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Week ending December 8, 2007

Police Detain Wife of Imprisoned RFE/RL Correspondent in Azerbaijan – December 7, 2007

from Martins Zvaners/RFE/RL

Azerbaijani police today detained Malahat Nasibova, wife of Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty correspondent Ilgar Nasibov who was summarily arrested, sentenced without counsel and taken to prison yesterday in Nakhchivan, capital of the western Azerbaijan exclave of Nakhchivan.

Malahat Nasibova, also an RFE/RL correspondent and human rights activist, went to a detention center trying to locate her husband. Police refused to disclose his whereabouts or provide Nasibova a copy of the indictment against him. She was detained today with a fellow journalist, taken for questioning to the Interior Ministry, but released a short time later. Earlier, police forcefully entered the Nasibov's apartment, searched it without a warrant and confiscated a computer, files and recording equipment.

RFE/RL president Jeff Gedmin said today that "the intensifying police campaign against journalists in Azerbaijan is an alarming trend" and that "RFE/RL is concerned about the safety of Malahat and Ilgar Nasibov and all independent voices in Azerbaijan." Ilgar Nasibov is the tenth journalist in Azerbaijan to be put in prison in the past year.

Local police filed slander charges against him after he complained about police brutality in an e-mail to the website of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. A local court dismissed the charges earlier this week; however, when Nasibov went to the court to sign the dismissal papers the judge reinstated the charges, denied him counsel and sentenced him to 90 days in prison.

Malahat Nasibova has herself been the target of ongoing harassment by officials in Nakhchivan. In June 2004, she was accused of libel by the head of a local drug abuse rehabilitation center; the case made it to the Azerbaijani Supreme Court before the doctor withdrew his accusation and all charged were dropped. She has also been threatened or offered bribes to cease her critical reporting on local officials in Nakhchivan, which she has disregarded.

VPRT zum ZDF-Modell für einen Public Value-Test – December 7, 2007

from Gese Klebe/VPRT

ZDF schafft erste Diskussionsgrundlage - Verfahrensfragen und Rechte Dritter müssen noch geklärt werden

Als eine erste Diskussionsgrundlage und einen Schritt in die richtige Richtung hat der Verband Privater Rundfunk und Telemedien e. V. (VPRT) die heute vom ZDF-Fernsehrat in Mainz vorgestellte probeweise Ausgestaltung des dreistufigen Public Value-Tests für neue Angebote bewertet. "Natürlich hat der Entwurf noch Verbesserungspotential, aber lässt das Bemühen des ZDF erkennen, den Vorgaben der EU-Kommission gerecht zu werden. Auf dieser Grundlage erhält die nationale Diskussion über die Prüfung neuer öffentlich-rechtlicher Angebote eine neue Qualität", so VPRT-Präsident Jürgen Doetz.

"Das ZDF schweigt sich zu der Bedeutung der Stellungnahmen Dritter weitestgehend aus, die zwar angehört werden, aber offensichtlich noch nicht Rechte eines Verfahrensbeteiligten zugesprochen bekommen sollen. Auch lässt der Vorschlag offen, wer letztlich die Entscheidung über die neuen Angebote treffen soll. Das kann in einem glaubwürdigen Verfahren sicherlich nicht der ZDF-Fernsehrat als internes Gremium sondern muss die Rechtsaufsicht über das ZDF sein", so Doetz. Der VPRT weist in diesem Zusammenhang auf die Anmerkungen der EU-Kommission zu ihrem Zweifeln an der Unabhängigkeit der öffentlich-rechtlichen Aufsichtsgremien hin. "Dass diese Gremien neue Angebote abschließend genehmigen, wäre vor diesem Hintergrund sicherlich nicht ein mit der Einschätzung der EU-Kommission konformes Modell". Es müsse in diesem Zusammenhang ernsthaft über die Einrichtung einer unabhängigen Instanz nachgedacht werden.

Der VPRT weist zudem darauf hin, dass sowohl der Fernsehratsbeschluss als auch die bisherigen Beschlüsse der ARD völlig offen lassen, wie die Überprüfung der bereits angelaufenen neuen öffentlich-rechtlichen Angebote wie etwa das erweiterte Nachrichtenangebot EinsExtra der ARD oder die ZDF-Mediathek zu beurteilen seien. Für diese bedürfe es zunächst einmal einer konkreten Rechtsgrundlage via Auftragsdefinition im 11. Rundfunkänderungsstaatsvertrag. "Diese Angebote zeigen deutlich, dass eine anstaltsinterne Beschlussfassung nicht ausreicht, um die Rechtmäßigkeit und die Marktkonformität neuer Angebote von ARD und ZDF ernsthaft zu beurteilen", so Doetz. "Solange die Anstalten ohne jede Überprüfung Angebote willkürlich aus dem Anwendungsbereich rausnehmen können, indem sie behaupten, etwas Neues sei nicht wirklich neu, muss man sich fragen, wofür man sich dann diese Mühe bei der Ausgestaltung des Verfahrens überhaupt machen sollte." Der VPRT hoffe aber, dass auf Grundlage des ZDF-Vorschlags ein für alle öffentlich-rechtlichen Anstalten verbindliches Modell entwickelt werden könne, das die Interessen auch der Privaten angemessen berücksichtige.

