Friday, 27th April 2007

DID YOU KNOW…?

Scientists at Beijing’s meteorological centre have guaranteed that they can prevent the 2008 Olympic Games from being marred by the weather. Zhang Qiang, the head of the Office of Weather Manipulation, said that records suggest that there is a 50-per-cent chance of rain during the games, but that meteorologists would be able to ensure that rain clouds would dump their load before reaching the competition venues. Source: Sportcal, 26th April 2007


FRIDAY SPOOF!

Blair to Sign for Newcastle After Downing Street
Warning: Harmful if taken seriously :)

Newcastle United today confirmed that Prime Minister Tony Blair will wear the famous number nine jersey next season. Blair, who is a lifelong Newcastle fan, will be hired by manager Glenn Roeder to make the half time teas. The deal was almost scuppered when Mr Blair refused to sign unless he was allowed to wear the famous shirt.

"Tony will be joining us as teaboy next season" confirmed Roeder. "It was touch and go when he asked to wear the shirt, but after a meeting with Dot Cotton, our head of laundry it was decided that despite milk splashes, it wouldn't be a problem". When asked why he decided to sign for the magpies, Mr Blair Said "Cos George told me too". Source: The Spoof!, 20th April 2007


SPORTS SHORTS

* Bangladesh has banned the downlink of 10 foreign satellite TV channels in the country. The channels are: Channel V, Zoom, Ren TV, Fashion TV, AXN, G Cop, Music India, Cinemax, The Music and Trendz. The restriction was enforced under the Cable Television Network Act of 2006. Without government approval, no channel would be allowed to telecast in Bangladesh. Before broadcast by any new channel, it would have to obtain approval from the Ministry of Information of Bangladesh. Source: All Headline News, 25th April 2007

* Sony is launching a video-sharing site in Japan in a step to challenge YouTube. Sony hopes to introduce eyeVio abroad, but said it wanted to gauge the reception at home before drawing up an overseas launch schedule. Earlier this year YouTube agreed to display warnings in Japanese telling users not to upload copyright materials. Last year it removed nearly 30,000 video files from the site at the request of Japanese media firms. Source: Advanced Television, 26th April 2007

* Discovery Networks Asia will partner with Visa for the launch of a new filmmaking initiative allowing six Chinese directors to produce a series of five-minute vignettes on six former Olympic host cities for broadcast on the Discovery Travel & Living programming block in China this September. A page dedicated to the initiative will be available on Visa China and Sina websites for the next five months. Visitors can view the vignettes, vote their favorites and share their Olympic City experiences online. They will stand to win tickets to the 2008 Olympic Games. Source: Worldscreen, 26th April 2007

* The BOCOG, FIBA and the NBA formed a joint cooperation to develop and execute aspects of Olympic sports presentation for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. As part of this broad partnership, the NBA and FIBA will work with BOCOG on basketball presentation in the Wukesong Basketball Arena and consultation on other sports event presentations. The NBA will utilise its sports presentation expertise to incorporate the Olympic image into entertainment elements that have Chinese characteristics and international appeal. Source: Sport Business, 26th April 2007

* Beijing unveiled the route for the 2008 Olympic torch relay including to Mount Everest and Taiwan, which swiftly rejected the route as an "unacceptable" attempt to downplay the island's sovereignty. The flame will pass at least 22 cities in five continents, including capital cities and scores of stops in China. The 130 day, 137,000 kilometre relay will begin in Beijing on March 31, with the attempt to summit Mount Everest sometime in May. Source: Channel News Asia, China Economic Review, 27th April 2007

* India’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games has been shelved after Delhi lost out to Incheon in the bidding to host the 2014 Asian Games. The proposed Olympic bid had been part of a three-part masterplan that involved Delhi hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010, then the Asian Games and finally the Olympics. Only the first part of the plan will now go ahead. Source: Sportcal, 26th April 2007

* Aston Martin could make an entry into F1 in the future. Former Benetton and BAR team principal, David Richards, returns to the sport next year with his own Prodrive team, hinted that "in five years F1 could be realistic for Aston." Richards and a consortium of investors acquired a controlling stake in Aston Martin from Ford. Source: Sport Business, 26th April 2007

* Ray Ranson has submitted a revised proposal to buy Manchester City. Ranson earlier made a £90 million offer to buy the club according to reports. He said the revised proposal addressed the club's concerns about conditionality and he hoped to enter formal discussions with the board. He says he has the backing of a British-based financial partner. Manchester City said it would consider offers for the club. Source: Sport Business, 26th April 2007

* The route for cycling’s Tour of Britain this autumn was announced yesterday, with organisers aiming to take advantage of the surge of interest created by London and the south-east of England hosting the start of the Tour de France in July. The Tour of Britain will have six road stages and begin with a prologue time trial at Crystal Palace in south-east London. The Tour of Britain is scheduled for September 9 to 15. Source: Sportcal, 26th April 2007


MORE NEWS

Japan/Rights: Pay-TV to Offer Additional Olympics Coverage in Japan

Japanese satellite broadcaster, SkyPerfecTV, will agree to broadcast the Olympic Games, starting with the 2010 winter games in Vancouver, giving Japan its first ever pay-television coverage of the Games. The Japan Consortium, a group of broadcasters organised by the NHK network and the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan, is expected to acquire rights for Japan and subsequently sub-license rights to SkyPerfecTV.

