Wednesday 31 March 2010, PM
Media: Simon Kelner on the Indie, Sky and pay TV - 31 03 10
downloads.bbc.co.ukBBC News - Opposition mounts to UKs Digital Economy Bill
The plan to cut off persistent pirates has proved controversial The government has published a new draft of a controversial clause in the Digital Economy bill, in an effort to ease its progress through parliament. The Liberal Democrats said they will oppose any plans to rush the Digital Economy bill into law. The bill faces its second reading in the House of Commons next week. - news.bbc.co.uk
news.bbc.co.uk
Sky ruling: Culture secretary challenges Tories to back Ofcom |Media |guardian.co.uk
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www.guardian.co.ukWednesday 31 March 2010, AM
Pestons Picks: Ofcom v Sky
Ofcom believes that millions of us make decisions on which TV service to buy and also which bundle of TV, broadband and telephony to purchase on the basis of whether we can get access to live sport and first-run Hollywood movies. Which is why it has concluded Sky derives an unfair advantage from its control of much of the top-rate live sport and films available in the UK. The media watchdog has today ruled that Sky has to sell its sports channels to rivals at prices that are between 10.5 and 23 below the existing wholesale prices - and wants the Competition Commission to force the Hollywood studios to sell on-demand rights to movies to companies other than Sky. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukCompetition issues in premium pay TV movies | Ofcom
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Ofcom orders Sky Sports price cut |Media |guardian.co.uk
The media regulator Ofcom today ordered BSkyB to reduce the amount it charges rivals to offer Sky Sports by more than 20. On the basis that most subscribers buy packages including the sports channels, the reduction for a bundle is 10.5 from 19.15 to 17.14. BSkyB, however, intends to apply to the Competition Appeal Tribunal for a stay on implementing the ruling. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukHigh definition Freeview extension
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www.google.comBBC News - Analogue TV end dates announced
Many portable TVs and video recorders still use the analogue signal A date has been announced for the end of analogue television in Scotland. It has now been announced that most of Ayrshire, Arran, southern Argyll and the Rosneath area of Dunbartonshire will switch off on 11 May next year. Some of Fife and Lothian will switch on 1 June and the rest of the central belt will follow a week later. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.uk
S4Cs Clirlun: its Welsh, but not as we know it | Media Monkey |Media |guardian.co.uk
The name may hardly trip off the tongue, but Monkey hears it is causing excitement in Wales because, explains Iona Jones, the Welsh-language channel's chief executive, it is a new Welsh noun, meaning high definition. S4C viewers were asked to invent a name and send in their suggestion the winner hails from Carmarthenshire. To find out more information about driving traffic to your content or to place this widget on your site, visit outbrain.com. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukRegulator sets the fuse for shake-up of pay-TV -Business Analysis Features, Business - The Independent
After a three-year investigation, Ofcom finally revealed it was ready to publish its final statement on the investigation into the pay TV market in Britain at 7am today. Despite the hiccup at the 11th hour, the regulator hit the last day of its self-imposed deadline. Sky is the largest player in the pay TV market, with 9.5 million customers, followed by Virgin with 3.7 million. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.uk
BBC on the hunt for new channel for Freeview HD - Media news - Media Week
Five had planned to provide a mix of its own programming and commissioned shows from on its own HD channel, but failed to provide media regulator Ofcom with launch details in time. The BBC acquired the right to use the unreserved capacity because it provides the Freeview multiplex that the HD channels are being rolled out on. Thomson's comments did not rule out an additional BBC HD service, but also suggested partnership possibilities for another broadcaster to create a wholly new offering if the interest is there. - mediaweek.co.ukwww.mediaweek.co.ukHD goes Freeview - ITV Press Centre
- itv.comwww.itv.comTuesday 30 March 2010, PM
Freeview tweaks Sky in 12m ad campaign for HD services |Media |guardian.co.uk
Link to this video Freeview has unveiled a 12m advertising push to promote the launch of high-definition channels on its digital terrestrial TV service. The first ad in the campaign, a tongue-in-cheek take on BSkyB's HD promotions featuring slow-motion footage of action films and wildlife, features two men pretending to run against the backdrop of a giant owl swooping in for the kill. The campaign, by ad agency 18 Feet and Rising, will return in the key pre-Christmas sales period with a further 6m marketing push. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukMen Motors goes to the scrapyard |Television radio |guardian.co.uk
