Home

Gemstar

Gemstar Licenses Digital TV Listings to Japan's Presentcast

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 25, 2007 - 12:49pm.

Los Angeles - Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of electronic program guides for digital TV services, announced on Thursday that it has signed a license agreement with Japan-based Presentcast. Under the deal, Presentcast -- a joint venture of Japanese broadcasters and advertising agencies including Nippon, Fuji and Asahi -- will be able to use Gemstar's listings on its Dogatch online video portal in Japan.

tags: Licensing | TV | Japan | Gemstar | IPG | Presentcast | Dogatch |

Gemstar-TV Guide Signs New Licence Deals With BSkyB, Philips

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 19, 2006 - 12:21pm.
Los Angeles - Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of electronic program guides for digital TV services, on Tuesday announced new patent license agreements with U.K.-based British Sky Broadcasting (Sky), and Philips Electronics.
tags: Deals | Video | Marketing | TV Guide | Gemstar | BSkyB |

Cox Expands VOD Library, Signs with Gemstar for Program Guides

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2006 - 7:40am.
Atlanta - Cox Communications, the nation's third-largest cable TV provider with 6.6 million customers, announced on Monday that it has expanded its video-on-demand library to over 1,300 available hours of programming. Cox added shows from MTV Networks, PBS Kids Sprout, G4, National Geographic Channel, Speed Channel, Fuse and TV Guide Spot to the service. The company said that some Cox Digital Cable subscribers will now be given free access to its video-on-demand service. Separately, Cox said it has signed a long-term agreement to use Gemstar-TV Guide's interactive program guide on its digital cable systems. As part of the deal, Cox will also offer Gemstar's TV Guide Channel and TVG horseracing and interactive waging networks.
tags: Deals | VOD | Gemstar | Library | Cox |

Gemstar, Handmark Launch TV Guide Mobile

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 7, 2005 - 7:08am.
Los Angeles - Gemstar-TV Guide International, a developer of electronic program guides and the publisher of TV Guide magazine, announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with mobile media publisher Handmark to launch TV Guide Mobile, a TV listings service for Palm handhelds, Treo smartphones and Windows Mobile-based pocket PCs and smartphones. After a two-week free trial, the service is available for $6.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
tags: Gemstar | Handmark | TV Guide Mobile |

Gemstar-TV Guide Unloads SkyMall Unit for $52 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 5, 2005 - 10:01am.
Los Angeles - Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of electronic program guides for digital TV services and the publisher of TV Guide magazine, announced on Monday that it has sold its SkyMall business for $52 million, to a private equity group led by Spire Capital Partners. Los Angeles-based Gemstar acquired SkyMall, which publishes an in-flight shopping catalog, in 2001. "Gemstar-TV Guide is focused on building upon the company's core assets including the TV Guide brand, our guidance technology and our leading entertainment and editorial data and content," said Gemstar CEO Rich Battista. "SkyMall is not core to the company's plans going forward, as we pursue our new cross-platform guidance strategy."
tags: Deals | TV Guide | Gemstar | SkyMall Unit |

YooMedia to Offer Gemstar TV Program Guides for U.K.'s Freeview

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 2, 2005 - 3:52am.
London - U.K.-based interactive TV developer YooMedia announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with Gemstar-TV Guide International, to offer a version of Gemstar's electronic program guide for the Freeview digital TV service in the U.K. The free guide will be included with Freeview set-top boxes, digital video recorders and digital televisions.
tags: U.K | Gemstar | YooMedia | TV Program | Freeview |

