Read this: #7 BBC News Cuts, Murdoch bids for Time Warner

Hello, I'm only man and on today's show the BBC Trust paints that the closure of its use channel is not a done deal + more cuts at the be this time in use as Panorama loses its staff but there appears to be an investment in digital jobs and Rupert Murdoch has his sights on Time Warner as a new season of Everyone's Favourite media game show consolidation gets underway in the state.

This is the media podcast sponsored by audiobook.

Well outside.

It's over 30 degrees Celsius where in the middle of a heatwave protect yourself, that's what we're being told god knows what the temperature is in here in our Soho Studios producer Matt has hidden all of the thermometers are but through the Haze I can make out the figure of Media writer Maggie Brown and beside her I believe that is the director of broadcasting at City University London Liz Howell thank you both for coming.

I'm writing what is been happening in your media with Maggie I know that you've been talking to Channel 4 about utopia has a rather distinct appeal to many young men because of its violence and its it graphic novel side in fact the two first episodes went out Monday and Tuesday this week and the first one's got half a million or so which year is a very poor audience at 10 for something that has been so crafted and anticipated really elusive audiences at the young male audience everyone wants them and it's very very hard to find them cos I know when we were gonna ring bravo channel as part of the eclectic small Empire it was very very difficult to get those guys and keep them the only one that's really succeeded things to feed a which is great, but is reliant on all titles, so could it just be that that audiences gone somewhere else that time of night.

I'll come back.

It's Stephanie possible that they have anacostia the sort of people who can catch up and and find it elsewhere on for.

What I was surprised about was actually have a Rafferty Channel 4 brought it in after the World Cup and also hello it is 32 degrees outside you know is this just bad timing that's really really important in the summer in the audience is dew drop or change and both and it's very very hard to keep people watching when it's very rewarding to help edition within the British television market as we can see murders happening among independents.

We can see Channel 5 been brought up and we have Channel 4 trying very hard to Battle to hold on to a 6% share of its main audience.

This is what it's about as well attracting a certain size of audience as well as the right demographic because this is the seismic shift actually.

It's not his only want to be with meeting with production and they wanted is the two huge conglomerates getting involved in buying up totally different from the way you do expected things to look 6 months ago of which more later and Liz I know that a last time.

You were here you were kind.

Announcing really what you're going to be doing regarding diversity watch.

How's that been going for you very interestingly and we are looking at diversity in prime-time television on five main channels and we've been funded by The Guardian Edinburgh television festival in broadcast magazine you want to say funded.

I mean that the cost of covered there is another huge amount of funding it pays the student to monitor these programs and we did a pilot on July 1st which was really really interesting and we guess which genre of program has most ethnic minority people on it black and visible ethnic minority go and get music on keep trying absolutely not news news is not good at all.

Hope I really don't be a tiny amount actually that bad in terms of sheer numbers because it does actually got all the channels.

Can I get roughly did the number of ethnic black and Asian and ethnic visible minority people in the population of

What is really complicated away classifying it's trying cover everything but what we're also going to look at in a big study is the roles they play because very example guy one did quite well, because it had two great big please based reality shows with lots of black an attic visible minority people getting arrested is that really what you want? I really admire this work because I think it's changing the the nature of the argument in the debate.

It needs an outside voice for the back slapping becomes their completely epidemic.

Let's move on to the show proper.

We're gonna start this week by talking about the BBC lots of interesting stories came out on Thursday the day we recording our first there was the announcement that 415 jobs are to go in BBC News affecting the news channel Panorama Radio 4 and Newsbeat better soon as the act drops.

There are 195 digital roles will be created in what bus James Harding cause a fourth revolution in users could be the BBC speak isn't it and then moments later the BBC

Trust released a new report showing that the corporations TV channels are all getting progressively older with the exception of BBC Three and that more needs to be done to get young people watching it all sounds a bit ominous is there about to rule soon on whether or not BBC3 should be moving online only at Liz let's start with a cat's here.

What's your take on these kits.

Why do these results come out on Thursday that's interesting isn't it? But that's not like Jews conspiracy theory.

