Saturday 12 April 2014, PM
Android TV: Why Google Needs a Second Path to Television - Variety
Chromecast also supports the companys ramped-up efforts to sell digital media through Google Play. Google doesnt place only one bet when it sees a market opportunity, he said. At this point, Google isnt interested in discussing Android TV. - variety.com
variety.comBeeb announces Kim Shillinglaw as new controller of BBC 2 - TV Radio - Media - The Independent
She has an eye for scale and the bigger picture and seeks out distinctive, high-quality ideas. She said BBC Two has always been one of the most creative channels in the world, with a huge range of quality programming. - independent.co.uk
www.independent.co.uk
BBC celebrates 20 years online: take a look at the changes - The Drum
The web certainly looked different back then but it has retained the same potential to change our lives for the better, and we continue to be at the forefront of this exciting industry. Were continually looking at how we can use the technology of tomorrow to bring even better services to our audiences today, and help improve access to information and entertainment. - thedrum.com
www.thedrum.comFriday 11 April 2014, PM
Thursday 10 April 2014, PM
CBC to slash 657 full-time jobs over 2 years as broadcaster adjusts to future without sports - Financial Post
Canadas national broadcaster told employees Thursday it will eliminate 657 full-time jobs over the next two years as it faces a 130-million financial shortfall. Hubert Lacroix, president and chief executive of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, told staffers the broadcaster will also stop pursuing the purchase of professional sports rights and halt any planned local expansion of news coverage. It will likely take several weeks for specific job losses to become clear and union seniority will also play a role. - business.financialpost.com
business.financialpost.comBBC iPlayer - Help - Why am I having problems listening to BBC radio outside the UK, such as experiencing poor sound qua
We have been made aware that some overseas users have been having difficulties listening live to BBC Radio output. Stations including Radio 4 have been affected by this, meaning that your listening enjoyment may be interrupted. We are investigating and hope to resolve this problem shortly, we are sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience. - iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk
iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk
BBC must tackle complacency over the way it spends licence fee, say MPs - Media - theguardian.com
The BBC must tackle a culture of complacency in the way it spends licence fee payers money, MPs say. The only usable system delivered by DMI was an archive and ordering system that was slower than the 40-year-old process it was intended to replace, with just 163 staff and a running cost of 3m a year, four times the 780,000 annual cost of its archaic predecessor. It spent a total of 125.9m on the scheme. - theguardian.com
www.theguardian.comMedia Talk podcast: Maria Miller resigns as culture minister
download.guardian.co.ukThursday 10 April 2014, AM
BBC charter a key issue for new culture secretary - News - Broadcast
Laying the groundwork for BBC charter renewal negotiations will be the biggest broadcast policy issue facing new culture secretary Sajid Javid. The financial secretary to the Treasury was parachuted into the post on Wednesday following the resignation of Maria Miller due to the political row over her expenses. Javid is the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove and has held senior posts at the Treasury since 2012, where he built a strong relationship with chancellor George Osborne. Before entering politics in 2009, Javid worked as a senior managing director at Deutsche Bank and is understood to have made millions of pounds during his time in the financial sector. Charter renewal negotiations are not expected to begin formally until after the May 2015 general election, but Javid will inevitably be involved in discussions about the BBC’s future beforehand. His main point of contact is likely to be director of strategy and digital – and former culture secretary under labour – James Purnell. The culture secretary will also help launch a year-long government review into decriminalising licence fee evasion. The study will explore alternative systems for enforcing the BBC’s funding, including testing the possibility of introducing civil penalties. Elsewhere, Javid will pick up the DCMS’s proposed changes to the 2003 Communications Act. This includes launching a consultation on protecting the prominence of PSBs on new content distribution platforms. Miller, who became cultural secretary in September 2012, was relatively hands-off with the broadcasting industry. The DCMS’s achievements during her tenure include forcing the BBC and Sky to settle their retransmission fees row and renewing ITV, Channel 5 and Channel 4’s licences for another 10 years. - broadcastnow.co.uk
www.broadcastnow.co.uk
BBC News - BBC was complacent over failed £100m IT project
It was supposed to produce new editing tools, an online archive of the BBC's programmes and a new database. Technology company Siemens was hired to develop the project in February 2008, and it was expected to be completed the following year. The gross estimate of the amount spent on DMI was 125.9m, although the BBC claims to have recouped 27.5m of that. - bbc.co.uk
www.bbc.co.ukWednesday 09 April 2014, PM
Media: Maria Miller goes; YouView; reporters harassing?
