14 2007, 11.40pm
Channel 4 has held talks with Emap about taking full control of Box Television, home to The Hits and Kerrang! TV, The Times has learnt. (more)

Siemens BS deploys Anevia for BBC IPTV services
From Press Release, via webitpr. Posted September 27 2007, 2.53pm
PARIS, France,- September 27th, 2007 ? Anevia, the IPTV technology provider and Siemens Business Services today announced the deployment of their solutions in BBC head offices in United Kingdom. Siemens chose Anevia?s innovative technology for the introduction of an IPTV service for the BBC. The service offers BBC staff contact with BBC and other channels output at their desktop and through IP set-top boxes. Uses include the distribution of Arabic TV channels for the new... (more)

'Om Shanti Om' & 'Saawariya' war spills on TV
From Biz Asia. Posted September 27 2007, 9.00am
After Kareena Kapoor unveiled the soundtrack of her forthcoming release 'Jab We Met' (out 25th October) on ZEE TV's hit music show 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Challenge 2007', the makers of 'Om Shanti Om' and 'Saawariya' are also taking their rivalry to television. 'Om Shanti Om' starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone is one of two blockbusters getting its theatrical release on Diwali (9th November). The other is 'Saawariya', which marks the debut of Ranbir Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor's son) and Sonam Kapoor (Anil Kapoor's daughter). The outcome of their box office battle will only be known in November; meanwhile the 'Saawariya' team has been confirmed for an appearance on STAR Plus' 'Voice Of India'. 'Om Shanti Om' team on the other hand will be seen on rival ZEE TV's 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Challenge 2007'. Both episodes will go head-to-head this weekend. 'Voice Of India's' producer-director Gajendra Singh said: "Having Sanjay Bhansali and the two 'Saawariya' debutants on our show was such a delight. Sanjayji is a complete music person." The 'Om Shanti Om' special features Shreyas Talpade, Deepika Padukone and director Farah Khan. Apparently lead actor Shah Rukh Khan couldn't do the show because of his contract with STAR. "But he sent a list of requests for the contestants to sing. Those will be featured in the second-half of the show. During the first-half we'll have the contestants singing the 'Om Shanti Om' tracks since two of our judges Vishal and Shekhar are also the music directors of Farah Khan's film," says Payaol Patel of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Challenge 2007'. (more)

1.9m DTT devices sold in second quarter
From Digital Spy. Posted September 20 2007, 11.45am
1.9m Freeview set top boxes and integrated digital TVs were sold in the second quarter of 2007. (more)

Sky Gnome no longer available
From Digital Spy. Posted September 13 2007, 3.52pm
Sky Gnome, a device introduced in 2005 to allow Sky subscribers to listen to digibox sound remotely, is withdrawn. (more)

Box-headed woman star of surreal Xbox campaign
From Brand Republic. Posted August 31 2007, 12.15pm
LONDON - Xbox is backing its new Xbox Live Vision camera with a surreal 90-second spot, which will be seeded as a viral before being launched on TV. (more)

Tesco sells DTT set top box for a tenner
From Digital Spy. Posted August 29 2007, 12.33pm
Supermarket giant Tesco has revealed a new DTT set top box from Techwood that will retail for �10. (more)

Tesco offers �10 digital TV set-top box
From Media Guardian. Posted August 29 2007, 1.00am
8am: Tesco has unveiled what it claims is the UK's cheapest digital TV set-top box, with a �10 model on sale from today. By Jemima Kiss. (more)

Sky high
From The Scotsman. Posted August 23 2007, 12.14am
Broadcasting giant BSkyB has extended the deadline for acceptances of its �125 million offer for set-top box maker Amstrad by two weeks after receiving support from 85.9 per cent of shareholders, just shy of the 90 per cent needed. (more)

Sky extends Amstrad buyout offer
From BBC News. Posted August 22 2007, 1.35pm
BSkyB extends the deadline for its �125m takeover offer for television set-top box maker Amtrad. (more)

