News Round-Up

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

• CBS Interactive has announced that a number of its news, sports and entertainment properties have been certified as fully compliant with the Interactive Advertising Bureau's (IAB) new Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) 2.0 standard. "Digital video has transformed the online experience and VAST allows for a standardized communication between ad servers and players, which is critical for yield management," IAB president and CEO, Randall Rothenberg, said in a prepared statement. "We applaud CBS for embracing the VAST standard and hope that other online media companies will quickly follow suit."
• Ceton (covered by the iTV Doctor in a column published on itvt.com, April 29th) has once again delayed the release of its InfiniTV 4 CableCARD tuner, Engadget reports. In its corporate newsletter, the company blames " the global recession" which it says "has resulted in manufacturers maintaining low inventory levels of everything, which have resulted in parts shortages across the industry that are affecting everyone from little guys like us to the largest PC and CE OEM's in the world. In our case," the company continues, "it boiled down to not being able to get the right quantity of a couple of critical parts in time to meet our production schedule."
• DISH Network and The Weather Channel have resolved their carriage dispute. According to DISH, the companies' new agreement "provides for collaboration between both companies in developing state-of-the-art, full-time weather forecasting services designed specifically for satellite customers, including localized weather programming on DISH Network Ch. 213 (in addition to The Weather Channel's main feed on Ch. 214), interactive TV applications, as well as new Internet and mobile services."
• As part of its investigation of Comcast's proposed merger with NBC Universal, the FCC has requested information from the MSO on TV Everywhere, FanCast Xfinity, iN Demand and thePlatform.
• Time Warner Cable is in discussions with major Hollywood studios about a proposal, called "Home Theater on Demand," that would see new-release movies made available in the living room just weeks after they appear in theaters, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. One version of the proposal would see movies available for between $20 and $30 each, just 30 days after their theatrical release.
• Univision Interactive Media, the Internet arm of the US Spanish-language broadcaster, has announced an extensive line-up of online telenovela, music and sports programming for the 2010/11 season.
• Live Internet streaming company, Ustream, has launched a Global Production Services Department that is designed to provide a complete solution for live event coverage. NewTeeVee's Janko Roettgers has more.