Fast Forward - Media owners

Google to roll out Google TV globally

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:18:00 --0100

Google chief exec Eric Schmidt used his address to the IFA technology trade fair to announce that Google TV is to be launched worldwide next year, following its planned rollout in the US later this autumn. The service involves putting a search bar at the top of the TV screen, allowing users to search both the internet and live TV listings.

Desmond buys Five

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:19:00 --0100

RTL has sold Five to Richard Desmond's Northern & Shell for £103.5m. Mr. Desmond has intimated that he will invest heavily in new programming and is already said to be in negotiations to buy Big Brother, currently homeless after being dropped by Channel 4. Five's schedule will remain as is for a while as its contracts to broadcast shows such as CSI and Neighbours run their course. However, a shake-up in programming is now expected in 2011.

BBC website gets new look

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:26:00 --0100

BBC.com has relaunched with new functionality, design and content, to build on global growth. The new site is designed to offer users better navigation, easy-to-share functionality and greater use of video.

Google posts mixed results

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:55:00 --0100

Second-quarter revenue at Google exceeded expectations, rising 24% to US$5.1 billion, but rising operating costs led to its overall profit margin being lower than expected: pro-forma operating profit margin dipped to 39% (down from 41% in Q1). Staff headcount rose by 1,200 during the quarter, adding to costs.

Google's Display Advertising Plans Include Gmail, YouTube

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:27:00 --0100

For a company that has made a big business of indexing third-party websites, a substantial part of Google's display success hinges on its ability to milk YouTube and its other owned and operated properties such as Gmail and Google Finance.

French anti-trust focuses on Google

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:19:00 --0100

Google, the internet search provider, has been accused of a lack of transparency by French antitrust regulators and given four months to explain the conditions of its ad service.

IHT to launch weekly education section

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:09:00 --0100

The International Herald Tribune is set to expand is education coverage this autumn by introducing a weekly higher education section. The new section will debut in September and feature profiles of innovative educators and news-in-brief digests.

Guardian traffic rises as Times websites languish

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:49:00 --0100

The Guardian and Trinity Mirror's websites recorded big increases in traffic in May, while The Times' new registration-only websites have been hit by substantial drops, according to new sets of industry data from ABCe and Experian Hitwise.

France Telecom behind Le Monde offer

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:36:00 --0100

France Telecom has revealed plans to invest up to �60m in a consortium looking to buy French daily newspaper Le Monde and its online offering.

AOL sells Bebo for less than $10m

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:40:00 --0100

AOL has offloaded Bebo to a US private investment firm for less than $10m.

New York Times Plans Public Beta Site for Its Experiments

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:11:00 --0100

The New York Times is building a public beta testing site where it will experiment with new ideas and applications before deciding whether they deserve to go live on NYTimes.com.

Sky buys Virgin Media TV for £160m

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:17:00 --0100

BSkyB has acquired Virgin Media Television for up to £160m and entered into a number of agreements providing for the carriage of certain Sky standard and high-definition (HD) channels.

Le Monde for sale

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:52:00 --0100

French newspaper group Le Monde may try to sell its group operations, which include the newspaper, website, and television listings' guide Télérama, The Times has reported. The group has debts up to �125m and the paper lost �25m (£21m) last year, which was its tenth yearly loss in a row.

Google unveils web-TV offering

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:59:00 --0100

Google has unveiled Google TV , an interface for web-based television. The Google TV platform is driven by search and easy access to content, integrating web browsing and standard TV content into a Google Chrome-powered platform. Google proposes that the TV will act as a hub for gaming, photo viewing, TV and internet content.

CNN to launch news café

Mon, 17 May 2010 17:44:00 --0100

CNN International is to open a pop-up café in London this summer for hungry pedestrians looking for their daily news fix. The CNN News Café will also serve as a live location for interviews and live broadcasts while punters can create and submit their own news stories via CNN's interactive user-generated iReport booth.