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

Media Talk podcast: BBC bias swings both ways

Ariel - Cohen: Set-up is right at BBC Four

'There should be a number of moments each year where they join up and become more than the sum of their parts.' He also dismissed any notion that BBC Four would become an arts and music channel, insisting it would remain a mixed genre channel identified by its 'characterful, very distinctive, slightly eccentric' output. 'Ripe for reinvention' Cohen told the audience of programme makers that his channels were hungry for new ideas and new kinds of storytelling. Factual on BBC One was 'ripe for reinvention', he believed, as its new controller Charlotte Moore sought to put her mark on her channel. - bbc.co.uk

Wednesday 06 November 2013, AM

UTV to launch Irish TV 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

Tuesday 05 November 2013, PM

BBC News - Former BBC boss Mark Byford: Never heard Savile rumours

www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk

Tuesday 05 November 2013, AM

UTV now part of U in HD by Michael Wilson

However, until today the biggest single issue in my viewer mailbag was the lack of UTV in HD on satellite services. I'd like to thank our team of engineers and transmission crew, the ITV team and all our other technology partners for delivering the service. - u.tv

www.u.tv

Monday 04 November 2013, PM

informitv - BT TV reaches over 900,000 homes

BT TV added 70,000 customers in the last quarter, taking its installed base in the United Kingdom to over 900,000. There were more net additions for BT TV in those three months than the preceding two quarters, or the three quarters before that. BT has added 154,000 television customers over the year, since the launch of YouView and following its massive investment in BT Sport. - informitv.com

informitv.com

Monday 04 November 2013, AM

Publisher Archant set for Spring TV channel launch - Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage

A regional publisher willnot start broadcasting itslocal TV station until next spring following the launch ofits online version earlier this year. The company had been expected to launch its digital TV channel on Freeview Channel 8thisautumn, but a spokesman said it had been delayed because media regulator Ofcom awarded the multiplex licence three months later than planned. The delay meant thenecessary infrastructure could not be completed in time for an autumn launch. - holdthefrontpage.co.uk

Sunday 03 November 2013, AM

The many challenges facing a beleaguered BBC - Comment is free - The Observer

Yes, the BBC has made mistakes, but so have the royal family, the British army and, indeed, most of us. Yet few are subject to such routine excoriation from our press, itself hardly a paragon of virtue. Once again, notwithstanding the esteem in which the BBC continues to be held by the vast majority of its viewers and listeners, it is clear that it is going to have fight for its existence over the next two years. - theguardian.com

Saturday 02 November 2013, AM

BBC - Blogs - Internet blog - What's on BBC Red Button - 2 - 8 November

Theres also a packed schedule of sport with international rugby union and league, Formula 1, football, cycling and squash. We may never know the true version of events, but are the new couple prepared for life back in Walford together Sit tight and enjoy the ride with Wizards vs Aliens Extra, only on the Red Button. - bbc.co.uk

Friday 01 November 2013, PM

Feedback: GF Newman's The Corrupted, 1 Nov 13

Media Talk podcast: Press regulation royal charter gets seal of approval

Friday 01 November 2013, AM

Radio Today - Humberside wins BBC Station of the Year

The event was held in Windsor as BBC Radio Berkshire won the main award last year. - radiotoday.co.uk

radiotoday.co.uk

Thursday 31 October 2013, PM

Ofcom awards second wave of local TV licences - 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

Thursday 31 October 2013, AM

UKTV adds on-demand to Sky carriage deal - News - Broadcast

Wednesday 30 October 2013, PM

Media: Press regulation, JacksGap, Bedlam 30 October 2013

IsoHunt Resurrected Less Than Two Weeks After $110 Million MPAA Deal - TorrentFreak

The people behind the recreation of one of the worlds largest torrent sites, who are not in any way related to the old isoHunt site, say the aim was to give isoHunt refugees access to their much-loved database of torrents wrapped up in a familiar interface. The amount that owner Gary Fung would have to pay to the MPAA was publicized at 110 million, a somewhat scary quantity of money by anyones standards. Of course, Fung doesnt have that kind of money and wouldnt pay it freely to the MPAA even if he did. - torrentfreak.com

torrentfreak.com

Wednesday 30 October 2013, AM

Google: policing digital content for kids does not require legislation - Media - theguardian.com

