RESULTS
AVP Official, 17th Sep 2007
Casey Jennings may not be a superstitious man, but he's unlikely to ever underestimate the power of the Mohawk. More to the point, Jennings will always recognize the power of a gesture, especially when giving recognition to unsung heroes. So there he was Sunday afternoon, with a freshly coifed strip of hair along the top of his head as he peppered and warmed up for his last match of the year, which turned out to be a 21-18, 27-25 victory with partner Matt Fuerbringer over Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb in the AVP Crocs Tour San Francisco Best of the Beach. Fuerbringer and Jennings improved to 8-5 in their series with Gibb and Rosenthal, including four victories in the last five matches. The two reached the final last month in Boston and played together in just six events this season after playing 10 tournaments with other partners. But they saved their best to capture their lone victory of the year in the Best of the Beach and grab the $30,000 winner's check.
THIS WEEK
Sun, 23rd Sep 2007
DTM 2007: Race Day – Barcelona, Spain
DID YOU KNOW…?
An atoll in the South Pacific has come up with a novel way of making money via its domain name .TK. Tokelau may only have 1,500 inhabitants and be a two-day boat trip from its nearest neighbour but selling its .TK domain is reaping benefits. The Dutch entrepreneur who bought the address now offers a free domain name service in return for targeted ads. The deal has allowed Tokelau to add 10% to its GDP as well as gain PCs and net access for residents. When Joost Zuurbier, the founder of Dot TK, decided to invest in a country level domain name in 2001 he had a choice of four unregistered addresses including ones for Palestine, East Timor and Pitcairn. The South Pacific .tk address was the most appealing but it was a long process to convince the overseer of the net's addressing system - the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) - that they had a valid case.
Now there are more than 1.6 million Dot TK domain names registered and it is adding around 10,000 each day. Registering a .TK domain is free although users must agree to receive targeted banner and text advertising. The Dot TK company gives an undisclosed amount to Tokelau from every .tk sales that has allowed the tiny nation to add 10% to its economy. For Tokelau the partnership with Dot TK has offered a new way of communication to a nation that had previously relied on expensive satellite telephony and, before 1994, radios to speak to each other. Now many of the inhabitants use free voice-over IP telephony services. Source: Ken Radio, 14th Sep 2007
SPORTS SHORTS
* The Badminton World Federation has announced that the Mongolia International Series has been cancelled. The decision was relayed to the BWF by Mongolian badminton association secretary general Nyam Zulbaatar who cited ‘organisational problems.’ The event had been due to take place in Ulaanbaatar from October 16 to 20. Meanwhile, the Syria International Series has been postponed to a new date. The $5,000 competition was due to take place from October 6 to 9, but has now been rescheduled to October 29 to November 1. Source: Sportcal, 14th Sep 2007
* Terrestrial digital broadcasting may leave 600,000 households in sparsely populated areas in Japan staring at static when the new TV service replaces analogue broadcasting in July 2011. Only several tens of thousands of viewers are currently unable to get TV broadcasts under the analogue version. Public broadcaster NHK is working with private broadcasters to build relay stations ahead of the switch to terrestrial digital broadcasting. The broadcasters plan to have about 99% of Japanese households covered by the new service by March 2011, leaving about 1% without service in sparsely populated areas where relay station construction would be considered economically inefficient. Source: ABU Official, 14th Sep 2007
* South Korea's advanced networks and strong manufacturing base are turning the country's mobile phone market into one of the most sophisticated in the world. The country's mobile carriers have all rolled out high-speed CDMA2000-1X EV-DO networks, and are exploring new technologies like WiMax and HSDPA. South Korean consumers can choose between almost 500 different phone models. More than 16 million phones were sold to the country's 49 million citizens last year. The country's leading mobile phone makers, Samsung and LG, have been able to build on the strength of their home market to expand overseas, observers say. Source: Ken Radio, 14th Sep 2007
* Heather White, the experienced UK-based sports agency television sales executive, has been appointed director of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at ESPN International. White made her name at ISL, the now-defunct international agency, and Fox Sports International, ESPN international’s US rival, before leaving in 2000 to join internet start-up venture sportcentric. In 2001 she joined sports agency Sportsworld Media Group and also spent a period as a consultant to Granada Sport before being appointed head of programme sales and distribution at Pro-Active Television, the UK-based sports television production and distribution agency, in 2004. Source: Sportcal, 14th Sep 2007
* F1 team, McLaren, was fined US$100 million and stripped of points in this year’s constructors’ championship after being found to have used confidential technical information belonging to Italian rivals Ferrari. The fine is the largest financial penalty ever imposed in sport, but the FIA, which governs international motor racing, has decided not to deduct points from McLaren stars Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, respectively first and second in the world drivers’ championship. Team principal Ron Dennis is considering an appeal against the punishment, which he regards as overly severe. The fine includes $50 million in lost revenue from television rights and constructors’ championship prize money. Source: Sportcal, The Times UK, 14th Sep 2007
* It’s been known for a while that Google will at some point take on PowerPoint with a web-based presentations package. The breaking news is that the coming-out party for the software is any day now. Called Presently, the slideshow program is likely to be based in part on code Google bought through the acquisitions of Zenter and Tonic Systems earlier this year. Call it a PowerPoint killer or PowerPoint clone but, with Presently, Google now has a suite of the main productivity tools office dweebs spend one third of their lives in. That said, the jury is still divided on the question of whether cloud-based apps are a match for the disk-based opposition. Source: Ken Radio, 14th Sep 2007
MORE NEWS
Indonesia/Rights: Astro's Indonesian talks stall
Astro All Asia Networks’ Indonesian pay-TV venture PT Direct Vision could be in trouble, with the operator saying talks with partners to restructure the venture have “been inconclusive”. Astro’s partners in the venture are Silver Concord Holdings and Indonesian telco PT Ayunda Prima Mitra, both of which belong to the Lippo Group. Astro is only allowed to hold 20% of the venture. As well as booking a RM43.3 million loss for the venture’s share of operating losses in the three months to the end of July, Astro made additional provisions of RM92.4 million “against carrying value of all deferred costs and assets for an Indonesian venture where recoverability cannot be reasonably assured”.