ENPA - NEW COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION FOR DIGITAL PUBLISHING IMMINENT, SAYS EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER – December 7, 2007

from Heidi Lambert for ENPA

“The role of the journalist is key in bringing trusted information to readers…Print media is going to be the most trusted media in the future,” predicted Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding at the annual Publishers’ Forum in Brussels.

European publishers shared a platform with the European Commission at the Publishers’ Forum, a platform provided as an open change of views between publishers and Commission officials.

The focus was on the reality and challenges of digital publishing.

Commissioner Reding said current copyright legislation was designed for traditional media but that the imminent Communication on Online Media would consider copyright for digital publishing.

In her speech she said: “for the first time, an electronic communications package includes specific requirements for network operators and users to respect copyright law and I hope it will send a signal across the whole industry at a critical time.”

Referring to the electronic communications package, she added: “Copyright is a cornerstone of the information and knowledge-based society. That is why I introduced in the new framework an appropriate balance between ownership and access…But law cannot achieve everything alone. As you know, I am an enthusiastic follower of self- and co-regulation to prevent or to supplement legal provisions. I also believe that new technologies can support rights management and enforcement. Therefore, I am following the Automated Content Access Protocol (www.the-acap.org) project as one of many projects to ensure respect of copyright, with high interest and I very much hope that companies offering search engines will cooperate with ACAP. Here we have good possibilities for a win-win situation for all stakeholders, as publishers can link content with authorizations for access and use in a form that can easily be recognized and interpreted by a search engine crawler and thus helps avoid complex and costly legal disputes between content providers and search engines.”

Francisco Pinto Balsemao, Chairman and CEO of Impresa SGPS, added that lack of copyright protection of online content meant there was no long-term incentive for publishers to innovate at a time when publishers are making more and more content available online to meet their readers’ demands.”

During a discussion on VAT, Anne Bergman Tahon, Director of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), argued that VAT on online publications discouraged take up of online publications and that whilst the Commission was keen to encourage publishers to put their work online, they were failing to provide fiscal incentives for them to do so.

Rolf Diemer, Head of Unit for VAT, DG Taxation and Customs at the European Commission insisted that reduced rates on online publications in line with the reduced rate option enjoyed by print publications were unlikely to be agreed and 0% rates were out of the question.

On the issue of car advertising, publishers encouraged the Commission to desist from imposing onerous public information labeling onto products, which would deter advertisers from advertising in the media. Car advertising represents the largest portion of advertising revenue to the media. There is current discussion on possible revision of the labeling directive that would, if MEPs have their way, modify rules relating to car advertising and CO2 emissions. The Commission said it is not rushing into anything. “The car industry has an important role to play but there is a big [environmental challenge] and the car industry must play its part,” said a representative of DG Environment. Commissioner Reding acknowledged the importance of car advertising in her speech and said: “as long as I am Commissioner in charge of media, this Commission will not propose new advertising bans.”

ABI Research - Real-Time Traffic Information Will Become a Key Feature for Navigation – December 7, 2007

from Nicole Fabris/ABI Research

With basic navigation devices and services becoming commonplace in the industrialized world, driven by the rapid growth of GPS adoption, the next frontier is a richer variety of location-aware content. The first prominent example of such dynamic content is real-time traffic information, which will be further enhanced by the addition of historical and predictive traffic data to assist drivers in determining the best route. According to a new study from ABI Research, these traffic information services will reach more than 83 million paid or registered users worldwide by 2012.

“When it comes to collecting and distributing useful traffic data,” says research director Mike Ippoliti of ABI Research, “the emphasis is shifting. Reporting of ’incident data’ from accidents, road closures, other emergencies is becoming routine; the next step is predictive and probe-derived data that can deliver information on more complex problems and support re-routing of drivers around traffic problems.”

ABI Research sees three elements to the puzzle of providing truly useful traffic data for navigation systems.

First, the traffic data collection ecosystem is very complex. Infrastructure measurement systems (road sensors, cameras, radar, or loop sensors) are expensive and hard to install. But alternative collection methods such as floating-car data, and potentially cellular movement data, require no roadside installations, and may prove to be the sources of choice for many data collectors.

A second challenge is traffic data aggregation. As the basic data becomes more available, the complex data derived from floating-car probes or predictive modeling will become the differentiator. But such data are harder to integrate into navigation routing.

A third factor is market landscape. ABI Research expects INRIX and NAVTEQ/Traffic.com to become the two players in traffic data. Other players will largely become marginalized, or will supply INRIX or NAVTEQ/Traffic.com. That said, Ippoliti adds, “INRIX is itself a prime target for acquisition within the next few years. One could speculate on potential buyers, such as a PND maker who was disappointed not to acquire a map data provider, and needs a source of data leverage in the market.”

WorldDMB - European Nations ask the Commission to let the market decide, Commissioner Reding continues to push for DVB-H – December 7, 2007

from Kelly Griffiths/WorldDMB

WorldDMB welcomes indications that Commissioner Reding has decided not to follow through on her threat of mandation for one mobile TV standard in Europe. In an address to European MEPs on Thursday (29th November) Reding emphasized the importance of European technology in the growth of mobile TV in the region.

Using EU regulation to choose standards in the media industry would jeopardize technological innovation, reduce consumer choice, threaten European radio and reduce the freedom of choice for existing and perspective providers of mobile TV. The European Commission’s push for DVB-H as the single mobile TV standard in Europe was met with harsh criticism from European Member States on Thursday (29th November).

