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Friday 28 February 2014, PM

Sky drops BBC retransmission fees - News - Broadcast

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

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Thursday 27 February 2014, PM

Ariel - Trust approves plans for online store

People will be able to use the iPlayer to search for shows, buy them through links to BBC Store and watch them via the catch-up service. Suzanna Taverne, lead trustee on the assessment, said 'The BBC needs to respond to significant changes in the way audiences now buy programmes. In a letter to the trust, the regulator said the service was likely to 'provide an attractive consumer proposition over time' that would increase consumer choice. - bbc.co.uk

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Ariel - Where would we be without the BBC?

27 February 2014 Last updated at 1010 Charter renewal negotiations may have to wait until after next year's general election, but that doesn't mean the debate isn't ramping up already. 'The last charter renewal went on for far too long,' the culture secretary told the gathering of media workers and academics. It also discovered that total TV industry revenue was likely to drop, by anything between 10-25, if the licence fee was taken away. - bbc.co.uk

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DTG :: News :: ZTE launches 4K p60 Ultra HD STB

H.265 is the next generation super HD code transmission specification, which delivers encoded video using half the bandwidth of the previous generation H.264, with the same quality. TheH.265 standard will gradually replace H.264 to become the mainstream standard of the next generation of video transmission. DTG Staff 27.02.2014 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.uk

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BBC charter renewal talks set for 2015 - News - Broadcast

27 February, 2014 By Kate Bulkley, Jake Kanter Formal charter renewal negotiations are unlikely to begin in earnest until after the general election in 2015, it has emerged. BBC director general Tony Hall used his Oxford Media Convention address to mount a passionate defence of the licence fee and demonstrate how savings, organisational changes and digital projects will position the corporation to meet future audience needs. - broadcastnow.co.uk

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Media Talk podcast: No BBC for an independent Scotland?

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Thursday 27 February 2014, AM

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism / Study reveals how cutting BBC licence fee would reduce choice

Total investment in programmes would be 5-25 lower with investment in new UK programmes likely to be 25-50 lower, which would be a severe blow to UK production companies as well as to viewers. The report says that these projections are conservative, if anything, since they assume that the BBC crowds out some of the investment in programming that would otherwise be made by commercial broadcasters. On balance, the evidence suggests that, on the contrary, the BBC probably forces commercial channels to spend more on programmes in order to attract viewers. - reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk

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ITV can play on the world stage, Adam Crozier has shown - Business - The Guardian

Adam Crozier has strategic problems other CEO's would envy. It may be churlish of investors to ask the question of ITV's chief executive, Adam Crozier, but that's what happens when a share price doubles in little more than a year. These are nice strategic problems to have, of course, and Crozier has a further 12 months to draw up his second five-year plan. - theguardian.com

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Ariel - Tony Hall says BBC must make tough choices

He also pointed out that, in 2006, the corporation employed 635 people in the core finance team but, by 2016, that figure would fall to around 280. Licence fee Hall also used his platform to champion the licence fee ahead of Charter Renewal in 2017, saying that public support for it stands at 53. He spoke of shrinking margins, explaining that the BBC receives about 25 of broadcasting revenues. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC could axe frontline channel or service as it seeks extra £100m in cuts - Media - theguardian.com

So, we are in the final stages of a budget process to find an extra 100m of savings. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook. - theguardian.com

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Wednesday 26 February 2014, PM

Media: Licence fee; Lord Hunt on IPSO; Paul Foot award

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BBC faces 'tough choices' over cost cutting, says Tony Hall - Media - theguardian.com

Tony Hall will say that the BBC should be run more like John Lewis. He will say the BBC, much criticised for its multimillion-pound payoffs to former senior staff, should be run more like John Lewis, which is owned by its 85,000 partners, than a big bank or financial institution. The BBC is an essential part of that. - theguardian.com

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BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - Director-General Tony Hall speaks at the Oxford Media Convention 2013

I dont want anyone to think that my confidence in the case for the BBC leads me to ignore this. It is part of my mandate to reflect upon these mistakes and to deal with them. A central part of my argument is that the BBC is just one part of one of the strongest media sectors in the world. - bbc.co.uk

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ITV's pre-tax profits soar 30% as it rules out Channel 5 bid - Media - theguardian.com

ITV Studios, which makes shows including Mr Selfridge , reported a 20 increase in profits. Bids for Channel 5 are due by Thursday morning. ITV reported adjusted profits up 27 to 581m while overall revenues were up 8 to 2.7bn in the 12 months to 31 December 2013. - theguardian.com

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Maria Miller says independent Scotland would lose the BBC - Media - theguardian.com

Maria Miller has said that if Scotland voted for independence, it would mean the country losing the BBC. The Scottish government has argued that in 2016 the BBC will raise 320m through the licence fee in Scotland, but it will spend only 175m on services for Scottish viewers and listeners. Asked about proposals put forward by former BBC chairman Lord Grade and others that the licence fee should be further top-sliced for other public service broadcasters, Miller said the corporation was part of the nation's crown jewels. - theguardian.com

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BBC News - Are most new technology products just fashion items?

