Great things to read about British TV from March 2008 to today

Friday 24 April 2015, PM

Feedback: Impartiality: 24 Apr 15

#28 - BBC3 move postponed, Adblock Plus - The Media Podcast with Olly Mann

Wednesday 22 April 2015, PM

Media: Sky's profits; Tory media policy; Rory Bremner on political satire

Saturday 18 April 2015, PM

Have Sky customers reached the limit?

A Eurogroup meeting on 11 May seems to be the new cut-off point, but before that Greece needs to scrape enough cash together to fulfil its imminent payments, with the International Monetary Fund on Thursday ruling out any postponement of what it is owed. quotThe ratio of chief executive pay to average employee pay is also considered excessive. Lastly, the balance of the chief executive's realised pay with financial performance is not considered acceptable as the change in chief executive total pay over five years is not commensurate with the change in total shareholder returns over the same period. - www.theguardian.com

DTG :: News :: Who will win the battle for OTT TV supremacy? Find out at the DTG Summit 2015: Driving Global CollaborVat

Don't miss this debate and discussion with your peers from Arqiva, Channel 4, BBC, Sky, EE, Disney, ITV, Dixons Retail and many more. More than 400 executives attend every year so register your place today using the link on the right. - dtg.org.uk

dtg.org.uk

Friday 17 April 2015, PM

Feedback: Radio 3 Controller: 17 Apr 15

Thursday 16 April 2015, AM

Norway to switch of FM radio in two years

STATS FOR DIGITAL RADIO IN NORWAY . - 56 of radio listeners use digital radio every day. quotOle Joslashrgen Torvmark, CEO of Digital Radio Norway saysquotThe White Paper from 2011 and a unique collaboration between the radio industry is the main reason why Norway is far ahead in the transition to digital radio. - radiotoday.co.uk

Wednesday 15 April 2015, PM

Media: Politico, Labour's media policy, Katie Hopkins, Google

Monday 13 April 2015, PM

Job cuts in News on hold until June

13 April 2015 Last updated at 0942 The BBC has extended its moratorium on compulsory redundancies in News until the end of June, after signing a deal with the unions. A BBC spokesperson said 'We've agreed to extend the moratorium on compulsory redundancies for staff in BBC News, BBC Scotland and BBC Wales until the end of June. - www.bbc.co.uk

Big increase in cars with DAB digital radio

Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy, says quotOver 61 of new cars with digital radio demonstrates the welcome commitment of the car industry to providing drivers with the full range of radio available today. Ford Ennals, CEO of Digital Radio UK, says quotDigital radio in car is on a roll - 450,000 new cars with digital radio in a single quarter is a significant milestone, and the introduction of DAB across most models of the UK's best-selling car will ensure the growth of digital radio in car continues. - radiotoday.co.uk

Monday 13 April 2015, AM

TV industry faces its 'ketchup' moment: 'Mobile is now the first screen'

Among the trends picked out by Scherer was the emergence of quota new syntax, a new grammar, a new vocabularyquot for news, particularly when delivered through quotThe new kids on the blockquot in the form of apps including Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope. quotThese are the kids now ruling the entertainment, and it's just the beginning of it. Again, new grammar, new syntax, new vocabulary. - www.theguardian.com

Friday 10 April 2015, PM

Feedback: Stand-in presenters: 10 Apr 15

#27 - Seiken’s legacy, Periscope up... Snapchat down - The Media Podcast with Olly Mann

Thursday 09 April 2015, PM

Engineering a more flexible and efficient BBC for the future

UPDATEAt BBC Engineering, when we talk about taking advantage of internet technologies or being 'internet first' we aren't talking about the BBC doing more with online content or only putting content and programmes online. My role is to make sure that the BBC's technologies that underpin everything we do - from our newsroom infrastructure and new in-the-field production and editing tools, to how we keep the BBC on air and online - are set up in the best possible way, and take advantage of new internet-based technologies. - www.bbc.co.uk