However, Astro stressed a commitment to the platform. “Given the progress to date of PTDV, including the achievement of 127,000 subscribers, the parties are in discussions to seek a mutually acceptable solution to effectively continue operations,” a statement to the Bursa Malaysia said. Options being considered could involve “restructuring of the various parties’ interests” the stock exchange statement added.
Astro CEO Robert Odendaal said: “We are actively exploring options on restructuring the Indonesian venture and seeking a mutually acceptable solution to effectively continue operations.” Should no solution be found, the company could incur further costs of around RM200 million.
Elsewhere, Astro’s domestic pay-TV operations showed strong growth, with gross activations of 104,000 for the quarter and net additions of 28,000 for the quarter and 93,000 for the six months to the end of July. Residential subscribers stand at 2.109 million or 37.7% of Malaysian TV homes. Revenues rose 11% year-on-year to RM629 million, with EBITDA up 23% to RM155 million. Source: Rapid TV News, Antara News Agency INA, 16th Sep 2007
Elsewhere/Rights: Sportfive Awaits Tender before Deciding on 'Definite' Bundesliga Bid
Sportfive, the international sports marketing agency, today moved to set the record straight over reports that it would be a direct competitor to Premiere, the pay-television broadcaster, for German Bundesliga soccer rights in 2009. Sportfive told Sportcal.com, ‘We cannot say that we will definitely bid [for the Bundesliga rights]. We will wait for the packages to become available and then check what there is on the market.’ Speaking at a press conference yesterday to launch Sportdigital.tv, the agency's internet portal, on satellite television, Lars Reckwitz, the Sportfive manager, had apparently expressed Sportfive’s intention to bid, but the agency said today that his remarks had been misconstrued.
Reckwitz was quoted in the German press as saying that Sportfive ‘has 10 Bundesliga clubs under contract and are therefore interested in doing something about the monopoly in the German broadcast industry,' and that it was 'clear' that it would bid for the rights. Sportfive reacted to the ensuing reports of a bid for Bundesliga rights and a rivalry with Premiere by claiming that Reckwitz had only said the agency would definitely look at the tender documents.
All live rights for the period from 2006-07 to 2008-09 were originally awarded to Arena, the pay-television channel, for three years, in a deal worth €240 million ($332.7 million) a year, but it has now sub-licensed them to Premiere for €100 million a year. The DFL, the German football league, is expected to issue a tender for the rights from 2009-10 onwards at the end of this year, and Sportfive is waiting to see how the rights will be split.
Carsten Schmidt, a member of the board responsible for sports and new business at Premiere, has said that the broadcaster will take every competitor seriously, but was yesterday quoted in the German press describing Sportfive’s television venture as ‘a very, very ambitious undertaking,’ adding that ‘distribution doesn’t mean successful marketing.’ The German press has also reported that there might be two other bidders for live Bundesliga rights in 2009. Source: Sportcal, 14th Sep 2007
Elsewhere/Rights: ORF to screen European Cup
Austrian public broadcaster ORF has secured the rights for all 31 games of soccer’s European Cup 2008. In addition to TV rights, the agreement comprises the rights for radio, mobile TV and internet streaming. Financial details were not disclosed, but industry observers believe ORF paid a total of more than EUR10 million for the package. At the final count the rights should, however, cost only EUR9 million as European football association UEFA has arranged additional advertising opportunities with the broadcaster.
Negotiations for the rights have been arduous, with UEFA apparently expecting around EUR18 million at the commencement of the bidding. This target became much less likely after it became known that Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR idée suisse apparently paid only EUR6.8 million. Also, the decision by commercial Austrian broadcaster ATV not to take part in the tender prevented a bidding war and allowed ORF to secure the rights for a price well below UEFA’s initial expectations.