Sky extends Amstrad offer
From BBC News. Posted August 22 2007, 1.35pm
BSkyB extends the deadline for its �125m takeover offer for television set-top box maker Amtrad. (more)

Sky extends Amstrad deadline
From BBC News. Posted August 22 2007, 1.35pm
BSkyB extends the deadline for its �125m takeover offer for television set-top box maker Amtrad. (more)

Microsoft cuts Xbox prices to compete with PS3
From The Times. Posted August 21 2007, 12.00am
Microsoft is cutting the price of its Xbox 360 video games console in the UK, ramping up the pressure on Sony’s rival PlayStation 3. (more)

Boxer Khan gets ready for Channel 4 series
From Biz Asia. Posted August 20 2007, 11.11pm
Boxing sensation Amir Khan will take part in a new Channel 4 series where he will try to help six troubled young men whose violent and antisocial behaviour is spiraling out of control. The Commonwealth lightweight champion will star in a three-part series entitled 'Amir Khan's Angry Young Men', to be aired on August 21. Amir explained why he wanted to make this series: "I just wanted to give them a chance, in a way; those six angry young men. They've had a tough life, and they wanted to change their lives around. Boxing is the toughest sport out there, and it's going to give them discipline and help them to control their lives better." Amir will use the discipline required in boxing to help them turn their lives around in just four weeks. (more)

New Zealand?s Freeview achieves strong take up
From Media Network Weblog. Posted August 16 2007, 3.48pm
New Zealanders are embracing free-to-air digital broadcasting with strong household take-up figures in the three months since the Freeview service was launched.  Sales figures show more than 21,000 set-top-boxes have been purchased since the digital platform was launched in May, taking the total number of households with free-to-air digital satellite reception to an estimated 41,000. Freeview [...] (more)

ZEE Cinema to telecast 'Kaafila' in September
From Biz Asia. Posted August 14 2007, 9.56pm
ZEE Cinema will be telecasting the World TV Premiere of the Indo-Pak based movie 'Kaafila' barely a month after its theatrical release. The film, which opened up at cinemas last Friday (10th August) proved a box office dud. It stars Sunny Deol, Ammtoje Mann, Sudesh Berry and Sandeep Kang. 'Kaafila' will be shown on ZEE Cinema UK on Saturday 29th September at 20:00. Also next month, the three-month long Raj Kapoor movie festival comes to an end with the final lot of films from the infamous library being screened on the channel. 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili', 'Heena', 'Prem Granth', 'Aa Aab Laut Chalen' and 'Mera Naam Joker' will be shown on Sunday nights as part of the 'Sunday Sitaron Ka' band. Related link: ZEE Network acquires movie 'Kaafila' (more)

Setanta's season kicks off well
From Digital Spy. Posted August 14 2007, 11.43am
The channel gets 355,000 for its first live premiership match, as it signs a deal that will see retail giant Currys carry its set-top boxes. (more)

BSkyB Buying Amstrad for �125m
From Merry Media. Posted July 31 2007, 11.04pm
BSkyB are buying Amstrad in a deal worth around £125million. The Amstrad company was founded by Sir Alan Sugar and today supplies set-top box devices for Sky.. (more)

BSkyB agrees Amstrad deal
From BBC News. Posted July 31 2007, 4.35pm
Broadcaster BSkyB strikes a deal to buy television set-top box maker Amstrad, founded by Sir Alan Sugar, for �125m. (more)

BSkyB in �125m Amstrad deal
From BBC News. Posted July 31 2007, 4.35pm
Broadcaster BSkyB strikes a deal to buy television set-top box maker Amstrad, founded by Sir Alan Sugar, for �125m. (more)

BSkyB to buy Amstrad for £125 million
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 31 2007, 10.06am
British pay-TV firm BSkyB  has agreed to buy Amstrad, the consumer electronics company run by celebrity businessman Alan Sugar, for £125 million ($253 million) in cash. Amstrad currently supplies around 30 percent of BSkyB’s set-top boxes. BSkyB said the deal would give it greater control over product design and technical specifications, allow it to accelerate the development of [...] (more)

