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Friday 31 January 2014, PM

‘Try TV on Us’ offers blinkbox customers chance to sample episodes

Fans of great TV have never had it so good and were proud of our selection of amazing TV shows. Offering a taster is a great way to introduce people to our service and help customers find their next TV obsession. Customers can watch as many of the 28 episodes as they like during the promotional period. Comparison based on top 50 UK box office movies for 12 months preceding 25/10/2013. - news.blinkbox.com

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BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - What's On BBC Red Button, 1-7 February

If you are a fan of 4 O Clock Club, then press Red for exclusive extras. As the week closes, join us for the first events and the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Throughout the Winter Olympics, up to two red button streams will offer live content and highlights from Sochi. - bbc.co.uk

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Freesat ad gives the bare facts about satellite TV - Media Monkey - Media - theguardian.com

Judging by its latest ad campaign the strategy seems to be based on a less is more philosophy. - theguardian.com

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at800 announces better support for UK viewers affected by disruption to Freeview from 4G at 800 MHz - at800

at800 is revising its approach to improve its support for UK viewers of Freeview services. These changes are expected to help at800 better meet its objective of ensuring people can still watch Freeview when 4G mobile services at 800 MHz are activated in their area. Five months after the launch of mobile services using 4G at 800 MHz, at800 is confident that disruption to Freeview will be less widespread than initially estimated. - at800.tv

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Friday 31 January 2014, AM

Ariel - Editorial values course to launch for new staff

31 January 2014 Last updated at 0914 New BBC staff will be invited to attend a new course that provides an overview of the corporation's editorial values. The editorial values course will also be open to employees on contracts of less than six months and freelancers, with plans to offer it for free to key independent production companies. Launched by the BBC Academy, the two-hour, face-to-face course will help journalists and production staff make creative and sound editorial decisions. - bbc.co.uk

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SES’s ASTRA 2E SATELLITE GOES LIVE at 28.2/28.5 DEGREES EAST OVER EMEA - SES.com

Extensive in-orbit tests have since then confirmed the satellite to be fully operational and performing to specifications. The satellite was built for SES by Astrium of France. Based on the highly reliable Eurostar E3000 platform, the spacecraft carries 60 Ku-band transponders, including 12 incremental transponders for delivery of services outside Europe, as well as 4 Ka-band transponders. - ses.com

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Let s face it: social TV is dead Tech News and Analysis

Okay, video startups, its time to get real That social TV thing youve been trying for the last couple years The evidence is all around us A few days ago, Yahoo announced that it was shutting down Intonow, the social TV service it had acquired three years ago. The announcement came on the heels of i.TV discontinuing the GetGlue service and brand which it acquired late last year in favor of its new tvtag app. - gigaom.com

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S4C and YouView bring Welsh language programming to whole UK - seenit.co.uk

Viewers in Wales can already watch the channel as one of the 70 live channel offered via the programme guide. Todays addition of a S4C on demand player means viewers across the UK can the broadcasters programmes on demand for up to 35 days following their original broadcast. Our aim is to expand the methods of watching S4C making it easier than ever for people to watch our excellent programming. - seenit.co.uk

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BBC News - UK government tackles wrongly-blocked websites

Many sites on the list are run by charities that aim to educate children and others about health, sex education and drugs issues. The whitelist will be used to ensure the sites are not immediately blocked. The list has emerged from a working group looking into accidental blocking and how to fix the problem. - bbc.co.uk

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Thursday 30 January 2014, PM

Ariel - Trust protects World Service news focus

30 January 2014 Last updated at 1259 News, current affairs and factual programmes must constitute 75 of all World Service output in future. The condition was added to the draft document after concerns were raised that the World Service's commitment to news might be eroded after it moves from grant-in-aid to licence fee funding. BBC Persian television only has to meet a 50 news and current affairs quota as it does 'not have the capability to produce 75 news and current affairs schedule'. - bbc.co.uk

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More help for less people as 4G Freeview Fail fears fade - Recombu

All homes reporting 4G Freeview interference will get free aerial installer visits as mobile operators focus on getting a faster response to fewer people. AT800, the body set up to tackle 4G Freeview problems, said its confident no more than 90,000 homes across the UK will be affected, after initial fears problems would hit almost a million homes. After five months of 4G operations, theyve confirmed that only homes within 900 metres of a 4G mobile mast face Freeview interference, and few of those are reporting problems. - recombu.com

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LBC to take on Radio 5 Live with national expansion - News - TV Radio - The Independent

Global is putting its long-running London station LBC on a national footing and creating the countrys first news talk broadcaster on a commercial platform. As well as challenging 5 Live for ratings, the station will bring new competition for local stations from smaller commercial radio groups. The station is a pioneer in commercial radio and launched 40 years ago as the London Broadcasting Company. - independent.co.uk

