CNM Special Edition Update

Not all is as it seems with new ‘iCraveTV’ Canadian NEW MEDIA has received an email advisory announcing that a company called iCraveTV.biz will launch services in May. While both regulators and industry watchers might be interested to hear of iCraveTV.com Inc.’s revival, a domain name lookup indicates the new site is owned by Entervision Inc., a Montreal company with Los Angeles headquarters, and with no apparent affiliation with the original iCrave. The media advisory points readers to http://icravetv.biz, where the web site reads: "ICRAVETV, were (sic) back and here to stay! "Finally, watch TV, movies and entertainment specials on your computer. Icravetv is in the entertainment business; we bring live entertainment to your computer in the same manner and quality, as you would see on your home TV. "We have the power to territorialize who watches and best of all, no player or plug in is needed." The site goes on to promise free television channels, pay-per-view events, and subscription services. Some shows, it reads, will be offered with time-shifting, which allows viewers to watch programming from different time zones. The domain is registered to Entervision, which has been touting its video compression technology and server platform for about a year. When CNM last spoke with company president Howard Becker, he said he didn’t want to get into the content game, aware of the controversy ignited by companies such as JumpTV.com Inc. and iCraveTV. He said the Entervision platform would give broadcasters an edge over "pirate" companies by providing a viable entry point onto the web as part of their Internet strategy (CNM, April 19/01). Shortly after, in July, the company was sold to Los Angeles-based Sector Communications (CNM, July 12/01). Terms of that deal were not disclosed, but CNM learned in the intervening time from a source close to Entervision that Becker received US$250,000 and 10 million Sector shares for the company and its intellectual property.Only recently, the company announced commercial availability of its software, accompanying news of the launch that its availability was a "nail in RealNetworks’ coffin" (CNM Update, Feb. 27/02). That media release also indicated that Entervision would soon go public. Launching a web site with substantially the same name as the high-profile iCraveTV.com is a clever tool to stimulate interest in the company and any IPO it issues or shares created through a reverse takeover, as Becker has said he was investigating. ICraveTV was known internationally as it sought to operate as an Internet retransmitter, though its effort was cut short by U.S. courts in February 2000 (CNM, March 20/00). Becker’s latest move seems calculated to capitalize on iCrave’s infamy. CNM will provide further details in its upcoming edition.

CNM Special Edition Update

News | 03/14/2002 5:00 am EST

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