Scientific-Atlanta, Gemstar Settle Patent Dispute Over TV Program Guides

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 2, 2005 - 3:11am.
Atlanta -- Scientific-Atlanta, a maker of set-top box receivers for digital TV services, announced on Thursday that it has settled patent infringement litigation with Gemstar-TV Guide International that will result in the companies cross-licensing one another's patents on interactive program guide technologies. Under the long-term agreement, Scientific-Atlanta will pay $154 million to Gemstar, while Gemstar will pay $89 million to Scientific-Atlanta in licensing fees. Scientific-Atlanta will also aid Gemstar in porting its interactive program guide software onto Scientific-Atlanta's Explorer set-top box platform. Scientific-Atlanta expects to record a charge of $30-$50 million in the fourth quarter related to the settlement. Gemstar has filed numerous patent infringement actions over its interactive program guide against various TV equipment makers, eventually also settling with firms including TiVo and DISH Network operator EchoStar Communications.
tags: Scientific-Atlanta | Gemstar | Guides | TV Program |

Gemstar Settles Patent Dispute, Licenses TV Program Guide to Pioneer

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 27, 2004 - 7:42am.
Los Angeles -- Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of electronic program guides for digital TV services, announced on Friday that it has ended outstanding litigation with consumer electronics firm Pioneer, and will license its program guide technology for use in Pioneer products in North America, Japan and Europe. The deal includes a one-time payment to Gemstar of $14 million, as well as license fees based on the number of Pioneer devices using Gemstar technology that are sold. "I'm delighted to have resolved the issues between our two companies, and look forward to working with Pioneer to make their customers' television experience more simple and enjoyable," said Gemstar CEO Jeff Shell. In the past several months, Los Angeles-based Gemstar has signed similar license agreements with Sony, LG, Comcast and Mitsubishi.
tags: Pioneer | Gemstar | TV Program | Patent Dispute |

Gemstar Pays $67.5 Million to Settle Several Shareholder Class Actions

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 12, 2004 - 9:13am.
Los Angeles -- Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of interactive program guides for digital TV services, announced on Thursday that it has settled a group of shareholder class action lawsuits brought in the midst of an accounting scandal that resulted in the SEC suing a number of top executives at the company. The company will pay plaintiffs a total of $67.5 million in cash and stock to settle the suits. "This settlement is a significant step in Gemstar-TV Guide's efforts to resolve the legal issues that have faced the company," said Gemstar CEO Jeff Shell. "As we put the issues related to past management behind us, the new executive team can focus more completely on maximizing the opportunities for growth and development in front of us." Los Angeles-based Gemstar said that the current settlement does not resolve related shareholder derivative suits or the non-consolidated securities fraud cases pending against the company.
tags: Shareholder | Gemstar | Class Actions |

Comcast, Gemstar to Jointly Develop Digital TV Interactive Program Guides

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 11, 2004 - 9:22am.
New York -- Cable TV operator Comcast announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with Gemstar-TV Guide International to form a joint interactive program guide (IPG) development group, with the goal of creating an industry-leading IPG for Comcast. As part of the agreement, Comcast will pay Gemstar a one-time fee of $250 million to license its IPG technology as well as TV Guide brand and content. While Comcast will retain the right to initially launch any new products across its digital subscriber base, Gemstar will have the exclusive rights to distribute the jointly developed products to other multichannel video providers. Additionally, the two companies agreed to enter into a new distribution arrangement providing for carriage of the TV Guide Channel, TV Guide On Demand and the TVG Network on Comcast systems.
tags: Comcast | Gemstar | Digital TV | Program Guides |

SEC Files Charges Against 3 Additional Former Gemstar Execs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 7, 2004 - 4:07am.
Washington -- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed charges against three additional former executives at Gemstar-TV Guide, the provider of program guides for digital TV. The amended complaint adds former TV Guide CEO Peter Boylan, former TV Guide CFO Craig Waggy and former Gemstar general counsel Jonathan Orlick to the list of those the SEC believes inflated advertising revenue to mislead Gemstar investors and boost company profits. The SEC last year filed similar charges against former Gemstar CEO and founder Henry Yuen, and former Gemster CFO Elsie Leung.
tags: Games | SEC | Gemstar |