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DTG :: News :: at800 announces better support for UK viewers affected by disruption to Freeview

at800 is revising its approach to improve its support for UK viewers of Freeview services. The company is committing to quicker response and resolution times, aerial installer home visits for affected viewers and additional support for properties using a communal aerial such as flats. These changes are expected to help at800 better meet its objective of ensuring people can still watch Freeview when 4G mobile services at 800 MHz are activated in their area. - dtg.org.uk

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Radio Today - Global Radio to take LBC national on D1

The station will position itself as the first ever national full news talk commercial radio station, complete with current features including Call Clegg, in which this news was first announced to London. From February 11th 2014 Global is investing further in digital radio, and in speech radio, to create the UKs first national commercial news talk radio station, giving listeners across the whole of the UK a voice and a forum to engage in the issues that matter to them. - radiotoday.co.uk

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BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - A day in the life of a BSL Interpreter for BBC News

Since 1January 2014, Deaf viewers have been provided withadditional weekend bulletins with an 'in-vision' signer. As well as live sign language interpretation on news programming, we also cover a wide variety of pre-recorded programmes, from childrens programmes to documentaries to current affairs. Many people ask why sign language over subtitling - bbc.co.uk

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SES AND EUTELSAT SETTLE THEIR DISPUTE AND CONCLUDE A SERIES OF AGREEMENTS CONCERNING THE 28.5 DEGREES EAST ORBITAL POSIT

The dispute concerned a right of use of 500 MHz spectrum at the 28.5 degrees East orbital position. Eutelsat ceased to operate this spectrum on 3 October 2013 and SES has operated this spectrum since that date. The dispute over this right of use has now been resolved, with SES continuing to operate its satellites at this location, and Eutelsat independently commercialising part of the capacity of the previously disputed frequencies. - ses.com

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Thursday 30 January 2014, AM

Media Talk podcast: ITV and BBC to launch new channels

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BSkyB profits hit by cost of Premier League deal - Media - theguardian.com

BSkyB's profits have been dented by the cost of its three-year 2.3bn Premier League deal. The company's adjusted operating profits, the measure of profit most closely watched by analysts and investors, fell by 8 year on-year to 595m. Total revenues grew by 6.3 to 3.75bn as the company hailed a strong performance in the runup to Christmas. - gu.com

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BSkyB signs new five-year deal for exclusive rights to HBO TV catalogue - Media - The Guardian

BSkyB has struck early to extend its existing agreement out to 2020 in a deal worth as much as 275m over five years. In addition BSkyB has also reached an exclusive agreement to co-fund and co-produce top-end dramas, of the scale of the multi-million pound per episode Game of Thrones, that could run to tens of millions of pounds investment in new shows per year. Investors will be closely watching the company's churn, the rate at which customers leave Sky, to see if BT's big money move into pay-TV is significantly damaging its customer base. - theguardian.com

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I swapped my TV for Netflix, and here s what it taught me - Television radio - theguardian.com

Photograph Jessica Miglio/Netflix I used to work with a guy who didn't have a TV. I am a Netflixer and I have my reasons. I moved house last year and, when I went to plug in the TV, I found the cable had been severed. - theguardian.com

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Wednesday 29 January 2014, PM

Media: NFL; DMI failure; News UK; Sky results 29 Jan 2014

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Ariel - Wright perplexed by Classic FM copy claims

The Radio 3 controller believed there was 'probably clearer water now than there's ever been between the two stations'. He said that while their commercial rival had lost almost 25 of its listeners, these had not been poached by Radio 3, which had maintained a steady audience. 'We have two entirely complementary radio stations,' Wright insisted, in response to the complaints made in Classic FM's submission to MPs towards the licence fee debate. - bbc.co.uk

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ITV Encore to launch on Sky

ITVs brilliant dramas contributed to a fantastic on-screen performance last year - we had three out of the top five dramas in 2013, which helped us increase our share of viewing on the main channel for the first time in a decade. - corporate.sky.com

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ITV launches pay-TV drama channel - 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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Wednesday 29 January 2014, AM

Mark Thompson to face MPs again over failed £99m Digital Media Initiative - Media - The Guardian

I was shocked to learn how poor the BBC's governance arrangements for the Digital Media Initiative were. John Linwood, the former BBC chief technology officer dismissed over the failed initiative, confirmed in written evidence to the committee that he was taking legal action against the corporation. Thompson previously gave evidence to parliament about DMI in 2011 when he incorrectly claimed the scheme was already up and running. - theguardian.com

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Top Gear and Doctor Who dominate record ratings for BBC iPlayer - Media - The Guardian