BSkyB agrees �125m Amstrad deal
From BBC News. Posted July 31 2007, 6.19am
Broadcaster BSkyB strikes a deal to buy television set-top box maker Amstrad for about �125m. (more)

Boxing promoter in libel claim
From Press Gazette. Posted July 30 2007, 12.00am
Boxing promoter Frank Warren is seeking libel damages of more than £300,000 from the publishers of the Daily Record over a story headed “‘Crazy’ judges are forcing my boy to chuck it”. (more)

'Don' to premiere on STAR Gold in August
From Biz Asia. Posted July 26 2007, 9.32pm
One of last year's box office hits 'Don' starring Shah Rukh Khan, a remake of the classic Amitabh Bachchan movie will premiere on STAR Gold next month. The action packed thriller also stars Priyanka Chopra will air on Saturday 25th August at 21:00. The channel will also repeat telecast of 'Krrish' starring Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra, once again. As well as a screening this Sunday (29th July), 'Krrish' will also air on Sunday 19th August at midday. (more)

Raft of new appointments at ITV
From Digital Spy. Posted July 19 2007, 11.44am
Tinderbox execs move to ITV Productions, and World Productions executive producer head to ITV drama. (more)

ITV Secure Deal for Boxing Events
From Merry Media. Posted July 14 2007, 3.00pm
ITV have announced that they have signed a deal with Frank Warren's Sports Network to broadcast seven boxing events that feature Amir Khan, over the next year.. (more)

ITV signs new deal to show Amir Khan boxing
From Biz Asia. Posted July 13 2007, 1.47am
ITV has signed a new deal with Frank Warren's Sports Network to broadcast seven boxing events, featuring British star Amir Khan over the next 12 months. The new deal, which will see the seven events broadcast on ITV1 as well as extra output on ITV4, begins with this weekend's clash between 20-year-old Khan and Scotland's Willie Limond for the Commonwealth lightweight title. A further five events, headlined by Amir Khan, will feature on ITV over the next 12 months to June 2008, as well as an additional bill on 21st July featuring Alex Arthur and Enzo Maccarinelli. ITV returned to live of boxing in 2005 after an absence of almost a decade with coverage of Amir Khan's last amateur bout against his Olympic nemesis Mario Kindelan and then his first 12 professional fights. ITV director of news and sport Mark Sharman said: "We're very pleased to have signed this deal which will keep boxing at the heart of ITV Sport's free-to-air portfolio over the next year. Amir Khan is a huge star with great potential and has played an important role in renewing interest in boxing over the last few years." Khan said: "I'm really pleased that Frank has agreed a deal for his promotions and my fights to be televised on ITV. They have covered my career from my last amateur fight against Mario Kindelan until now as an unbeaten professional and have done a great job. I've got a great fight against Willie Limond for the Commonwealth title on Saturday night and I aim to go all the way and win a world title." Promoter Warren added: "I'm delighted that some of my promotions will be on ITV and I look forward to watching Amir's career develop successfully on the network. Amir has a very tough fight ahead of him this Saturday against Willie Limond which will be a great fight for the fans and viewers." The boxing deal is the latest in a number of successful acquisitions and renewals for ITV Sport this year, including live rights to the FA Cup and England home games (from 2008), the Euro 2008 Championships and the Grand Slam of Darts. ITV Sport's portfolio also includes Formula 1, 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, FIFA World Cups in 2010 and 2014, Tour de France and The Boat Race. Related link: ITV grabs telecast rights to Amir Khan boxing (more)

Smoking ban prompts Big Box Bingo launch
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2007, 11.10am
NetPlay TV launches Big Box Bingo to tempt smokers staying home from smoke-free bingo halls. (more)

TV ratings: June 27
From Media Guardian. Posted June 28 2007, 1.00am
TV overnights: There were 700,000 viewers watching BBC2 yesterday lunchtime when the network cut short Tony Blair's emotional farewell at the despatch box. By Jason Deans. (more)

