Friday 13 March 2009, AM
RTL slashes Fives value by half and eyes merger with Channel 4 |Media |The Guardian
The owner of Five, RTL, yesterday slashed the value of the television company by more than half, blaming conditions in the advertising market. Gerhard Zeiler, RTL's chief executive, added that the worsening environment in the UK was forcing companies to consider consolidation. Five made a loss before financial and restructuring charges of 2m, compared with a profit in 2007 of 10m. - guardian.co.uk
www.guardian.co.ukThursday 12 March 2009, AM
Ripping up the rulebook at ITV
It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk
www.broadcastnow.co.ukTuesday 10 March 2009, AM
BBC NEWS | Technology | The future of TV lies on the net
As its name suggests IPTV is all about getting the shows you like via the net rather than through the air. Viewers will be able to watch on-demand content through their television via a special set top box, expected to cost between 100-200. The service will run in addition to existing on-demand efforts such as BBC iPlayer and 4oD, and content on Canvas will require no extra subscription - just an existing broadband connection. - news.bbc.co.uk
news.bbc.co.ukDTG News: ASTRA 2C satellite to move to 31.5 Degrees East
In the meantime, the services transmitted via 28.2 degrees East will continue to be broadcast from the other satellites co-located at this orbital position. DTG Staff 10.03.2009 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.uk
www.dtg.org.ukBSkyBs Digital Britain response
9 March, 2009 BSkyB's open letter responding to the Digital Britain report March 2009. It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukDTG News: DTG publish D-Book 6
The specification is now published annually to keep pace with the UKs rapidly-evolving DTT platform. The DTG was established by the industry over a decade ago to protect consumers and safeguard the reputations of distribution platforms and receiver manufacturers. This has been achieved by defining the detailed interoperability specification for UK DTT, and by the development and implementation of test specifications and test regimes to measure product conformance against brand requirements. - dtg.org.ukwww.dtg.org.ukFreeview HD box spec published
-blog.wotsat.comBBC iPlayer to go HD!
-blog.wotsat.comMonday 09 March 2009, AM
Emily Bell: The biggest mistake of the past 10 years? Too much stuff |Media |The Guardian
Bear with me as we recap last week's 100-yard dash of media industry financial woe before breasting the tape of eternal doom. The ABCs for national newspapers recorded almost universal sales decline, with no sector growing and the Daily Sport yes, it is still going withdrawing from the audit altogether. The lack of any boundaries to bandwidth was only encouraged by a seemingly ever-expanding pool of advertising opportunities. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukSunday 08 March 2009, PM
Microsoft adding HD to Windows-7 - Rapid TV News
Read more Louise Duffy 04-01-2013 A Pakistani parliamentary panel has asked the government to ban all foreign content in any language during prime time on television. Read more Iaki Ferreras 04-01-2013 Madrid's regional public broadcaster Telemadrid is going through the worst time in its history the company has serious financial problems and is close to shutting... - rapidtvnews.comwww.rapidtvnews.comSky+HD Guide
- www1.sky.comwww1.sky.comSaturday 07 March 2009, PM
Fall from grace of Michael Grades ITV - TV Radio, Media - The Independent
As the red-socked television impresario walked into its headquarters in London's Gray's Inn Road, staff left their desks in the hope of a glimpse of the returning hero and burst into a spontaneous cheer when he appeared. The staff who once cheered their new executive chairman to the rafters had to hear from him that 600 jobs about 13 per cent of the workforce would be lost. You had to feel a little sympathy for the former Channel 4 chief executive who could not, when he determined to return to the commercial sector, have foreseen the economic conditions he would inherit. - independent.co.uk
www.independent.co.ukFriday 06 March 2009, PM
Friday 06 March 2009, AM
DTV broadcasters: Suddenly loss of signal could be a problem | Tech Policy Law News - Betanews