Help Receiving TV and Radio

Station In-service date ERP NGR Antenna height Betws-y-Coed 28th March 2014 600W SH824582 43m. Calver Peak improves coverage in the Derbyshire Dales, bringing coverage to an additional 2,500 households and improving coverage for a further 2,300. Station In-service date ERP NGR Antenna height Icomb Hill 28th February 2014 1kW SP202229 40m. Leamington Spa improves coverage of BBC National DAB in areas of Leamington Spa and Warwick, and surrounding areas of Warwickshire, bringing coverage to an additional 1,800 households and improving coverage for a further 44,000 households. - www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday 09 April 2015, AM

BBC aims to go 'internet first' to attract younger audiences

Matthew Postgate, the corporation's chief technology officer, said he was tasked with making sure the broadcaster was quotRelevantquot to younger viewers and could compete with online rivals such as Netflix and Amazon. The corporation announced last year that TV channel BBC3 would be moving online only and Postgate said that move was indicative of its quotDirection of travelquot. - www.theguardian.com

Wednesday 08 April 2015, PM

Media: Victoria Derbyshire; Leaders' debates; Telegraph chief's exit; Lib Dem media policy.

Seven more BBC Radio DAB transmitters

In total, the new transmitters bring 34,000 households into the BBC's national coverage area and improves digital radio reception for a further 56,000 households. Helen Boaden, Director of BBC Radio, says quotIt is fantastic that more listeners will be able to enjoy the full range of BBC services. Extending national DAB coverage is an important part of building a digital future for radio. - radiotoday.co.uk

Tuesday 07 April 2015, PM

Lights, camera and very little action: brace yourself for Norway's Slow TV

quotI don't think we are particularly stupid or weird in Norway to like this sort of thing,quot said Thomas Hellum, a Slow TV pioneer and production manager at Norway's public broadcaster, NRK. quotI think really it could work in other countries. Hellum then got the go-ahead to shoot Hurtigruten Minute by Minute, a boat voyage that clocks in at 134 hours and 42 minutes. - www.theguardian.com

Feedback: 2015 General Election on R1: 3 Apr 15

Wednesday 01 April 2015, PM

Media: Spider memos; Dermot departs X Factor; mental health headlines; Plaid Cymru media policy.

BBC bright sparks put out searchlights for new 'director of better'

An advert that went out for the deliciously-plausibly-named BBC director of better is, of course, an April Fool for the forthcoming second series of brilliant BBC2 satire W1A. A bunch of bananas to the Beeb though for fooling BuzzFeed's Tom Chivers, who fell for it but admirably 'fessed up later. - www.theguardian.com

BBC WORLD NEWS NOW IN HD ACROSS EUROPE VIA ASTRA 19.2E

quotWe know from our viewers that they value HD services. BBC World News originates in pure HD, so it's fantastic to be able to bring this service to our European heartland,quot said Colin Lawrence, Director of Distribution for BBC Global News Ltd. quotFollowing the investments we made in our content and presentation on BBC World News, last year we saw an audience increase in daily reach. HD is undoubtedly becoming the default viewing preference, and this new partnership enables delivery of our world class service to European audiences. BBC World News and BBC.comThe BBC's commercially funded international 24-hour English news platforms, are owned and operated by BBC Global News Ltd. BBC World News television is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and over 385 million households and 1.8 million hotel rooms. - www.ses.com

www.ses.com

Monday 30 March 2015, PM

New names for FM and Technology

30 March 2015 Last updated at 1614 Future Media is to be renamed BBC Digital, while BBC Technology will become BBC Engineering. 'Our digital offer will be central to Charter Review and the new name better reflects BBC Digital's role in delivering the best possible online experiences for our audiences, while helping us transition to an internet-first BBC.'. - www.bbc.co.uk