Tiscali launches 'Picturebox' movie platform
From Digital Spy. Posted June 18 2007, 1.01pm
Universal Pictures and Tiscali UK launch a subscription-on-demand service on Tiscali TV. (more)

Movie premieres galore on Sony & MAX in July
From Biz Asia. Posted June 15 2007, 9.15pm
The temperature continues to rise on and off our TV screens with bigger and better movie premieres in the month of July. SET MAX has confirmed that it will be telecasting the premiere of chick flick 'Kudian Ka Hai Zamana' starring Mahima Chaudhry and Rekha on Saturday 21st July at 20:00. There's also the satellite TV premiere of 'Anwar' starring Manisha Koiralla. The film proved a disaster at the box office but the music of the movie remains one of the biggest hits of this year. 'Anwar' will be shown on Saturday 28th July at 20:00. Flagship entertainment channel Sony Entertainment Television Asia on the other hand has lined up last year's huge box office success 'Dhoom 2'. (more)

Slingbox ads gain sporting edge
From Media Guardian. Posted June 11 2007, 1.00am
4.30pm: Henry Blofeld and Jon Culshaw are to appear in ads for PC TV device Slingbox. By Mark Sweney. (more)

In Pictures: Stars walk down IIFA green carpet
From Biz Asia. Posted June 10 2007, 5.43pm
The IIFA Awards this year were held in Yorkshire. We bring you pictures from the 'green carpet' as the stars geared up for the main function in Sheffield's Hallam FM Arena on Saturday 9th June 2007. Abhishek Bachchan Aishwarya Bachchan Aftab Shivisdani Anil Kapoor Arbaz Khan Bipasha Basu Boman Irani Amir Khan (boxer) Colin Firth Dino Moreo Feroz Khan Hrithik Roshan TV presenter Kangna Ranaut Karan Johar Katrina Kaif Lara Dutta Malaika Arora Preity Zinta with Ness Wadia Shabana Azmi Shilpa Shetty Shobna Gulati Upen Patel The IIFA awards will be shown on STAR Plus on Sunday 24th June. (more)

Editor faces toughest fight yet - and a boxing bout against a top sportsman
From Hold the Front Page. Posted June 9 2007, 12.00am
Can Nigel crack it against a karate champ? Mid-life slimming quest could be the key (more)

Media goes ga ga over movie 'Awarapan'
From Biz Asia. Posted June 3 2007, 7.58pm
On the 29th of June, three blockbuster movies (Apne, Aap Ka Suroor and Awarapan) will clash at the box office, however one, which is fast becoming a firm favourite amongst the media in the UK and abroad is Mahesh Bhatt's 'Awarapan' starring Emran Hashmi and Shreya Saran. The music scored by Pritam for the film has already topped many charts around the world after only two weeks on release. Key media have been invited for Sa Re Ga Ma's press conference of 'Awarapan', being held in Central London on Tuesday (5th June) evening. B4U will exclusively capture the performances by Pakistani singers, Annie and Rafaqat Ali Khan, who are likely to render their hit numbers from the film's soundtrack for the media. Emraan Hashmi and Mukesh Bhatt will do a Q&A session with the media. ARY Digital is the TV partner of the film in the U.A.E, AVS TV in the US and B4U in the UK. The making of 'Awarapan' is likely to be telecast exclusively in the UK on ZEE TV and ZEE Cinema in the week preceding the film's release on 29th June. Both ZEE Music and B4U Music in the UK will also screen the making of the film's music in the coming days. Studio 18 is releasing 'Awarapan' internationally. (more)

Apple TV to show YouTube
From BBC News. Posted May 31 2007, 9.32am
The popular YouTube video website will soon be available directly through Apple's TV set-top box. (more)

