– Telegraph.co.uk: The Telegraph’s website has launched Telegraph TV News Now, an interesting extension of its relationship with ITN that intercuts the TV news producer’s video round-ups with pieces-to-camera from the newspaper’s own reporting staff. News Now includes nine ITN news and clips in a branded Brightcove player, with today’s featuring analysis from the consumer affairs and home affairs editors. There’s also ITN archive news video (see the examples after the jump in this post). Telegraph.co.uk editor Marcus Warren called it a “soft launch“. Updated throughout the day, this latest in the Telegraph product line really gives an insight in to how the paper wants to use that fancy new integrated newsroom in Victoria, London. Updated: Meanwhile, Patience Wheatcroft’s resignation as Sunday Telegraph editor was motivated by the paper’s multimedia changes, an anonymous source tells The Guardian: It is understood the reason given for Ms Wheatcroft’s departure at the meeting was ‘strategic’ differences. ‘That was taken to mean failure to embrace the internet,’ the insider said.”
– Neuf Cegetel: French telco and broadband provider Neuf Cegetel has begun offering a Media Centre device to its HD TV customers (via DM Europe). A bit like an Apple TV, the gadget plugs in to a TV and allows customers to access media content stored on their computers, USB drives and devices, portal video and music players, the Neuf HD set-top box and the Neuf Giga online storage system. Neuf yesterday posted H1 net profit down EUR four million (£2.71 million) at EUR 103 million (£69.83 million) (via Thomson).
– ITV.com: The dominant commercial TV operator will this month launch its first advertising campaign for its relaunched ITV.com web portal. Running across TV, newspapers, radio and outdoor hoardings, the campaign will centre on the “total freedom of entertainment” afforded by the on-demand, catch-up viewing features of the recently-relaunched website. ITV.com had a delayed, rolling redesign in June that also allows includes live streaming of ITV’s four main TV channels. Reporting a projected three percent ad revenue increase in September credited to the imminent Rugby World Cup and X-Factor, The Guardian has a video of the campaign ad, which will be amongst the first to introduce mainstream viewers to the idea of time-shifting entertainment and arrives before the BBC has launched any marketing for its in-beta iPlayer software.