Much more serious, they condend, is the real possibility -- one which broadcasters are apparently just now addressing -- that certain viewers including those on the outskirts of analog broadcasting signals' coverage areas may suddenly find themselves without service. A key problem, however, as Rehr told the FCC, is the possibility of signal loss -- that some viewers won't get the signals from the channels that used to serve them. During Hawaii's early switchover on January 17, the biggest issue consumers there reported to call centers, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, was the inability to get a picture. - betanews.com
www.betanews.comSport TV rights: Sky want sport belonging to terrestrial television |Sport |The Guardian
They will present evidence that they claim shows that broadcasting events exclusively on pay TV does not have a detrimental effect on live attendances or reach. Supporters of strengthening the list will also point out that following the switch to digital television in 2012, the number of broadcasters that satisfy the free-to-air criteria will increase. With Uefa and Fifa also lobbying to have the legislation relaxed, there is also speculation that England's bid for the 2018 World Cup may make it politically expedient to give the latter a sympathetic hearing. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukThursday 05 March 2009, AM
C4 s Duncan: TV won t bounce back for years
4 March, 2009 By Robin Parker Channel 4 boss Andy Duncan has warned of the threat to the future of the industry posed by the economic downturn. It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.uk
Fall from grace of Michael Grades ITV - TV Radio, Media - The Independent
As the red-socked television impresario walked into its headquarters in London's Gray's Inn Road, staff left their desks in the hope of a glimpse of the returning hero and burst into a spontaneous cheer when he appeared. The staff who once cheered their new executive chairman to the rafters had to hear from him that 600 jobs about 13 per cent of the workforce would be lost. You had to feel a little sympathy for the former Channel 4 chief executive who could not, when he determined to return to the commercial sector, have foreseen the economic conditions he would inherit. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukWednesday 04 March 2009, PM
BBC Media Show: 4 March 2009
downloads.bbc.co.ukITV's headache is longer lasting than the recession
The latest round of cost cuts at ITV come as little surprise. We were expecting a dividend cut, probable disposals of Friends Reunited and SDN, a cut to the programming budget and at least 500 job cuts. The commercial broadcaster has taken a 2.7bn write down on the value of its assets and the proposed cost cuts are unlikely to be enough to cover its losses. - blogs.telegraph.co.ukblogs.telegraph.co.ukWednesday 04 March 2009, AM
ITV to focus on peak-time shows |Media |guardian.co.uk
The X Factor the sort of peak-time show ITV will focus on. Michael Grade, the ITV executive chairman, said the broadcaster was likely to cut its new original drama output from eight to seven hours a week as part of the cuts. The broadcaster has already announced plans to cut The Bill from two hours a week to one. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukITV could shut Leeds and Manchester bases and create new northern HQ |Media |guardian.co.uk
The future of ITV's base at Quay Street in Manchester is under review. The commercial broadcaster today confirmed it would close its main studio complex in Leeds, as revealed by MediaGuardian.co.uk yesterday, with the loss of 192 jobs. One of the centre's main productions, Countdown, which ITV makes for Channel 4, will move across the Pennines to the north-west. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukHighs and lows of ITV - TV Radio, Media - The Independent
ITV's announcement that it is axing 600 jobs comes as it battles to survive the worst advertising downturn in a generation, stiff competition from other networks and an expensive schedule of programming. The production of Heartbeat has been halted and expensive stars, such as Ant and Dec and Simon Cowell, have been warned that future golden handcuffs deals may have to be cut back when their contracts come up for negotiation, it has been reported. The company's difficulties have been made worse by a cash crisis, according to a report in the Guardian, with a 250m bond due to be repaid this month and a 500m bond due by 2011. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukInteresting Stuff 2009-03-03
Jemima Kiss has published the latest in the series of 'BBC Builders' articles. The proposals are on the BBC Trust site here. Did you know U2 have a new album out - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukWIN! A Humax Freesat+ PVR!