Marks boosts Vision's signal
From The Scotsman. Posted May 17 2007, 12.00am
PITY the bewildered consumer. In a market where Sky, Virgin and Freeview are already pressing their set-top boxes on the TV viewer, BT has just begun spending �10 million in advertising to convince us we need another. (more)

Peter Preston: Why parents love kids' TV
From Media Guardian. Posted April 30 2007, 1.00am
Peter Preston: Children should watch less, say experts, but can modern-day families cope without the box? (more)

Sony announces MAX changes from May
From Biz Asia. Posted April 26 2007, 9.35pm
Sony Entertainment Television Asia's movies and events channel MAX will be changing its schedule in May. As announced on BizAsia.co.uk last month, the current 21:00 primetime slot for films will be shifted back by an hour to 20:00. The change will also affect other screening times on the channel. From 1st May, movies and events on MAX will air 00:00, 03:00, 06:00, 08.30, 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00. On Sky Digital, non-subscribers are treated to one hour freeviews, which from May will air at the following times 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00. The change is being applied to MAX feeds internationally including India. MAX will also be airing a month-long movies spectacular of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan in a festival called 'Ab Tak Bachchan'. The 'Big B' movies will be broadcast every weeknight at 20:00. There's also the World TV Premiere of last Diwali's box office dud 'Jaan-E-Mann' starring Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Preity Zinta. The film will be screened on Saturday 26th May at 20:00. Related links: MAX to premiere Amitabh Bachchan festival 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kenha' & 'Jaan-E-Maan' on Sony (more)

ITV Local Team up With Mediabox
From Merry Media. Posted April 26 2007, 3.50pm
ITV Local, the broadcaster’s regional broadband TV service, is partnering with Mediabox to showcase short films, TV programmes, documentaries and vodcasts made by disadvantaged young people in England.. (more)

ITV Local hooks up with Mediabox
From Digital Spy. Posted April 26 2007, 2.50pm
Broadband TV service will showcase shortform content made by disadvantaged young people through the government-funded scheme. (more)

ITV Local links up with government project Mediabox
From Media Guardian. Posted April 26 2007, 1.00am
1.45pm: ITV's regional web TV service ITV Local is to partner with Mediabox to expand its 'grassroots' user content. By Jemima Kiss. (more)

Sky+ boxes begin to receive TV 'on demand'
From SkyDigi Online. Posted April 24 2007, 9.25am
Customers with Sky+ boxes have begun receiving the new TV 'on demand' service - Sky Anytime. (more)

Analysis: What's in Sir Michael Lyons' inbox?
From Media Guardian. Posted April 5 2007, 1.00am
Analysis: From the funding shortfall to digital switchover, Sir Michael Lyons is in for a busy time as BBC chairman. By Leigh Holmwood. (more)

YLE clears central digital-analogue converters
From Media Network Weblog. Posted April 4 2007, 3.37pm
The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) said in a statement it would allow the fitting of so-called central digital-analogue signal converters. The central boxes convert the digital TV signal to an analogue one so that the residents of a building fitted with one do not need to buy separate set-top boxes for each television by August, [...] (more)

Mark Lawson: Happy 10th birthday, Five - you'll always be the TV child no one really wanted
From Media Guardian. Posted April 2 2007, 1.00am
Mark Lawson: The last kid on the box has certainly benefited from the looser attitude of the guardians. (more)

Virgin Media taps non-cable market
From Media Guardian. Posted April 2 2007, 1.00am
12.30pm: Virgin Media is to launch a branded Freeview set-top box. By Mark Sweney. (more)

'Nehle Pe Dehla' to premiere on ZEE Cinema
From Biz Asia. Posted March 28 2007, 1.19am
Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Neha Dhupia's lackluster movie 'Nehle Pe Dehla' will be getting its premiere on ZEE Cinema UK in April. The movie had been in the making for over five years before it was released worldwide last month. It proved a box office dud. The film is marked as April's 'Movie of the Month' and will be shown on Saturday 28th April at 20:00. Other films also premiering on ZEE Cinema next month are 'Risk' starring Vinod Khanna on Saturday 6th April and classics like 'Khal Nayak' (Sunday 1st April), 'Pardes' (Sunday 8th April), 'Taal' (Sunday 15th April), 'Yaadein' (Sunday 22nd April) and 'Ek Phool Do Maali' (Sunday 8th April). (more)