In Germany, public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will screen a total of 27 matches from the European Cup, for which they are believed to have paid EUR115 million. The package includes all games of the German national team, the opening game, quarter finals, both half finals and the final game. It is not yet known which broadcaster will screen the remaining four matches. Source: Rapid TV News, 16th Sep 2007
Elsewhere/General: Italy 'Set to Launch' Breakaway Volleyball Federation
A new breakaway national volleyball federation is to be launched in Italy ‘in the next two months,’ according to Jean-Pierre Seppey, who heads an organisation that rivals the FIVB, the sport’s recognised international governing body. Seppey told Sportcal.com that Italy would join Switzerland in creating a new national body for the sport, which is significant because of the power of Europe in terms of sponsorship and broadcasting, he said.
The Italian body will be the 59th to join the World Volleyball Federation, the WVFB, Seppey’s organisation formerly known as the FIAVB, he said. Of its affiliates at present, 38 are newly created and 20 are established national federations, he claimed. Of the 20, 12 are in Africa, six on the American continent, and two in Oceania.
Seppey denied that the WVFB’s main long-term aim was to gain recognition by the International Olympic Committee, saying: ‘We are not looking for IOC recognition, this is not an objective now. But we do comply completely with the IOC, which is not the case for the FIVB.’ He claimed that the FIVB’s system of granting a cut of revenues from television and sponsorship deals to its president and board members was a direct violation of IOC statutes. The FIVB declined to comment on these claims. Source: Sportcal, 14th Sep 2007
ARTICLES, COMMENTS & OPINIONS
State Administration gearing up for '08 Olympics
Patrick Frater writes for Variety Asia, 14th Sep 2007
It may be the only time in showbiz history that entertainment companies had major victories but did nothing to trumpet them. Among the few foreign channels that have recently been allowed to begin broadcasting in China are the News Corp.-owned Star, Disney's ESPN and KBS World, the international-channel offshoot of Korean pubcaster Korean Broadcasting Systems. The acceptances are significant, but nobody wants to talk about it.
In late 2005, a new regime came in at China's industry regulator, the State Administration for Radio Film & Television (SARFT). Since then, insiders say, no additional channels have been OK'd -- until now. KBS confirms it began negotiating with SARFT more than three years ago. The acceptance of foreign channels is a change from the new group's recent moves, which have been to crack down on TV, tightening restrictions and clamping down on innovations such as phone-in voting for reality TV and gameshows. The group seems determined to make TV more acceptable and to show off China in the best possible light. The influx of visitors for the 2008 Olympics may be a factor in this, but the event is far from the only one.
There are now about 34 approved channels, including foreign services from Cuba, and China's own Special Administrative Regions Hong Kong and Macau. None of the foreign congloms want to discuss their Sino services. The issues are simply too sensitive and studios have learned the hard way that attracting attention to themselves is the best way of drawing the ire of SARFT. KBS was allowed to hold a press conference in Beijing to announce its status, but statements were carefully couched. "KBS expects the launch will serve as an opportunity to step up the bilateral relations marking the 15th year of establishing ties" between South Korea and China, the company said in a release.
Admittedly, the foreign channels' rights are not exactly huge. Officially, the channels are only available in hotels of three-star class or higher, as well as residential compounds reserved for non-Chinese nationals. KBS says its channel, beamed from the Sinosat satellite platform, will be available to the 4.5 million Koreans who travel to China every year and to the 700,000 Korean residents in the country. The channels are widely, but illegally, picked up by many other Chinese households too -- but no one wants to talk about that.
ESPN and Star Sports, run by a Singapore-based joint venture between Disney and News Corp., disappeared from the SARFT list in January and stayed off until August. At the time, the industry was quick to speculate that operators had done something to anger SARFT or that it was further punishment of News Corp., which in 2005 was deemed to have exceeded its mandate with Qinghai satellite TV. But other Star and Phoenix channels, in which News Corp. has a stake, remained on the approved list.
The inhouse spinmeisters suggested that the cause was simply an administrative glitch, with someone in management having forgotten to file the renewal paperwork in time. It is also unclear whether dropping the twin channels off the list had any real impact. While Variety knows of homes where signals stopped in January (mostly those in compounds), others continued to get reception (mostly places with their own satellite dishes). "We never actually went off," says a Singapore source, "but we joined the list again only very recently."
While the return to the official list is a rare piece of positive news from China for Disney and News Corp., which find the country a frustrating place to do business, rival studios point out that the ESPN-Star Sport duo have lost Chinese rights to English Premier League soccer. These were picked up by Guangdong TV, which is believed to have paid more than $50 million for a three-year contract. Still, the ESPN and Star Sports lineup includes Cup soccer from England and Europe, Major League Baseball and golf from the U.S. Open and the Asian Tour.
As yet there is no sign that other nets such as the Disney Channel, which have been on an unofficial waiting list for years, are going to be granted landing rights any time soon.
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