A recent report on Mobile TV submitted to the European Parliament by its Policy Department (IP/A/ITRE/FWC/2006-087/LOT 2/C1/SC2) could leave MEPs with an inaccurate and potentially misleading overview of the current mobile TV situation in Europe. The report left out any mention of the successes of the other European mobile TV standard, DMB. In fact, the report contains over 10 factual mistakes and incorrect data. For example, the report claims that ‘DVB-H is backwards compatible with DVB-T’ leading readers to expect minimal required investment to upgrade a DVB-T network to include DVB-H. However, this is not the case as a DVB-H network requires its own infrastructure, which is estimated to cost about four times as much as a comparable DMB network. The report further states that the only country to have trialed DMB is Italy. In fact, DMB has already been trialed in 14 European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Malta, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

At the Council meeting last Thursday the Commission proposed to add DVB-H to the list of standards for preferred technologies in Europe which EU Member States have to support and encourage. DMB is an ETSI standard and has already been adopted by a number of member states that have also chosen the closely related and compatible Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) standard for their digital radio services.

European Broadcasters have invested hundreds of millions of Euros in DAB/DMB infrastructure and content, whilst consumers have spent hundreds of millions buying digital radio receiving equipment. Any signal that EU regulation could make DVB-H the only acceptable standard threatens to undermine these investments, confuse European consumers, destabilize the European digital radio industry and discourage European innovation.

DMB is a European standard that has been successfully exported to many other parts of the world. There are already over 150 terminals and devices commercially available and approaching ten million receiver devices already sold, making DMB the most prolific mobile TV system in the world. In the field of digital radio, DAB is a great European success story, with nearly six million receivers sold in the UK alone. Members of WorldDMB – the international, non-governmental organization which promotes the adoption and implementation of Eureka 147 based technologies (the DAB and DMB standards) – are confused by the Commission’s support for DVB-H as the sole Mobile TV standard in Europe, to the extent of threatening to exclude DMB.

Quentin Howard, President of WorldDMB says, “I am baffled by mobile TV briefing document from the studies department of the European Parliament. It ignores important information gathered by the European Mobile Broadcasting Council and presents factually inaccurate information about mobile TV in Europe. No single standard or system can possibly provide the only viable solution for mobile TV. DMB is a low cost, low risk option and unequivocally better suited to some markets and business models than DVB-H. Equally, DVB-H may suit other markets but it comes at a higher cost and higher investment risk. There seems to be no reason why the Commission should hide the successes of DMB”

DMB is currently the world’s most successful mobile TV standard with millions of devices already in the market. It is widely used in Korea, and as part of the DAB family is the only European technology for mobile broadcasting sanctioned by China’s state regulator. Germany launched Europe’s first commercial Mobile TV service (during the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2006) using DMB technology. In fact, many European countries such as Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France and the UK have expressed their intention to use both DVB-H and DMB for commercial mobile broadcasting services. Given the unique differences between the two standards, it is important to allow countries the flexibility to decide which business models and investments are necessary for the success of mobile TV in the individual markets.

A Eurovision Song Contest in the Middle East and North Africa – December 7, 2007

from Katie de Noel/Eurovision

The format for the popular European Eurovision Song Contest was sold for production in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). The format was purchased from the EBU by Nibras Media Ltd., a company well connected in this region.

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition for active members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), represented by the public broadcasters in their respective countries. The first contest was held in Lugano Switzerland in 1956. Since then, the contest has become a true European tradition with more than 40 countries joining.

This new Song Contest will be developed for broadcasters by Nibras Media in partnership with Tanweer Group in the countries extending from Morocco in northwest Africa to the Gulf in southwest Asia. The countries in the MENA region include Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

"The ESC is one of the oldest, and by far the best established, entertainment formats in the world. The recipe of the ESC is excellent and can travel worldwide. So it is not surprising that other versions of the ESC will emerge,” says Bettina Brinkmann, Head of Formats and Special Events at Eurovision TV. "We are excited to see the new version very soon, and are delighted that ESC will celebrate different cultures worldwide," adds Brinkmann.

Nibras-Tanweer is the leading television content provider with more than 1/3 of the market share representing the Arab speaking MENA region with exclusive representation of major international producing companies and Hollywood studios.

With a strategically placed network of five studios located in Dubai Media City, Cairo, Amman, Beirut, Damascus, and India; Nibras-Tanweer enjoys the most widespread facilities in the Middle East for production and postproduction services.

Several broadcasters have already expressed interest in joining the MENA version and a number have already indicated their desire to be the host broadcaster for the first ever ESC in the region.

RFE/RL Correspondent Tricked into Jail in Azerbaijan – December 6, 2007

from Martins Zvaners/RFE/RL

A correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ilgar Nasibov, was tricked into appearing in court today where he was arrested and taken away to an unknown location in Nakhchivan, the capital of the western Azerbaijan exclave of Nakhchivan.

The same judge, two days earlier had exonerated Nasibov of wrongdoing and dismissed slander charges against him filed by local police. Nasibov, age 42 and the father of three children, had been asked to appear before the court today to sign dismissal papers. Instead, without the presence of legal counsel, the judge reinstated the charges and sentenced Nasibov to 90 days in prison.

RFE/RL president Jeff Gedmin called for Nasibov's immediate release, saying "this is a complete mockery of due process which violates Azerbaijan's own lawful, judicial procedure."