Sky Anytime TV unveiled on HD boxes
From Digital Spy. Posted March 27 2007, 11.48am
Sky's new Anytime TV service becomes available on high definition boxes today. (more)

Sky Introduce Auto Standby Saving �7.5m
From Merry Media. Posted March 20 2007, 5.20pm
Sky are introducing new technology that will automatically switch subscribers Sky HD and Sky+ boxes to standby saving £7.5 million on energy bills a year.. (more)

New Max Beesley Drama for BBC One
From Merry Media. Posted March 9 2007, 12.26pm
Benedict Cumberbatch, Max Beesley and BAFTA-winner Anamaria Marinca are caught up in a love triangle in The Last Enemy, a visionary new thriller for BBC One from Box TV.. (more)

Answering the call
From The Scotsman. Posted March 8 2007, 1.37am
FERGUS SHEPPARD meets the man who is charged with converting TV viewers to BT Vision, the set-top box offering pay-per-view movies and television programmes (more)

Virgin could expand outside cable by April
From Digital Spy. Posted March 6 2007, 11.59am
Virgin Media could expand outside its cabled area with a branded Freeview box as early as next month. (more)

WIN A DVD! - Planets - Complete Series!
From Merry Media. Posted February 18 2007, 4.00am
Win 'Planets - Complete Series' on DVD. We a boxset of this classic BBC Two series to give away and all you have to do is answer one simple question.... (more)

Raj TV re-launch delayed to March-end
From Biz Asia. Posted February 13 2007, 4.20pm
Birmingham based Raj TV's re-launch, which was expected to go live tomorrow, has now been postponed until March-end. The delay is down to technical work, which is being carried out to allow live programming to broadcast direct from its suave studios in the Mailbox. In its previous avatar, the channel was dependent on pre-recorded shows and jukebox-style music shows. The channel has no plans to telecast movies as it wants to concentrate purely on live TV entertainment and information based shows. The new-look Raj TV is also undergoing managerial changes in its infrastructure with the hiring of Mr Nazim Khan as the new CEO. He was previously with KPMG. Managing Director Raja Khan will focus his attention on the output of the channel. Related link: Raj TV to go off air; back with new look in January (more)

Richard Branson's box stunt attracts few viewers
From Media Guardian. Posted February 9 2007, 12.00am
12.30pm: Richard Branson's foray into live broadcasting attracted less than 0.02% of TV viewers. By Jason Deans. (more)

Sky DTT pay-TV not for Freeview
From Media Guardian. Posted February 8 2007, 12.00am
Sky's new digital terrestrial pay-TV offering will not be available via Freeview set-top boxes. By Mark Sweney. (more)

Freeview sells 2 million units in three months
From Media Guardian. Posted February 6 2007, 12.00am
2.15pm: More than 2 m Freeview set-top boxes or TV sets were sold in the runup to Christmas. By Chris Tryhorn. (more)

ZEE Music adds new ETC shows from February
From Biz Asia. Posted January 30 2007, 10.44pm
ZEE Music will be revamped in February with the addition of new shows from sister channel ETC Entertainment in India. ZEE Music UK has been trailing behind rival B4U Music in the popularity stakes and hopes the recently launched shows (B News, Wild 10, Just Out, Hip Shakers) along with the new ones planned can further strengthen the position of ZEE Music. Viewers may recall, ZEE Music UK has previously shown ETC Entertainment shows, these were discontinued temporarily to make way for other programmes. Some of these shows, however, are making a return next month. A new show called 'Top Gear' will air daily at 07:00, 12:30 and 18:00. The latest film promos will be shown in 'Hit List' daily at 09:00 and 21:00. A mixture of released and non-released movie tracks will occupy the 14:00 slot in the shape of 'Mix Masala'. With these shows, the channel is increasing its film music content. Non-film music will also be visible but without much emphasis. Popular strands like ‘Phat Trax’ and ‘Remix Factory’ and the Bhangra jukebox ‘ZEE Music Box’ will continue as per normal. The revamped schedule goes live from Thursday 1st February. (more)