Google has said legislation should not play the biggest role in policing digital content for children. That's going to go away so we'll have to find another form of differentiation a 30-second clip is different to a 45-minute/one-hour long-form video, it may be that's the point of differentiation. However, Google UK public policy and government relations manager Theo Bertram said he did not think that policing digital content required legislation, pointing out there are filters available for parents to use to control their children's viewing. - theguardian.com

MediaPost Publications Consumers Remain Indifferent To Smart TVs 10/29/2013

www.mediapost.com

Tuesday 29 October 2013, PM

New dawn for The Sky at Night - 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

Tuesday 29 October 2013, AM

UK mobile phone coverage: the country's signal blackspots - interactive map - Money - theguardian.com

We asked you to tell us if you were experiencing problems with mobile phone coverage. Here is what you have told us so far With all four UK networks launching 4G services this year, universal access to superfast internet on a mobile phone is finally becoming a reality. The response from many of those now receiving the hard sell from their network is that they would like a decent 3G internet signal, or even the ability to make a phone call or receive a text from their home or office, before upgrading to a more expensive 4G package. - theguardian.com

Graham Norton: how BBC handed out multimillion payoffs 'defies belief' - Media - The Guardian

The presenter, who has a chatshow on BBC1 and a Saturday morning slot on Radio 2, is among the stars who have taken a pay cut in recent years but his salary is still thought to be in excess of 1m. - theguardian.com

A gentle mauling from You and Yours

I was interviewed earlier today by You and Yours, a Radio 4 consumer-affairs programme, about DAB. Asked to come in and talk about the slow take-up of DAB, I instead was treated to some rather different questions. It's clear Winifred Robinson, the interviewer, isn't a fan of DAB. - mediauk.com

www.mediauk.com

Monday 28 October 2013, PM

Sunday 27 October 2013, PM

BBC licence fee threat: Greg Dyke hits back at Tory chairman - Media - The Guardian

Greg Dyke, former BBC director-general and now chairman of the FA. He said Shapps's comments were a predictable attempt to whip the corporation's journalists into line before the 2015 general election. Dyke has been backed by Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, who said it was wrong for Shapps to use his position to stop legitimate reporting of failures in government policy. - theguardian.com

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tory-minister-warns-bbc-to-change-or-prepare-for-licence-fee-cut-8907211.

The BBCs royal charter comes up for renewal in 2016, and Mr Shapps suggested that the corporation needed to be subject to the same scrutiny as other public bodies or risk having its 3.6 billion income from the fee cut or split with other organisations. He said that the recent scandals involving high-profile BBC presenters and pay-offs for senior executives had raised a question of credibility over decisions at all levels of the corporation. I think it is one of too much secrecy. Mr Shapps indicated that his party was prepared to look into ways of changing the licence fee system if the BBC is not able to reform. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

BBC - Inside the BBC - BBC Where Next

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets CSS if you are able to do so. - bbc.co.uk

Saturday 26 October 2013, AM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/posts/Whats-on-BBC-Red-Button-26-October-1-November

Friday 25 October 2013, PM

Feedback: CBeebies Radio: 25 Oct 13

BBC - Blogs - Internet blog - Links: BBC iPlayer App Downloads

The BBC iPlayer app has now been downloaded more than 20 million times in the press release there's a list of the most popular programmes and days. A year ago smartphones and tablets accounted for only 25pc of viewing, compared to 47pc on computers. Three years ago only 6pc of requests for programmes came from mobile devices. - bbc.co.uk

Friday 25 October 2013, AM

Media Talk podcast: Rajars, BBC payoffs and cakes

Radio Today - Absolute 80s reaches over 1.2m listeners

Absolute 80s, with 1.2m listeners on digital is closing the gap on Absolute Radio, which now has 1.6m after a drop in listeners this quarter. The main Absolute Radio station is up year-on-year but has lost over 300,000 listeners this quarter following its highest ever reach of almost 2m last quarter. All the digital stations combined are recording a record reach at 2.2m listeners, with 60s 203k, 80s 1.2m and 90s 522k all getting individual records. - radiotoday.co.uk

radiotoday.co.uk

Thursday 24 October 2013, PM

Ariel - iPlayer app hits 20 million downloads

It revealed the most popular day for downloading the app, which is only available on Apple and Android devices, was Christmas Day in 2012, when there were 385,600 downloads after many people received smartphones and tablets as gifts. It was also revealed that since iPlayer mobile downloads were launched in September 2012, Top Gear has been the most-downloaded show. - bbc.co.uk

