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Wednesday 13 April 2016, AM

Cabinet minister John Whittingdale had relationship with sex worker

The culture secretary, John Whittingdale, has faced calls to withdraw from the regulation of the press following the disclosure that he had a relationship with a prostitute. Whittingdale, who is divorced, was forced to explain on Tuesday night how he had a six-month relationship with a woman whom he did not realise worked in a brothel. - www.theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com

Tuesday 12 April 2016, PM

What is Alternative Audio Commentary?

The alternative audio is selected using the Red Button, and you will usually be prompted by a presenter when an alternative audio stream is available. If this button is selected, when there is no current alternative audio commentary available, you may hear an odd sound effect. - www.bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC's iPlayer Kids app puts children's TV at 'front and centre' of plans

His comments come after speculation last year that cBeebies and CBBC could face an online-only future as part of cost-cutting ahead of charter renewal at the end of this year. The new iPlayer Kids app will only show age-appropriate content free from adverts, but the BBC faced questioning over its decision not to cut off content after a notional bedtime. - www.theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com

UKTV profits hit 80m

A 20% boost in its programming budget helped UKTV deliver record profits in 2015 as well as cement its ratings lead over Channel 5 and Sky. The company spent Â£148m on programming in 2015, a 20.3% boost on the Â£123m spent in 2014, with original commissions including Storage Hunters UK and Dave Gorman Modern Life Is Goodish and acquisitions including Grimm and Rizzoli & Isles topping its ratings table. Its annual financial report shows that this investment in content helped it deliver a 13% increase in revenues from Â£282.6m last year to Â£319.2m in 2015 with operating profits growing 10.1% to Â£79.6m up from Â£72.3m. Meanwhile, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew from Â£74.2m to Â£82m. . - www.broadcastnow.co.uk

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Freeview selects Anomaly to lead ad account

Freeview has appointed Anomaly to lead its advertising account following a review of its agency roster. Freeview drafted in Leo Burnett in 2011 following a three-way pitch against The Red brick Road and WiedenKennedy. - www.thedrum.com

www.thedrum.com

Monday 11 April 2016, AM

Top-level change at BBC and ITV means uncertain future for UK television

Following a changing of the guard that saw his heads of entertainment, factual and drama depart, his new top team includes Polly Hill, the BBC controller of drama commissioning he poached to become his head of drama - a coup for Lygo and a blow for the BBC. It means that seven experienced executives have left the corporation over the last seven months director of television Danny Cohen, controller of seasons and special projects Janice Hadlow, creative director Alan Yentob, BBC2 controller Kim Shillinglaw, BBC Studios director Peter Salmon, natural history unit head Wendy Darke and Hill. Driving the low morale at the BBC is the question mark over the timing and implementation of director general Tony Hall's two big master plans the commercialisation of most BBC production through the creation of BBC Studios and a restructure of commissioning and programme-making based around genres and audiences that blurs the boundaries between radio, TV and online, details of which are unlikely to be unveiled until after the government produces its white paper on the corporation's future. - www.theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com

Sunday 10 April 2016, PM

The Real Whittingdale Scandal: Cover up by the Press

By the time The Independent began investigating the reasons why the Whittingdale-King story had never been published, despite being known to at least three national newspaper groups, the relationship had ended and Whittingdale was now inside the cabinet. By stalling indeterminately a critical element of the law passed by parliament in 2013, related to the imposition of costs penalties on newspapers who fail to join a charter-approved regulator, Whittingdale effectively gave himself an unfettered executive power over the press. - www.byline.com

www.byline.com

Friday 08 April 2016, PM

Cabinet minister John Whittingdale had relationship with sex worker

What is Alternative Audio Commentary?

BBC's iPlayer Kids app puts children's TV at 'front and centre' of plans

UKTV profits hit 80m

Freeview selects Anomaly to lead ad account

Top-level change at BBC and ITV means uncertain future for UK television

The Real Whittingdale Scandal: Cover up by the Press

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