Whats more, its got 500GB of built-in storage with the capacity to retain up to 125 hours of HD content, plus a host of recording features including series recording, schedule tracking and split recording. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note that this competition is only open to UK residents over 18 years of age. - futurecompetitions.comwww.futurecompetitions.comITV staff braced for cuts
It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukSky News Radio: Alphabetical List Of All Stations Served After IRN Deal | Home | Sky News
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tinyurl.comTuesday 03 March 2009, AM
BBC NEWS | Technology | Pirate radio puts lives at risk
Regulator Ofcom says the broadcasts can put lives at risk by interfering with emergency service frequencies, and can also block legitimate stations. Police officers raided an address in north London which, they say, housed an illegal radio station. Ofcom says there are more than 150 pirate radio stations operating across the UK, half of which operate in London and the South East of England. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.ukBT emerges as suitor to merge with cash-strapped Channel 4 - TV Radio, Media - The Independen
BT is set to emerge as a likely candidate to merge with Channel 4 after the broadcaster's chairman said he would welcome talks that could offer a solution to its 150m funding shortfall. The need for a partner for Channel 4 is becoming more apparent, with the Government keen for a solution to what will become a 150m annual funding shortfall by 2012. A deal with BT would have other obvious benefits for Channel 4, not least the ability to transmit its programmes on BT lines into homes and offices. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukITV needs radical action| Reuters
Caught by both cyclical and structural change, the home to talent show the X-Factor and soap opera Coronation Street may have to suspend its dividend, increase cost savings and consider a rights issue if it is to protect its programming budget and retain advertisers. It may also be forced into non-core asset sales as it confronts the rapid downturn in advertising. Such an approach may even find favour with investors. - uk.reuters.com
uk.reuters.comDTG News: Microsoft and NXP to showcase Windows Media Centre for DVB-T2
Leaps in technology innovation are made possible when companies can combine their expertise, and we are particularly happy to have joined forces with Microsoft to support DVB-T2. DVB-T2 is an upcoming terrestrial transmission format which will start a new era of multimedia enjoyment, enabling superior quality of broadcast video on the Windows PC. OEMs will facilitate network operators to expand their range of coverage with cost effective hardware for PC tuner solutions. - dtg.org.ukwww.dtg.org.ukOn The Radio: Sky News To Launch New Service
Sky News is available in more places than ever before - it has become the sole supplier of news to all of the UK's commercial radio stations. Sky News Radio is now supplying the 267 client stations of Independent Radio News, in addition to the 80 stations which have already signed up to the service. It means a total of more than 300 stations - reaching around 31 million listeners across the country - are receiving live bulletins as well as a 24-hour feed of scripts and audio material. - tinyurl.comtinyurl.comMonday 02 March 2009, AM
Emma Scott: All set to broadcast bad news to rivals - Times Online
- business.timesonline.co.ukbusiness.timesonline.co.ukBT signals Channel 4 merger ambition - Telegraph
BT is wading into the debate about the future of Britain's commercial broadcasting industry by signalling that it could merge its television subsidiary with Channel 4. A merger between Channel 4 and BT Vision is being seriously considered as one option for the future funding of the state-owned broadcaster. It is believed that the Government also sees logic in such a tie-up, although a tie-up with BBC Worldwide still remains high on its agenda. - telegraph.co.uk
www.telegraph.co.ukinformitv - BBC Canvas opinion on next generation video project
The BBC Trust has published details of the proposed Project Canvas to bring broadband and broadcast services together in hybrid receivers. This follows another joint venture initiative known as Project Kangaroo to provide video on demand over broadband. That was blocked by the Competition Commission because it was deemed to limit competition. - informitv.com
informitv.comFive and ITV expected to lose up to 600 jobs this week - TV Radio, Media - The Independent
Five, the terrestrial television channel, is expected to make about a third of its workforce redundant this week. A source close to the company said that around 100 of the 350 staff would lose their jobs as part of a restructuring of the business to be announced on Thursday. Earlier, ITV is expected to axe up to 500 jobs when it announces its annual results. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.uk
