euro news_news 30/08/2013 12:24 Page 3
abertis telecom readies HbbTV launch
enjoy the interactive content offered by television channels through the Internet while still tuned in to the DTT channel. The HbbTV solution allows, through a link transmitted together with the rest of the DTT content, access a network specifically designed to be used together with DTT on television. With this technology, viewers enjoy access to a wide array of services ranging from on-demand TV to participation in surveys or contests and additional independent information, or information that is linked to the broadcast. During the I Hybrid DTT Interoperability Conference, held in Madrid on 23 and 24 of July, abertis's telecommunications infrastructure subsidiary worked jointly with radio broadcasters and television receiver manufacturers to test the improvement in the compatibility and interoperability between the already existing applications for connected TV and the television receivers equipped to receive
HbbTV content. The different tests carried out demonstrated that the latest advances in the technology for the Hybrid DTT standard guarantee the quality of service offered, which opens up the possibility of carrying out a massive launch of the product in Spain in the coming months, during the second half of 2013. All the DTT channels that are issuing Hybrid DTT applications participated in the conference, along with the main manufacturers that currently have receivers which are compatible with these services. The event took place in the interoperability laboratory of abertis telecom, which is equipped with testing and signal generating systems. This allowed different television manufacturers to test the correct functioning of their current models, as well as upcoming developments, with Spanish broadcasters' applications, all in the same laboratory.
panish telecoms infrastructure specialist abertis telecom is preparing for the mass launch of its Hybrid DTT service in the sec-
S
ond half of 2013. This is the certified connected TV service based on the HbbTV standard (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV), which allows viewers to
Airey appointed Yahoo! EMEA SVP
Yahoo! has appointed Dawn Airey as senior vice president of the company’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operation. Airey will report to COO Henrique de Castro. Christophe Parcot, who has served as Yahoo!’s interim lead of EMEA, will take on a new role with Yahoo! focused on expanding its business in the region. “Dawn is well known for her visionary thinking, operational discipline and leadership skills, and I can’t wait to work with her as we position Yahoo! for growth throughout the EMEA region,” said de Castro. “I’d like to thank Christophe
for his leadership of the past one and a half years. Together with Dawn’s direction and energy, I’m confident that the future is bright for Yahoo! in EMEA.” “It is great to be joining Yahoo!, especially at such an exciting point in time,” said Airey. “To be part of the Yahoo! renaissance was simply irresistible for me and I am very m uch looking forward to driving change, innovation and growth for the EMEA region.” Airey has held senior positions in the majority of the commercial broadcasters in the UK. Most recently, she was president of a unit of RTL Group. She joined in 2010 from the UK commercial public service broadcaster Five where
she was chairman and CEO. Previously she was managing director of global content at ITV and before that managing director, channels, at BSkyB.
OTT drives Europe's pay-TV growth
The latest pay-TV forecasts from Analysys Mason suggest that the number of households taking pay-TV services in Western Europe will increase by 9.2m to 113.3m, which amounts to 8.9% growth between 2013 and 2018. Take-up of OTT video will grow much more strongly than traditional pay-TV, but cordcutting will not be extreme – OTT video to the TV set will account for just 5.6m primary pay-TV services by 2018. The real impact of OTT will be felt on secondary TV sets – traditional operators could broaden
their reach with their own OTT services to these sets. The number of Western European households taking up traditional pay-TV services – delivered via analogue or digital cable, IPTV, pay-DTT or satellite – will increase by 4.1m to 107.7m, representing 3.9% growth during the period. These overall modest gains belie substantial variations between the performance of individual platforms – the gains for some will be nearly offset by losses for others during the forecast period. The real impact of OTT video services will be felt on secondary TV sets, where such services will drive a decline in traditional multiroom services. Analysys Mason still believes that cord-cutting will not be significant in Western Europe.
10 EUROMEDIA