Unblocking digital services across Europe

The European Commission describes the internet as quota goldmine of digital opportunitiesquot but says that digital services are often confined to national borders. Rus Ansip, the vice-president for the digital single market, said quotLet us do away with all those fences and walls that block us online. People must be able to freely go across borders online just as they do offline. Innovative businesses must be helped to grow across the EU, not remain locked into their home market. This will be an uphill struggle all the way, but we need an ambitious start. Europe should benefit fully from the digital age better services, more participation and new jobsquot. - informitv.com

informitv.com

Red button evolution

The BBC is pushing the red button on a range of connected televisions with an interactive experience it now calls Red Button. The history of the red button services on the BBC can be traced back to the BBC Text service introduced in late 1999 as an alternative to the BBC Ceefax teletext service, which was first broadcast in 1974. - informitv.com

informitv.com

'Death threats' made against BBC's Tony Hall investigated

Lord Hall is reported to have received a threatening email after dropping presenter Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear because he had punched a producer. Lord Hall announced his decision not to renew Clarkson's contract on Wednesday - after an internal inquiry found the presenter had subjected producer Oisin Tymon to an quotUnprovoked physical and verbal attackquot at a North Yorkshire hotel. - www.bbc.co.uk

Monday 30 March 2015, AM

All 4

Requires a Now TV membership Requires a broadband internet connection to your Now TV Requires an HDMI-compatible TV Roku. Requires a Roku account Requires a broadband internet connection to your Roku box Requires an HDMI-compatible TV Sky. - apps.channel4.com

apps.channel4.com

Sunday 29 March 2015, PM

Cutting the cord: a look at the pros and cons of quitting cable

In any event, I'm already paying nearly 25 a month on top of that cable bill for services that I use far more than I use the cable. Canadian regulators have ordered the country's cable providers to offer their customers quotSkinnyquot basic cable packages and to give them the ability to add the channels they want on an la carte basis after that. - www.theguardian.com

Saturday 28 March 2015, AM

Labour wants strong BBC

The Labour Party has vowed not to weaken the BBC if it wins the election, publishing a policy paper which backs the licence fee and the corporation’s plans to commercialise in-house production. Speaking at a Bectu-hosted event about the UK film industry earlier this week, shadow arts minister Chris Bryant said he wants a “strong BBC” and promised not to “undermine the licence fee”. The message of support came ahead of the publication of today’s Labour-commissioned report which set out policy options for the creative industries during the next parliament. Compiled by former UK Film Council chief executive John Woodward, the review said the licence fee should be extended to account for the growth of on-demand viewing on BBC iPlayer. The paper, titled Leading the Field: A Review of the Creative Industries, also argued that it has “much sympathy” with BBC concerns over top-slicing the licence fee to free up funding for projects unrelated to the corporation’s core purposes. Instead, it said there is “more". - www.broadcastnow.co.uk

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

DTG underpins Freeview Play with D-Book 8, the DTT requirements for interoperability in the UK

The D-Book 8 not only supports the Freeview and YouView platforms, it is also an essential reference for other UK platforms based on DVB-T and DVB-T2, such as EE TV, and is referenced by Freesat and the Freeview platforms in Australia and New Zealand. The tools for Freeview Play have been created alongside DTG Testing's development of test suites to ensure products for the new platform continue deliver the high standards of reliability for which Freeview is recognised. - dtg.org.uk

dtg.org.uk

Sound Digital wins national DAB multiplex

Sound Digital has a board of three directors, consisting of a senior executive director from each of Sound Digital's shareholder companies. Sound Digital plans to co-site transmitters for D2 with Digital One and the BBC national networks to avoid adjacent channel interference to existing digital radio services, and use the same dual satellite distribution feeds that are used by the Digital One network. - radiotoday.co.uk

Reasons why Sound Digital won D2 licence

Ofcom considered Listen2Digital's technical coverage plan offered a slightly wider geographic scope of coverage of the UK than that offered by either of Sound Digital's technical plans, but that Sound Digital's technical plans overall offered more contiguous and reliable coverage in those areas where it was available. In reaction to the news, Ford Ennals, CEO of Digital Radio UK, said quotThe award of the second national commercial DAB network to Sound Digital is a defining moment for digital radio and an unprecedented expansion, which will more than double the number of national commercial stations on DAB. Nearly 50 of UK households already have a digital radio, and over 60 of new car registrations have digital radio as standard, so if you don't have digital radio at home or in your car, the time is now. - radiotoday.co.uk