My encounter with Glass was not a showcase event, but real life. You put on the glasses, adjust them a bit - which is fiddly because you can't quite see what you're doing - and then marvel at the clarity of the tiny screen picture in front of you. The Apple Newton palmtop computer was a miserable bust 20 years ago, but it turns out to have been a very significant advance in the way people use computers, long before the smartphone, which it kind of heralded. - bbc.co.uk

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A look behind the curtain: how Netflix redesigned and rebuilt its television experience Tech News and Analysis

The Onion joked recently that Netflix was going to introduce a new Browse Endlessly plan. For 5, it would offer consumers a way to scroll through its entire library without ever deciding on a single title. Like every good joke, it was funny because there was some truth to it At one point or another, many Netflix subscribers have found themselves overwhelmed by the 50,000 or so movies and TV show episodes available on the service. - gigaom.com

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It s official: TiVo s co-founders start selling $49 Qplay TV streamer Tech News and Analysis

The duo unveiled their new Qplay device and service Tuesday, and launched an early adopter program during which the Qplay device is available for 49. Ramsay told me during an interview Monday that the company has ambitious plans to eventually unite video clips from sites like YouTube, premium videos from services like Netflix and Hulu Plus and even live television, but that it decided to start with a more modest offering. Qplay is a video streaming device that is about the size of an external hard drive. - gigaom.com

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Wednesday 26 February 2014, AM

BT launches next generation YouView set top box - seenit.co.uk

Broadband-to-TV giant BT has unveiled a new next generation version of its YouView set top box. Built by Humax, the updated box boasts a new processor to deliver better performance and will be supplied to all new BT TV customers signing up to the service from today. At just 24cm wide the box is two-thirds the size of the original model and is approximately the same width as BTs latest HomeHub routers which its styled to match. - seenit.co.uk

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When can I get BBC Four, BBC News, or CBeebies HD in my area? - BBC - FAQs - Home

We hope to expand this to 70 by June 2014. However, all of these channels are available on Cable, Freesat and Sky. - bbc.co.uk

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London s future 4G is as stupidly fast as Korea s (Wired UK)

The fastest consumer broadband in the UK hovers around the 120Mbps mark for downloads. This is significant because the technology Qualcomm is showing off will be built into an update of the company's Snapdragon 805 processor, slated to be used in the next generation of high-end Android tablets. However, real-world speeds from a connection theoretically peaking at 300Mbps would offer a huge increase over current maximums -- presently 4G speeds in the UK peak at around 60Mbps, theoretically. - wired.co.uk

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Tuesday 25 February 2014, PM

Ofcom set for third major PSB review - News - Broadcast

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

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BBC News - Rural broadband: How the money will be spent

The money will be divided between local councils and each will have a month to work out how they will spend it to ensure superfast broadband is available to the majority of homes. Critics have urged councils to consider providers other than BT, which has so far won all rural broadband contracts. The government has been criticised for how it has handled the rollout so far. - bbc.co.uk

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DTG :: News :: Vodafone Germany delivers Europe's first live trial of LTE Broadcast

The trial took place at Borussia Mnchengladbach's stadium on Saturday 22 February, when they played 1899 Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. LTE Broadcast will soon be delivering unlimited TV or video content to people in device dense places such as stadiums, public viewing areas or shopping centers. DTG Staff 25.02.2014 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.uk

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Thompson nearly resigned over 2010 licence fee deal - News - Broadcast

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

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Tuesday 25 February 2014, AM

Ariel - The BBC’s bestselling shows abroad

The company recently exported more than 670 hours of British drama. Alongside Top Gear, Luther and natural history documentary Polar Bear, they have each been watched in more than 200 territories. A memorable giraffe battle has also led to natural history series Africa gripping audiences in approximately 200 territories. - bbc.co.uk

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Give staff who make hit shows a bonus round, says BBC boss - TV Radio - Media - The Independent

Mr Cohens comments come as the BBC, which is preparing its case for the renewal of its Royal Charter and licence fee funding, needs to show it can make shows which are not provided by the commercial television sector. Lord Hall is due to make a speech tomorrow at the Oxford Media Convention in which he will defend the licence fee model. I think we need to keep looking at how we incentivise people, and how we use Worldwide the BBCs commercial arm. - independent.co.uk

