While the British government is considering the future of terrestrial television transmissions, it is advising households to keep battery-powered or wind-up radios available in case of a national emergency. The ‘Be Ready’ campaign recommends preparing for at least three days without essential services, including electricity and telecommunications. The campaign web site is apparently hosted on WordPress, which may not inspire confidence about the level of resilience in response to bad actors, and that does not mean thespians. It does indicate the importance of broadcasting to communicate to citizens in such scenarios.
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While some European countries are considering the long-term future of digital terrestrial television, broadcasters in Spain are investing in its development with the launch of new Ultra High-Definition services. Three national channels, La 2, Antena 3 and Telecinco, have begun UHD broadcasts, joining the existing La 1 UHD service. The expansion is accompanied by the introduction of UHD broadcasting by the Catalan public broadcaster TV3, demonstrating a continuing commitment to terrestrial television as a platform for delivering higher-quality pictures and sound.
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Terrestrial television channel numbering in Italy could be extended to accommodate services delivered over the internet under proposals published for consultation by the Italian communications regulator AGCOM. The plans explicitly recognise the DVB-I and HbbTV standards, reflecting the increasing convergence of broadcast and online television.
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Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy says that its Prime Video service is now profitable in its own right. The company says that with revenues in tens of billions of dollars it is a significant business. It is the first time that Amazon has attached a concrete revenue scale to the online video service.
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Support for Microsoft Copilot is ending on Samsung and LG smart televisions. It is not long since the introduction of the AI assistant on them resulted in some customer complaints that it could not be removed. Some users have been using artificial intelligence coding tools to remove unwanted apps and promotions from their home screens.
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Channel 4 and The Walt Disney Company have agreed a deal that will bring Channel 4 programming to Disney+ in the UK and Ireland from early 2027. While British broadcasters have previously co-produced or licensed programmes for distribution on online video platforms, this is described as a first-of-its kind collaboration.
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