The total of 2.2bn TV programmes and 800m radio shows requested last year was a third up on 2012 with requests on iPads and other tablets growing more than 100. Viewers will have longer to watch shows later this year, with the catch-up window set to be extended from seven to 30 days, alongside advanced plans for a BBC Store in which viewers will be able to buy and download programmes permanently. - theguardian.com

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Tuesday 28 January 2014, PM

BBC News - Confusion led to BBC digital project failure

A failure to understand the problems the project faced also led to its cancellation, the National Audit Office said. The BBC's technology chief John Linwood was sacked in July over the project's demise. DMI had been intended to move the BBC away from using video tape. - bbc.co.uk

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Ariel - Alix Pryde to leave BBC for Vodafone

28 January 2014 Last updated at 1135 Alix Pryde, director of distribution for the last five years, is to leave the BBC. She will join Vodafone to run its consumer product department. Pryde led the distribution team behind digital switchover, with the massive broadcast engineering feat delivered on time and under budget. - bbc.co.uk

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Tuesday 28 January 2014, AM

Ariel - Television and Future Media converge

28 January 2014 Last updated at 0932 The worlds of television, technology and future media converged on Monday for a series of workshops and presentations aimed at encouraging collaboration between the different BBC divisions. Continue reading the main story Threats to television in 2014 Nic Newman highlighted three major challenges to traditional tv 1. Audience attention 49 use smartphones at the same time Younger people do not engage with peak time early evening news 2. - bbc.co.uk

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No, Pandora Is Not Radio - jacoBLOG

Pandora is not radio. Pandora is just a soulless, poorly-executed, music jukebox. Pandora wants people to think theyre radio, because people love radio, and advertisers understand radios power and connection but they are not radio. Instead, they are attempting to redefine radio as some kind of music jukebox. As Freds post showed, they have succeeded. We, the radio industry, have sat idly by as companies like Pandora, Slacker, Apple and others have christened their inferior product radio. They have stolen our brand. It has already caused us immeasurable damage. We are fools for letting that happen. Radio, according to these stations, is some kind of personal hell for the Pandora generation forcing you to listen to someone elses Pandora channel, but covering up the thumbs down button. If the only thing radio stations offer is non-stop music, Pandora will win every time. - jacobsmediablog.com

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Monday 27 January 2014, PM

Microsoft ditches SkyDrive for OneDrive after BSkyB dispute - Microsoft - CNET News

Microsoft's SkyDrive won't be around much longer -- at least, not by that name. Rather than continue to battle it out in court, Microsoft decided it was time to change the service's name. One place for all of your photos and videos. - news.cnet.com

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Monday 27 January 2014, AM

Sky launches biggest year of entertainment with major new marketing campaign

27 January 2014 Sky launches biggest year of entertainment with major new marketing campaign Sky is to launch its biggest ever year of entertainment with a major new marketing campaign that for the first time gives everyone a chance to sample entire episodes of Sky shows online. During 2014, Sky customers can look forward to Skys biggest and best year of entertainment content. More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week. - corporate.sky.com

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BBC ‘to be asked to pay licence fees for the elderly’ - 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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Sunday 26 January 2014, PM

Broadcasting's poor ethnic mix has an impact on everyone - Media - The Guardian

Actor Lenny Henry told a diversity roundtable organised by culture minister Ed Vaizey that 'structural change' is needed to turn around the decline in the representation of black and minority ethnic groups in the industry. In short, the position of BAME Britons in broadcasting and the creative industries is now significantly worse than it was ten years ago. So much so that a visitor from Mars or even Brixton might well be wondering if what was going on amounted to direct and deliberate racial discrimination. - theguardian.com

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The BBC's independence rests on being influenced by the public, not politicians - Media - The Guardian

Building the future John Tate asks why should a politician set the BBCs income, let alone without reference to the publics willingness to pay Organised, professional attempts to describe the truth would on this view be outdone by multiple independent voices, from which would emerge sometimes fuzzier but ultimately richer, speedier, more independent reports. At the right time and place one person with a camera-phone wields influence once reserved for elites. - theguardian.com

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Sunday 26 January 2014, AM

Ignorance - Benedict Evans

It hasn't been possible to understand all of engineering or technology for perhaps a hundred or a hundred and fifty years. - ben-evans.com

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Saturday 25 January 2014, PM

BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - New studio for BBC Scotland

I recall when we moved to our new purpose-built headquarters on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow in 2007, it was hailed as one of the most modern, state-of-the-art digital broadcasting facilities in the world. In juxtaposition with our Scottish output, Studio C at Pacific Quay was in danger of looking a bit dated. So, with a big year ahead of them, the bosses here decided now was the ideal time to bring the visual look of their flagship news and sports programmes up-to-date. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC - Blogs - Internet blog - What's on BBC Red Button - 25-31 Jan