Gedmin noted that local police authorities in Nakhchivan have been harassing Nasibov and his wife, Melahat for more than a year with spurious charges. Melahat Nasibova also works as a correspondent for RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service. With her husband, they are the only two independent journalists actively reporting from the region. The Nasibovs file frequent reports on human rights violations and abuse of power by local authorities in Nakhchivan, which has a population of 250,000.

Melahat Nasibova told RFE/RL that police today burst into her apartment without a warrant, searched it and confiscated her computer and archives.

RCS MediaGroup: Bravacasa magazine reaches six international licences with launches in Indonesia and Slovenia for 2008 – December 6, 2007

from Barbara Ruggeri/RCS

Bravacasa – RCS MediaGroup’s monthly interiors & design magazine – today announced launch of two new foreign editions, in Indonesia and Slovenia beginning in 2008.

In Slovenia, Bravacasa will be published in association with Color Media International, publisher also of the Serbian and Croatian editions. In Indonesia it will be published by MRA, the leading publisher of glossy magazines for the Indonesian market and present in the principal luxury retail sectors (clothing, fashion, restaurants, hotels and cars).

These new editions in Indonesia and Slovenia, in line with RCS MediaGroup’s international development plan, are a further boost to the expansion of Bravacasa outside Italy and follow the magazine’s launch last October in Croatia – where it has met with an immediate favourable reception, both by readers and by advertisers – and in Georgia, where it goes on sale this month. The magazine – as well as being one of the leading publications in its segment in Italy – also boasts a historical presence in Bulgaria and Serbia.

‘New multimedia era for Arab audiences’ promised as BBC marks 70 years of public service to the region – December 5, 2007

from Sameh Selim for BBC WS

Hosam El Sokkari, Head of BBC Arabic, promised a new multimedia era for Arab audiences to the BBC on Wednesday 5 December. Speaking in Cairo at a special reception to mark the 70th anniversary of BBC Arabic, Hosam El Sokkari looked forward to the BBC’s new multimedia news and information services in Arabic which includes a television news and information channel launching in the New Year.

“BBC Arabic may be 70 years old but we are on the brink of a new, modern era for our audiences. BBC Arabic is no longer just a radio and online provider. We are now a fully integrated news and information service for the Arab world. We will reach audiences on radio, television, the internet via bbcarabic.com, mobiles and handheld computers - in whatever way best suits the audience. We are already well known and trusted across the region for our 24-hour, seven days a week news and information programming. Now, with our multimedia offer, we will be at the forefront of creativity and innovation, presenting high quality news and information across a range of formats to Arabs across the Middle East.

“We are also well known for covering stories and issues which others have ignored and for reporting more than just conflict and politics. In future BBC Arabic will continue to broaden the news agenda for audiences in the region. It will reflect the breadth of the Arab interests and actively involve Arabs in dialogue on the issues that reflect their lives.”

Hosam El Sokkari also used the occasion to formally announce the first of the BBC's new television presenters. Hasan Muawad is returning to BBC Arabic, where he worked as a radio broadcaster for many years. He was most recently a presenter on the Al Arabiya TV channel. Hosam El Sokkari said he is delighted with the appointment:

"I am delighted such an iconic presenter is returning to the BBC. He had a huge fan base when he worked for us in radio and is extremely popular with television audiences across the Arab world. I know from working with him in the past that he is going to be a great asset to our new multi-media offer."

Hasan Muawad, who attended the event, said “Working at Al Arabiya TV has built on my many years of experience at the BBC. But coming back to the BBC is like returning home. I’m now looking forward to meeting the new audiences the BBC will reach with our multimedia offer.”

The event also marked the 75th anniversary of BBC World Service. The international broadcaster launched on 19 December 1932 with an English language service for listeners across the "Empire". BBC Arabic was to become its very first language service, launching on 3 January 1938, and remains the biggest of the BBC's 33 language services, after English.

VOA Somali Adds Afternoon Broadcast –December 4, 2007

from Leslie Jackson/VOA

The Voice of America's (VOA) Somali Service doubled its broadcasts this week to expand news coverage, feature programming and interactive segments. The additional programming will give Somalis from all walks of life enhanced opportunities to discuss and debate the future of their nation.

The new program, broadcast to the Horn of Africa region at 4:00pm local time (1300 UTC) is paired with VOA's Somali-language "Evening Edition" at 7:00pm (1600 UTC) that is also repeated at 8:00pm (1700 UTC) for FM partner stations throughout the region. In addition to news of Somalia and the world, background and analysis, each day will include different special features including "Ask the Doctor" and "What's On Your Mind," "Somalia in the World Press," and "Reporters' Roundtable."

VOA's Somali program can be heard on shortwave on 13580 khz on the 22 meter band and 15600 khz on the 19 meter band, as well as on the Internet at www.voasomali.com.

VOA's Somali-language service, launched on February 12, 2007, is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State.

