Tuesday 01 December 2015, PM
Channel 4 News in current form 'unlikely to survive privatisation'
The outgoing Channel 4 chairman Terry Burns has said he struggles to see how the broadcaster's 7pm news bulletin would survive at its current length in a primetime slot if the channel were privatised. Burns said uncertainty over Channel 4's future had been disruptive to the channel's ongoing operations. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.com
57% of UK TV housesholds have HD
Significantly more viewers choose to watch ITV in standard definition rather than ITV HD, most of the time. Online catch-up viewing is now increasingly substituting for DVR-recorded programming when viewers want to watch programmes they have missed. - www.broadbandtvnews.comwww.broadbandtvnews.comTuesday 01 December 2015, AM
Ofcom launches Wi-Fi checker
Move your router to a different part of your home The walls and furniture in your house act as an obstacle to the Wi-Fi radio frequencies. Try restarting your wireless router This may automatically select a less busy Wi-Fi radio frequency. - consumers.ofcom.org.ukconsumers.ofcom.org.ukMonday 30 November 2015, PM
European broadcasters retain spectrum
An international conference has decided to maintain certain radio frequencies primarily for broadcasting in Europe, Africa the Middle East and Central Asia, while providing further capacity for mobile broadband in some bands globally. The GSMA, which represents mobile operators and associated companies, had argued for the UHF band below 700MHz to be allocated to mobile services on a 'co-primary' basis with broadcasting. - informitv.cominformitv.com
C4's future to be decided in new year
The government could reach a decision over whether to privatise Channel 4 as early as January, Broadcast understands. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) quietly began a formal process with the broadcaster just over three weeks ago, requesting detailed information to help it assess privatisation and other options. It is examining C4’s finances and is understood to have sent the broadcaster a series of questions to answer, which will help it explore a number of potential models. Sources have indicated to Broadcast that among these is how a privately-owned C4 might operate were it allowed to have in-house production. - www.broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukFriday 27 November 2015, PM
#40 - David Schneider on being funny for brands - The Media Podcast with Olly Mann
feedproxy.google.comLocal Radio controversy, BBC World Service funding, New comedy double act The Pin
open.live.bbc.co.ukFriday 27 November 2015, AM
BBC3 TV channel to be switched off by February, BBC Trust confirms
The BBC3 TV channel will be switched off by February next year, the BBC Trust has confirmed, despite accepting that almost 1 million younger viewers could desert the corporation as a consequence. As expected the trust confirmed its rejection of the corporation's controversial bid to launch a BBC11 channel in place of BBC3. The report gave given the corporation three months to return with a full proposal for the use of the BBC3 TV spectrum. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comThursday 26 November 2015, PM
A new Ariel for a new era
The latest change sees Ariel becoming a true internal channel for the first time in its long history, available only to BBC employees via Gateway. The world has changed unrecognisably since the first edition of Ariel in June 1936 but the brand remains, with its fundamental remit, to convey messages, news, perspective and context on what matters most to us, the people of the BBC. That's the same as it ever was. - www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
Broadband's frequency hunters denied Freeview patch
Between them these two muxes carry eight of the Freeview platform's 14 HD channels. With major changes to Freeview potentially less than two years away, let's hope Geneva at least means light is coming. - www.theregister.co.ukwww.theregister.co.uk
BBC3 to move online by March 2016
The BBC Trust has formally approved proposals to close BBC3 as a linear channel in January and to gradually transition it online by March 2016. As a condition of the move, the service licence agreements of both BBC1 and BBC2 have been amended to require an extra commitment to programming for 16-34 year olds. The two channels will also be required to air all BBC3’s long-form content “at a variety of times” in their schedules as soon as the linear channel closes at the end of February. The decision marks the culmination of an 11-month public value assessment (PVA) by the Trust, under which the governing body has also confirmed that the proposals to launch BBC1+1 have been rejected. However, as mooted under a provisional decision on the BBC3 plans in June, the Trust has approved plans to extend CBBC’s broadcast hours from 7pm to 9pm and develop iPlayer to include online-first and third party content. www.broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukThursday 26 November 2015, AM
ITU Allocates 700MHz Band For Mobile Broadband
Freeview delivers broadcasts using the spectrum, but the mobile industry has identified the band is one that can offer additional capacity for mobile data services and global harmonisation will allow equipment manufacturers to deliver economies of scale. In addition to the 700MHz band, the mobile industry body is targeting airwaves between 470MHz and 698MHz, L-band frequencies located between 1300 and 1518MHz, the 2.7 - 2.9GHz band and 'C Band' spectrum between 3.4GHz and 4.2GHz. Around 1000MHz of spectrum is currently allocated for mobile services, but the GSMA says another 600-800MHz needs to be allocated by the ITU. - www.techweekeurope.co.ukwww.techweekeurope.co.uk
Amazon Said Planning to Add Other Online Networks to Prime Video