It's too late for Virgin customers to pay their respects it disappeared without warning from the EPG at some point last week but anyone with Sky and Freesat still has a couple of days to drink it in before it's gone for good. You wouldn't realise by looking at it now, but in its time Men Motors or Granada Men Motors as it was when it launched in 1996 was a powerhouse. Granada Men Motors was as integral a part of mid-90s lad culture as Fantasy Football or horrible Ben Sherman shirts. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukTuesday 30 March 2010, AM
BBC News - Freeview to launch new HD service
Freeview is to launch a new free high definition HD TV service later. Freeview HD recorders will also be available later this Spring. Viewers will only need to update their equipment if they want to watch the new HD channels on Freeview, otherwise their existing set top boxes will continue to receive all of the current standard definition channels. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.uk
New 1m high definition channel for Wales
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www.walesonline.co.ukBBC News - Wales will be first UK digital TV nation
Wales has become the first nation in the UK to go fully digital in its television signal. The Wenvoe transmitter and its relay stations, serving 649,000 homes in south east Wales, started switching from analogue to digital at midnight. Digital UK, which manages the switch, said the last relay station, at Tonyrefail in Rhondda Cynon Taf, shut off analogue in mid afternoon. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.uk
The ITV regional news bidders have something in common at their core |Media |guardian.co.uk
The panel making the choice has, unanimously, gone for those promising convergence. Together they are currently struggling to employ 1,000 newspaper journalists. The panel felt they could safely do this and spurn the incumbents, STV with ITN, because, under existing employment regulation, the winners have to take on the otherwise redundant television journalists already supplying the services. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
MPs attack BBC over executive pay and BBC3 costs |Media |The Guardian
Published today, the committee's review of the BBC's 2008-2009 annual report questions how the corporation measures the success of its programmes. Last autumn the BBC revealed that its top 50 executives earn basic salaries of between 160,000 and 647,000, with nine executive directors, including director general Mark Thompson, sharing 4.6m, including bonuses and benefits. The report was prompted by the publication of the BBC's latest annual report last summer. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukPay-TV sports shakeup leaves Sky a winner |Business |The Guardian
Six million people currently pay for Sky Sports through Sky or rival providers. The move, which comes after a lengthy three-year investigation, is likely to lead to protests not just from Sky but from sports bodies who fear that their broadcasting rights will be worth less when they are next auctioned and that this will hamper investment in sport. Ofcom is expected to set the wholesale price of Sky Sports 1 at about 10.50, as compared to the current 13.88. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukMonday 29 March 2010, PM
One less news app: Did BBCs iPad support threaten the EUs Digital Agenda? | Tech Policy Law News - Betanews
Either the news media is convinced that Apple's forthcoming iPad is the vehicle for delivering news publishing out of its funk, or it's convinced that Apple is conspiring to circumvent the natural course of news with its own walled garden platform. The BBC is sustained by UK citizens who pay regular license fees, so on paper, the reason for the delay is to determine whether free distribution of the app goes against its mandate. In an online op-ed yesterday, the Times defended its decision, saying it believed true customers will recognize the value of investing in real journalism. - betanews.com
www.betanews.comITV Advertising Restraints May Be Scrapped by U.K. Regulator - Bloomberg.com
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www.bloomberg.com
A 2015 digital switchover is absurd | Tony Stoller |Media |guardian.co.uk
So the House of Lords has woken up to the absurdity of 2015 as a switchover date for digital radio. In case other politicians and government officials haven't noticed, that would mean making obsolete the vast majority of car radios, and perhaps 150m analogue radio sets. What will they do to a government that turns off all their radio stations - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukSelect Committe report on DSO - PDF
- publications.parliament.ukwww.publications.parliament.ukMonday 29 March 2010, AM
BSkyB downgraded to neutral at UBS - MarketWatch
The broker noted that the firm's shares have risen by 33 since last June and outperformed the Stoxx 600 index by 7. British Sky Broadcasting is roughly 39-owned by News Corp, the owner of MarketWatch the publisher of this report. - marketwatch.com
www.marketwatch.comTories attack BBC cuts to niche stations -UK Politics, UK - The Independent
- independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukSaturday 27 March 2010, AM
Freeview HD televisions at test lab - Which? News
