BBC's web TV project to "spawn a whole new industry"

"Project Canvas, the broadcast industry initiative to establish a common IPTV standard, could see the creation of a new software industry, according to the BBC's tech boss.

Canvas, expected to go live in 2010, is a collaboration between the BBC, BT and ITV to develop a platform to carry on-demand content to new broadband-enabled TV receivers."

from silicon.com

Not so much _low_ profile as _no_ profile...

Interesting article that, on the front page of this week's New Media Age (see below). 

Interesting for many reasons, not least because of the total lack of even a single mention of Blinkx.

This is a typical paragraph: 

"But the [Kangaroo] players [ie BBC, Channel 4, ITV] face increased competition in the market from the likes of Five (which has doubled the number of users viewing on Five Demand), Sky's recently launched Sky Player and web TV company Joost, along with potential new arrivals like Apple, Google and News Corp and NBC joint venture Hulu."

This is where Blinkx's determination to keep a low profile - although God alone knows what reason they have for doing so - is damaging the company and shareholder value. Why isn't Blink being mentioned in the same breath as the companies above? Why isn't Blinkx being mentioned at all?

How long, I wonder until there is a full-scale shareholder revolt over the way this company is being (mis)managed?

Kangaroo to launch at last?

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article5627414.ece

From The Sunday TimesFebruary 1, 2009

Kangaroo hops to launch

James Ashton 

An internet television service designed to rival YouTube is finally expected to get off the ground this week by getting the green light from the Competition Commission.

Kangaroo, a joint venture between the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, was thrown into doubt in December when the commission raised doubts over a “substantial lessening of competition” in the fast-growing video-on-demand market.

Designed to be a single portal for viewers to catch up on recently broadcast television shows as well as an archive of older programmes, shareholders have reached an agreement to supply rival websites on the same terms.

As a result, Kangaroo, to be funded by advertising, may be ready for launch in late spring. It aims to show more than 10,000 hours of programming, including BBC shows that are more than seven days old.

Before that, they appear on iPlayer, the free service which notched up 41m programme requests in December and 271m during the whole of 2008.

iPlayer has proved so popular that by some estimates it accounts for 5% of UK internet traffic. This led the Digital Britain report last week to suggest the BBC might have to contribute to broadband-delivery costs.

Concerns over Kangaroo had been raised by Virgin Media, independent television producers and BSkyB, the satellite broadcaster 39.1% owned by News Corporation, parent of The Sunday Times.

From New Media Age 15th Jan 2009

Web TV firms in fresh bid to stall Kangaroo

Internet TV companies Joost and Babelgum have made fresh calls to the Competition Commission to stop Kangaroo, the BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4 joint-venture VoD service. The move is in response to the CC's preliminary conclusion last last year that Kangaroo would likely result in a 'substantial lessening of competition'. Joost and Babelgum have challenged the joint venture throughout the CC's inquiry, whose final decision is due next month.