Prime Instant Video would resemble something between a cable-TV subscription, though without live programming, and the online array of video offered through devices from Roku Inc., Apple TV or Amazon's own Fire TV. Amazon will feature videos from the added services within Prime, along with its own original shows and licensed programming, and include its partners' branding as well, the people said. The changes to Prime Instant Video are separate from Amazon's ongoing effort to start a live online-TV service that would compete directly with cable TV. Amazon continues to talk to media companies about that service, which could interest more users in the Fire TV. Apple is pursuing a similar strategy. - www.bloomberg.comwww.bloomberg.comWednesday 25 November 2015, PM
CEO OF Virgin Media, President of AOL Content, Expert women
open.live.bbc.co.ukDAB radio transmitters turned on in Plymouth
All local DAB listeners will need to retune their radio sets as well, as frequencies for the local digital radio stations change, and new ones are added. Over 51 of homes in Devon have a DAB digital radio, and 42.2 of radio listening hours are to digital platforms. - radiotoday.co.ukradiotoday.co.ukTuesday 24 November 2015, AM
BBC World Service to receive £289m from government
In total it will invest 289m which will be spent on a number of new services including new radio services in North Korea, Ethiopia and Eritrea a better TV service in Africa additional language broadcasts via digital and television in India and Nigeria better regional content for the BBC Arabic Service, improved digital and TV services in Russia and for Russian speakers and improved video across its output. Ironically the amount invested is close to the 245m annual cost of the World Service that the corporation was forced to take on from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last year as part of the 2010 licence fee settlement with the government. - gu.comgu.comMonday 23 November 2015, PM
BBC independence 'eroded', says director general
The BBC's political independence has been gradually eroded, according to the corporation's director general. Lord Hall, echoing the current BBC chairman, Rona Fairhead, says the roles should be split and the BBC should for the first time have an external regulator. - www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukWhy we watch TV whitepaper
Why do we watch television How does is satisfy our social, societal and lifestyle choices And how can broadcasters and programme creators connect with tomorrow's audiences Produced in association with leading media consultant Dr William Cooper of informitv, this whitepaper explores what 'television' means in today's world, and how its role will continue to evolve with viewers' needs. - response.pro.sony.euresponse.pro.sony.eu
Freeview Play delivers next gen TV with HbbTV 2.0
Freeview Play delivers next gen TV with HbbTV 2.0. Freeview Play, a Freeview and Digital UK co-initiative, is built on the HbbTV 2.0 standard which was released earlier this year. - www.iptv-news.comwww.iptv-news.comSaturday 21 November 2015, PM
Trust consults on BBC guidelines for coverage of Elections in 2016 and Referendum on the UK's membership of the Europea
BBC - Trust consults on BBC guidelines for coverage of Elections in 2016 and Referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union - BBC Trust. - www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
Tech changes to Channel 5 on satellite coming up
Although there has been just one national version of Channel 5 since 1st August 2015, individual data streams linked to the old regions have remained. Channel 51 and Channel 5 HD are unaffected by the changes, regardless where you are in the UK. Freesat hasn't yet commented on how the changes might affect viewers with their service in the coming weeks, as Freesat's programme data is also broadcast alongside Sky's data on Channel 5's satellite signal. - www.a516digital.comwww.a516digital.comFriday 20 November 2015, PM
Paris Attacks Coverage
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Man jailed for selling illegal Virgin Media TV boxes
The boxes contained hardware which enabled users to watch Virgin Media television services without subscribing. Officers found the boxes, which he was selling for 40 each, alongside 600 worth of cocaine at his property earlier this year. - www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukThursday 19 November 2015, PM
BT could lawyer up after Sky's sport channels obligation removed The Register
BT has attacked Ofcom's decision to lift a five-year-long obligation on Sky to offer its sports channels to competitors in the market. Sky queues up Sky Q. On Wednesday, Sky unveiled a fancy new set top box, dubbed Sky Q, which will launch in early 2016. - www.theregister.co.ukwww.theregister.co.ukThursday 19 November 2015, AM
BBC Four and News Channel facing axe as BBC eyes cuts of £550m
The director-general is understood to be considering merging BBC Four, the upmarket arts channel, with BBC Two, and moving the News Channel online. Alongside cuts to sport, the corporation will axe 12 million from its television budget, with reductions in factual, comedy and entertainment programming. - www.telegraph.co.ukwww.telegraph.co.uk
Live TV runs through our blood
TV is instant and alive. Live viewing runs through our blood. Rather than adding the odd movie or TV show to our service every few weeks, we broadcast up to nine hours of new content every day. Live TV still creates a shared experience and enables us to deliver advertisers simultaneous mass reach. When pay-TV and the internet threatened ‘the end of TV’ 20 years ago, we found a way to co-exist. New players present ITV with exciting opportunities to innovate in the space in the UK and internationally. But the point at which those services start to move further towards a linear TV model is precisely the point at which we need to make sure we use our digital services – and back ourselves – to offer our audiences what we are already brilliant at. After all, we’ve been doing it for 60 years. www.broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukWednesday 18 November 2015, PM