Why would that be where the trust in competition with the BBC to sudden tonight's Big changes with the could be some sort of tactic in that they could be trying to make sure that people think the trust is actually different from the government to the BBC because there is this huge confusing about to trust in what's the BBC same could be quite deliberate in order to say the trust can criticize the BBC but on the other hand it was a bit cack-handed when it's something is blazing the other absolutely circulon itself.

The years because of meatballs and journalism education, I have tried to track the number of times the BBC has cut jobs and it's roughly every 2 years and it's roughly around between between 500000 jobs and it only ends up with the same number of people employed the use of the dining and so I don't know what is really going on here is putting themselves into position for charter renewal and it's like they're offering everybody all across the piste all sorts of things all sorts of deal because the really big things that they're upset about his retaining the licensee and my view they going to make any sort of trade off to get there, but if there's a focus on digital with various then actually isn't that just the same as what we saw at the Telegraph a few weeks ago when we were discussing their they were laying people off and hiring people in digital that everyone's doing good and they are realigning the troops a bit so that the having Correspondents in cities more regional coverage, which is absolutely essential what I don't understand.

It's quite weather going to do with current affairs because they are.

Ending the the does the dedicated correspondence on Panorama whether this means that they will go down the Channel 4 root and bringing independent producers to do investigations with and it's work very well for Channel 4 weather name Jonas within the BBC world take on a power armour or an issue because it's in the special area or they get their assigned to it.

I just don't know it's up to knit with the the Saville enquiry on using and they've they actually moved away then from ringing in independent reported.

I think it's probably a good move to have more reporters do more things and not have these silos within the BBC but one of the things I would like to say about this when you talked about the regions is that there is quite a lot of evidence that saying local radio in the regions of some really serious anomalies about the way people are treated in the short-term contract working the fact that reporters they working in one part of the northwest go to work.

I don't know this road.

I'm not going to actually site.

This is as a proper example that say for example that working in Liverpool then they go.

To work in Manchester they have to retrain in Manchester going in fact they give two or three three days to the Manchester Station having left the Liverpool station.

There are all sorts of really nasty anomalies that that are involved at ground level in BBC local radio say let's not be too sanguine about the regions and what's going on there BBC News summary this Cuffley presentation style.

I mean I can hardly watch it.

It's so prodding and I think it really needs a proper sort of kick up the bum if you are I was interviewing and Nick Pollard who where did the Oompa Savile investigation into what went wrong and I'm afraid he was skating Aberdeen to BT Sky News man is here he's going to be he watched ITV News at Ten out of twisting and I tend to agree with him.

I mentioned Bureaus on Panorama obviously not contributing so much that he losing all of their in-house staff at now John Sweeney

Reporter tweeted, this was a great day for the Church of Scientology North Korea the Barclay twins and Glencore have a typical Sweeney tweet that wasn't having all investigations.

He's worked on do you think there is an argument there especially since we've been talked about now BBC and the window of creative competition changing regarding production.

Generally.

Do you think it's a good idea to signify the in use they won't be making their own programs any more research on this.

I noticed that some Carrie Thomas is reported as the new editor Panorama the saying that there was a lot of money being spent at Panorama and remember.

They'd also sent commissions out into the region said there's been a source of revolving of panoramas kind of staff anyway, so it hasn't seemed to me to be a very stable program for some time to get has produced some extremely good investigation.

So you have to say over the past two or three years, so yes one is I think course it's really about this moved all I would say is that channel 4 is the channel that seems to be walking away.

With the Awards when it comes to investigative current affairs and of course there's the BBC Trust report that I mentioned earlier as well regarding age lots of stats here the average age of you is on BBC One is 59 on BBC2 it's 60 BBC 461 and BBC3 the only channel getting younger although there every day just il-33.

I'm 33.

I feel too old for BBC3 BBC3 does reach over a quarter of all 16 to 34 year olds including 1 million viewers who don't watch any other BBC channel so with the trust report on BBC3 still to come this does this look good for Tony Hall BBC iPlayer pick up your news maybe on your phone why pay the licence fee all these young people if they're going it watch BBC Three on the computer.