downloads.bbc.co.ukLocal TV operators say they can cut the mustard and avoid a repeat of history - Media - theguardian.com
Now three of the planned 50 local stations are on air in Grimsby, Norwich and London. Another difference is the ability to run advertorials, plus local TV has public money to kick start it this time with the BBC contributing up to 40m. In addition, Comux wants to ensure local TV is financially secure in the long-term. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.com
BBC News - Heartbleed Bug: Public urged to reset all passwords
9 April 2014 Last updated at 1534 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor Several tech firms are urging people to change all their passwords after the discovery of a major security flaw. Security advisers have given similar warnings about the Heartbleed Bug. It follows news that a product used to safeguard data could be compromised to allow eavesdropping. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
Just having a 4K TV isn’t enough to see Netflix’s 4K streams - Ars Technica
Netflix will start streaming in 4K, though it didn't mention which bits of content will get its new resolution. Netflix has added 4K streams to its slate of offerings as of Tuesday, according to a report from CNET. Netflix has been making pushes into higher-definition content for some time, much to the dismay of ISPs who would just as soon not have customers streaming video. - arstechnica.comarstechnica.comWednesday 09 April 2014, AM
Maria Miller resigns as culture secretary over expenses row - Politics - theguardian.com
Maria Miller has resigned as culture secretary over the controversy over her expenses. On Tuesday night Miller launched a desperate fightback against growing pressure to resign, as one of her aides canvassed backbenchers for support and then toured TV studios to accuse the media of whipping up the row over her expenses in revenge for press regulation and gay marriage. I am very grateful to you for your personal support but it has become clear to me that the present situation has become a distraction from the vital work this Government is doing to turn our country around. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comTuesday 08 April 2014, PM
ITV and C4 attack BBC1+1 plans - News - Broadcast
ITV and Channel 4 executives have hit out at the BBC’s plans to launch BBC1+1 amid fears that the time-adjusted service will have a significant impact on the commercial broadcasting landscape. The commercial broadcasters told MPs on Tuesday that the channel will damage their audience share and force down advertising revenue. They added that the money used to launch BBC1+1 would be better spent on commissioning original content. The BBC plans to replace BBC3 with the time-shifted channel in autumn next year if it secures approval to move its youth service online. This means BBC1+1 will occupy channel slot 7 on Freeview, higher than any other +1 service on the EPG. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukMonday 07 April 2014, PM
Pono: only a man pays for music quality that he can't hear - Technology - The Observer
Photograph Franz Krachtus/AP Neil Young is a great musician. Well, I've enjoyed a few of his songs, and plenty of people have enjoyed lots more of them enough to give him a decades-spanning career in the music business. I'm not sure, though, that this quite qualifies him to tangle with mathematicians waving Nyquist-Shannon's theorem, who are lining up to tell him his Pono music player which crashed through its 800,000 Kickstarter finance-raising target within a day of being announced won't actually give people 14,600 backers pledging nearly 5m so far the benefits they hope for. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.com
Video: Maria Miller expenses report: Listen to Telegraph reporter's phone call with special adviser Joanna HIndley - Tel
I think he is trying to get hold of Claire Newell, co-reporter as well. JH I should just flag up as well, while youre on it that when she doorstepped him, she got Marias father, whos just had a removed and come out of removed. So I am just going to flag up that connection for you to think about. - telegraph.co.uk
www.telegraph.co.uk
David Cameron undersells UK drama - Comment - Broadcast
The Prime Minister’s jingoistic BBC-bashing conveniently ignores some monster global hits Inevitably trying to win a few political points on the back of the BBC licence fee debate, David Cameron has not only truly missed the point, he has once again proven himself to be a man of many faces. “Let’s try and make sure we produce the hits of the future, rather than having to brush up on our Danish and read the subtitles,” he told Heart, Capital and Smooth Radio in Birmingham last week. What about the success of Doctor Who, Sherlock and Parade’s End, each of which have sold to hundreds of countries around the world? Even new series such as Peaky Blinders, The Musketeers and The Honourable Woman are being eagerly snapped up by international broadcasters, jealous of the BBC’s ability to produce so much, high-quality original drama. However, more importantly, the BBC spends relatively little on foreign imports and Cameron’s jingoistic attempts to assert otherwise sound positively Farage-y. The Saturday night 9pm slot on BBC4 is