SkyPerfecTV’s acquisition of Olympic broadcast rights would allow viewers in Japan to watch events that are not usually covered by terrestrial broadcasters in the country, such as the preliminary matches in the ice-hockey tournament. The Japan Consortium’s existing Olympic contract expires after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, but it is widely tipped to agree an extension for 2010 and beyond.

A $545.5-million contract was signed with the IOC in 1997 for the five Olympic Games between 2000 and 2008. The share of the fee for the forthcoming 2008 games was $180 million. The consortium comprises NHK, NTV, TV Asahi, Fuji TV, TBS and TV Tokyo. Source: Sportcal, 26th April 2007

India/Broadcaster: Possible Solutions Emerge in Indian Cricket Encryption Row

A solution to the dispute over availability of Indian international cricket to the India's television viewers appeared to be closer after a government committee offered several technological solutions. The group gave its seal of approval to eight sets of encryption technology that could ease the fears of Nimbus Communications, the holders of rights to India's home internationals, over a government ordinance demanding it shares the action with Doordashan.

Nimbus claimed that the decision, which came just before the start of a one-day series against the touring West Indies team, significantly eroded the value of the $612-million investment it made to acquire the rights between 2006 and 2010. Without encryption, Doordashan's broadcasts could be picked up via direct-to-home satellite signals as well as by regular terrestrial viewers. The signal, which Nimbus delayed by seven minutes, also 'leaked' across the country's borders denting the value of rights to the action in the Middle East. Source: Sportcal, 26th April 2007

Pakistan/General: Two Badminton Tournaments to be Staged

Pakistan will stage two back-to-back international badminton tournaments in Lahore and Islamabad this year. “A triangular series involving Iran, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be played in Lahore from April 28 at Government Science College,” the aid a spokesman from the Pakistan Badminton Federation. The Iranian team will arrive on April 27 and the Sri Lankans on April 28.

After the series all the three teams will feature in President of Pakistan International Invitation Tournament which will be played from May 2-4 at Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad. The two back-to-back tournaments would help raise the standard of game in Pakistan beside spotting of new talent as under-19 players would be tried in both the events. Source: Daily Times Pakistan, 26th April 2007

Elsewhere/Business: Joost Lines Up Advertisers Ahead of Launch

A host of big-name advertisers, among them Microsoft, Sony Electronics and Unilever, have come on board as advertisers on Joost, the new Internet TV service from Skype founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom. According to the New York Times, Joost has signed on 30 “launch partner” advertisers as it gears up to deliver free content to users worldwide. Nick Loria, the senior VP of global advertising sales at Joost told the Times that the new advertisers had signed up for a three-month trial.

Ten of the new advertising partners stem from Joost’s deal with the Interpublic Emerging Media Lab. The strategic relationship covers the Interpublic clients General Motors Europe with Opel and Vauxhall, Intel, Lionsgate, Microsoft Corp., Motorola Inc., Sony Electronics, Inc., Taco Bell Corp, Unilever's Magnum Ice Cream and the U.S. Army. The prices for the ads range from $50,000 for U.S. only to $100,000 for worldwide distribution over three-months. Some will be traditional 30-second spots, while others will utilize interactive elements. Source: Worldscreen, Rapid TV News, Advanced Television, The Daily Reel, 26th April 2007

Global/General: Idate Forecasts Mobile TV Growth

In its latest Digiworld 2007 report, French research institute Idate estimates that the value of worldwide TV services reached €250bn last year, and is expected to grow to €263bn this year. The French market alone represented €10bn and should grow to €11bn in 2007. The world’s main markets (that include Europe, USA and Japan) account for 80% of TV revenues but annually lose 1% marketshare to diversified entertainment services.

Out of 1.1 billion households equipped with TV sets, 480m were subscribing to some sort of pay TV offering last year, mostly via cable TV. However, DTH dish reception keeps expanding steadily, Idate mentions. Idate considers the importance of IPTV within the mix as “marginal”. In France, Mobile TV revenues should pass from €25m in 2006 to €34m this year before reaching new levels of €206m in 2008, €409m in 2009 and €618m during 2010. Source: Rapid TV News, 26th April 2007