How how is it going to justify or how is BBC going to get any money back from them and

It's it seems to me to book the cost of what BBC3 is to be a little bit mad to put it out on a limb like this because these are the people that they absolutely need to get hooked into BBC programming still don't pay the money because you're one of the problems that they were saying the reporter slip BBC3 hasn't established itself as an internet presence and online presence and loads and this is another as you say I normally or can't quite understand why this announcement has been made and the amount of money that says does not seem that huge given.

This is the overall trend that that BBC television is experiencing this greying of all of the other channels to do it on Asus don't think about this.

Let's just be honest about the traffic is lots of fruit bats, but it's the first time it's looked holistically across for Channel so it can actually identify not what's wrong with one, but what is happening overall and where the direction is going and it's exact.

In a blown the whistle here and said there is a problem, so it's the thing about BBC3 is that for many people it doesn't have a distinctive presence and that I know from my own son who's 21? He he just uses it to watch Family Guy at 11.

So whatever the BBC does giving it's got this 26% of cuts to make good by 2017 if BBC3 of saved it can't really continue in the current television mode that it's in because it's not really working but for many years now channels have been identified with one or two programs running a living now living in for a while.

It was Jerry Springer and then they wanted to other things in a Big Brother on Channel 4 so and so forth so I think the notion of that they don't have a big enough programme of their oh yeah because if the most readily associated with American import.

That's not good for any BBC channel.

Is it on your own?

Associated with one even I'm tiny holes now been in the job for a 15 months which is there Entwistle ^ 80 think he doing election murdered Liz referred to the fact all it's really concerned about will focus on is getting a Charter renewal and at least a decent licence fee settlement if it's just the same and this is making it almost like a politician bringing out a policy to appease one bit of the country or a special interest group almost every week asked whether it's about musical whatever it is it just sort of continues at i5.

We've all been in these conferences where it's quite clear the BBC has very little interest in for example.

Even charging all considering to charge for the iPlayer all it says is the best way forward is that the charter and the licence continues for another 10 years that's really all it wants and it's

Depressing in a way I do lots of food for thought there for Tony ok.

We'll have more stories after this hello producer Matt here with a very quick word to say that this episode of the media podcast is sponsored by squarespace the all-in-one platform that makes it fast and easy to create your own professional website portfolio and online store.

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Have you ever had difficulty remembering all the names of the many different Media corporations.

Well, Rupert Murdoch is here to help by consolidating all your existing corporations into one easily manageable global corp 21st Century Fox as they are now Murdoch's Entertainment Business has made an 18 billion dollar bid for Time Warner it was immediately robust But Time Warner of said, they would have to look at any revised offer why now well according to the New York Times you can trace the reasons for this deal back to comcast acquisition of nbcuniversal in 2011 which itself spoke to whole new wave of purchases.

Please is going consolidation crazy again.

Why is this happening when I think it's because of the comcast merger in 2010.

The fact that the regulators in the US did not object that so it was really putting up a flag to say what you can take over anything if you want to and we're not going to make any sort of the problems with that and so you don't you could have big beast like Murdoch who's looking for more and more than this is obviously the way to go and what is 2 interesting things about this.

I think the first is that innocent people are very surprised that media sudden become such an attractive acquisition actually if you look at our lives.

We are absolutely consuming Media in a way that had a ball control that shocked the right expression but you know it's absolutely huge Road consuming more than ever before it in a way Media become the new electricity for the New Year computer or whatever it is really really big and and the second thing is that somebody like Murdoch it is driven all the time going for more and more acquisition and wanting to consolidate more and more she's a really big beast he's got incredible stamina and energy and this is this is the obvious route for him to go down but in the end, who is going to be making the content these.

He's going to have to start new set of subsidiaries that are going to be content making with their name on it so we going to get block 203 Hollywood's or are we going to get tiny de Lune Deezer taking to be making things to the great big corporate? It's it's a really interesting time and even if they take over business-friendly happy Americans you know the idea.