We're all over the UK this week as Winterwatch invites us all to join in with the Big Garden Birdwatch. Wildlife footage will be streamed online, on tablets, smartphones and on BBC Red Button, and its accompanied by running commentary from our guest experts. For a full list and times of sport coverage on the Red Button see the BBC Sport website. - bbc.co.uk

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Thursday 23 January 2014, PM

Radio Today - Blog: Heart attack over radio regulation

Its a Heart Attack on regulation So Heart in Cornwall fell foul of the regulator over a format breach Not enough local content said Ofcom and they want it sorted P.D.Q or else. To be sure of their facts, they even brought out the dreaded analogue stopwatch and calculator. - radiotoday.co.uk

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BBC - Blogs - Internet blog - New version of radio homepage launched

Its been over 16 months since we launched the new homepage for BBC Radio at http//www.bbc.co.uk/radio/. This is what it used to look like The old Radio homepage We set out to offer you a very simple homepage where you could quickly and easily get to the right places for your favourite radio, whether it be listening live or catching up on something youve missed. We look at what users do, listen to their online feedback and comments and see how they respond to our online questionnaire. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC News - Avegant Glyph headset hits Kickstarter funding target

23 January 2014 Last updated at 0934 ET A headset projecting images on to the retina has hit its financial target, just hours into a fundraising drive. Avegant sought 250,000 150,000 for the Glyph headset, and has already secured pledges of 425,000 256,000. The Glyph has no screen but instead bounces pictures into the eyes of users using two million tiny mirrors in a narrow reflective band. - bbc.co.uk

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DTG :: News :: Ofcom awards Swansea and Mold local TV licences

Ofcom has awarded licences to run local TV services in Swansea and Mold on digital terrestrial TV. Ofcom has now awarded 25 local TV licences, as well as the multiplex licence. In September 2013 Ofcom invited applicants for further 11 Local TV locations. - dtg.org.uk

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Media Talk podcast: Tony Gallagher exits Telegraph

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Thursday 23 January 2014, AM

Board shake-up in the works at the BBC, to prevent another pay scandal - TV Radio - Media - The Independent

Lord Hall wants to address this by bringing to the management board new senior figures with experience of running large organisations on a lean budget, which is the challenge facing the BBC as it prepares to implement savings plans and renegotiate its licence fee beyond 2016. Sir Howard, 71, was the first non-Japanese to be chief executive of Sony. Born in Cardiff, he moved to America in 1965 and worked for CBS for 30 years before running Sony. - independent.co.uk

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Wednesday 22 January 2014, PM

Media: Birds of a Feather, diversity in TV, The Telegraph 22 Jan 2014

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Sky needs to act to dispel dark clouds - Media - Business - London Evening Standard

The company looks to be in limbo and not just because its fast-growing Osterley campus in west London is a building site and political editor Adam Boulton is stepping down after holding the job for all of Skys first 25 years. Britains biggest pay-TV company and second biggest broadband provider has appeared unsure of its destiny ever since Murdoch was forced to drop his takeover bid in 2011 following the News of the World hacking scandal. Look at the share price Sky reached 850p before the bid collapsed. - standard.co.uk

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EastEnders star: government should tackle 'institutionalised attitudes' in TV - Media - theguardian.com

The actor was speaking ahead of an industry round table on Wednesday chaired by Vaizey and looking for ways to increase the employment of black, Asian and minority ethnic people in the performing arts. I appeal to the conscience of people, there's an identity crisis out there with young ethnic minorities. Vaizey's ministerial round table comes 14 years after a similar initiative by the then culture secretary, Labour's Chris Smith. - theguardian.com

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BBC.com Opens Its Doors To Native Advertising - Beet.TV

The BBC is known for its editorial integrity and, at least in the UK, its aversion to advertising. These facts would seem to make an embrace of the current native advertising trend difficult. Weve done things like that more from the editorial side for a whole lot of years. Many publishers are now offering marketers opportunities that blend editorial and commercial. - beet.tv

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BBC News - Fastest ever broadband passes speed test

Alcatel-Lucent and BT said speeds of 1.4 terabits per second were achieved during their joint test - enough to send 44 uncompressed HD films a second. The test was conducted on a 410km 255-mile link between the BT Tower in central London and Ipswich. The speed achieved by the researchers topped out at 1.4 terabits per second. - bbc.co.uk

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Ariel - Hall calls for protection of DTT

22 January 2014 Last updated at 1153 Tony Hall is calling on the government and Ofcom to protect the future of digital terrestrial television at a 'critical time'. Digital switchover freed up capacity for 4G mobile broadband, and now a further shake-up is being considered to give more spectrum to the mobile market, which already has the lion's share. It finds that the free-to-air platform, watched in three-quarters of UK homes, returns nearly 80bn to the UK economy - higher than previous estimates. - bbc.co.uk

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