Motive Television

Following a move into the set-top box market, former TV production investor Motive Television could be set for maiden profits.

Motive, guided by former TV bigwigs Mick Pilsworth, chairman and Leonard Fertig, CEO, has had a tough few years, losing money since its 2005 formation due to a lack of success in driving profits from its TV production company investments. Pilsworth recognises Motive has made mistakes, acknowledging 'we made losses from our investments in TV and radio, all of which were failures, with the exception of Brown Eyed Boy' – Motive owned 49.9% of Brown Eyed Boy, which it sold earlier this year to Shine Group for £204,000.

However Motive, says Pilsworth, has since focused on the set-top box market, having acquired the rights to distribute hybrid digital-terrestrial technology BesTV from Spanish technology group Adecq Digital. This box allows users to view catch up TV, video on demand and other interactive features without an internet connection and Motive plans to sell the technology to markets in Latin America, Eastern Europe and North America amongst others.

Pilsworth argues the future of television is in ‘hybrid’ boxes that allow consumers to both watch TV and access a range of internet sites and services. ‘People have been thinking for a while that all television will be internet-based, but we don’t have the capacity', he explains, citing the England football team's qualification game against Ukraine in 2009, shown online, as 'a disaster, as the UK network cannot handle simultaneous streaming on that sort of scale'. The future, believes Pilsworth, will be 'a hybrid solution, where you can both view YouTube clips and also watch TV’.

Though it has had past difficulties, the debt-free Motive, planning to acquire further set-top box sector assets, is now worth tuning into, given Pilsworth's sector experience and ambition. Trading at a bombed-out 0.33p, the shares, though not for widows or orphans, represent an intelligent speculation.