I think of one studio which owns both fox and Warner Brothers are both HBO and FX both CNN and Fox News I mean Maggie that that is difficult to swallow.

Isn't it? Even for Americans actually we don't know if it will go through and I suspect that time neither side would be to do wedded to maybe keeping CNN going I suspect if it were to happen Fox News Woodward Triumph there, but you have to remember that we talked about comcast that the by far the biggest stick cable operator and internet provider in in America it has already put in a bid for Time Warner cable business which is in front of the

PC that the regulator at the moment so that's going on so what you have in Time Warner is a company which isn't owned by a family or whatever you want to call the Murdoch plan, but it's also in a way being stripped down to a much more desirable contents and Hollywood and entertainment and channels business and so it's that which of course now goes with 20th Century Fox because they have themselves just ripped out the Old media and they would bring all of these things together.

I think it's a very very interesting dealing and chase Carey who is the man who is actually the chief operating officer of 21st Century Fox is going to be over in London on the 9th of September for the Royal television Society big at heavyweight conference and I think a lot of people are going to be very very interested to quiz him on the state of the North American market.

Of course it has huge implications for here because what?

Seeing is that the North American media Giants are also investing hard and taking over businesses in the UK and move Rupert Murdoch as well.

He's he's 83 now as you were saying earlier.

You know he's healthy wealthy in it, but this realistically is probably going to be his last big move if it does go through do you think that's what it looks like in reputationally it's important after the hacking scandal.

Do you think that's part of what's going on or not at all think that they they want to show that they are big players on their back in business and in fact as we know the split of the Murdoch empire has actually benefited certainly both businesses by creating clarity and an overall Medics has gone up.

I don't think it's so important to him reputation in the I just think he's somebody big beast of the jungle and has to keep on Jumpin and that's how it is one of the interesting things which in which magi touched on it also.

Is that we're talking at these great big conglomerate that the only reason the big conglomerates can move in it's because in the case of time wondering that's actually divested itself of some of its elements and become smaller intern and if you look at the situation like Fox News vs.

CNN Fox News dominates and CNN is somehow eaten up by Fox News someone else somewhere will start some sort of CNN this is never still this is an incredible bubbling pot with things going on CNN News channel was submerged maybe I think sold off would be them would be what has happened to is struggling because it's caught really as trying to be a you might prefer a more impartial and calm internationally focused and it is clearly itself being changed by Jessica who came in Tirana till about 18 months ago.

It's this sort of playful remember Murdoch supports and supported from the start Sky News which didn't have a commercial imperative so who knows.

Anyway or changing its exciting well talking of Rolling news channels one of the big stories obviously that they are covering in-depth is the ongoing situation in Gaza they've been protest outside BBC buildings concerning their coverage from the Gaza strip with both pro Israeli and Palestinian groups accusing Western journalists of bias against their respective causes so no change there then one thing they both seem to agree on is it there is a lack of context for the escalation in violence Liz is it realistic that with a context like israel-palestine which could go back over a century that you ever going to get in every News Bulletin the kind of context that both of these protesting groups are looking for impossible to really really difficult job.

I actually think that do the British news media doing a reasonably good job on this one we asking that as far as I can be aware as much balance as it is possible to bring into it.

It's a terribly difficult situation of course.

It's going to be over simplistic in some regards, but I am

Very much satisfied that the coverage that's coming out.

I feel the time reasonably well informed me maggy.

I suppose the danger is if you've got both sides saying that you're not reporting it fairly the danger is not for the BBC which is obviously got a commitment to do this before other news organisations.

You might almost stop reporting it at all because of the controversy that since you again that actually that would be worse for everyone's situation and it's so heart wrenching but it's go down there.

Is it true that I mean that the deaths of four little boys on a beach that bring back the next day after the cabinet reshuffle, and I think there have been some quite thoughtful articles to in the newspapers in Berkswell will move on to radio now and I'll caoimhe power and UTV of all teamed up to bid for the second digital radio, multiplex.