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BBC head defends licence fee as critical for quality - Reuters

Hall, who took over as director general at the BBC last April, will use a speech in Oxford on Wednesday to dismiss calls by some critics for the 3.7 billion pound 6 billion a year licence fee to be shared with other broadcasters. Every UK household with a television pays 145.50 pounds a year to the BBC but this agreement ends late in 2016 and the government has to negotiate a new 10-year deal with the corporation in a climate of austerity as Britain seeks to rein in its budget deficit. With the BBC's reputation battered over the past 18 months, critics including some ex-senior BBC executives have suggested alternative funding, such as sharing the licence fee with other broadcasters, advertising, or outsourcing to the private sector. - reuters.com

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Monday 24 February 2014, PM

Radio: Who needs pictures in a digital world? The medium is still remarkably resilient - Features - TV Radio - The

Somehow, even though this is a generation that has always had radio, its climbing popularity feels counterintuitive we exist in an age in which new technology is fiercely competing, and consistently evolving, to allow individuals to be as powerful in their personal listening habits as possible. That translates as 48.38 million people 36.22 million of whom are listening to the BBC a corporation founded in 1922, in an era when radio itself was still considered somewhat magical. We have had radio for so long that it has implanted itself in our consciousness. - independent.co.uk

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A new era for local broadcasting on its way as Norfolk’s Mustard TV set for take-off - News - Eastern Daily Press

Mustard facts Mustard TV was awarded a local TV licence in September 2012. Its dedicated web TV station was launched in January 2013. The antenna, which is more than 100 metres high, was put up at Tacolneston in August 2013. - edp24.co.uk

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Monday 24 February 2014, AM

Feedback: Science coverage: 21 Feb 14

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Government drops plans to reduce television powers of media regulator Ofcom - Media - News - The Independent

The Government has decided to withdraw the current draft order that amends the functions and obligations of Ofcom, a DCMS spokesperson said. We consulted on the proposed changes and have listened to the concerns that have continued to be raised. The order was designed to improve the efficiency of Ofcom and the DCMS said it would now look at other ways of reforming the regulator. We believe the order can be improved and we will continue to speak to interested parties about the proposed changes. - independent.co.uk

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BBC - Media Centre - Radio 4 Extra presents The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Game

Both will launch on Saturday 8 March 2014, 36 years to the day since Hitchhikers first-ever radio broadcast and 30 years since the invention of the award-winning game. The global multi-media success story that is Hitchhiker's started life as a BBC Radio 4 series in March 1978. The original scripts by the late Douglas Adams went on to spawn a series of novels, a feature film, at least three stage shows, a TV series, a collection of comic books and various towels. - bbc.co.uk

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Sunday 23 February 2014, PM

BBCs Director General to respond to license fee criticism - TV Radio - Media - The Independent

Lord Hall will argue that the idea of contestable licence fee funding would be destabilising and damaging to the British television industry as a whole. But, most importantly, the fragmentation of the licence fee risks de-stabilising a broadcasting model that works. A model that is based on competition for quality but not funding between public and private broadcasters. In his speech, Lord Hall will note that his battle to protect the BBCs licence fee funding beyond 2016 is no longer simply threatened by critics who argue it should be scrapped. - independent.co.uk

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BBC takes issue with study criticising its Scottish independence coverage - Media - theguardian.com

The research, which dealt with referendum campaign reporting in the period from September 2012 to September 2013, was headed by John Robertson of the West of Scotland university. It is our view that the report consistently fails to support its contentions with factually accurate evidence for example there are several substantive factual inaccuracies within the references it makes to Reporting Scotland news output. We are also concerned, for example, with the inclusion of a number of non-referendum stories within the data outlined in the report. - theguardian.com

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Discovery and BSkyB may make joint bid for Richard Desmond's Channel 5 - Media - theguardian.com

And, according to the Financial Times, Discovery is in talks with BSkyB to join in the bid. However, bids for the channel, which are due next Thursday, may not meet Desmond's 700m valuation. To Murdoch's chagrin, Malone built up an 18 holding in News Corp in 2006. - theguardian.com

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Saturday 22 February 2014, PM

Richard Desmond sets deadline for Channel 5 bids - Media - theguardian.com

CSI Crime Scene Investigation questions remain over Channel 5's deals for key franchises. BT and one other potential bidder are understood to have held private discussions with Desmond last year, with a public sale process pursued after talks petered out. The document, which runs to well over 100 pages, has left some recipients with more questions than answers. - theguardian.com

