• TiVo to launch in New Zealand
By Traci Patterson

TiVo’s service will launch in New Zealand later this year, thanks to an agreement with Seven Media Group in Australia. Television New Zealand (TVNZ) has taken a 33 percent ownership stake in Hybrid Television Services, the Seven subsidiary that has TiVo rights in Australia and New Zealand.

TVNZ's investment will support the launch of the TiVo service to customers throughout New Zealand – the second DVB-T-standard country to begin offering TiVo. Similar to the TiVo service available in Australia, digital Freeview channels in New Zealand will be available on broadband-connected TiVo DVRs.

"TiVo's ongoing efforts to expand its global footprint through strategic alliances with international broadcasters and cable companies is taking another step forward," said Tom Rogers, president and CEO of TiVo.

• Trilithic’s EASyCast integrating with RGB’s BNP
By Traci Patterson

Trilithic and RGB Networks have partnered up and are integrating Trilithic’s EASyCast EAS System with RGB’s Broadcast Network Processor (BNP) to provide emergency alert message overlays for digital TV multicast.

With RGB Networks’ BNP deployed for broadcast television, all services in the broadcaster’s ASI stream, including audio replacement, can have EAS crawl messages with audio overlaid directly onto all video streams. The BNP can also support logo insertions, snipes, PIP and full-motion graphics.

And with the integration of Trilithic’s EASyCast EAS System with RGB’s BNP, broadcasters can selectively target the delivery of EAS messages to some, or all, video program streams. Targeting specific transmitters covering different DMAs, or all DMAs on the entire network, is also possible. And EAS messages and graphics are inserted in real time without the need to demux or decode the ASI stream.

• Dish adds HD locals in 4 markets
By Traci Patterson

Dish Network has added high-definition (HD) local channels in four new markets: Bakersfield, Calif.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Duluth, Minn.; and Yakima, Wash.

Dish Network customers with an HD receiver, and who subscribe to HD programming and HD locals, will now receive high-definition feeds of their broadcasts at no additional charge.

Dish serves approximately 13.7 million satellite TV customers as of Dec. 31, 2008.