Sony Licenses Gemstar's Digital TV Interactive Program Guide

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 16, 2003 - 4:57am.
Los Angeles -- Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of electronic program guides for digital television services, announced on Tuesday that it has signed a multi-year contract with consumer electronics giant Sony, allowing Sony to incorporate the company's interactive program guides into Sony digital video recorders and televisions sold in Japan. Sony plans to include Los Angeles-based Gemstar's program listings with its first Blu-ray Disc recorder, based on new blue laser DVD technology, as well as with the PSX, a PlayStation 2 console with added digital video recorder and other features that Sony will release in Japan. Gemstar has also licensed its program guides to Matsushita, Philips, Thomson, Sharp, Samsung, Zenith, JVC and Mitsubishi.
tags: Sony | Gemstar | Program Guide | Digital TV |

Gemstar-TV Guide to Restate Results Again; Revenues Down $111 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 10, 2003 - 6:14am.
Pasadena, Calif. -- Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of electronic program guide listings for digital television services, announced on Monday that it will once again restate its earnings in conjunction with an ongoing internal accounting review -- this time cutting revenue figures by $111 million. The company previously reported that it was investigating its accounting practices, and that revenues from a licensing agreement with a set-top box manufacturer and several advertising agreements were reported before actually being received. Pasadena-based Gemstar is also under formal investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030310/105361_1.html
tags: Gemstar | Gemstar-TV | digital television |

Philips Licenses Gemstar TV Program Guide for Use in DVD Recorders

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 18, 2003 - 2:58am.
Pasadena, Calif. -- Gemstar-TV Guide International, the troubled provider of electronic program guide technology to digital TV providers, announced on Tuesday that consumer electronics firm Philips has signed a multi-year agreement to license its technology. Financial terms were not disclosed. Philips will integrate the guides with its recordable DVD and television product lines in North America and Europe, allowing purchasers of Philips DVD recorders to more easily program recording of their favorite TV shows onto DVD discs. Pasadena-based Gemstar recently paid the government $5.7 million to settle a Justice Dept. investigation into the merger of Gemstar and TV Guide; the company is also continuing to investigate unrelated accounting irregularities that have already resulted in its restatement of earnings from several periods. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030218/182247_1.html
tags: DVD | Philips | Gemstar | TV Program |

Gemstar Settles with DOJ on TV Guide Merger Issues, Will Pay $5.7 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 7, 2003 - 3:46am.
Pasadena, Calif. -- Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of electronic program guides for digital television, announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with the company, related to its investigation into "unlawful coordination of activities" prior to Gemstar's merger with TV Guide in July 2000. The government believed that Gemstar and TV Guide stopped competing with one another in the program guide market, fixing prices and violating waiting period requirements while they were hammering out their merger agreement -- practices known as "gun-jumping." As part of the settlement, which does not include any admission of wrongdoing from Gemstar, the company will pay the government $5.7 million. Pasadena-based Gemstar said in a statement that it is "pleased to have this matter resolved and to be able to maintain its primary focus on delivering value to Gemstar's customers and shareholders."
tags: TV | DOJ | Gemstar |

Interactive TV Firm Gemstar Announces Further Earnings Restatements

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 23, 2003 - 5:16am.
Pasadena, Calif. -- Gemstar-TV Guide International, the beleaguered provider of electronic program guides for digital television, announced on Thursday that it will make additional amendments to its financial earnings statements, adjusting for new accounting irregularities it has discovered. Pasadena-based Gemstar said that $19.0 million in previously reported licensing revenues will not be recognized, and an aggregate of $8.2 million in previously reported interactive programming guide advertising revenues will also not be recognized. Another $26.8 million in licensing revenues will be reclassified as either a reduction of operating expenses or as other income. The company said it may announce further restatements, as its investigation is still ongoing. Gemstar founder and CEO Henry Yuen stepped down in November 2002; he remains chairman of the board.
tags: Interactive TV | Gemstar | Restatements |