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Saturday 22 February 2014, AM

BBC2 gets boost from Winter Olympics but faces testing times ahead - Media - The Guardian

The outgoing controller also commissioned the show that no other broadcaster wanted, The Great British Bake Off, which became the biggest breakout hit of the decade. Such was the show's success, finishing last year with more than 8 million viewers, that the next series will be broadcast on BBC1. The next controller - the BBC's current commissioning editor for science and natural history, Kim Shillinglaw, is making the early running - had better get their thesaurus out. - theguardian.com

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TV antenna maker Mohu targets cord cutters with new Channels device Tech News and Analysis

Mohu, best known for its Mohu Leaf TV antenna, is introducing a new device that combines over-the-air TV with online video services. The company will launch a Kickstarter campaign for its new Mohu Channels product early next week, offering early adopters a chance to get the device for as little as 79. It has 802.11 a/b/g/n Wifi on board, but also features an Ethernet port a good thing for folks that dont have good Wi-Fi reception near their TV. - gigaom.com

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Discovery in talks with BSkyB over possible Channel 5 bid - FT - Reuters

Channel 5, which broadcasts Big Brother, was bought by British media baron Richard Desmond in 2010 for 103.5 million pounds. Media reports last month said Desmond had hired Barclays to look for buyers for the television network and was expecting to raise about 700 million pounds through the sale. The Financial Times report said it was unclear if bidders would meet the valuation for the broadcaster. - uk.reuters.com

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BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - What's on BBC Red Button, 22 February to 1 March

If you can't bear to say farewell after Sunday's closing ceremony, we've got continued highlights of the games playing on Monday and Tuesday. - bbc.co.uk

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Friday 21 February 2014, PM

Feedback: Science coverage: 21 Feb 14

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BBC is too political when it comes to reporting politics - Media - Business - London Evening Standard

These perceptions are the result of any number of assumptions, most obviously about the media organisation, its ownership, declared political stance and, less obviously, the way it is reported by rival media. It is in the nature of competitive media outlets that they seek to create negative images of their rivals while presenting themselves in the best possible light. No organisation knows that better than the BBC. - standard.co.uk

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Amazon Gets Its TV Box Ready, Again - Re/code

Amazon is gearing up to take on Apple and Roku, again. People Ive talked to who are partnering with Amazon believe the company is aiming for a March rollout. That wont be a huge shock, since Amazon has been working on a box for much of last year. - recode.net

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Friday 21 February 2014, AM

BBC News - Mac and the Micro - memories of Ian McNaught-Davis

21 February 2014 Last updated at 0425 ET How do you make the subject of computing accessible to a wide audience I'm talking about Ian McNaught-Davis, the computing expert, broadcaster, and mountaineer whose death was announced this week. For many who first got to grips with computers in the 1980s it was the BBC's The Computer Programme which was the inspiration. - bbc.co.uk

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Motors TV destined for Freeview via Arqiva s Connect TV Digital TV Europe

Motors TV is already available in the UK on Sky and Virgin platforms and has been broadcasting since 2002. The channel will launch on the Arqivia Connect TV platform on February 27. Were delighted to be joining the Freeview family through Arqivas Connect TV. - digitaltveurope.net

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Who ll Come Out On Top: BT Group plc or British Sky Broadcasting Group plc? - The Motley Fool UK

It turns out that theres still some life left to be wrung from your flat-screen TV yet. some 98.5 of people watched television on the television in 2013. The UK television industry generated 12.3bn in 2012 and the largest chunk of this was from subscription revenue. - fool.co.uk

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Radio on the TV: Radio 1 comes to iPlayer for the first time in 47 years of being audio-only - TV Radio - Media -

Ben Cooper, the Radio 1 Controller, described the moment as historic and said the transition was essential if the station was to remain relevant to coming generations. He admitted that, two years into his tenure as Controller, the average age of the Radio 1 listener remains static at 32 outside its 15-29 year old remit despite drastic changes to the stations presenting line up and music policy. Cooper, 44, said that average listening hours per week of a Radio 1 listener had fallen from 10 hours 30 minutes to six hours 20 minutes in the past decade as the Internet has placed new demands on the attention of young people. - independent.co.uk

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Thursday 20 February 2014, PM

BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - Handling complaints effectively

Audiences and being accountable to them are at the heart of what the BBC does. BBC producers and managers regularly read audience comments and complaints submitted to the BBC's audience feedback service and find the information provided invaluable. In 2005 the BBC launched its three-stage complaints process. - bbc.co.uk

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Media Talk podcast: Radio 1 chart show moves the goalposts

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