For 'coming soon' reviews plus almost 200 full reviews of televisions tested in 2009 and 2010 visit our television review page. Full results are due online towards the end of May. For 'coming soon reviews' plus almost 200 full reviews of televisions tested visit our television review page. Keep an eye on Which news and ourtelevision brand overview pages for the latest developments, or check out our 3D TV essential guide for everything you need to know - which.co.uk
www.which.co.ukFriday 26 March 2010, PM
BBC - Pestons Picks: Ofcom v Sky: The epic business battle of 2010
The latest is the three-year pay-TV probe, which reaches an end - of sorts - next week, when the media watchdog, Ofcom, publishes its final conclusions and proposed remedies. There have been thousands of pages of submissions to Ofcom in this enquiry, a fair number of them from the company directly threatened, British Sky Broadcasting which was still lobbying Ofcom, with some 100 pages of detailed economic analysis, some five months after the consultation was formally closed. So BSkyB will be forced to sell rival broadcasters access to its films and sport - in normal and high definition format - at keener prices than it does today. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukFeedback: 26 Mar 2010: Listener panel on R4's Today
downloads.bbc.co.ukFriday 26 March 2010, AM
Gerhard Zeiler approaches Channel 4 about commercial tie-up with Five |Media |guardian.co.uk
The possibility of resurrecting a Channel 4/Five merger is said to have been discussed, although this is thought far less likely to proceed than a more limited commercial partnership. One such option would be a merger between Channel 4 and Five's advertising airtime sales houses, which has been mooted in the past, although this would not solve RTL's problem long term. Obstacles to a full merger would include Five's onerous deals for US shows such as the CSI franchise. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukMedia Talk: Clay Shirky on Google, China, and all things internet
download.guardian.co.ukThursday 25 March 2010, PM
Digital economy bill to be pushed through parliament next month |Technology |guardian.co.uk
Harriet Harman, the leader of the house, said today that the bill will get its second reading. It does not allow for debate of issues the only changes that can be made to bills are deletions. The bill has proved highly controversial with many consumers and businesses because of the measures it would take against those accused of copyright infringement online. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
UTV hopes to launch Welsh ITV news pilot by October |Media |guardian.co.uk
Wales Live was the only bidder to have made a vox pop video of what people in Wales wanted to see in their regional news as part of its pitch for the contract. To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editormediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
ITV regional news bidders told: dont count on BBC licence fee funds |Media |guardian.co.uk
If Labour wins the general election, which is expected to be called within days for 6 May, the pilots can be run until the end of 2012. However, the Tories have pledged to block the necessary clause in the digital economy bill that would then enable Ofcom to fund an ongoing, national and regional ITV news services with public funds after 2012. The Conservatives have also pledged to scrap the plan for regional news consortiums if the party wins the general election. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukThursday 25 March 2010, AM
How I slashed my connection to cable TV without missing anything | Tech Gear News - Betanews
Mission Find an affordable alternative to cable/pay TV using only off-the-shelf products. Deadline Today with a clause for extension Like 24 million other Americans, I have a subscription to Comcast for cable television and like an untold number of those subscribers, I feel that it costs far more than it should. Annually, I pay more than 675 for service on one HD receiver with no premium content, even though I only watch a couple of hours of television a week. - betanews.comwww.betanews.comWednesday 24 March 2010, AM
Stop DRM on UK TV! Sign onto ORGs comments - Boing Boing
This is a bad idea for lots of reasons it's our TV, paid for with the license fee. If that wasn't bad enough, the BBC hasn't identified anyone who has promised to make programmes available if the DRM is added -- so we're being asked to turn regulatory control over the public service broadcaster to a corporate cartel without even being promised anything in return These businesses have shareholders who want to see a return on their investment, not a public tantrum. - boingboing.netwww.boingboing.net
Philips unveils Freeview HD recorder and receiver | News | TechRadar UK
There is also the ability to live pause TV, with a three-hour buffer limit and DD5.1 audio output. The recorder also comes with an eight-day EPG, parental locking and consumes less than 1W of power when in standby mode. As well as the recorder, Philips is also introducing a slim-line receiver to the market, which will offer up Freeview HD but with no recording capabilities. - techradar.com
www.techradar.com
Freeview could be a poisoned chalice | City A.M.
