| This week's sponsor is EXFO. | 
| Webinar: Carrier Ethernet woes? Improve operational efficiency and network visibility
Wednesday, October 10, 11am ET / 8am PT / 3pm GMT
This webinar introduces a centralized Ethernet service activation and monitoring solution that enables network operators to deploy cost-effectively, accelerate time to revenue and boost operational efficiency, while optimizing subscriber experience. Register Today! |
Today's Top Stories
1. Shazam beats cable ITV platforms to the plate with Major League Baseball deal
2. Disney takes 3D movies over the top with LG deal
3. Gannett threatens to pull stations from Dish Network
4. Bankruptcy court approves Contec reorganization
5. Comcast woos Minneapolis – St. Paul subscribers with Xfinity Experience Center Also Noted: Ciena and Fujitsu
Spotlight On... ABI: North America leads world in broadband penetration
Time Warner Cable, Verizon expand joint promotion to Hawaii; Amazon veteran Peter Lai named Delivery Agent president and much more...  Follow @FierceCable on Twitter!
News From the Fierce Network:
1. FCC's Genachowski: We're on track to free up 300 MHz of spectrum by 2015
2. Cisco gives two executives "president" title
3. tw telecom wins WAN contract with U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
| This week's sponsor is Overture. |  | eBook: Finding New Gold in Copper This eBook from FierceTelecom will explore the ever-changing dynamics of service providers' copper networks and how they are using these new technologies to deliver a wider set of services to consumers and businesses. Download for free today. |
Sponsor: Ruckus FierceLive! Webinars > Beyond the Cable: The Move to Mobility by MSOs - October 9th, 11:00 am EST/ 8:00 am PST
> Mobile Acceleration for the Mobile Revolution - Tuesday, November 13th, 2pm ET / 11am PT
> Carrier Ethernet woes? Here's an economical approach to improving operational efficiency and network visibility - Wednesday, October 10, 11am ET / 8am PT / 3pm GMT
> The 1000x challenge; Small cells everywhere! - Wednesday, October 17, 12pm ET / 9am PT Events > Customer Engagement Technology World - November 7-8, 2012 - NY, NY
> Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 - An Operator- Reviewed Awards Program From the Publishers of FierceWireless, FierceTelecom, FierceCable
> TVNEXT - October 10-11 - Santa Clara, CA
> CTAM Summit & CTAM Insights Conferences - October 14-16 - Orlando, FL
> A new conference for a new world - TM Forum's Management World Americas 2012 - Orlando, FL - December 3-6 Marketplace > Research: LTE: a real disruptive technology and business opportunity?
> Whitepaper: Rethink IP/Optical Core Management
> EBook: Finding New Gold in Copper
> Whitepaper: Kabel Deutschland Uses Lavastorm Analytics' Flexibility to Optimize Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management Processes
> EBook: Looking Beyong 100G
> Shifting Performance Strategies and Solutions for Mobile and Web Experience Jobs > Project Manager Job - Middletown, NJ, USA – Yoh
> IT (Telecom) Project Manager Job - Raleigh, NC, USA – Yoh
> Telecom Field Technician Job - Bellevue, WA, USA - Yoh
> Project Administrator II Job - Overland Park, KS, USA – Yoh * Post a classified ad: Click here.
* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. Shazam beats cable ITV platforms to the plate with Major League Baseball deal
Shazam said it struck a deal with MLB Advanced Media which will allow baseball fans watching games on TV to receive interactive content on their smartphones and tablet computers.  | Shazam's deal with MLB will deliver interactive content to baseball fans. | Viewers watching the Major League Baseball playoffs and World Series will be able to access video highlights and receive live scores and statistics on their mobile phones and tablets. TBS and Fox are producing playoff games, with TBS's coverage of wildcard playoff games featuring the Baltimore Orioles competing against the Texas Rangers, and the Atlanta Braves against the St. Louis Cardinals, beginning tonight. The Shazam – MLB deal is the latest example of content owners focusing on using mobile phones and tablets to deliver interactive programming to viewers, rather than developing applications for interactive TV platforms developed by Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and other cable MSOs. While cable MSOs have invested in deploying an EBIF platform that could allow programmers to deliver interactive programming that subscribers could access with a remote control that is similar to the content MLB is delivering with Shazam, few networks and advertisers have embraced the technology. MLB is the first professional sports league that has partnered with Shazam, which has developed automatic content recognition (ACR) technology that can be used to deliver programming and advertising to mobile devices that is synchronized with video that a viewer is watching on TV. But Shazam has already made its mark in sports programming. During NBC's coverage of Super Bowl XLVI in April, about one-third of the commercials offered viewers the option to receive bonus content on mobile phones and tablets that had the Shazam app installed. Cable operators are also beginning to experiment with Shazam. Comcast ran a demo at The Cable Show in May that showed how it could let subscribers watching music videos on networks such as MTV search for related content in its video-on-demand library by pressing a button on the remote control for its X1 digital video service. For more:
- see the release Related articles:
Shazam expands Shazam for TV service; companion app integrates with Facebook, Twitter
Comcast, Shazam offer glimpse at future
Cablevision to sell Super Bowl gear with Shazam, Delivery agent
NBCU expands Shazam interactive TV integration with USA, E!, SyFy shows
Will Shazam's ACR technology leave cable's ExpandTV platform in the dust? Read more about: Fox, Major League Baseball
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 | Webinar: Beyond the Cable: The Move to Mobility by MSOs
October 9th, 11:00 am EST/ 8:00 am PST
The best immediate prospects for MSOs may lie on using Wi-Fi to harvest data from mobile operators for backhaul over MSO HFC networks. Wi-Fi networks provide a huge differentiation and opportunities for cable operators. This webinar will explore how MSOs are integrating Wi-Fi into their existing network architectures and examine the economics behind Wi-Fi for cable operators. Register Now! |
2. Disney takes 3D movies over the top with LG deal
Disney (NYSE: DIS) struck a deal with LG Electronics USA (NYSE: LGL) which will allow it to stream 3D movies directly to consumers who buy broadband-connected TVs.  | LG and Disney are partnering to stream 3D movies. | Rather than relying solely on cable operators to sell 3D versions of "Toy Story," "Alice in Wonderland" and other hits through their video-on-demand platforms, the LG agreement will allow Disney to distribute movies through the "3D World" application that LG has built for its Smart TV platform. LG offers consumers who buy its smart TVs two-day rentals for 3D movies, priced between $4 and $8 apiece. Cable operators won't get a cut of any of the revenue that LG and Disney will generate through over-the-top video distribution, but broadband providers could benefit from increased demand for their high-speed Internet services. LG and Disney said they'll add several new titles to the 3D service by spring 2013, including "Finding Nemo," "Bolt," "Gnomeo & Juliet," "Tangled" and "Tron: Legacy." LG is attempting to drive viewers to sample the 3D content by offering $50 coupons for 3D World titles to consumers who purchase its 3DTVs. For more:
- see the release Related articles:
3DTV sales expected to hit 180M units by 2019
NBC to deliver taped Olympics 3D programming to 80% of TV homes
DirecTV pulls plug on 24-hour 3D channel
Comcast, DirecTV serve U.S. Open in 3D Read more about: LG, Disney
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3. Gannett threatens to pull stations from Dish Network
Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH) is warning that subscribers in 19 cities could lose the feeds from TV stations owned by Gannett Co. unless Dish agrees to pay increased retransmission-consent fees and disable the AutoHop commercial skipping technology on its new multiroom DVR. The satellite TV provider's retransmission-consent agreement with Gannett expires on Sunday, and it claims the station group owner is demanding a 300 percent increase in fees. Gannett airs programming from ABC, CBS and NBC on stations in Denver, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Phoenix, Sacramento, Calif., Tampa, Fla., Buffalo, N.Y., and several other cities. Dish began marketing its Hopper DVR earlier this year. It contains an AutoHop function that, when activated by a subscriber, automatically removes all commercials from primetime programming stored on the DVR from the Big Four broadcast networks. CBS Corp. President Leslie Moonves has also threatened to pulled the company's owned-and-operated TV stations in New York, Los Angeles and other major markets from Dish unless it agrees to disable the AutoHop function. "Hopper cannot exist," Moonves said in August at a Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference. "We cannot produce episodes for $3.5 million apiece and have the people at Dish say they will pull out the commercials. We will not be on Dish. We will go elsewhere," he added. CBS, Fox, PBS and other broadcasters are also waging a federal copyright lawsuit aimed at forcing Dish to kill Hopper. For more:
- Reuters has this story Related articles:
CBS threatens to pull stations from Dish over Hopper dispute
Networks sue Dish Network to block AutoHop commercial skipper
Dish Network to wage Hopper fight in Los Angeles and New York
Broadcaster : Decision to pull stations from Dish not related to Hopper ad-skipping DVR
Hopper marketing expenses drain Dish Network profit in Q2 2012 Read more about: Gannett, Hopper
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4. Bankruptcy court approves Contec reorganization
Cable set-top repair company Contec said a U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved a reorganization that will allow it to reduce its debt by about $250 million. Contec, which refurbishes set-tops for Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and other MSOs, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August. The move drew headlines from media outlets nationwide since the company is owned by Bain Capital, the investment firm founded by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The former governor of Massachusetts left Bain in 1999, nearly a decade before it acquired Contec. The Schenectady, N.Y.-based company said Thursday it has also obtained $25 million in financing from lenders that it will use to pursue growth opportunities. "Day-to-day operations have not been impacted by this process, and our customers, employees and suppliers have been extremely supportive of us during this period," Contec COO Wes Hoffman said in a statement. For more
- see the release Related articles:
Contec files for bankruptcy protection
Oh no, Ojo! Video phone maker and iTV company WorldGate files for bankruptcy
Cox, CTDI open Wichita set-top distribution center Read more about: Contec
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5. Comcast woos Minneapolis – St. Paul subscribers with Xfinity Experience Center
Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday to tout the opening of a 2,000-plus square-foot retail store in Minnesota that it will use to market its triple play to subscribers in the Minneapolis – St. Paul market. The store, called the Xfinity Experience Center, contains a mock living room that will feature demonstrations of Comcast's advanced digital video products and applications it has built for mobile devices such as Apple's iPad and iPhone. Comcast will also pitch Verizon Wireless services in the store, as Minneapolis – St. Paul is one of the markets where it is teaming up with Verizon to cross-promote digital cable and wireless phone products. The store is located at the Rosedale Commons shopping center in Roseville, Minn., near Minneapolis and St. Paul. Comcast has opened similar retail stores in other states, including California, Texas and Pennsylvania. Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), Cox Communications and other cable MSOs are also increasing efforts to market digital cable, high-speed Internet and voice products through retail outlets. The retail outlet could help Comcast compete against DirecTV and Dish Network in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis – St. Paul is one of the few major markets where Comcast doesn't face competition from cable overbuilders. For more:
- The St. Paul Pioneer Press has this story Related articles:
Comcast evokes Apple retail strategy with Xfinity stores
Comcast to shop triple play at 'Xfinity Live' entertainment complex
Time Warner Cable expands retail presence
Comcast opens Xfinity Store in Philadelphia; AT&T sidelines U-verse technicians
Comcast, Verizon expand joint promotions to Atlanta, Denver, Chicago Read more about: Comcast
back to top |
Also Noted | This week's sponsors are Ciena and Fujitsu. |  | eBook: Looking Beyond 100G Driven by a never-ending appetite for bandwidth from businesses and consumers, service providers are in the process of upgrading their backbone and core networks. This eBook discusses the strategies, emerging standards, and technological advancements beyond 100G.
