NEWS BYTES...

Film and video distributor Metrodome, is set to move into streaming video on the Web through a joint venture with the Digital Broadcasting Company (DBC), the PPV group which broadcasts the u-direct service on Sky Digital. The two companies have set up a joint venture, called programmenet, which will commission and produce downloadable video clips for the Internet. The initial plan is to offer the clips free in the hope of driving traffic to programmenet’s website. DBC, which is backed by Nomura, Deutsche Bank and Pearson, will promote the new service via u-direct. The joint venture will have initial funding of about pounds10 million (E16m).

Simply Money, the start-up consumer finance channel, is to add interactivity to its broadcasts. Digital Interactive Broadband Services (DIBS), a subsidiary of Sony, has created enhanced television applications that will give viewers access to detailed information on news, deals, leisure and lifestyle features. The application created by DIBS is able to run across all platforms and has been designed to work with Simply Money’s existing software system. A mortgage and pensions calculator is planned for later in the year

NDS has signed an agreement with IBM Microelectronics to integrate its Open Videoguard TV system with IBM’s next generation set-top box ‘super chips’. IBM says the agreement will provide digital set-top box makers with the benefits of the system performance and enhanced function of IBM’s next generation ‘system-on-a-chip’ digital set-top box controllers with the ability to extend the secure delivery of multiple sources of digital TV programming and content via cable, satellite and terrestrial networks.

Polsat has signed a deal with Samsung for the production of digital set-top boxes for its mini-pay package. The Korean manufacturer, which maintains an office in Warsaw, has long held ambitions to enter the Polish set-top box market. Initially Samsung had hoped to supply Seca terminals to Canal+ Polska, but was held back by existing contracts with Pioneer, Kenwood and Pace. Interspace understands that Samsung will eventually replace the French Sagem as the supplier of the Polsat set-top boxes. The broadcaster uses Nagravision encryption with software supplied by OpenTV. Polsat already sources its LNBs from Samsung Electromechanics.

Danish terrestrial broadcaster TV2 is to launch TV2+, a satellite service, on October 15, 2000. The channel will be aimed at the 15-40 year segment, and TV2 has earmarked some DKr85 million (E11.36) for the channel. Appointing two entertainment executives presently working at TV2, Palle Stroem and Keld Reinicke, gives some insight into the channel profile – less news, more entertainment

Telenor Satellite has been rebranded to reflect a reorganisation of the company’s services. Following the combining of Telenor Satellite Services with Telenor TV Distribution (the former Telenor Plus) the new moniker is Telenor Broadband. The new group also includes cable division Telenor Avidi.

From June 1 Discovery Channel Germany is giving its sister service Animal Planet a programme window on digital pay-TV platform Premiere World. The branded block which replaces the series Wild Discovery is produced by BBC Worldwide and Discovery Channel and shows wildlife and nature programming daily from 19.30CET. It is expected that Animal Planet will launch as a full stand-alone channel in Germany later this year. Markus Tellenbach, head of Premiere World’s management, recently an-nounced that besides Fox Kids a history and an animal documentary channel would be added to the platform this autumn.

Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN), the US-based Christian channel, will become available to European viewers again from this summer. According to Moses Primo, director of broadcasting operations and engineering, the channel will resume its digital feed on Eutelsat Hot Bird on July 1. The signal is to be uplinked from Paris and transmitted within a package of France Telecom subsidiary Globecast. At the same time, the choice of languages will be extended.

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