Media coverage of events in Paris, Tory MP Jesse Norman on BBC Studio concerns
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Freeview Text services come off the air
A number of long-running text services have closed on Freeview, including holiday teletext service Holidays TV. Licences for Holidays TV, Rabbit, Gay Rabbit and 1-2-1 Dating were removed from Ofcom's licence database this week signalling their demise. Holidays TV was a holiday sales service from the Daily Mail group and appeared on Freeview in 2012 replacing the famous Teletext Holidays service, which began in 1993 on Teletext page 200 and subsequently became an online-only service. - www.a516digital.comwww.a516digital.com
New Sky Q service to offer mix of live and on-demand TV
Sky has launched a new service called Sky Q that blends live and on-demand TV as it tries to compete with the likes of Netflix. Sky Q will allow viewers to watch programmes on up to five screens and record four other channels. - www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukBBC sets out plans to deliver £150 million savings
In July we committed to doing everything possible to protect programmes and services by making further savings from back office functions, cutting management and management layers and reducing historic levels of BBC bureaucracy. The 150 million set out today is part of the 700 million overall savings the BBC must find due to the flat licence fee agreed in the summer and the need to fund the transformation the BBC must undertake for the future. - www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukWednesday 18 November 2015, AM
BBC sport and online news to be cut as Red Button services face axe
The BBC is already facing costs of 700m after agreeing a deal with the government in July to finance licence fees for over-75s. The BBC is expected to set out its final budget proposals - with savings predicted to amount to 550m - in spring 2016. Drama is the only part of the BBC's television output likely to be protected but the rest of TV content is expected to face cuts of more than 10m. After the 2010 licence fee settlement, which forced the BBC to take over the cost of funding the World Service from the government while freezing the licence fee for six years, the BBC cut its sports rights budget by 15. Since then, it has lost out on several live sports deals or worked together with other free-to-air broadcasters such as ITV to guarantee the continuation of live rights. - gu.comgu.comTuesday 17 November 2015, PM
BBC 'lost its marbles' by deciding to move to Manchester, says John Sessions
BBC estimates put the lifetime cost of the move at just under 1bn. However, the corporation was criticised by the national audit office for paying out 24m in relocation costs, and senior executives' expenses increased following the move. Sessions, who is famous for regular appearances on shows such as Whose Line is it Anyway and QI as well as numerous film roles, was speaking at a launch event for BBC comedy drama We're Doomed The one-off production about the making of Dad's Army stars Sessions as Arthur Lowe, who famously played Captain Mainwaring in the long-running TV series. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comMonday 16 November 2015, PM
Channel 4 sale would jeopardise news output, says chief executive
The chief executive of Channel 4 has warned that if the broadcaster is sold off, it is likely to be snapped up by an asset-stripping owner who would drastically minimise news and current affairs output such as Dispatches, and put dramas such as Humans and Indian Summers on the chopping block. He said a Channel 4 senior team has had its first meeting with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Treasury officials over the review of the broadcaster's status as a state-owned, commercially-funded broadcaster. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comBBC Studios plan sparks concern from culture committee chair
Issues of particular concern include how BBC Studios will be governed, possible conflicts of interest between BBC commissioners and BBC Studios, and whether the new organisation could fall foul of state aid rules. Norman's committee has been taking evidence on the renewal of the BBC charter from a range of sources, include past and present BBC executives, commercial rivals, and organisations representing the independent production sector. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comNASA launches UHD service
ISS Life, documenting life on the space station from the perspective of the astronauts Earth View, the astronauts' unique perception of our planet Solar System, showing vibrant imagery of the earth's neighboring planets and the sun Deep Space, animated UHD still imagery captured from the Hubble telescope and other telescopic platforms NASA Classics, important highlights from NASA's history, such as the Apollo program Mars, an entire program dedicated to the intriguing red planet Liftoff, featuring rocket tests and spacecraft launches Development, detailing the training and RD efforts that take place before each NASA mission. NASA TV UHD uses an end-to-end solution based on Harmonic technology. - informitv.cominformitv.comMonday 16 November 2015, AM
Why BBC Worldwide must open its books to licence fee payers
If the BBC has a commercial subsidiary to conduct this business on its behalf, then for reasons of strategic coherence and to protect the BBC's global reputation, it needs to be closely aligned with the BBC's principal public service UK core operations. So what are the other 30 global channels delivering It appears that the one UKTV deal accounts for the lion's share of all the profit declared by BBC Worldwide for the UK, which in turn is around 40 of all BBC Worldwide's global profits. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comFriday 13 November 2015, PM