Click here to download today. |
SPOTLIGHT ON... ABI: North America leads world in broadband penetration With 72.4 percent of households connected to high-speed Internet services from cable operators, telcos and other broadband providers, North America leads the world in broadband penetration, according to ABI Research. The research firm said western Europe nearly caught up to North America during the second quarter by adding 1.2 million broadband subscribers and growing its penetration rate to 72 percent. Most North American broadband providers grew their subscriber counts by about 0.8 percent from the first quarter, while Atlanta-based cable MSO Cox Communications grew its broadband subscriber base by about 3 percent, according to ABI. Read more Cable industry news from across the Web: > Time Warner Cable and Verizon Wireless have expanded their joint marketing efforts to Hawaii, where subscribers who order new digital cable and wireless phone products can receive Visa debit cards valued up to $200. Release > T-commerce technology provider Delivery Agent named former Amazon executive Peter Lai president and COO. Release > TiVo said the most watched moment from Wednesday's presidential debate in TiVo homes was the moment Republican candidate Mitt Romney said he would cut funding to Sesame Street broadcaster PBS. Release > Rentrak said 49,149,440 households watched at least one minute of the presidential debate on broadcast and cable networks. Release > Paramount Home Media Distribution said it struck a deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group which will make Paramount's UltraViolet movie titles available through Flixster, the Warner Bros. movie streaming service. Release > Bright House Networks added new regional sports channels Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes to its programming lineup. Release And finally... Lionsgate promoted Brian Goldsmith to co-chief operating officer. The company said he'll lead its corporate development activities, cable channels and digital initiatives. Release > Beyond the Cable: The Move to Mobility by MSOs - October 9th, 11:00 am EST/ 8:00 am PST The best immediate prospects for MSOs may lie on using Wi-Fi to harvest data from mobile operators for backhaul over MSO HFC networks. Wi-Fi networks provide a huge differentiation and opportunities for cable operators. This webinar will explore how MSOs are integrating Wi-Fi into their existing network architectures and examine the economics behind Wi-Fi for cable operators. Register Now! > Mobile Acceleration for the Mobile Revolution - Tuesday, November 13th, 2pm ET / 11am PT A revolution is underway in how companies interact with audiences online. Join us to learn the recent results from Compuware research on mobile performance expectations, unique challenges presented by delivery over cellular networks, and what to consider when balancing mobile performance and usability. Register Today! > Carrier Ethernet woes? Here's an economical approach to improving operational efficiency and network visibility - Wednesday, October 10, 11am ET / 8am PT / 3pm GMT This webinar introduces a centralized Ethernet service activation and monitoring solution that enables network operators to deploy cost-effectively, accelerate time to revenue and boost operational efficiency, while optimizing subscriber experience. Register Today! > The 1000x challenge; Small cells everywhere! - Wednesday, October 17, 12pm ET / 9am PT To solve the 1000x mobile data challenge, we need more small cells, actually, much more, and everywhere - But, isn't interference a limiting factor? How dense can we deploy them? What are the future enhancements that takes HetNets to the next level? Find out the answers at this Qualcomm webinar. Register Today!
| > Customer Engagement Technology World - November 7-8, 2012 - NY, NY CETW is the only face-to-face event that is focused on leveraging the integration of emerging media across multiple channels to activate customer engagement. Register today with VIP Code CET52D to receive your free pass! > Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 - An Operator- Reviewed Awards Program From the Publishers of FierceWireless, FierceTelecom, FierceCable This program is designed to recognize the innovative companies and products that are defining the future of the broadband communications industry. Submissions will be judged based on effective application of and performance in networks, innovative approach, and contribution to revenue & profitability. Submit your application today! > TVNEXT - October 10-11 - Santa Clara, CA Social TV, TV Apps, Cloud TV, Broadband TV, and more... It's all part of the re-imagining of TV happening only at the 6th annual TVNEXT in October. Hear from over 50 top-notch speakers and networks with hundreds of the "who's-who" in the TV and entertainment industry. Learn more! > CTAM Summit & CTAM Insights Conferences - October 14-16 - Orlando, FL Discover what consumers crave with speakers from Trendrr, Zoove & Hill Holliday. Additional Speakers: Deepak Chopra, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer and NBC’s David Gregory. Additional Topics: Second Screen TV apps, Mobile Marketing and Amazing Sensory Research Tools. Register for one conference and access both! Register Today and bring a colleague at $595 Guest Rate! > A new conference for a new world - TM Forum's Management World Americas 2012 - Orlando, FL - December 3-6 TM Forum's Management World Americas 2012 is the only conference that brings together 1500+ professionals from communications and beyond to brainstorm, debate, share and learn everything you need to succeed in the digital world. This 4-day conference features re-imagined, highly interactive conference formats, unique pre-conference workshops, dedicated networking events, official TM Forum Training and Certification, and a central Hub featuring a bustling Expo, Catalyst demonstrations and all of the latest information from TM Forum. The agenda spans five interactive conference Forums covering Digital and M2M Service Enablement, Big Data Analytics, Customer Experience Management, IT and Cloud Agility, Cyber Security, plus a dedicated Cable Summit! Register now!