the only regular slot for international drama, with BBC acquisitions chief Sue Deeks scoring incredible European series such as The Killing, The Bridge, Borgen and Salamander. Those shows make up a tiny percentage of the BBC’s schedule and are often acquired for tiny fees - The Killing was originally understood to have cost less than £20,000 per episode. The BBC’s only other significant acquisitions are Seth Macfarlane’s animated comedies Family Guy and American Dad; currently, they air on BBC3, but may struggle in the channel’s online-only future. Over the last few years, the BBC has not attempted to take on Sky or Channel 4 to buy the next Mad Men or Heroes and its budget for acquiring Hollywood studio tentpole movies has also dramatically reduced. Rather than admonishing the BBC for spending a very small amount of money on the best of European drama, Cameron should have a clearout of his own DVD collection. The Conservative leader was famously pictured inviting German leader Angela Merkel into his living room and Samantha Cameron had a very public chat with Michelle Obama that showcased his favourite TV shows. Box sets of US terrorism drama 24, spy thriller Homeland and HBO war miniseries Band of Brothers sat next to a collection of Desperate Housewives episodes. Cameron is also said to have enjoyed CBS’ Sherlock Holmes adaptation Elementary; there was no sign of Sherlock DVDs in his flat. Dave, what’s wrong with buying British DVDs? Perhaps the Prime Minister should be focusing on buying British hits of the future rather than boxsetting foreign imports. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukMonday 07 April 2014, AM
Ian Burrell: Can the BBC learn from John Lewis? - Media - News - The Independent
- independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.uk
Ian Burrell: If the Discovery Channel buys Channel 5, it could transform the British television market - Opinion - Media
I was sitting about 10 rows from the stage. Discovery is seen as the front-runner among potential buyers of Channel 5, for which Richard Desmond is asking 700m. There's a level of confidence you just don't see in British TV. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukSunday 06 April 2014, AM
BBC News - Campbell Kennedy to tackle Freeview 4G disruption
The company will cover Scotland and Northern Ireland for at800, which was set up by UK mobile operators. It was created to ensure all UK viewers continue to receive Freeview when 4G at 800 MHz is activated in their area. Some TVs and set-top boxes with Freeview have been disrupted by 4G. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
BBC wants you to pay TV licence fee even if you don t own a set, as shows go on iPlayer for longer - Telegraph
The BBC argued that the current fee is already a near universal charge and that the rise of online viewing on demand may mean that the fee needs to be modernised in future. The proposal emerged amid growing calls to scrap the licence fee when the BBCs Royal Charter is reviewed in 2016. Last month, The Telegraph disclosed that the Government would end the threat of criminal prosecution for licence fee dodgers, a punishment seen by critics as draconian and outdated. - telegraph.co.ukwww.telegraph.co.uk
http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/5/5584604/this-is-android-tv
Google is stripping away unneeded features like telephony, cameras, touchscreen support and near-field communication to keep developers focused, and handing them ready-made interfaces where they can hopefully just plug in shows, games, photos, music, and films. Perhaps theres room for inventive new applications that harness the big screen, but the entry point is people lazing on the couch. Google had been sending the message that developers didn't actually need to build apps for TV at all simply special webpages for TV that could receive commands from a phone. - theverge.comwww.theverge.comSaturday 05 April 2014, AM
TV industry take note: this is what being disrupted by Amazon looks like Quartz
Amazonyesterday thrust itself into the increasingly crowded battle for control of your living room, with the launch of its own streaming device, FireTV. The online retailerhas an uphill battle aheadin streaming videoa sector dominated by Netflix and, to a lesser extent, Hulu, with Apple also trying to crack the code.Butthose populating the television ecosystem would do well to remember just how disruptive a force Amazon has been in Americas economy in recent years. Its share price has relentlessly marched higher while the established players in the industries it has taken onfirst book-selling, thenelectronicsand office supplies, among othershave all gone backwards. - qz.com
qz.com
BBC News - BBC iPlayer shows to be made available for 30 days
The changes are expected to be brought in this summer, following a formal assessment and advice from broadcasting watchdog Ofcom. The iPlayer receives around 10.7 million requests to stream or download TV and radio programmes each day. Research published today as part of the Trust's assessment found that 91 of 1000 iPlayer uses questioned would be 'very' or 'quite' interested in the window being extended. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukBBC iPlayer - Help - Why has hi/lo option disappeared in radio console?