Goldmedia - Fernsehen auf Abruf zunehmend beliebter – December 4, 2007

from Katrin Penzel/Goldmedia

- Video-on-Demand- u. PPV-Umsätze im TV verdoppeln sich in Westeuropa bis 2011

- 2011 nutzen ca. 20% der Haushalte in Westeuropa echtes Video on Demand

- Wachstumsimpulse auch von kleineren Ländern -- u.a. mit Long-Tail-Content

- Interessen der VoD-TV-Nutzer wandeln sich: TV-Sendungen mehr gefragt

- Pay-per-View dominiert in Europa. In den USA zunehmend Angebote for free

Die Nutzung von Video-on-Demand (VoD) und Pay-per-View-Angeboten (PPV) über den Fernseher wird in den nächsten Jahren weiter zunehmen. Während heute in Westeuropa weniger als acht Prozent der Haushalte echte Video-on-Demand-Dienste nutzen, wird 2011 schon jeder fünfte Haushalt dazu in der Lage sein und damit Videofilme individuell und zeitunabhängig über den Fernseher abrufen können. Diesen Wachstumstrend belegen aktuelle Untersuchungen der

Unternehmensberatungen Screen Digest und Goldmedia zur Entwicklung der TV-basierten VoD- und PPV-Märkte in Westeuropa. Lockten die Konsumenten bislang vor allem Kinofilme, werden TV-Inhalte oder Nischenangebote, der sogenannte Long-Tail-Content, zunehmend beliebter.

Verglichen mit den Erlösen in 2007 bringt dieser Aufschwung in den nächsten fünf Jahren eine Verdopplung der Umsätze: knapp drei Milliarden Euro können 2011 in Westeuropa mit VoD und PPV über den Fernseher generiert werden. In Deutschland wurden 2006 rund 80 Millionen Euro umgesetzt. Bis 2011 wird sich diese Zahl verfünffachen.Noch erzielen die fünf größten europäischen Märkte Großbritannien, Deutschland, Italien, Spanien und Frankreich den Löwenanteil am On-Demand-Umsatz. Andere Regionen, wie etwa Skandinavien, sind jedoch dabei, durch eine Vielzahl neuer VoD-Dienste aufzuholen. Auch das wachsende Interesse an Long-Tail-Inhalten trägt zum Marktwachstum im europäischen VoD-Geschäft bei. Hier sind es vor allem die kleineren Märkte, die mit ihren echten Video-on-Demand-Services und einer breiten Angebotspalette sowohl internationaler als auch nationaler bzw. lokaler Produktionen ihre Stärken ausspielen und damit Marktanteile gewinnen können.

Zu Beginn der Entwicklung von Abrufdiensten zogen vor allem populäre Kinofilme die Kunden an. Hatten Blockbuster 2001 noch einen Umsatzanteil von rund 60 Prozent, war dieser Anteil 2006 mit 30 Prozent nur noch halb so groß. Enorm zugenommen hatte in dieser Zeit die Beliebtheit von Sportsendungen. Trotz insgesamt sinkender Marktanteile profitieren Kinofilme aber auch weiterhin von wachsenden Abonnenten- und Abrufzahlen und werden 2009 im On-Demand-Bereich immerhin noch einen Umsatz von 700 Millionen Euro generieren. Im klaren Aufwärtstrend befinden sich zudem Erotikinhalte. Deren VoD- und PPV-Umsatz beträgt heute rund 250 Millionen und in 2011 über 500 Millionen Euro.

In den kommenden fünf Jahren wird sich das Interesse der Nutzer zudem weiter in Richtung Backkatalogtitel und TV-Sendungen verschieben. Ihr Anteil am VoD-Markt erhöht sich bis zum Jahr 2011 von heute neun auf immerhin 18 Prozent.

Den Contentanbietern bescheren insbesondere die echten Video-on-Demand-Services gute Gewinnmargen. Sie geben ihnen die Möglichkeit, ihre großen Backkataloge auszuwerten und mit längst abgeschriebenen Inhalten noch Umsätze zu erzielen.

Bietet der deutlich weiter entwickelte US-Markt seinen Kunden immer mehr kostenlose On-Demand-Services im Rahmen der TV-Basis-Pakete an, werden auf dem europäischen On-Demand-Markt noch mindestens bis 2011 kostenpflichtige Abrufdienste überwiegen. "Die Zunahme an VoD per Abonnement in Europa ist jedoch ein Zeichen dafür, dass sich der Markt in eine ähnliche Richtung wie in den USA entwickeln könnte", prognostiziert Screen Digest TV-Consultant Richard Broughton. "Firmen wie Virgin Media in Großbritannien und Italiens Fastweb eifern den US-Kabelanbietern bereits nach und bieten innerhalb ihrer Standard-Packages kostenloses TV-on-Demand an".

Mathias Birkel, Berater bei Goldmedia, ergänzt: "Video-on-Demand is in Europa noch um einiges davon entfernt, ein Massenmarkt zu sein. Und bis es soweit ist, werden die Zuschauer auch weiterhin dafür bezahlen müssen".

BLM - Erträge von Fernsehen und Hörfunk um 4,1 Prozent auf 6,7 Mrd. gestiegen – December 5, 2007

from Wolfgang Flieger/BLM

Die privaten Fernseh- und Hörfunkunternehmen erzielten mit Einnahmen von rund 6,7 Mrd. Euro einen Zuwachs von 4,1 Prozent in 2006. Damit hat sich die wirt schaftliche Erholung der Vorjahre weiter fortgesetzt. Gegenüber dem Tiefpunkt der Werbekrise 2003 konnte der private Rundfunk seine Erträge inzwischen wieder um 20 Prozent steigern, wenn auch das Einnahmeniveau des Boomjahres 2000 noch nicht wieder erreicht werden konnte. Da parallel zur gestiegenen Ertragslage die Kosten nur moderat gewachsen sind, hat sich die wirtschaftliche Lage der 340 untersuchten Fernseh- und Hörfunkunternehmen deutlich verbessert. Sowohl die Fernsehunternehmen mit einem Kostendeckungsgrad von 116 Prozent als auch der Hörfunk mit einem Kostendeckungsgrad von 117 Prozent erzielen im Durchschnitt Gewinne. Auch für das Jahr 2007 wird sich der wirtschaftliche Aufschwung des Privatfunks nach der Mehrheit der Unternehmen fortsetzen.

