ASTRA 1N satellite to launch on 1 July

The satellite offers 52 Ku-band transponders and will first provide interim capacity at 28.2 East. Subsequently it will be moved to 19.2 East, from where it will mainly serve the German, French and Spanish markets. DTG Staff 01.07.2011 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.uk

www.dtg.org.uk

Backlash for Jeremy Hunt over BskyB deal - TV Radio, Media - The Independent

A consultation has been extended to July 8, after which Mr Hunt will decide whether to wave through the merger once and for all or refer it to the Competition Commission. BSkyB's performance has improved in the year since News Corp made its approach and its share price is currently at nearly 850p, having increased by more than 50. Some analysts estimate that it may have to offer at least 950p per share, valuing the company at 16.7 billion - 4.4 billion more than its previous proposal. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Get ready for wrangling and regulation - In-depth - Broadcast

30 June, 2011 As the deadline for initial submissions to inform the next Communications Act passed this week, Broadcast takes a look at who wants what from Jeremy Hunt. 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

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

BBC - BBC Internet Blog: Open Post, Thursday 30 June 2011

I'm Ian McDonald, and I shall be your host on this blog for a while. The BBC has let me work on some very interesting things since 2003. So it is a privilege to sit in the middle of BBC online and talk to you about the fantastic things everyone else is doing - and hear what you think of it all. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Hunt attacked in Commons over BSkyB 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

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

News Corp. s BSkyB Bid May Become Pricier as Review Drags on - Businessweek

The U.K. government today asked rivals for the second time since March to respond to News Corp.s proposed undertakings. The starting point for Skys independent directors should be the pre-bid stock indexed up by the 15 percent rise in the value of the FTSE 100, Baker said. BSkyB should open talks at about 920 pence and may settle for 870 pence, he said. - businessweek.com

www.businessweek.com

News Corp's BSkyB bid: OFT report to Jeremy Hunt

- scribd.com

www.scribd.com

Barb ratings move online

C21Media.net is Everything about content in the 21st Century, from television to web, mobile, tablet and beyond. - c21media.net

www.c21media.net

BSkyB takeover: what will happen to the profits? Visualised - News - guardian.co.uk

What would a News Corporation-owned BSkyB actually look like With Rupert Murdoch moving closer to a go-ahead to take over the remaining 61 of the broadcast corporation, we wanted to look at what kind of company BSkyB could become. In March this year we looked at Murdoch's operations around the world. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

BBC - Research and Development: White Space Broadcasting Networks

The BBC's position on white space is probably best articulated in our recent reply to an Ofcom consultation. Issues relating to adjacent channel interference were also expressed requiring location-dependent power limits for the white space devices to prevent interference to TV reception. Details of how to compute the database from the broadcast coverage have been the subject of studies by CEPT in study group SE43 which reported its preliminary findings earlier this year. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC - Research and Development: Digital Media Mass Storage Testing

In copious quantities an hour of professional footage of a quality drama production easily eats a terabyte. We easily need some 10 hours, split over a 1000s shots or so, to just produce one episode. Now seemingly storage has become a commodity item, available from OEMs, from interchangeable, generic suppliers and specialist suppliers. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC - BBC Internet Blog: May 2011 BBC iPlayer Performance Pack

The week of 9th May delivered a new record of 7.2 million online users in one week excludes Virgin Media cable. The Apprentice and Doctor Who dominated the top ten most-requested TV episodes this month. New dramas The Shadow Line and Exile were also in the top 20. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC outlines its vision of TV in the future - Pocket-lint

It sounds like Virgin Media's existing TiVo service, but with a few changes... Like with the TiVo box, the EPG will be able to go backwards as well as forwards to watch programmes on-demand. Pryde told Pocket-lint that her Connected TV Heaven would be available in the very near future and certainly over the next couple of years. - pocket-lint.com

www.pocket-lint.com

Holyrood calls for control of broadcasting - Scotsman.com News

- news.scotsman.com

news.scotsman.com

MediaTel: Newsline: Jeremy Hunt may be a classy lambada dancer but unless he listens he won't shimmy his way out of this

It is the only one that will work... Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt may not realise it, but yesterday morning he was offered a way out of a potentially embarrassing jam. For reasons that still remain something of a mystery, Hunt has invested a great deal of political capital in trying to breathe life - like some sort of modern day alchemist turning base metal to gold - into local television. - mediatel.co.uk

mediatel.co.uk

Mirics in Freeview win - 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

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Ofcom - Public Interest Test

-

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

Jeremy Hunt urged to reverse local TV shift - Broadcasting News - Digital Spy

- digitalspy.co.uk

www.digitalspy.co.uk

BBC - BBC Internet Blog: 6 Technical Principles behind BBC News on Connected TV

BBC News on a connected TV I've written here before about publishing content to multiple platforms. I thought I'd write a little about how we implemented this lots of the concepts here are standard computer science ones, but I thought it's worth reiterating as it shows the similarities between publishing to devices with different form factors and technical capabilities. So here are our six TV software design best practices Our internal data sources need to be platform-neutral - meaning we can target multiple platforms with different front-end technologies. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Is ITV playing poker with Ofcom over its PSB licence? - Media - guardian.co.uk