In the pop-up radio player we've removed the hi/lo option as we are now able to detect your bandwidth. We deliver the best quality stream based on your connection. If your connection drops, we'll change the quality version automatically so playback will not buffer and we'll increase the quality if your connection improves. - iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.ukiplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.ukFriday 04 April 2014, PM
Friday 04 April 2014, AM
a516digital: BuzMuzik closes
The channel invited viewers to interact using facebook, twitter and text messaging, with a selection of messages posted alongside the music video being played. BuzMuzik boasted thousands of fans on Facebook and Twitter, before both accounts were deleted. BuzMuzik launched under two years ago on the 30th May 2012. - a516digital.comwww.a516digital.com
Market report: Tullow and BSkyB in the spotlight - Telegraph
The first is that, while the status quo is unchanged and the split of games is broadly similar, there is significant cost inflation of about 35pc. Worries about both possible outcomes are likely to return and weigh on BSkyBs shares, the analysts warned clients, sending the broadcaster down 26 to 892p, a 2.9pc fall. Two years ago, Tullow stock changed hands for more than 16 apiece, but a series of offshore drilling disappointments knocked the companys once-glowing exploration track-record. - telegraph.co.ukwww.telegraph.co.uk
RadioToday - RNIB Insight Radio launches on Freeview
The station, operating a community radio licence in Glasgow, is now available on channel 730 in addition to its position on Freesat channel 777 and Sky channel 0188. The station broadcasts a mix of news, information, audio books, magazines, newspapers and general entertainment programmes presented by blind or partially sighted people. It aims to reduce the isolation felt by the up to two million people in the UK living with serious sight loss and provide a relevant point of contact and source of information for those directly affected. Insight Radio is usually live from 8am till 5pm Monday to Friday and voice-tracked or repeats at other times. - radiotoday.co.uk
radiotoday.co.ukDo I need fibre optic broadband? - Broadband reviews - Computing - Which? Technology
Are the increasing number of fibre optic broadband packages over-priced and over-hyped, or the only way to stay connected We ask whether superfast fibre optic internet is really worth the extra cost, or if your best bet is to stick with the cheaper option of an ADSL connection, at least until prices for fibre start to fall. Find out what noticeable differences the extra speed will make to your everyday browsing and TV streaming experience, how urgent the need is to splash out on a superfast internet connection for your home, and when you can expect fibre optic broadband to become available across the UK, including in rural areas. - which.co.uk
www.which.co.ukThursday 03 April 2014, PM
BBC News - Net neutrality law adopted by European Parliament
Operators have said the move would hinder their efforts to manage traffic. The law still needs to be approved by Europe's Council of Ministers. It would also prohibit mobile networks and broadband providers from blocking services - such as WhatApp messages or Google Drive storage - that compete with their own offerings. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukBSkyB tells staff it will not intervene in Scottish independence debate - Media - theguardian.com
BSkyB has confirmed its commitment to remain in Scotland but has not explained the outcome a 'yes' vote would have on its products, such as Premier League football coverage. Sky is one of Scotland's largest private sector employers, with several of its largest customer service centres in sites such as Livingston. The company employs 6,400 staff directly and another 1,600 through its contractors. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comMedia Talk podcast: Advertising Week Europe 2014
download.guardian.co.ukThursday 03 April 2014, AM
What Waterloo Road taught us about long-running dramas - Television radio - theguardian.com
Until today, the parenthesis for Waterloo Road read 2006- , but now we know that its televisual death will come in 2015. After the completion of the 10th series that is about to begin shooting, school's out forever. Ten is a neat number another BBC1 drama perennial, Spooks, also ran to that number of seasons. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comAereo Gets Support From Dish Network More Ahead Of Supreme Court Hearing
Supporters of theBarry Diller-backed company have until 1159 PM ET to add their voices to the cause. More briefs are expected throughout the evening well update as more come in. Here are a few highlights from ones submitted so far today Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen has good reason to support Aereo. - deadline.com
www.deadline.com
Those Who Insist Aereo Ruling Won't Impact Cloud Computing Don't Seem To Understand Cloud Computing - Techdirt
A few weeks ago, we wrote about how the Aereo case, which will be heard by the Supreme Court in a few weeks, is likely to have a huge impact on the future of cloud computing, and went into detail to explain why. The primary issue is that, under copyright law, what Aereo is doing is effectively indistinguishable from what most cloud computing services do. However, a number of folks who really seem to dislike Aereo continually insist that the case will have no impact whatsoever on cloud computing. - techdirt.com
www.techdirt.comWednesday 02 April 2014, PM
Media: Local TV; Johnston Press; Geordie Greig
downloads.bbc.co.uk