Diese Feststellungen gehören zu den wichtigsten Ergebnissen einer Untersuchung von TNS Infratest (Daten-Erhebung) in Kooperation mit der Universität Jena (Bericht) im Auftrag der acht Landesmedienanstalten aus Bayern (BLM), Baden-Württemberg (LFK), Berlin-Brandenburg (MABB), Hessen (LPR), Hamburg/Schles wig-Holstein (MA HSH), Nordrhein-Westfalen (LFM), Rheinland-Pfalz (LMK) und Sachsen (SLM).

Finanzierungsstruktur im dualen Rundfunksystem

Die betrieblichen Erträge des öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten addierten sich im Jahr 2006 auf 8,5 Mrd. Euro, von denen 84 Prozent aus Gebühren (7,15 Mrd. Euro) und 6 Prozent (547 Mio. Euro) aus Werbung stammen. Der öffentliche Rundfunk befindet sich somit trotz der gestiegenen Umsätze des privaten Rund funks nach wie vor in einer sehr komfortablen Wettbewerbsposition. Mit 56 Prozent der Gesamt-Einnahmen des Rundfunks in Höhe von 15,2 Mrd. Euro verfügen ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio über die höchste Finanzkraft im dualen Rundfunk system.

Beim privaten Rundfunk entfällt mit rund 6 Mrd. Erlösen der größte Anteil auf das Fernsehen (Free-TV: 4,88 Mrd. Euro und Pay-TV: 1,12 Mrd. Euro) während der private Hörfunk Gesamt-Erlöse von 678 Mio. Euro erzielte. Mit einem Anteil von 69 Prozent erzielen die klassische Spotwerbung und das Sponsoring den Hauptteil an den Erträgen der Rundfunkwirtschaft. 16 Prozent der Einnahmen entfallen auf Pay-TV und drei Prozent auf Telefon-Mehrwertdienste. Die im Rahmen der Studie mit erhobenen Teleshoppingunternehmen kommen zudem auf einen Umsatz von 1,6 Mrd. Euro.

Werbefinanzierung dominiert – neue Erlösmodelle fehlen

Die Abhängigkeit der Free-TV- und Hörfunk-Sender von der Werbefinanzierung ist immer noch sehr hoch. Im freien Fernsehen beträgt der Erlös-Anteil aus Werbung 85 Prozent und im Privatfunk 84 Prozent. Die Absicht der privaten Rundfunkunter nehmen sich vom konjunkturanfälligen Werbegeschäft unabhängiger zu machen, ist bisher nur in Ansätzen gelungen. Es fehlen weiterhin auch attraktive Erlösformen für die Finanzierung neuer digitale Angebote. Bisher ist kein Geschäftsmodell erkennbar, dass den privaten Sendern nennenswerte Erlöse aus Cross Media-Angeboten erschließt. Die Einnahmen aus Call Media sanken nach dem rasanten Wachstum der Vorjahre auf rund 200 Mio. Euro.

Beschäftigung im Rundfunk um 0,9 Prozent gestiegen

Ende 2006 waren zusammen genommen 71.456 Beschäftigte (fest angestellte Erwerbstätige und freie Mitarbeiter) im Rundfunk tätig. Davon waren 42.614 Mitarbeiter als Erwerbstätige beschäftigt, 29.143 im öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk, 9.436 bei den privaten Fernsehveranstaltern (ohne Teleshopping) und 4.035 bei den privaten Hörfunkunternehmen. Während im Vergleich zu 2004 die Zahl der festen Mitarbeiter beim öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk um 0,9 Prozent zurück gegangen ist, ist beim privaten Rundfunk eine Zunahme der Beschäftigung von 4,1 Prozent zu verzeichnen. Die Zahl der Erwerbstätigen in der Rundfunkwirtschaft hat insgesamt um 0,9 Prozent zugenommen (Gesamtwirtschaft 0,6 Prozent). Mit einem Rückgang von 0,5 Prozent auf 22.768 Beschäftigte ist die Anzahl der freien Mit arbeiter beim öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk ebenfalls leicht rückläufig, während beim privaten Rundfunk die Anzahl der freien Mitarbeiter wieder auf 6.074 Be schäftigte gewachsen ist (+ 13 Prozent).

Die Teleshopping-Anbieter beschäftigten zusätzlich 3.791 Mitarbeiter.

Wirtschaftlichkeit des privaten Rundfunks im Durchschnitt positiv

Im Vergleich zum Vorjahr hat sich 2006 die wirtschaftliche Situation der privaten Rundfunkunternehmen insgesamt weiter verbessert. Bei Betrachtung der einzelnen Veranstaltertypen zeigt sich allerdings ein differenziertes Bild:

Privates Fernsehen

§ Die privaten TV-Veranstalter erwirtschafteten zusammen einen Überschuss von 1,093 Mrd. Euro (Vorjahr 961 Mio. Euro).

