In Possible Threat to Must-Carry, GAO Says Broadcast License Phase-out Feasible (Broadcasting & Cable)
The General Accountability Office has concluded that phasing out cable and satellite statutory licenses for the retransmission of broadcast content “may be feasible for most” participants, and the U.S. Copyright Office agreed. Must-carry rules could be threatened as a result.
Murdoch: Hulu Deal Opens Doors For Other Distributors (Broadcasting & Cable)
As Hulu readies its new streaming services with live programming, traditional MVPDs will be able to get the same terms and start their own skinny bundles, 21st Century Fox executives said. Hulu confirmed it was working on the new service, and Fox said its participation with Hulu will establish a precedent.
Turner CEO Says U.S. Has Too Many Networks (Broadcasting & Cable)
The era of the skinny bundle won’t be good news for some cable networks. “There’s too many networks in the United States. And we’ve been saying for years that there’s going to be a rationalization of those networks,” said Turner Broadcasting CEO John Martin on Time Warner’s earnings call with analysts Wednesday.
Beacons On Buses To Trigger In-App Ads (Wired)
Passengers on London buses could soon be receiving push notifications with real-time travel updates and in-app ads thanks to “the UK’s largest iBeacon experience”. A collaboration between mobile marketing company Proxama and Transport for London will allow integration of the beacon system into an app.
Schools and Universities Must Make Cybersecurity Education a Priority (Inside Sources- Commentary)
Cyber-attacks have increasingly become the chosen method of attack against the United States by enemies of our country. Yet despite this, our efforts to educate students to prepare for careers as computer experts are severely lacking.
YouTube Developing Skinny Bundle For 2017 (Bloomberg)
YouTube is working on a paid subscription service called Unplugged that would offer customers a bundle of cable TV channels streamed over the internet, people familiar with the plan say. The project, for which YouTube has already overhauled its technical architecture, is one of the online video giant’s biggest priorities.
Hulu Plans To Release Virtual Reality Series (NY Post)
Hulu is set to debut a virtual reality series that lets users experience what it’s like to walk out on stage as the star of a huge concert. The series, a partnership with tour operator Live Nation, is one of several new initiatives announced Wednesday by the online TV service.
CHARTER-TWC MERGER OPPOSITION GROUP PRESSES FCC FOR MORE CONDITIONS (Fierce Cable)
With Commissioners of the FCC set to vote on Charter Communications’ takeover of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, opposition group Stop Mega Cable has made an 11th-hour plea with the agency to impose more conditions on the deals.
DID SOCIAL MEDIA RUIN TED CRUZ’S CAMPAIGN? (The Guardian- Commentary)
“Skewered by social media memes” is the essential story of the Sen Ted Cruz campaign, and the gleeful and prolific satires of the ordinary citizens’ online community surely played a role in exaggerating the candidate’s inherent strangeness, sketching him as a grotesque figure vulnerable to his rivals.
Comcast accounts for half of cable industry EBITDA, driving industry growth, Moody’s says (Fierce Cable)
The cable industry, despite its challenges, will grow its aggregate top-line revenue by 4 percent this year, and Comcast will be driving that growth. So says Moody’s Investors Service, which says Comcast will account for more than half of cable industry EBITDA in 2016, generating $20.5 billion of the industry’s $40 billion.
Is The Live Sports Rights Bubble Finally Bursting? (Deadspin- Commentary)
Over the past decade, television broadcasters have bet that DVR-proof live sports will remain highly profitable, and shelled out tens of billions of dollars to acquire broadcast rights to the NFL, NBA, MLB, Olympics, World Cup, college football and basketball. To a large degree, paying rights fees is an exercise in extreme speculation.
Live concerts could be just the ticket for virtual reality (Recode)
Much has been written about what the killer use case beyond gaming will be for virtual reality. Armchair tourism, e-commerce and professional sports are frequently tossed out as possibilities. But one of the most intriguing options could be to take in big-name concerts.
The ever-elusive promise of podcasting (Media Life)
A few years back, everyone was talking about 3D TV. Now one has to wonder whether we may be seeing the same thing play out for another emerging medium, podcasting. Everybody in media is talking about podcasting, but not all that many people are actually listening to podcasts.