Verizon continues to win franchise agreements and announce new locations for rolling out its FiOS broadband service and FiOS IPTV service. Now despite the frequent announcements, the actual amount of locations Verizon FiOS is offered is still quite limited. Regardless, they continue to increase momentum which begs the question is BellSouth and AT&T falling behind?

Meanwhile the company, Sling Media Inc., has just scored $46.6 million in financing from Goldman Sachs, media giant Liberty Media Corp., and satellite TV operator EchoStar Communications Corp.

In an interesting twist this week, CBS announced they would sell new Survivor episodes on their own website rather than using iTunes or Google Video. Will CBS.com see increased traffic due to this maneuver? Will the increased traffic make up for a potentially decrease in sales due to less online exposure? We'll see.

Here are the latest articles to check out...



Cable Technologists Fret Over IPTV, Web Video, Portable Media
Cable Digital News - February 1, 2006
"Cable technology strategists, used to treating DirecTV and EchoStar as their only serious TV rivals, are finally beginning to realize that they have a whole new crop of video and broadband competitors to worry about."

The OSS Challenges of IPTV – Reading the Map After You’re Lost
XChange - February 1, 2006
"While IPTV tantalizes all leading Tier 1 incumbent converged service providers (CSPs) with visions of reduced customer churn and increased revenue, it is important that CSPs choose the right IPTV deployment strategy so that they don’t lose their way in this race to offer new, converged services."

Timing the Triple Play
XChange - February 1, 2006
"As service providers introduce more technically sophisticated real-time services, precise timing becomes a service quality differentiator. Accurate timing facilitates the seamless transport of information, as well as the smooth transmission of applications delivered over the network."

Will Telcos Want Their Dave.tv?
Light Reading - February 1, 2006
"The company has built a peer-to-peer distribution network that it says can deliver IPTV programs -– as streaming media or as downloadable files -- to viewers via just about any IP connection."

Yahoo!7 to make TV, web click
The Age - January 31, 2006
"SEVEN Network and Yahoo! say they are looking for new ways to integrate their media and online technologies — including the delivery of live TV over the internet — following the launch of their joint-venture web portal."

Microsoft's personal TV guide
Stuff Magazine - January 30, 2006
"At CES this year Bill Gates talked of a new era for the indecisive telly addict - Live.com TV recommendations."

BBC targets autumn net TV launch
Stuff Magazine - January 29, 2006
"The BBC has confirmed its reputation as the world’s most tech-savvy auntie by announcing an autumn launch for its new internet TV and on-demand service."

U.K. battles Web TV regulation
CNET News.com - January 30, 2006
"The U.K. government is fighting an attempt by the European Commission to change the way television is regulated in Europe amid fears that this could lead to the regulation of Internet content."

Amaru Inc. Companies Launch Global IPTV Service In USA & Asian Markets With Japanese Technology Partner Zentek
broadcastbuyer.tv - January 30, 2006
"Amaru through its Singapore-based subsidiary M2B World Pte. Ltd. and its Hollywood-based company M2B World Inc., together with its technology partner Zentek Technology Singapore (Zentek), announced the launch of a Global IPTV service that will offer consumers 40 channels of video on-demand (VOD) content delivered to their television screens via a broadband connection."