ofcom

Clearleap, an Atlanta-based company which offers a technology platform for bringing Internet-sourced video content to television sets, announced last week that it has signed a deal with Break Media, the company that operates Break.com, an entertainment Web site which targets a male demographic, to bring the latter's broadband video content to the TV screen. According to the companies, their partnership will enable Break.com to dynamically deliver a portion of its video library to Clearleap's Content Marketplace, where it will instantly be available for cable and IPTV operators to use as VOD programming.

UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has published its sixth annual Communications Market Report. Among the TV-related highlights:

Project Canvas--a joint initiative between the BBC, UK commercial broadcaster ITV, and UK incumbent telco BT, which seeks to develop a common standard and interface for the delivery of online catch-up services such as the BBC iPlayer and the ITV player, as well as other Internet-based VOD services, to broadband-connected set-top boxes (specifically, set-top boxes designed for reception of the UK's free-to-air multichannel TV services, Freeview and Freesat)--may be facing the same kind of regulatory scrutiny that led to the demise of Project Kangaroo, the joint VOD venture between the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 (note: for more on Kangaroo's demise, see the article posted on itvt.com April 20th).

Following the UK's recent participation TV scandal, that country's
broadcast regulator, Ofcom, has proposed new rules to tighten
regulation of TV and radio programs that rely heavily on premium-rate
telephone services (PRS). The body says that its proposed changes to
the UK's Broadcasting Code will "ensure that programs that invite
viewers and listeners to interact or participate are not vehicles for
promoting commercial, revenue-generating services," and will also
"ensure that viewers are adequately protected and that advertising is
kept separate from editorial content, as required under European
legislation."

The new rules state that when PRS is used in a program for audience
participation: