More on ITV Digital

C21 report in more detail on what is happening at ITV Digital after te cuts

http://www.c21media.net/resources/weekly_detail.asp?id=783

Key points:
- £12m loss from Kangaroo
- TV Play to be shuttere! (what happens to PartyGaming deal)
- 80 digital jobs to go
- ITV.com made mistakes when building the site
- digital turnover at £36m and target of £150m scrapped

So, it is all pretty shit now and as everyone speculated, ITV has been badly managed for years.

A Big Day for ITV

http://www.itv.com/News/Articles/ITV-announces-600-job-losses-838920857.html

ITV job losses and the economic glum exposes the lack of a new business model at ITV. Selling Scoot & Friends Re-United.

Why is it that all that itv touches turns to 'coal':
- ITV Play ruins participation TV market in the UK
- ITV buys Friends Reunited just before MySpace/Facebook boom
- Project Kangeroo dies a death, even though it should have been good
-

Can Hollywood solve 'webtv' shows?

Warner Bros think so with www.theWB.com

Comments from CNET about the portal that launched in the summer:

TheWB.com: Big media's beacon of hope?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10073941-36.html?tag=mncol;posts

Also, Sony are showing the way with www.crackle.com

CRACKLE: New Webisodes Every Weekday Sony Revamps Old Grouper Video Network
http://www.webtvhub.com/crackle-new-webisodes-every-weekday-sony-revamps-old-grouper-video-network/

I say bring it on.....where there is a Hollywood studio, there is money.

Is this any good - i don't think so.

Wine Web drama for Middle Britain

http://if.futurescape.co.uk/2008/10/wine-web-drama-for-middle-britain.html

is this any good - i don't think so. Best bit is the sponsor - Jacob's Creek

If you can't beat 'em join 'em

BBC programmes now available on Sky Player

http://www.brandrepublic.com/Digital/News/855057/BBC-programmes-available-Sky-Player/?DCMP=EMC-Digital-Bulletin

Sky are always quick to take advantage of us ....respect to them. Perhaps BBC will now do deals with Joost and others to overcome any issues against Kangaroo

ITV hails Britannia High as 360 landmark

ITV has heralded a new era of 360-degree commissioning as it gears up to launch a ground-breaking array of multiplatform content around teen musical drama Britannia High.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/09/itv_hails_britannia_high_as_360_landmark.html

Not sure if this is really a 360 degree commission, sounds like a TV show with a lot of programme support........can anyone show me any evidence that the non-TV content will influence the TV show?

Kangaroo extended

The competition commission has extended the deadline for deciding the fate of Kangaroo

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/10/kangaroo_deadline_extended.html

Is this a bad thing for the UK, where our broadcasters are trying to compete on a world stage against competitors like Hulu.....

Or is this a good thing for UK competition, allowing other players (BT Vision, Blinkbox etc.) to get TV rights for their fledgling services?