License you may remember the channel for successfully one that Multiplex way back in 2007 only to hand it back a year later.

Haven't got cold feet about the whole radio project at this is good news though.

Isn't it that it seems like people are committing finally to digital radio it seems to be something that is growing and it will save a hit by the advertising recession and a stalling of digital radio prolapso 7 years on it.

Is it is interesting is taken time but they would seem to have got there.

It is most definitely a vote of confidence in digital radio with soap the partnership includes UTV which imports owns talkSPORT so has a confidence really in radio and clearly has both advertising sales and it has an understanding which I find refreshing and I've

And that they had stealing of optimism is something which can only work for the good of above commercial radio and funny enough BBC Radio in the sense of needing competition in the DAB space and Liz since channel fours plans went up in smoke isn't he was referring to their A lot has changed you've got Bower buying Absolute Radio Planet Rock global putting LBC nationally this year.

Do you think this Consortium I'm gonna be able to make DAB work because mummy thinks I'm a little bit confused as to how many DAB really are there in the great radio universe that I am aware of how much more radio there.

Is you know you going to the chemist does radiochemist you going to the supermarket does radio supermarket.

You get the garage that radio garage doors podcast and I have lot of students.

Have gone to work in radio in areas where you would have drank that would be radio 10 years ago.

So I'm running Susie Aspen you radio.

I'm not sure how the business plan works.

I'm not really qualified to say but I wish them all the best.

Have to say that I personally don't really get the distinction between DAB and ordinary radio United and radio Manian the car and it sounds terrible wherever you go whatever you do, so I don't know that it this in itself the technologies in itself is important, but what I do think is important as Maggie identify this new sense of optimism about radium right let's move on to the ever-changing media quiz that's alright.

Everyone's excited this week's pay attention everyone retweets your job is to guess the media story that prompted the tweet.

That's the right knives.

He goes tweet number one hits from Nick Clegg he says hope I don't look too 80s cabin attendant.

What's a story that would prompt Nick Clegg to tweet that

Replace a widely been appointed in the countryside to the catwalk the men and actually really funny cuz I was in the office today and two of them in the office for having a really heated debate about what they should wear for the student graduation next week in older women with killing themselves laughing so things have changed in the last 20 years, but they only did that after the criticism.

I mean it was a good response, but the issue should never have happened in the first place.

Where are widely predicted more women in the cabinet and then why would you talk about what they wearing to say because that's what they do you know it it will my eyes are you both look charming today ladies to it from Wiley that list is the saddest list in music history.

This is back to point solicitor quiz could be over yes, yes.

Suffolk or Norfolk or Unilever head somebody Ed Sheeran that's all the kids call him to say being a ginger well.

Ok at least has won the creme egg, but don't find it just for fun.

We're gonna we're gonna give you tweet number 3 anyway I was leaving him the tweeters from Tumblr but they will make up your own rules here at for those of you who had reserved seats we are giving you an extra hour in the ball pit any ideas.

What that story might be referring to you and said it was Maggie you've been smashed.

You've been comprehensively trashed online online publications wrong and it's about when is the fanbase really a fan base in when is it just virtual because no one really turned up to this conference that they offer them all sorts of things.

Training careers thinking exactly right it is a message from the Volunteer staff at the disastrous dashcon event in Illinois which went viral this week there a number of high-profile cancellations.

There was a shortfall of $17,000 which attendees have to Stump up and hotel mince were offered as competition prizes which is perfectly reasonable compared to a cream egg.

That's it for this week.

My thanks to make a brown and Teal is how we know that you audience really are real.

You're out there in for me.

Thank you for backing as will be back in two weeks.

You can get the podcast as soon as it's ready by subscribing go to the media podcast dot.com this week's episode is dedicated to back and Mark Owen not that one mark is a multi-platform producer living in the North working at the BBC on games and stuff and also Jenny Allen and on media person who nevertheless loves this show and knitting possibly both at the same time the glory of audio.

Thank you to you both.

I've been Olly Mann the producer is Matt Hill and the media pa.

Gas is ATP and production see you in a fortnight?

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