§ Die Gruppe der 8 bundesweiten werbefinanzierten Vollprogramme erwirtschaf tete 2006 zusammen ein Betriebsergebnis von 1,07 Mrd. Euro; dies entspricht einem Kostendeckungsgrad von 135 Prozent.

§ Die Gruppe der 21 bundesweiten Free-TV-Spartenprogramme und 2 bundes weiten Fensterprogramme wirtschaftete dagegen mit einem Kostendeckungs grad von 95 Prozent und einem Fehlbetrag von 29 Mio. Euro insgesamt defizitär.

§ Die 37 Pay-TV-Programme hatten 2006 Überschüsse in Höhe von 46 Mio. Euro zu verzeichnen und erzielten einen Kostendeckungsgrad von 104 Prozent.

§ Die 10 Teleshopping-Kanäle erwirtschafteten 2006 bei einem Gesamtumsatz von 1,6 Mrd. Euro ein Defizit von 46 Mio. Euro. Der Kostendeckungsgrad erreichte 97 Prozent.

§ Die 17 landesweiten TV-Fensterprogramme erzielten im Jahr 2006 bei Erträgen in Höhe von 51 Mio. Euro ein ausgeglichenes Ergebnis, nachdem sie in 2005 noch einen Kostendeckungsgrad von 116 Prozent erwirtschaftet hatten.

§ Die 117 Anbieter von Lokal- und Ballungsraum-TV konnten bei Gesamtum sätzen von 71 Mio. Euro einen Kostendeckungsgrad von 97 Prozent erreichen.

Privater Hörfunk

§ Die privaten Hörfunkveranstalter erzielten 2006 mit einem Überschuss von 97 Mio. Euro bei Gesamterträgen in Höhe von 678 Mio. Euro ebenfalls ein positives Betriebsergebnis. Der Kostendeckungsgrad erreichte 122 Prozent.

§ Sehr positiv ist die wirtschaftliche Lage bei den 56 landesweiten Programmen, die zusammen einen Überschuss von 74 Mio. Euro erwirtschaften konnten. Im Durchschnitt erzielten diese Programme einen Kostendeckungsgrad von 123 Prozent.

§ Die 140 Lokalradios haben zusammengenommen mit einem Kostendeckungs grad von durchschnittlich 113 Prozent und Gesamterträgen von 182 Mio. Euro ein positives Betriebsergebnis von 21 Mio. Euro aufzuweisen.

§ Die 21 bundesweiten Programme haben bei einem Kostendeckungsgrad von 89 Prozent einen Verlust von 4 Mio. Euro zu verzeichnen.

§ Verluste bestehen weiterhin bei digitalen terrestrischen Radios. Die 7 befragten landesweiten DAB-Anbieter kamen zusammen auf einen Kostendeckungsgrad von 58 Prozent.

Eine ausführliche Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse ist abrufbar unter www.blm.de. Der vollständige Ergebnisbericht der Untersuchung mit detaillierten Länderberichten erscheint voraus sichtlich im Januar 2008 unter dem Titel "Wirtschaftliche Lage des Rundfunks in Deutschland 2006" im VISTAS Verlag Goltzstraße 11, 10781 Berlin.

ABI - In the Crystal Ball: What ISN'T Going to Happen in 2008 – December 4, 2007

from Nicole Fabris/ABI Research

In a new twist on the traditional December activity of surveying the year just past and speculating about what the new one will bring, ABI Research has released a white paper entitled "What’s Not Going to Happen in 2008." The paper is available for free download from the company's Web site.

Lots of things won't happen in 2008, of course. So ABI Research's analysts focused on several of the company's core areas of expertise, including consumer electronics, digital media, Wi-Fi, mobile handsets, wireless networks including WiMAX, telematics, automotive safety, and RFID. And by identifying over-hyped technologies that won't be next year's Big Thing, they of course shed light on what will happen as we head on through the decade.

Their conclusions range from the surprising — that despite the hype, plug-in hybrid vehicles won’t make a big showing in 2008 — to the provocative: that Motorola’s mobile devices division won’t find stability next year.

They discuss the continuing lack of Wi-Fi network security.

And they assess the prospects for handset-based navigation systems, as well as much, much more.

With its mix of expert opinion and informed assessments, "What’s Not Going to Happen in 2008" makes for a lively and informative read.

To download the white paper in Adobe PDF format, go to www.abiresearch.com and click on the “What’s Not Going to Happen in 2008” ad button.

Médiamétrie - THE F1 SHOW IS BACK – December 4, 2007

from Nelly Dubner/Médiamétrie

On the occasion of the Motorsport Business Forum 2007, Jacques Braun, Eurodata TV Worldwide’s Vice President, notes that “thanks to new drivers and to renewed competition between constructors, F1 kept on growing. Geographical expansion, to Asia in particular, complemented by new teams like Force India contributed to the endurability of this high level competition”.

Before the last Grand Prix, 3 drivers could have won the 2007 World Championship title. The performance achieved by the Brazilian GP dramatically illustrates this ultimate struggle. Thus in Brazil, host country of the last GP, Globo accumulated an audience of 4.8 million viewers, reaching a 54.6% market share, making it the best audience of the year for a Formula One Grand Prix.