| > Research: LTE: a real disruptive technology and business opportunity? WiTech's latest Report "LTE: a disruptive technology and business opportunity" presents an in-depth analysis about the promising technology LTE by taking into account not only technology aspects but also business aspects. It points out the key drivers that are continuously changing the Telecom Market. Download this report today! > Whitepaper: Rethink IP/Optical Core Management Are You Ready to Rethink Your Network With the Alcatel-Lucent 1830 Photonic Service Switch? It's time to integrate the IP and optical layers of your network infrastructure and ensure optimal efficiency. Learn more about how you can rethink IP/Optical core management by downloading our whitepaper. > EBook: Finding New Gold in Copper This eBook from FierceTelecom will explore the ever-changing dynamics of service providers' copper networks and how they are using these new technologies to deliver a wider set of services to consumers and businesses. Download for free today. > Whitepaper: Kabel Deutschland Uses Lavastorm Analytics' Flexibility to Optimize Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management Processes Learn how Kabel Deutschland achieved quantifiable ROI in less than one year, accelerated detection of fraudulent activity by more than 2000 percent, and improved customer satisfaction. Download this case study today. > EBook: Looking Beyong 100G Driven by a never-ending appetite for bandwidth from businesses and consumers, service providers are in the process of upgrading their backbone and core networks. This eBook discusses the strategies, emerging standards, and technological advancements beyond 100G. Click here to download today. > Shifting Performance Strategies and Solutions for Mobile and Web Experience Achieving reliable performance that meets web and mobile user expectations is critical to business success. If your company's web and mobile applications are either poorly designed or poorly implemented, the result can be slow responses or unavailable sites that jeopardize potential transactions and damage your company's brand. Discover ways to drive web and mobile responsiveness and learn which emerging performance-enhancement techniques show the greatest promise in this On-Demand webinar. Download Now.
| > Project Manager Job - Middletown, NJ, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a Project Manager to join our client in Middletown, NJ. Job Responsibilities include tracking contract compliance and performance for incident management as well as providing leadership and working with multiple teams. Weekend and out of hours work is required...Learn more. > IT (Telecom) Project Manager Job - Raleigh, NC, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for an IT (Telecom) Project Manager to join our client in Raleigh, NC. This Raleigh - based IT Project Manager position is responsible for providing project management and team leadership for Telecommunications Projects as part of the Telecom Project Management team. The various types of projects may include merger and integration efforts related to combining the two legacy companies, along with voice services, data networks, circuit provisioning, backhaul networks, microwave systems, and wireless / radio systems...Learn more. > Telecom Field Technician Job - Bellevue, WA, USA - Yoh Yoh has a six month plus (6+) contract opportunity for a Telecom Field Technician to join our client Bellevue, WA. This position will develop proficiency in primary skills of customer relations, basic electricity, basic electronics, basic telephony, radio principles for CDMA and iDEN, and basic principles of digital transmission, fiber communication, data communication, telephony terminology, industry standards, and on-line network control / maintenance systems. Travel is required...Learn more. > Project Administrator II Job - Overland Park, KS, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a Project Administrator to join our client in Overland Park, KS. Responsibilities include creating and maintaining program / project reports as well as supporting ad-hoc reporting requests of multiple organizations. Bachelor's Degree preferred...Learn more. | |
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