Allowing the pay-TV giant to access customers via the Freeview platform which has 10m customers is one of the sweeteners on the table. This would allow Sky to access a more casual consumer of sport it could sell big football matches on a pay-per-view basis, aping the way individual boxing fights are sold at 10 to 15-a-time. According to Execution Noble, around a third of Sky customers are considering switching to Freeview. - cityam.com
www.cityam.com
ITV boss eyes pay-TV future
C21Media.net is Everything about content in the 21st Century, from television to web, mobile, tablet and beyond. - c21media.net
www.c21media.netGaelic Freeview decision delayed
The BBC Trust had been expected to decide by April whether to put the channel onto Freeview. It will now make the decision after it its views on the future strategy of the wider BBC are published. MG Alba, which runs the channel in partnership with the BBC, said it was disappointed. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.ukOfcom sets out vision and speed for superfast broadband for all |Technology |The Guardian
BT is being asked to share its network of telegraph poles with other internet providers. Ofcom also set out for the first time yesterday what it regards as the lowest speed that would merit the name. However, large numbers of homes and businesses are in locations which cannot get any sort of broadband, either because they are too far from an exchange or because the lines are of poor quality. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukTuesday 23 March 2010, PM
Arqiva bounces into Project Canvas...will SeeSaw follow?
-blog.wotsat.comBBC reveals plans to expand digital radio coverage
More than a million additional people will soon be able to receive BBC national digital radio services under plans for a further expansion of the digital radio transmission network. The BBC is investing in a further 60 digital radio transmitters as part of its commitment to reach 90 of the UK population during this Charter period. This is the final part of a planned roll-out which started in 2008 and has which already resulted in more than 50 additional transmitters being added to the network. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukTuesday 23 March 2010, AM
Project Canvas is open and standardised and great for consumers |Media |guardian.co.uk
A version of how the Project Canvas website may appear. Photograph Public Domain There has been a great deal of recent discussion about the merits or lack thereof of Project Canvas. Canvas promises to create an open, standardised platform where consumers will be able to view programming from a vast number of video providers across a broad range of devices. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukMonday 22 March 2010, PM
ITV refunds viewers after David Dickinson phone-in contest gaffe |Media |guardian.co.uk
The ITV1 daytime repeat had been re-edited to include a new on-screen viewers' competition, but a production error meant at the end of the programme the voiceover was not also updated. A viewer complained to the media regulator, Ofcom, that it was not clear which question viewers were supposed to answer. ITV told the regulator that it had already refunded 5,026 of the 15,984 entrants eligible for the money back. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukinformitv - MSN Video Player fails to impress
Microsoft has finally formally launched its new online video service in the United Kingdom. Following a six month trial, the new-look offering now includes 1,000 hours of full-length television programmes, supplemented by other video clips and film trailers that were previously available on the MSN portal. Microsoft has been doing non-exclusive deals with independent production companies like Endemol to distribute their programmes once they come out of broadcaster holdback and the rights revert to the producers. - informitv.com
informitv.comMonday 22 March 2010, AM
Ban on broadcasting parliamentary clips on YouTube could be lifted |Media |The Guardian
The clip, watched nearly 470,000 times, remains on YouTube, despite the ban although Westminster authorities have periodically asked for such clips to be removed. There is a limited exemption for MPs, who are allowed to put up clips of their own speeches on YouTube, but even they have to prevent third parties from embedding those clips. Negotiations have been going on for over 18 months within the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit Limited, a committee of officials and broadcasters responsible for licensing parliamentary footage. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
Channel 4 select committee review is a stinker | Steve Hewlett |Media |The Guardian
Last week's select committee review of Channel 4 hardly noticed amid the blizzard of media coverage of the BBC was a real stinker. The MPs on the culture, media and sport committee go so far as to suggest that the money might well have been better spent maintaining public service content on C4's main service. Even more serious, C4 was criticised for a lack of transparency in how it accounted for its digital channels that MPs said could not be justified. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukDigital economy bill: what you need to know |Media |The Guardian
The murmuring in parliament is that the digital economy bill will get its second reading on Tuesday 6 April the day that Gordon Brown is expected to hop into a car and head over to the palace to ask for the dissolution of parliament. This is not easy the bill tends to add bits to other existing acts, such as the Communications Act of 2003 and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. Minimum broadband speed of 2Mbps Doesn't actually require legislation. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukSunday 21 March 2010, PM
TDF - Radio sur mobile : une facture de 74 millions deuros par an
Grab this Headline Animator Inscription la newsletter Qu'est-ce que 'DR' Diffrents formats et normes sont aujourd'hui disponibles sur le march par le biais de diffrents consortia de fabricants et radiodiffuseurs. Trs simplement - la radio numrique utilise diffrentes technologies qui convertissent le signal analogue, musique ou voix, en un code numrique. - radio-numerique.frwww.radio-numerique.frpick a page