The Brazilian Grand Prix benefited from the suspense but also from the time difference, which placed the Live program at six o’clock European time. In addition, that was the best audience of the F1 2007 season in Germany, and in the United Kingdom with respectively 11.1 million viewers for RTL and 7.4 million on ITV1, the latter dreaming with the viewers of the first crown for the young and talented driver Lewis Hamilton.This was also the case in Spain where Tele5 garnered 8.4 million fans supporting Fernando Alonso, and in France, TF1 meet success with 5.3 million viewers sat in front of the Brazil GP.

These very good results achieved by Tele5 in Spain and ITV1 in UK as well as the rivalry between the two drivers of the Mclaren Mercedes team allowed Spain and UK to recover very high average audience levels as shown in the graph above. Finally, Finland presents a specific case. MTV3, historically the broadcaster of Formula One decided to promote its pay-tv version MTV3 Max by airing Live Grand Prix only on the pay-tv channel. MTV3 free to air channel showed the GP only three hours later, which could explain the audience loss between 2006 and 2007.

Discover new music with Nokia Internet Radio – December 3, 2007

Radio stations broadcast over the internet to your mobile

"Most new music discovery occurs while you're listening to the radio," said Tommi Mustonen, head of the Nokia music business. "By offering the Nokia Internet Radio service on mobile devices, the radio experience becomes more accessible, giving people new ways to find music."

With hundreds of internet radio stations to choose from worldwide, the station directory of Nokia Internet Radio makes music discovery effortless - browsing can be done based on station name, genre, country or language. To find out what hits are hot around the world, hourly updates of the top ten most popular internet radio stations are also available in the station directory. Plus, there is no need to search for your top stations time and again because adding them to the list of 'Favorites' makes them easily accessible.

Moreover, the audio quality is enhanced by selecting appropriate streaming servers that match the speed of the current network connection.

Nokia predicts 25% of entertainment by 2012 will be created and consumed within peer communities – December 3, 2007

Nokia identifies Circular Entertainment as a coming trend as consumers get collaborative

Up to a quarter of the entertainment consumed by people in five years time will have been created, edited and shared within their peer circle rather than coming out of traditional media groups. This phenomenon, dubbed 'Circular Entertainment', has been identified by Nokia as a result of a global study into the future of entertainment.

The study, entitled 'A Glimpse of the Next Episode', carried out by The Future Laboratory, interviewed trend-setting consumers from 17 countries about their digital behaviors and lifestyles signposting emerging entertainment trends. Combining views from industry leading figures with Nokia's own research from its 900 million consumers around the world, Nokia has constructed a global picture of what it believes entertainment will look like over the next five years.

"From our research we predict that up to a quarter of the entertainment being consumed in five years will be what we call 'Circular'. The trends we are seeing show us that people will have a genuine desire not only to create and share their own content, but also to remix it, mash it up and pass it on within their peer groups - a form of collaborative social media," said Mark Selby, Vice President, Multimedia, Nokia.

Selby continues, "We think it will work something like this; someone shares video footage they shot on their mobile device from a night out with a friend, that friend takes that footage and adds an MP3 file - the soundtrack of the evening - then passes it to another friend. That friend edits the footage by adding some photographs and passes it on to another friend and so on. The content keeps circulating between friends, who may or may not be geographically close, and becomes part of the group's entertainment."

Tom Savigar, Trends Director at The Future Laboratory added, "Consumers are increasingly demanding their entertainment be truly immersive, engaging and collaborative. Whereas once the act of watching, reading and hearing entertainment was passive, consumers now and in the future will be active and unrestrained by the ubiquitous nature of circular entertainment. Key to this evolution is consumers' basic human desire to compare and contrast, create and communicate. We believe the next episode promises to deliver the democracy politics can only dream of."

Of the 9,000 consumers we surveyed:

- 23% buy movies in digital format

- 35% buy music on MP3 files

- 25% buy music on mobile devices

- 39% watch TV on the internet

- 23% watch TV on mobile devices

- 46% regularly use IM, 37% on a mobile device

- 29% regularly blog

- 28% regularly access social networking sites

- 22% connect using technologies such as Skype

- 17% take part in Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games

- 17% upload to the internet from a mobile device

As part of the research we have identified four key driving trends; Immersive Living; Geek Culture; G Tech and Localism. These trends are currently sitting on the edge, but as these trends become more mainstream, they will have a collaborative, creative effect on the way people consume entertainment and, we predict, will lead to the Circular Entertainment phenomenon.

Immersive Living

Immersive Living is the rise of lifestyles which blur the reality of being on and offline. Entertainment will no longer be segmented; people can access and create it wherever they are.

Geek Culture

This triumph marks a shift as consumers become hungry for more sophisticated entertainment. Geek Culture rises, consumers will want to be recognized and rewarded - the boundaries between being commercial and creative will blur.

G Tech

G Tech is an existing social force in Asia that will change the way entertainment will look. Forget pink and sparkly, it is about the feminization of technology that is currently underway. Entertainment will be more collaborative, democratic, emotional and customized - all of which are 'female' traits.

Localism

The report uncovered a locally-minded sprit emerging in entertainment consumption and Localism will become a key theme of future entertainment. Consumers will take pride in seeking out the local and home-grown.

The extensive research identifies the trends, along with the technologies, that will be pivotal in the next episode of entertainment. In conclusion, the results of the survey lead Nokia to believe in the next episode; entertainment will be circular.