Thursday 24 October 2013, AM

DAB - BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra/ Radio 4 LW programmes - BBC - FAQs - Home

Flexibility within the DAB system means that part-time 'secondary services' can be created to allow broadcasters to transmit extra programs. Radio 4's LW output is transmitted as a side channel to Radio 4's main output. To access 'secondary services' you need to tune in when the service is actually broadcasting. - bbc.co.uk

Wednesday 23 October 2013, PM

Media: Black audiences, online comments, the end of Millionaire? 23 Oct 2013

Tuesday 22 October 2013, PM

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-executives-face-disciplinary-hearings-over-alleged-bullying-as-seni

Some of those accused are facing upwards of 20 allegations and have been moved to new jobs pending the outcome of the disciplinary process. He decried the existence of sideways managers, which he defined as people not adding value to the process of getting great programmes onto the air. The flawed technology project became known inside the BBC as Dont Mention It. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Lord Patten attempts to downplay scale of BBC severance payoffs - Media - theguardian.com

Lord Patten appeared in front of a committee of MPs to discuss the BBCs annual report. On severance pay he said that he felt he needed to contextualise the issue. He pointed to issues such as former deputy director general Mark Byford's almost 1m severance pay deal. - theguardian.com

NAO set for improved BBC access - News - Broadcast

The National Audit Office is set to be granted improved access to the BBCâ€™s books after the corporation agreed changes to its relationship with the spending watchdog. The BBC has thrashed out a deal â€œin principleâ€ with the Department for Culture Media & Sport that will clear a path for the NAO to investigate pertinent issues with more freedom.- broadcastnow.co.uk

BBC News - BBC should become mutual company - Dame Tessa Jowell

So the argument would be the BBC should indeed be owned by its licence fee payers. The current royal charter allowing the BBC's licence fee expires at the end of 2016 and MPs have been discussing its future in a backbench debate. - bbc.co.uk

Jowell: turn BBC into a mutual company - News - Broadcast

Former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell has argued that the BBC should become a â€œmutual companyâ€ to make it more accountable to licence fee payers. In a backbench Parliament debate on the future of the BBC, the Labour MP said remodelling the BBC would put the public â€œin the driving seatâ€, strengthen the Trustâ€™s role as a cheerleader for licence fee payers and protect the broadcasterâ€™s independence.broadcastnow.co.uk

Monday 21 October 2013, PM

BBC agrees deal for extension to radio programme repeats - Media Monkey - Media - theguardian.com

Gardeners Question Time and other independently produced BBC shows will be available to listen to again for up to 30 days. The new deal will also allow the BBC to repeat independent productions more times such as on digital station, Radio 4 Extra and more shows will be made available as podcasts. With budgets tight at the BBC, independent producers are not getting any more cash in return. - theguardian.com

DTG :: News :: BBC Worldwide unveils new vision for future

At its heart lies an uplift in content investment to secure the position of BBC Worldwide's premium programme assets the launch of three new core consumer brands propositions and a greater focus on digital innovation to extend the company's reach and routes to market. Davie confirmed BBC Worldwide's intention to grow content investment commitments, forecast to increase by 30m pa to some 200m. BBC Worldwide will look to invest in distinctive premium British content of the highest quality. - dtg.org.uk

dtg.org.uk

Saturday 19 October 2013, AM

BBC - Blogs - Internet blog - What's on BBC Red Button - 19-25 October

It'safun-filled tripfor the wholefamily on the Red Button this week. All this plus Chriss blog, horoscopes and jokes that will make you LOL. Showcasing the music that the station has championed, enjoyed and nurtured, listeners can find all the action on air, online and of course on the Red Button. - bbc.co.uk

Friday 18 October 2013, PM

Feedback: climate change sceptics: 18 Oct 13

Radio Today - Sunshine goes digital at MuxCo DAB launch

The two local stations are joined by Heart and Gold covering 400,000 people in the area. This expansion to more than 97 of the population will include two new transmitters in Gloucestershire. Government has said they will make a decision on radio switchover at the end of 2013. - radiotoday.co.uk

radiotoday.co.uk

Media Talk podcast: Radio Festival special