Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania

NewsClips

September 24, 2013

Time Warner Cable has started up a new unit where marketers can customize their messages in live programming across multiple platforms.

The new unit called TWC Media Ads Everywhere will allow marketers to target brand messages across more than 50 cable networks. Time Warner Cable says this is the first multiscreen solution for iOS and Android devices, as well as desktops, to offer live ad insertion across a broad array of programming. Initially, the unit will look to customize messages across linear TV networks and the Time Warner Cable TV app. This can access multiple demographic groups.

The promise is to reach consumers on screens where there is a "low-cluttered and dynamic environment," getting those messages to consumers whenever they want to extend brand awareness and recall for marketers. Reports says in addition to linear and the Time Warner Cable TV app, the company has developed versions for other platforms/devices, including Roku, Xbox 360 and Samsung smart TV models.

For a while now, TV distributors and content owners have looked to quicken the revenue growth of so-called TV Everywhere efforts, which allow consumers to access TV programming for free as long as they are already paying monthly subscriptions to multi-channel video programming distributors. Critics say these efforts have been slow to develop. Mediapost

On Monday, a California judge made the latest ruling in the continuing legal saga over Dish's ad-skipping Hopper. This one pertains to Dish's Hopper with Sling, also known as "Dish Anywhere," which was introduced with much fanfare at CES in January. Fox's latest motion for a preliminary injunction has been denied. The ruling hasn't been made public, but the parties are talking about what happened.

According to Dish general counsel R. Stanton Dodge, "Today's decision is the fourth in a string of victories for consumers related to our Hopper Whole-Home DVR platform. DISH is pleased that the Court has sided again with consumer choice and control by rejecting Fox's efforts to deny our customers' access to the DISH Anywhere and Hopper Transfers features."

Fox is undeterred. "We have just received the ruling, and while the judge found that Fox could prevail at trial on the merits of the case, she did not grant our preliminary injunction," according to a statement from Fox. "We disagree that the harms caused by Dish's infringing services are completely compensable by damages, and as a result we are looking at all options. We will file a response in due course."

The details of the ruling will be of interest because of its discussion of place-shifting technology, largely given a pass by broadcasters when first introduced by Sling last decade. In its motion for an injunction [5], Fox argued, "Paying Dish for a satellite television subscription does not buy anyone the right to receive Fox's live broadcast signal over the Internet or to make copies of Fox programs to watch 'on the go,' because Dish does not have the right to offer these services to its subscribers in the first place." Today's ruling follows one from a New York judge last week to deny ABC's own motion [2] for a Hopper injunction. However, in that same opinion, a judge allowed CBS to continue to allege that Dish's alleged concealment of the Hopper is grounds for the rescission of its retransmission contract with Dish. Hollywood Reporter

In last Thursday's bcapsules under "Upcoming Events," BCAP's 2014 Cable Academy was listed with a date that has since been changed. Our 26th Annual Cable Academy - to be held at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey - is scheduled for Wednesday & Thursday, March 12 & 13, 2014. Visit CableAcademy.com for updates.

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