Your digest of the week’s top media, entertainment and technology news.
Apple appoints ex-C4 Chief
Jay Hunt has been appointed to lead Apple’s new programme commissioning team in London as part of the technology giant’s $1 billion investment in content creation, The Telegraph reported. The former Channel 4 Creative Chief has a wealth of TV experience from her senior commissioning roles at Channel 4, Channel 5 and the BBC.
Arqiva’s £1.5bn IPO
British transmission company Arqiva has announced its plans to proceed with £1.5 billion initial public offering (IPO). According to Broadband TV News, the offering will be listed on the London Stock Exchange with ambition the investment will return significant revenue for shareholders
Russian radio journalist stabbed
Tatyana Felgenhauer, a radio journalist based in Moscow, was attacked on Monday by a man who stabbed her in the neck and pepper sprayed security guards. The Guardian reported the independent news outlet Ekho Moskvy features reports and discussions critiquing the Kremlin and has been attacked before for their liberal journalism.
Cisco snaps up BroadSoft
In a $1.7 billion deal, Cisco Systems Inc will buy software company BroadSoft Inc to diversify from switching and routing. Software company BroadSoft specialises in technology for major cable and telecommunications networks. Reuters reported that shares rose 1.35% as a result of Cisco offering $55 per share for the company, an offer more than 25% higher than where shares were trading before the deal was revealed.
AT&T extends Time Warner deadline
The AT&T $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc had an impending deal termination date of 22 October 2017. This week AT&T announced the deadline will be extended for a brief period of time in order to obtain the required regulatory approval. The acquisition is predicted to give control over media assets including cable TV channels HBO and CNN as well as film studio Warner Bros according to Reuters.
Telecom Italia and Canal+ tie-up
A joint venture between Telecom Italia (TIM) and French media group Vivendi’s pay-TV unit Canal+ was announced. In a statement, reported by Reuters, TIM Chief Executive Amos Genish said: “The joint venture with Canal+ will in fact allow us to seize new opportunities for growth in a market undergoing continuous evolution through a commercial offer of fibre connectivity combined with premium video content”.
Netflix bond sale
Video streaming giant Netflix has released plans to raise a further $1.6 billion from investors to finance new content and acquisitions. The interest rate on the bonds issued to investors is yet to be announced. In 2018, Netflix is set to spend up to $8 billion on content in a bid to rival its upcoming competitors Advanced Television reported.
QVC Germany goes UHD
QVC and SES have signed a 10-year deal enabling QVC to launch a new Ultra HD (UHD) channel in Germany. According to TVBEurope, Germany now has the largest high definition and UHD channel offerings with seven 4K channels available in the country. QVC Chief Executive Mathias Bork said: ”Our goal is for viewers to receive our TV programming in the best possible picture quality – and broadcasting in Ultra HD confirms this claim”.
Spanish government to control Catalan TV
The conflict between the Spanish and Catalonian governments continue to rise, with the Spanish Prime Minister announcing a take-over of Catalan public TV. The government released a set of rules to regulate the administration of Catalonian TV with claims the broadcaster had used the public media outlet to manipulate viewers. Rapid TV News reported the decision to officially take control has not yet been announced with a decision likely to be made in November.
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