| This week's sponsor is Adtran. |  | Webinar: The Transition from FTTC to FTTH — Is Vectoring the Answer?
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Publisher's Note: Tell your story with Executive Insights Also Noted: IneoQuest
Spotlight On... Bell Canada IPTV service draws patent infringement suit
Yahoo veteran named CEO of Shazam; beIn Sport to carry Giro d'Italia and much more... Special Report: Top 10 Worst Programming Disputes of All Time
 While clashes between programmers, cable operators and satellite TV providers have increased in recent years, content owners and distributors have been waging battles for decades. FierceCable counts down some of the most memorable programming disputes, based on the number of subscribers impacted, the amount of publicity generated and the financial impact on both networks and distributors. Our list includes disputes that sparked unique marketing stunts, and skirmishes that drew scrutiny from legislators and regulators. Check out our feature here  Follow @FierceCable on Twitter!
News From the Fierce Network:
1. Frontier's West Va. middle mile project nearly complete
2. Eve Griliches, Jim Hintze find new roles at BTI Systems
3. Sprint to get more info from Dish thanks to SoftBank's waiver
This week's sponsor is Coveo. |  | eBook:
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Publisher's Note Tell your story with Executive Insights
 As the old adage goes, there are three sides to every story – yours, mine, and the truth. Every day, our editorial team attempts to get to the heart of the truth with every story we write. That relentless pursuit of the truth means we aren't always able to share detailed personal perspectives from those making the news we cover. Often those stories are extremely compelling and informative. With that in mind, we have launched a new offering: Executive Insights.
This new feature will offer a glimpse into the front lines of our industry – as told by the newsmakers themselves. Starting today you will notice a yellow box containing our Executive Insights headlines appearing just below the news headlines. Please note that these are paid placements that have not been curated by our editorial team. I encourage you to click through and read what your industry colleagues have to say. Do you have a story to tell? Click here to submit your contribution and tell the Fierce audience how you see the industry evolving. As with any new feature we implement, I'd welcome your feedback. Please contact me directly if you have questions or suggestions on how we can further improve this offering to better serve you as a reader. Jason Nelson Publisher, Telecom Group | |
Today's Top News 1. Time Warner Cable looks to push DVR recordings to mobile devices
Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) has developed technology that would allow subscribers to transfer TV shows and movies stored on a DVR to PCs, smartphones and tablets, according to a patent application obtained by FierceCable. The nation's second largest cable operator, which plans to launch a new IP-based DVR later this year, filed the patent application, titled "Technique for Securely Communicating Programming Content," on Nov. 12, 2012. It was published last Thursday by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. "Because of the increasing popularity of home networking, there is a growing need for a strategy that enables a user to perform authorized transfer of protected content, e.g., transferring content from an STT [set-top terminal] to a second device in a home network, and at the same time prevents unauthorized distribution of the protected content," Time Warner Cable wrote in the patent application. The inventors listed on the application are Time Warner Cable VP of Subscriber Devices William Helms, CTO Mike Hayashi and John Carlucci, a former chief architect at Time Warner Cable who is now CTO of the Americas for South Korean technology vendor Alticast. While Time Warner Cable is one of several cable MSOs that allow subscribers to stream live programming to subscribers using Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad, no cable operator markets a product that lets subscribers transfer programming from a DVR to tablets, smartphones and other devices. Earlier this year, rival Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH) unveiled a "Hopper Transfers" feature for its Hopper multiroom DVR which lets subscribers download programming to mobile devices for offline viewing. The technology Time Warner Cable details in the patent application could help it compete against Dish and other pay TV providers. The patent explains how TWC could restrict how DVR recordings may be transferred by assigning security levels to personal media devices such as mobile phones or PCs. A level 1 device wouldn't be able to receive DVR recordings, while a level 3 device would be able to receive recordings, and subscribers would also be able to use a level 3 device to share content with other devices. A level 2 device "may be authorized to receive the movie content, but its rights to play the movie, and to transfer the movie content to other devices, may be restricted," Time Warner Cable writes in the patent application. Time Warner Cable uses the classic Orson Wells movie "Citizen Kane" as an example in the patent application of content that subscribers would be able to transfer from DVRs to personal media devices. If the subscriber wants to transfer the movie to a level 3 smartphone or tablet, that device "would have unlimited rights to play the movie and to transfer it to other devices (subject to the rights of the other devices associated with their respective security levels)," Time Warner Cable states in the patent application. Time Warner Cable has teamed up with Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) to market bundles of digital cable and mobile phone services in several markets, offering subscribers who order multiple services from each company $200 debit cards. The MSO is also working with Verizon Wireless Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) on a joint innovation lab focused on developing advanced products that rely on cable programming and Verizon Wireless devices. A product offering Verizon Wireless and Time Warner Cable subscribers the ability to transfer programming to mobile devices could be one thing the companies are developing. A Time Warner Cable spokesman declined to comment on the patent application Monday. For more:
- see the patent application Related articles:
Time Warner Cable to deploy 'souped up DVR' in second half of 2013
Time Warner Cable to deploy video gateways, IP set-tops
Dish Network adds Sling capabilities to Hopper DVR Read more about: Verizon Wireless
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2. Frontier makes 'Frank the American Buffalo' star of new ad campaign
Using a talking buffalo named Frank to pitch broadband service, Frontier Communications (Nasdaq: FTR) kicked off what the company described as its first ad campaign in years.  | Source: Frontier | The rural telco, which also markets FiOS TV programming on some systems and resells Dish Network's (Nasdaq: DISH) satellite TV programing package, said "Frank the American Buffalo" will be featured in broadcast, print and online ads. It's pitching new subscribers a $19.99 monthly DSL service if they sign a three-year contract. Frontier also plans to use Frank, who the company said "clocks in at 6 feet tall, 8 feet long and 2,000 pounds" to market its products through social media and through wraps placed on its fleet of service trucks. Led by Wink Communications founder Maggie Wilderotter, Frontier has stepped up its marketing efforts in the last year. The company targeted cable subscribers with a marketing campaign last year in which it offered new subscribers $500 Apple gift cards. For more:
- see the release Related articles:
Frontier charging $15 monthly for 24-hour customer service
Frontier loses 2,800 FiOS TV subs, but picks up 20,900 Dish customers in Q4 2012
Wilderotter: Frontier will decentralize marketing spending
Frontier targets cable, telephone customers with $500 Apple gift cards
Frontier to target cable subscribers impacted by outages and price hikes Read more about: advertising
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3. Time Warner Cable launches Filipino Lifestyle Network in California
Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) is expanding its programming lineup for Filipino Americans, announcing Monday that it launched ABS-CBN International's Lifestyle Network on its cable systems in Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif. ABS-CBN also distributes The Filipino Channel, which Time Warner Cable carries on several cable systems. Last June, the MSO announced that it would add Filipino On Demand programming to its programming lineups in Hawaii, the Carolinas and San Antonio, Texas. Time Warner Cable charges subscribers $24.99 monthly for a Filipino Pass Plus package that includes The Filipino Channel, Filipino On Demand, Tagalog, GMA Life TV, Pinoy TV, DWLS Radio and DZBB Radio. The MSO said it won't charge subscribers who receive The Filipino Channel additional fees for Lifestyle Network. ABS-CBN International described Lifestyle Network as a channel "dedicated to informing, enriching, empowering and inspiring Filipino Americans in English while providing audiences a wellspring of smart, practical, innovative guidance on living well." Adding Lifestyle Network to its subscription packages could help Time Warner Cable compete with other pay TV providers in California, which is home to about 1.5 million Filipinos, according to The Los Angeles Times. For more:
- see the release
- The Los Angeles Times has this story Related articles:
Time Warner Cable Austin fights Google Fiber with free WiFi
Time Warner Cable loses 119,000 video and 35,000 voice subscribers in Q1 2013
Charter sponsors battle of the bands competition; Time Warner Cable launches Filipino On Demand Read more about: Lifestyle Network
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4. IAB: 27% of online video users watch programming on connected TVs
5. Cox adds Movieplex to TV Everywhere lineup
Also Noted
SPOTLIGHT ON... Bell Canada IPTV service draws patent infringement suit In today's spotlight, FierceIPTV takes a look at a lawsuit that Toronto-based technology companies NorthVu and MediaTube filed against Bell Canada and Bell Aliant. NorthVu and MediaTube allege that Bell violated their patents with the launch of its IPTV service. Read more Cable industry news from across the Web: > Shazam named former Yahoo executive Rich Riley CEO. News release > Comcast said more than 250 employees in Vermont volunteered as part of its Comcast Cares Day public affairs initiative on Saturday. News release > Soccer channel beIN Sport said it'll cover the Giro d'Italia bike race. News release Telecom News > Vermont's Vtel has entered the 1 Gbps fiber to the home (FTTH) symmetrical speed race, serving up a $35 a month offering for rural consumer and business customers. Read more > Windstream reported that a switch in South Florida experienced a failure on Sunday afternoon, interrupting service to about 30,000 local business and residential lines in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and surrounding areas. Read more Wireless News > Google's $12.4 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility was premised, in part, on giving Android licensees protection from patent litigation via the shield of Motorola's more than 17,000 patents--but so far that has not worked out that well for Google or its licensees. Read more And finally... Dish said it'll report first-quarter earnings on May 9. News release > CTIA 2013 - MAY 21 - 23 - LAS VEGAS, NV CTIA 2013—North America’s largest mobile event—will bring together 40,000 of the best and brightest mobile professionals, 1,000 exhibitors showcasing 6 football fields of innovation; feature amazing keynotes; and host premium programming produced by the major thought leaders in the industry. REGISTER NOW! > Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 Live Announcement of this Year's Winners - Now Available On-Demand Please join Jason Nelson, Publisher of FierceWireless, FierceTelecom, and FierceCable as we announce the winners of the Fierce Innovation Awards 2012. Click here to RSVP today.
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