New Christian and family TV package launched across Canada
From Media Network Weblog. Posted January 22 2007, 1.56pm
Sky Angel, the leading US direct broadcast satellite (DBS) provider of Christian TV and radio channels plus family programming, and ShifTV Inc. of Toronto, Canada, a pioneer in providing Broadband TV (or IPTV, Internet Protocol Television) which can be watched on any television via a set-top box, have launched the Sky Angel multi-channel television service [...] (more)

�250,000 Won on Deal or No Deal
From Merry Media. Posted January 8 2007, 5.03pm
The top prize of £250,000 has been won for the first time on Channel 4 quiz show Deal or No Deal. 24 year old Laura Pearce went through all 22 boxes and got the one containing the jackpot cash prize.. (more)

Sky launches on-demand as Sky+ exceeds 2m users
From Brand Republic. Posted January 3 2007, 8.01am
LONDON - BSkyB is to follow Channel 4 and BT into the video-on-demand market this year with the launch of its own service, which will make use of spare recording capacity across its Sky+ boxes. (more)

Sky+ Boxes Break 2 Million Barrier
From Merry Media. Posted January 2 2007, 8.39pm
Sky today announces that the total number of Sky+ boxes installed in customers’ homes has broken through 2 million for the first time, transforming the television experience for almost 5 million viewers.. (more)

BSkyB?s Sky+ service passes 2 million mark
From Media Network Weblog. Posted January 2 2007, 1.21pm
UK Satellite broadcaster BSkyB said today that its Sky+ digital video recorder had passed the 2 million sales mark ahead of target as it unveiled new innovations for the service. BSkyB said the number of Sky+ boxes had grown by more than 50 percent in 2006, putting it on track to pass its goal of [...] (more)

BSkyB's Sky+ boxes to offer video on demand
From Media Guardian. Posted January 2 2007, 12.00am
1pm: BSkyB is to launch a new video-on-demand service that will allow viewers to access a range of programmes through Sky+ boxes. By Leigh Holmwood. (more)

French supermarkets make their TV debut as advertising rule is scrapped
From The Times. Posted January 1 2007, 12.00am
A cheap box of washing powder signalled a watershed in French media history last night when it featured in France's first television advertising campaign for a supermarket chain.... (more)

Casino Royale is Film of the Year 2006
From Merry Media. Posted December 29 2006, 6.33pm
On the back of huge critical acclaim and global box office receipts exceeding $450m, the triumphant return of James Bond has been capped by the success of Casino Royale winning the title of Film of the Year from viewers of BBC One's Film 2006 With Jonathan Ross.. (more)

TV ratings: December 26
From Media Guardian. Posted December 27 2006, 12.00am
Pirates of the Caribbean on BBC1 beat After Thomas on ITV1 in the Boxing Day ratings battle. By John Plunkett. (more)

Gareth McLean on the best of Christmas television
From Media Guardian. Posted December 22 2006, 12.00am
Christmas TV special: Gareth McLean picks the best shows on the box. (more)

BBC trials catch-up TV box
From Media Guardian. Posted December 11 2006, 12.00am
8am: The BBC is to trial a new catch-up TV offering with its own personal video recorder. By Mark Sweney. (more)

On The Box: Channel Hopping
From The Independent. Posted December 3 2006, 12.00am
How hard can it be? Everyone wonders, sooner or later, when they slump down in front of the television. Big Brother? A bunch of people being watched all the time. I'm a Celebrity? Same thing with snakes. Not to mention your actual jungle wildlife. Surely you don't have to be a genius to come up with this stuff. Yet the people who do - who make or commission the shows we all keep on watching - are feted within their industry. And none more so than Michael Grade, the new saviour of ITV. (more)