#39 - The Voice leaves the Beeb - The Media Podcast with Olly Mann
feedproxy.google.comLocal Radio Special
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A new deal for the nations
In November 1998, John Birt believed that events in Scotland threatened the very existence of the BBC. The then director general later recalled that he had been fighting “a bitter battle to prevent the BBC being split apart by the fissiparous forces of devolution”. His immediate worry was the idea of a so-called ‘Scottish Six’ – a separate 6pm news bulletin on BBC1 in Scotland, produced and anchored north of the border. This single Trojan horse could, Birt believed, eventually lead to the complete dismantling of the BBC. - www.broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.uk
UK viewers slam potential retrans plans
A survey by the UK's incumbent cable provider Virgin Media has shown marked resistance among viewers for US-style retransmission charges levied by UK commercial public service broadcasters. Two-thirds of people said that commercial PSBs should focus on getting more viewers so they can make more money from advertisements rather than introducing new charges. - www.rapidtvnews.comwww.rapidtvnews.comFriday 13 November 2015, AM
BBC Scotland bosses lobby for 'Scottish Six' news programme
The proposal, which is backed by BBC Scotland controller Ken MacQuarrie, who led the formal investigation into Jeremy Clarkson's assault of a Top Gear producer, would involve mixing increased and improved Scottish news with the BBC's UK news and global coverage in an hour-long programme. BBC officials have confirmed that several proposals for a Scottish Six type programme are being debated and are likely to be finalised in early 2016 after Gary Smith, BBC Scotland's new head of news and current affairs, takes up his post in January. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comThursday 12 November 2015, PM
Why the BBC is worth saving
Is the BBC worth saving I am not and never have been a BBC executive. The newspaper proprietors lobbied the government and the early BBC was forbidden to broadcast news at any time during the day before 8pm. In the 1950s, traditionalists at Broadcasting House tried to put a stop to television on the grounds that it would destroy radio and lead to the terrible dumbing down of news. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comOfcom to investigate Celador's DAB decision
Radio regulator Ofcom is to officially investigate Celador's decision to remove Fire Radio from DAB in Bournemouth. The licence for Fire was renewed in 2010 for 12 years, on the condition that a DAB service is provided on the Bournemouth multiplex throughout the relevant licence term. - radiotoday.co.ukradiotoday.co.ukWednesday 11 November 2015, PM
Wednesday 11 November 2015, AM
S4C 'cycle of decline' funding fear
The think tank has also called for the Welsh language TV channel's independence to be safeguarded and for BBC Wales' budget to rise by 30m. The IWA's Audit of Welsh Media has been published ahead of a sell-out summit in Cardiff on Wednesday. The audit found that spending on TV programming for Wales has been in decline since before the 2008 banking crisis, while BBC Wales' English language television service has seen a 27 reduction in hours of programmes since 2006/07. - www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukTuesday 10 November 2015, AM
Sony says goodbye to Betamax tapes
The firm launched the format in 1975, a year before JVC's rival the VHS cassette - which eventually became the market leader after a long battle between the two brands and their fans. Although many felt Betamax was the superior format, most cite the longer recording length of VHS tapes - three hours versus one - and the cheaper manufacturing costs for VHS machines as the main factors as to why VHS eventually won out. - www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukMonday 09 November 2015, PM
Virgin Media losing television subscribers
Virgin Media has hovered around 3.7 million television customers for the last five years and has lost customers throughout 2015. Liberty Global reported 'record Q3 customer growth' for the combined Virgin Media operation, on the basis of a net gain of 40,000 'customer relationships' -driven mainly by 60,000 broadband additions. - informitv.cominformitv.comMonday 09 November 2015, AM
Lord Burns: 'They seem to believe you can keep Channel 4's remit while privatising it'
Most media analysts including Claire Enders credit Burns and the management team led by David Abraham with bringing the channel into the black, when the last management team had to ask for state money to survive. Career 1980 chief economic adviser, Treasury, head of government economic service 1991-98 permanent secretary, Treasury 1998 made Lord Burns 1999 chairs financial services and markets joint commission 2002 chairman, Abbey National 2003-05 leads government's BBC charter review 2004-05 chairs review of FA 2010 chairman, Channel 4. - www.theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comFriday 06 November 2015, PM
Free speech and Guantanamo reporting
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BBC TV braced for 30m cuts
The BBCs television division has been tasked with making cuts of up to £30m in 2017/18 as the corporation bids to close the £150m funding gap created by the iPlayer loophole. Broadcast can reveal that director general Tony Hall and Anne Bulford, managing director of finance and operations, have set a stretching savings target with proposals for where the axe will fall currently being discussed. The figure is yet to be finalised, but sources have suggested it could be in the region of £30m.. - www.broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukpick a page