Radio industry news: childrens hours |Media |The Guardian
I was listening to Just a Minute the other day while having lunch with my eight-year-old daughter, and, to my surprise, she got quite involved. She did not understand all the jokes, but enjoyed listening out for repetition, deviation, and so on, and it struck me as a real shame there is very little like it designed for her age group. Making a plea for children's radio is rather like lamenting the passing of leaf tea, or asking why it is impossible to get a decent pair of spats these days. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
ITV plans cant hide its many failures |Media |The Guardian
For what feels like the first time in living memory, ITV is wrestling with a problem not of its own making. They also allow continuing mismanagement to shelter behind general economic gloom. Either create one new commercial broadcaster by merging ITV, Channel 4 and Five or take C4 out of the commercial market altogether and fund it entirely from the licence fee. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukSunday 01 March 2009, PM
BBC HD: Nyquist Limit
Editor's note - Andy Quested was going to add this as a comment responding to tagmclaren's question about frequency gatings but as you can't put pictures in comments I thought it would be better to publish it as a new post Dear tagmclaren Thanks for the comment. What you are seeing unfortunately is an alias that's folded back at around 26MHz. Here is your picture with the original 25 and 30MHz gratings added - if you look at the off-air and original 25MHz grating you can see they line up but the 30MHz original does not match the off-air grating. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukHDTV UK: BT, BBC, ITV collaborate for on-demand TV via broadband initiative
I am pleased that the BBC is working with industry partners such as device manufacturers, ISPs and other content providers on proposals which will bring real benefits for consumers. It will also future-proof our free-to-air platforms, Freeview and Freesat. Together they can offer live TV along with an unrivalled choice of on demand content and interactive services. - hdtvuk.tvwww.hdtvuk.tvChannel 4 angles for second HD channel
-blog.wotsat.comDigital UK gives switchover aerial advice for Isle of Man
-blog.wotsat.comUPDATED with pics! May launch for Panasonic's Freesat+ HD Blu-ray PVRs
-blog.wotsat.comFive new developments for iPlayer
-blog.wotsat.comBBC HD Update: DOG Patrol - BBC Internet Blog
Hello Everyone, I'm sorry that you've been concerned about my demise. There is a lot happening, and I will have quite a few developments for you in the next couple of weeks My time over the last month has been spent working on the future of the channel, our programming, and also on an interesting trip to the US to talk to broadcasters there who are further down the HD road. It is really useful to understand where we might be headed and obviously we want to make sure that the plans we make are likely to fit with where you - our existing, and I hope future audience - might want us to go. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukFriday 27 February 2009, PM
Net TV plans get Trust scrutiny | BBC NEWS | Technology
Setting up such services rests on getting approval from the BBC Trust. This situation would only worsen as the internet became the main way that TV programmes are distributed to viewers. The initial devices are expected to be set-top boxes, with a net connection, that could cost up to 200. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.ukFriday 27 February 2009, AM
BBC Media Show: 25 February 2009
downloads.bbc.co.ukMedia Talk: Alexander Lebedev on politics, power and the press
download.guardian.co.ukFriday 20 February 2009, AM
BBC Media Show: 18 February 2009
downloads.bbc.co.ukMedia Talk: To live and die in the public eye
download.guardian.co.ukSaturday 14 February 2009, PM
ITV staff braced for hundreds more job cuts as |Media |guardian.co.uk
ITV is expected to cut several hundred more jobs and prune its 1bn-a-year programming budget to cut costs as the broadcaster looks to tackle its onerous 2.6bn pension fund and manage debt in the worst advertising recession for more than a decade. Senior management at the UK's biggest advertiser-funded commercial broadcaster, which employees about 4,500 staff, are finalising a wide-ranging package of cost-cutting measures designed to help the ailing broadcaster weather the unprecedented market conditions. The cuts are expected to be announced when ITV unveils its full-year results for 2008 on 4 March. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukpick a page