29th November | | |
3D porn comes to Europe
| Based on article from
hollywoodreporter.com
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French porn producer Marc Dorcel is bringing Europe a new dimension in erotic entertainment with the launch of a 3D video-on-demand service for porn videos. Dorcel claims the service will be Europe's first on-demand 3D outlet for porn. The
initial offering, available via French provider FREE, features more than 60 videos shot in 3D and full HD, according to Dorcel. Dorcel plans to offer the new porn service to operators across France and Europe.
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10th November | | |
Porn mogul suggests luxury hotels where the room fee is to perform on internet TV
| Based on article from
travel.usatoday.com
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According to the New York Post, Berth Milton, CEO of Private Media, wants to open as many as 100 sex hotels in cities around the world where guests could stay for free - if they agree to have sex in front of Web cams. Their sessions would then be
broadcast on the Web to subscribers, the story says. The hotels would be luxury hotels. Milton believes porn fans will pay to watch amateurs having sex. He estimates that subscriptions could bring in about $44 million annually: The
important thing is to go all the way - not halfway or a third of the way. Milton researched the concept by visiting more than a dozen swingers clubs around Barcelona, the story says: It has to be a hotel for non-swingers as well -not super
explicit where everybody's running around naked. That takes the style and class out of it.
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9th November | | |
Strictly Broadband splits off from The Sport
| Based on article from
erotictradeonly.com
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The UKs best known adult VOD service, Strictly Broadband, has become an independent business again after splitting from its majority-stake-owning parent firm in October. Strictly Broadband MD Jerry Barnett explained: The deal is that we and The
Sport had both been struggling with the problems within our own markets. They wanted to refocus on their core business; newspapers. At the same time Strictly had been suffering from the downturn in the porn market. Barnett continued: It was
felt best all round that Strictly Broadband go back to being independent and use fresh energy to turn the situation around the best we can in the current climate.
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21st June | | |
Internet TV censor sets fixed fee for all participating websites
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The Association for Television on Demand (ATVOD) has imposed an annual fee on all video on-demand providers, but critics remain concerned that small-scale operators could be unfairly penalised under the scheme. ATVOD, which took over VOD
regulation duties from Ofcom in March, yesterday announced that a flat-rate fee of £2,900 will be imposed on the services of all notified VOD providers in the UK. The fee is being introduced so that ATVOD can be adequately funded to carry
out its regulatory activities . Last month, the United For Local Television (ULTV) group expressed concern that the approach could penalise small-scale VOD players unable to afford an annual fee. Taking into account the concerns, ATVOD
acknowledged that there could be some (as yet unidentified) small-scale providers of actual or prospective ODPS [on-demand programme services] services who might find a fee of £2,900 prohibitive, and that such a fee would therefore not be
justifiable or proportionate in relation to them . ATVOD has therefore invited small-scale VOD providers, most likely local and community groups, to contact the regulator if they will have genuine difficulties in being able to pay the fee. All
such providers must write directly to Ofcom before July 15.
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2nd June | | |
Nookie TV ends its service
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Nookie TV was an R18 rated adult Internet TV service accessed in the UK via a set top box. Unfortunately the service has now come to an end as explained on the defunct Nookie TV website: Dear Subscriber:
Unfortunately, due to financial hardship, we are ceasing all operations and discontinuing NookieTV broadcast service as of May 15th 2010. We will not be asking our customers to return their IPTV equipment. Therefore no
further action is required on your part. Thank you for your past business. Sincerely, NookieTV
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27th March | | |
Ofcom suggests a fee of £2500 on each VOD provider
| Based on article from
paidcontent.co.uk |
UK video-on-demand providers must pay a combined £375,000 to two bodies that will regulate their industry. The Association for Television On Demand (ATVOD) was last week confirmed by Ofcom to co-regulate, along with it, the VOD sector.
Ofcom says 150 VOD services must pay the fees - but, despite reviewing the sector last year, it has not published a list identifying the companies affected. Indeed, singling out those services which fall under the joint Ofcom-ATVOD auspice is
tricky. The EC directive applies to TV-like services, which it says must not contain any incitement to hatred based on race, sex, religion or nationality ; must provide appropriate protection for minors against harmful material and
sponsored programmes and services must comply with applicable sponsorship requirements . But what TV-like means is open to interpretation, as media continue to converge and innovate. After commissioning research in to the topic,
Ofcom says the scope should extent to services that provide access to programmes that compete for the same audience as television broadcasts, and therefore, are comparable to the form and content of programmes included in broadcast television services
. Only services that have editorial responsibility over their content are covered. Specifically, Ofcom says catch-up TV websites and set-top box services, TV archives and movie VOD services [doesn't sound very
TV-Like to me!] fall under regulatory scope. Ofcom has opened a consultation with three options for raising the money:
- Option A: Charging based on services' revenue, so as not to disadvantage smaller providers.
- Option B: A mixture of revenue-based fee and a flat £1,000 fee.
- Option C: A flat £2,500 fee. [Ofcom preferred option]
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19th March | |
| Pete Johnson previously of the BBFC is the Chief Exec
| Based on article from
digitalspy.co.uk |
The Association For Television On Demand (ADVOD) has confirmed a series of senior appointments as it takes over video on-demand regulation from Ofcom. Ofcom has now officially handed over statutory powers to independent body ATVOD for supposedly
light touch regulation of online video, including all consumer protection standards and guidelines for taste, decency and sponsorship requirements. In response, ATVOD has restructured its operation. Former deputy chair of Ofcom's consumer
panel Ruth Evans has been appointed to lead the organisation as its new independent chair. Aside Evans, the five-strong ATVOD board includes former Channel 4 News editor Sara Nathan, Advertising Association chief executive Tim Lefroy, ASA Council
member Nigel Walmsley and broadcasting compliance specialist Ian McBride. Sky's Daniel Austin, BT's Simon Milner, Virgin Media's Simon Hunt and Five's Chris Loweth will provide the ATVOD board with an industry perspective. The organisation has
further hired Pete Johnson as its new chief executive, after he previously managed VOD and packaged media regulatory policy for the BBFC. This is a landmark moment for video on-demand services in the UK which offer programmes that are
comparable to those shown on traditional TV channels, said Johnson, who will outline ATVOD's regulatory policy on March 25 at IPTV World Forum: On UK services, children will be protected from the most extreme content, and for the first time use of
product placement and sponsorship will be subject to controls and restrictions. Recent Ofcom research suggests that there are around 150 operators on the UK market that meet the statutory criteria for providing TV-like VOD services. All
providers must now contact ATVOD before April 30 to outline their service propositions, with any firms meeting the criteria required to pay a fee based on the overall cost of regulating the sector . ATVOD said that it will soon launch a six-week
consultation with Ofcom into the fee structure, in which all stakeholders will be able to have their say.
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