PodShow Bags Another $15m

"PodShow Receives $15M From Leading Venture Firms as Company Accelerates Its Growth on the Internet and Beyond - Lead Investor DAG Ventures Joins Original Investors Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia and Sherpalo

September 29, 2006. PodShow, Inc., the digital media entertainment network whose properties include PodShow+, PodShow Podcast Network, PodShowPDN, Podcast Alley, Castblaster, the Podsafe Music Network and, most recently, BTPodShow, today announced that the company has raised a second round of venture funding from new and original investors, totaling $15M, led by DAG Ventures. This announcement comes on the heels of the BT PodShow (www.btpodshow.com) press conference where the companies disclosed plans for a co-branded service for the UK and Ireland that goes beyond the Internet to include initiatives like BT Vision, a television-based home entertainment initiative." - MARKET WIRE

BBC Beds The Beast

BBC has announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft to develop its digital services. The publicly owned British broadcaster, which has done much to promote podcasting as well as a range of other new media services, is also set to work with Real Networks, IBM and Linden Labs, makers of the virtual world Second Life.

According to their own report of this news, "potential areas of collaboration include search and navigation, distribution and "content enablement". However, any procurement of new technology with the company would be subject to regulatory approval."

BBC director general Mark Thompson said there had been unprecedented rates of change in technology.

He said: "To ensure that the BBC is able to embrace the creative challenges of the digital future, we need to forge strategic partnerships with technology companies and distributors for the benefit of licence payers."

Bill Gates said: "Microsoft's strength is in driving digital innovation, and our vision is to open up rich, new consumer experiences that allow people to enjoy digital content anytime, anywhere and on any device.

"This vision fits squarely with the BBC's charter to lead the industry in delivering content that is compelling and accessible." - BBC

Gervais Stops Podcasts

Ricky Gervais is to stop making his comedy podcasts, saying he wants to "knock it on the head for a while before everyone hates us".

The Ricky Gervais Show podcasts, which also featured The Office co-writer Stephen Merchant and producer Karl Pilkington, were downloaded nearly eight million times.

The first 12 shows were available free but fans had to pay for the second 12.

"It's getting ridiculous and someone has to make it stop," Gervais said.

"I was trying something out. I wanted to see if I could cut out the middle man and make podcasting a commercial concern. Karl never has to work again and I believe that maybe he won't," he added.

The show largely consisted of Gervais and Merchant teasing Pilkington for his idiotic ideas, including his regular Monkey News bulletin of stories about apes. - BBC

BT PodShow Launches In UK

With the much-trailed arrival of BTPodshow, Adam Curry and Ron Bloom have launched the UK-specific version of US PodShow Network.

BT PodShow will initially launch by inviting UK talent to contribute to The Show. It will expand in the future to become an extensive source of entertainment, featuring thousands of hours of material both by established artists and mainstream media outlets as well as by individuals and independent producers.

BT PodShow will provide users with their own personal online media centres where they can post their own content and interact with others locally and across the globe, both benefiting from and creating great entertainment. Users will also be able to enjoy their favourite shows on any connected device, from PC to mobile and even TV. Converged services such as BT Fusion and BT Movio have already shown that traditional barriers are coming down and it is expected that some BT PodShow content will feature on BT Vision. - MARKET WIRE

Disney, Pixar, Touchstone, Miramax: Coming Soon To An iTV Near You

Surely you've enough room for a wafer-thin iPod?

Hot on the heels of months of speculation and rumour, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced yesterday the launch of a product - dubbed iTV - a wireless device for streaming music and video between televisions and computers - and a film download service delivering content by major US film and TV companies. The iTV box is small and will retail for under £200. Video will not be subject to DRM restrictions and will be able to playback on different systems.

At the same time, various tweaks in size and capacity to the iPod range were announced. Apple is also updating the iTunes music store to include graphics and animations.

eMusic Launches Unrestricted European Downloads

The world's biggest online retailer of independent music has opened a European store offering unrestricted downloads. eMusic is the second most successful download site in the US after Apple's iTunes Music Store, and will sell tracks from 8,500 independent labels.

The subscription-based site will offer MP3 recordings that work on all digital music players, including Apple's iPod. But eMusic has not struck deals with major record labels, who say their music must carry digital restrictions.

eMusic plans to sell music across Europe, and has employed music journalists to help confused customers navigate their way through its varied collection. Users will be able to choose between three subscription levels, offering 40, 65 or 90 downloads each month. If the maximum number of downloads per month is used, the cost of each track will be under 25p. Apple's iTunes service sells songs for 79p each.

Unlike other subscription-based download sites, such as Napster, tracks downloaded from eMusic will not be deleted if a customer cancels their subscription. - BBC

http://www.emusic.com/

Podcasters Unite To Resist WIPO

In Geneva tomorrow, Gwen Hinze from EFF is presenting a joint statement from podcasters from around the world. This piece of internet history is an attempt to make sure that the development of the Broadcast Treaty into internet broadcast/netcast/webcast does not wipe out grassroots podcasting.

UKPA (UK Podcasters Association) has been working for months with the Irish PodRepBod, the German Podcastverband, the Open Rights Group in the UK and the EFF in the US to resist aspects of the Broadcast Treaty, which many podcasters, podcast users and a growing number of politicians feel are inimical to the healthy development of grassroots new media culture. The issues are about copyright, and the ongoing ownership of content.

Many podcasters fear that the Treaty is giving broadcasters the upper hand when it comes to rights, and creative people everywhere are becoming wary of blanket licenses which remove their rights in the small print - YouTube and MySpace have recently attracted widespread criticism and some legal action.

Activists are also pushing for recognition of Creative Commons licenses in the Treaty - millons of people who self-publish, webcast, and podcast use these licenses for their content; CC is a widely understood and established system which must be respected.

The campaign has unified podcasters globally, particularly in the UK, Eire, Germany, and the US, in a common cause, to influence the outcome of this looming - and binding - international legislation.