Amazon announces Fire TV, an Android-powered streaming set-top box
We've been waiting for it for quite sometime, but now Amazon is finally ready to make its play for the living room. Fire TV is not a barebones device like the Chromecast, it's a powerful Android-driven platform with ties to the broader Amazon ecosystem. Browsing through the Amazon video store is basically just scrolling through an endless barrage of movie posters presented in a moving 3D bar. - engadget.com
www.engadget.com
BBC News - Attempt to cut off illegal websites advertising revenue
It is hoped that firms that handle advertising will use the resource to make sure they do not serve advertising on those sites, cutting off revenue. Top piracy sites generate millions of pounds thanks to advertising. One estimate, from the Digital Citizens Alliance - a group backed by rights holders - suggested that piracy websites worldwide generated 227m 137m from advertising revenue each year. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukBBC - Media Centre - Tim Davie to re-join the BBC’s Executive Board
A biography of Tim Davie is available here. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukWednesday 02 April 2014, AM
Government accuses BBC of creating false balance on climate change with unqualified sceptics - Environment -
In a damning parliamentary report, the BBC is criticised for distorting the debate on man-made climate change for which it says the scientific evidence is overwhelming through its determination to put the other side of the argument across. Radio 4s Today and World at One programmes come in for particular criticism, as do the BBCs television news programmes. The BBCs determination to give a balanced view has seen it pit well-respected scientists arguing for climate change against far less qualified opponents such as Lord Lawson of Blaby, who heads a campaign group lobbying against the governments climate change policies. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukMPs criticise BBC for 'false balance' in climate change coverage - Environment - The Guardian
The MPs called on the BBC to develop clear editorial guidelines for all commentators and presenters on the facts of climate change. Lawson is also the chairman of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a thinktank that casts doubt on climate change science and questions the economic costs of responding to it. The report stated unequivocally that warming was already occurring and that the dominant force behind it was human activity, but the BBC gave considerable airtime to sceptics who did not accept the findings. - gu.com
gu.comTuesday 01 April 2014, PM
BT executive: 'count us out' of Channel 5 bid - Media - theguardian.com
Richard Desmond's Channel 5 BT executive John Petter says there is 'not a lot to hang your hat on' at the channel. BT's apparent lack of appetite for the broadcaster will be a blow to Desmond, who acquired the business for just 103.5m almost four years ago. He is targeting a 700m sale price for Channel 5, 10 times its estimated profit of 70m this year. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.com
BT befriends Google's lonely TV dongle – and saves YouView • The Register
The caveat, unsurprisingly, is that only BT Broadband customers will be able to view the footie via Chromecast. This entails a streaming box the standalone cost is under a tenner, with either five sports day passes, or five months of Sky Movies, for 34.99. BT this week helped assure the future development of YouView for another five years, after the broadcaster shareholders slashed their commitment to the platform. - theregister.co.uk
www.theregister.co.ukThe new British invasion: Why Amazon, Hulu and Netflix love UK TV shows Tech News and Analysis
The irony, of course, is that British television has consistently been heralded as some of the best in the world well, maybe Doctor Who isnt for everyone, but we can all agree about the original British Office. By supporting our originals with well-targeted advertising and publicity, weve seen a meaningful uptick in awareness not only for The Wrong Mans, but for Hulu Originals overall, Koh said. Of course, the British TV boom in America might have to do with the fact that its not seen as primarily British. - gigaom.com
gigaom.com
BBC News - Rural broadband: MP slams secretive BT
Her committee said that many of the maps released lacked sufficient detail about coverage and the speeds that would be provided. BT highlighted that it was audited by the National Audit Office and said it delivered value for money. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
Ariel - World Service makes its move
1 April 2014 Last updated at 0919 The World Service moves from Foreign Office to licence-fee funding today. Ariel asks Peter Horrocks, World Service Group director, what this means for staff. Apart from a new name on the pay cheque, will World Service staff notice any difference - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukTuesday 01 April 2014, AM
London Live: anarchy and diversity as community TV station launches - Media - The Guardian
Evgeny Lebedev, the neatly bearded Russian media tycoon who owns the Standard and though up for sale the Independent titles, has gambled that there is an audience for more about the English capital. The launch of London Live certainly saw it live up to the first word in its name at 8.15pm peak-time, we got a Chelsea fan trying to eat a pie named after an Arsenal star and the second word as well. The Lebedev version looked like any other TV panel show except for the guests. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.compick a page