Top Up TV to ship Anytime boxes next week
From Digital Spy. Posted November 30 2006, 4.37pm
Top Up TV will begin shipping Anytime boxes to customers week commencing December 4. (more)

Brett bags Boxer at BSMEs
From Press Gazette. Posted November 15 2006, 8.02am
Nicholas Brett of BBC Magazines won the prestigious Mark Boxer award for lifetime achievement at last night's British Society of Magazine Editors awards. (more)

Brett bags Mark Boxer award at BSMEs
From Press Gazette. Posted November 15 2006, 8.02am
Nicholas Brett of BBC Magazines won the prestigious Mark Boxer award for lifetime achievement at last night's British Society of Magazine Editors awards. (more)

Review: Top Up TV Anytime DVR
From Digital Spy. Posted November 14 2006, 4.39pm
Digital Spy takes an in-depth look at the box powering Top Up TV's new Anytime service. (more)

Microsoft to make TV and movies available through Xbox
From Brand Republic. Posted November 7 2006, 4.11pm
LONDON - Microsoft has signed deals with a number of TV and movie companies to allow US users of its Xbox 360 games console download TV shows and films to rent or buy, such as 'Superman Returns' and 'Mission Impossible III'. (more)

Sales of digital TV equipment in UK overtake analogue
From Media Network Weblog. Posted November 7 2006, 12.50pm
Sales of digital TV equipment have overtaken analogue for the first time, according to research released yesterday. The findings from Digital UK, the independent organisation leading the nationwide switch to digital TV, show that in the three months to September, combined sales of digital televisions, set top boxes and recorders accounted for 51% of all [...] (more)

Xbox Live to offer TV downloads
From BBC News. Posted November 7 2006, 12.01pm
Gamers who use Microsoft's Xbox Live service will soon be able to download movies and TV shows to their console. (more)

Challenge Anneka to Rebuild Village
From Merry Media. Posted November 7 2006, 12.24am
Challenge Anneka is returning and the first task Anneka Rice and her team will undertake is to rebuild a Sri Lankan village that was destroyed in 2004 because of the Boxing Day tsunami.. (more)

Dutch TV station Talpa to go 24 hours from 16 December
From Media Network Weblog. Posted October 20 2006, 11.43am
Dutch commercial TV station Talpa, owned by media magnate John de Mol, will start broadcasting 24 hours a day from 16 December. The station with which it currently shares a cable frequency, Nickelodeon, will be moving to share with another station, The Box. Ronald Goes, Talpa TV’s General Manager, says that the expansion will make Talpa “a complete [...] (more)

EU sues Sweden over broadcasting monopoly
From Media Network Weblog. Posted October 17 2006, 1.18pm
The European Commission said today that it  is taking Sweden to court for failing to abolish state-owned Boxer TV-Access’  monopoly as required by EU law. The European Union’s executive arm said it would lodge a case against Sweden at the European Court of Justice for not doing away with the company’s monopoly in access control services for [...] (more)

Digital TV penetration reaches 70.2% of UK households
From Brand Republic. Posted October 4 2006, 11.10am
LONDON - The proliferation of digital television in the UK is advancing, with 70.2% of households now viewing through a digital box or digital-ready television, according to a new report by Ofcom. (more)

NTL Telewest updates TV Drive boxes
From Digital Spy. Posted September 21 2006, 4.08pm
NTL Telewest rolls out a software update to its TV Drive high definition PVR set top boxes. (more)

Top Up announces movies on demand service
From Digital Spy. Posted September 18 2006, 12.38pm
Top Up TV unveils its "PictureBox" movies on demand service. (more)

DVD Review : The West Wing Season 7
From Merry Media. Posted September 14 2006, 10.11pm
It’s the end of an era – the seventh and final season of ‘The West Wing’, one of the most inventive and critically acclaimed dramas to come out of the States, was released as a DVD box set this week..