Friday 27 March 2015, PM

Feedback: Behind the scenes at BBC Westminster: 27 Mar 15

Thursday 26 March 2015, PM

Viacom to bring Breaking Bad to Freeview with Spike launch - Media news - Media Week

- www.mediaweek.co.uk

www.mediaweek.co.uk

Alexandra Palace secures £18.8m funding for theatre revamp

Chief executive of the Alexandra Palace and Park Charitable Palace Trust Duncan Wilson said he was quotThrilledquot with the announcement. Chief Executive of Heritage Lottery Fund Carole Souter said quotAlexandra Palace has played a pivotal role in the development of popular entertainment - culminating in the birth of British television. - www.bbc.co.uk

BBC3 has become 'the living dead', claims senior TV executive

Elstein, a former executive at BSkyB and Channel 5, said a unitary BBC board with a director general and non-executive chairman, the preferred option of the BBC Trust chair Rona Fairhead, would have studied the proposal - and approved or rejected it - much quicker. The first chair of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons, warned against viewing a unitary board as a quotPanaceaquot to the BBC's ills. - www.theguardian.com

#26 - What is Top Gear’s future? - The Media Podcast with Olly Mann

Vaizey kicks off local DAB expansion plan

Ed Vaizey said quotDigital radio is the future of radio in the UK and I am delighted that Government has been able to play its part in this major expansion which will help accelerate the transition to digital radio, in the car and at home. Ford Ennals, CEO of Digital Radio UK added quotWe welcome the UK expansion of digital radio - it's great news for listeners as it means that millions more listeners and thousands more miles of roads will be able to receive DAB loud and clear. - radiotoday.co.uk

Wednesday 25 March 2015, PM

Media: Jeremy Clarkson fired by the BBC plus SNP media policy

Monday 23 March 2015, PM

BBC considers plan to stop in-house production being sold to private sector

BBC Studios will at first operate within the publicly-funded corporation but then be transferred out and become a separate subsidiary of the BBC group, operating at arm's length. General secretary Gerry Morrissey has written to Hall suggesting staff within BBC Studios be given a say in what happens to the new company by having two classes of shareholders. - www.theguardian.com

Saturday 21 March 2015, PM

#25B - Radio Days Europe 2015 - The Media Podcast with Paul Robinson

Friday 20 March 2015, PM

Feedback: Reporting from Putin's Russia: 20 Mar 15

Damazer to return to BBC as trustee

The chairman of BAE Systems is a former deputy chairman of the Bank of England, president of the CBI and chairman of Centrica plc. 'These are three really strong appointments to the trust and, with their top level experience built up across a range of backgrounds, they will be invaluable in helping ensure the licence fee payers' perspective is brought to bear as we enter Charter Review,' said chairman of the trust Rona Fairhead. 'I look forward to working with them. - www.bbc.co.uk

Friday 20 March 2015, AM

Service review of BBC music radio: Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6 Music and Asian Network

Analysis of the music played on each of the six BBC music radio stations found that they play a wider range of tracks and genres than is available elsewhere on radio. Service licence changes - In order to enable savings, the number of live sessions on Radio 1 is being reduced, Radio 1 and 1Xtra will increase the number of documentaries shared between the stations, and the number of dramas on Radio 3 will reduce. - www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday 19 March 2015, PM

Radio 1 to cut back on live music

The latest music radio service review, published on Thursday, confirmed that BBC Radio had made almost half of its requisite Delivering Quality First savings, although this had curtailed the scope of and spending on music radio. The BBC's six music radio stations are doing well and are seen as go-to services for millions of UK listeners on a quest to discover and be entertained by music. - www.bbc.co.uk

Sky raises sports and entertainment package prices

Sky, which normally increases its prices in September, said the price of a sports TV package - covering seven channels - would rise by pound1 to pound47 a month from June. Sky feared subscribers' defections to BT, which won the right to show 42 games a season and has also beaten Sky to show Uefa Champions League matches later this year. - www.theguardian.com

Wednesday 18 March 2015, PM

Media: The Clarkson row and how best to handle "difficult" stars; the future for Netflix; and the Green Party media po