It is not the first time the prospect of ITV exiting the confines of a public service broadcasting licence has been raised. Former ITV chairman Michael Grade suggested the idea three years ago. With the switchover to digital, some at the conference wondered about the continuing value of the Ofcom licences in a world where hundreds of channels are available on satellite and cable TV. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Radio 4 opens up Reith Lecture archives - Radio Today

BBC Radio 4has made 240 archive recordings of Reith Lectures from years gone by available online, along with transcripts of the recordings. The archive covers the last 60 years, with the audio files available to download as podcasts or stream on-demand from the Radio 4 website. Radio 4s website currently offers transcripts of the Reith Lectures from 1948-75 and 1990-2010 and the BBC says ones for the years in the middle will be made available online soon. - radiotoday.co.uk

radiotoday.co.uk

ITV to cut drama repeats to test in-house formats - 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

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

BBC deputy had £950,000 payoff - TV Radio, Media - The Independent

The former second-in-command at the BBC got a redundancy payment of around 950,000 when he left the corporation last month, according to reports. Mark Byford, who was made redundant when his deputy director general role was eliminated as part of a cost-cutting exercise, joined the corporation in 1979 as a television researcher at BBC Leeds. The Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Byford will also be eligible for pension payments by 2013 on top of the 950,000. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

World Service gets 7m more over three years - TV Radio, Media - The Independent

The announcement of a 2.2m grant for each of the next three years followed a government cut of 16 per cent in the World Service's 270m a year budget, decided at a spending review last year. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

BBC radio stations could share - TV Radio, Media - The Independent

The corporation asked commercial radio executive John Myers to look at potential savings at Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music and 1Xtra. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Hunt ready to clear News-BSkyB merger - FT.com

Printed from http//www.ft.com/cms/s/0/01a242ce-a2df-11e0-a9a4-00144feabdc0.html Print a single copy of this article for personal use. - ft.com

www.ft.com

BBC News - News Corp moves closer to a takeover of BSkyB

The conditions include having an independent editorial director at Sky News board meetings and for Sky News to continue to be promoted on other Sky channels. It's over a year since News Corp announced it wanted to buy the 61 of shares in BSkyB it didn't already own. Some time after 8 July, News Corp will be given clearance to proceed with its bid. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

News Corp's BSkyB bid: Jeremy Hunt gives green light for takeover - Media - guardian.co.uk

The culture secretary said on Thursday that News Corp's proposal for Sky News to be spun-off from Sky into an independent listed company should go ahead to allay plurality fears. These extra undertakings will now be put out to further consultation, with a deadline of midday on Friday 8 July for interested parties to make submissions to Hunt. The extra measures include having an independent director with senior journalism expertise present at Sky News board meetings where decisions on editorial matters are taken and a requirement for Sky to continue to cross-promote the 24 hour news service on its channels. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

BBC News Channel may cut costs by switching to solo anchor on weekdays - Media - guardian.co.uk

Currently the rolling television news network is fronted by two presenters on weekdays but may switch to a single anchor after it emerged it was the most popular suggestion put forward by news staff. In addition in 2009 the channel began using Julia Somerville, Fiona Armstrong and Zeinab Badawi in a bid to counteract ageism claims. It is not known how much money the plan will save, although BBC News channel presenter Carrie Grace revealed two years ago she earned 92,000 a year. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

S4C loses nearly £7m - News - Broadcast

29 June, 2011 By Catherine Neilan Welsh broadcaster S4C recorded a loss of nearly 7m in 2010, according to its annual report and accounts published today. 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

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

RPT-UPDATE 1-ITV shares rise on talk of bid interest -traders - Reuters

Two traders said there was talk of a bid of 110-120 penceper share being mentioned, though gave no further details. A spokesman for ITV said it does not comment on bidspeculation. - reuters.com

www.reuters.com

BBC - The Editors: BBC News for connected TV launches

I wrote here a few months ago about some of the things we were working on to develop BBC News online. Amongst these, I mentioned our ambition to combine the on-demand flexibility of online news with the viewing experience of TV, as the number of internet-enabled TV sets grows. After several months of editorial thinking, design and technical development, today we are launching a BBC News product for connected TVs. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Ofcom - An approach to DAB coverage planning

It calculates current Digital One national DAB coverage using our new planning parameters, and describes the current plans to expand it. This report also includes an examination of the DAB link budget and some example receiver testing. - stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

Ofcom - Statement - Television Channels Required to Provide Television Access Services in 2012

1.1 The Communications Act 2003 required Ofcom to publish a code setting out the obligations of television channels licensed in the UK to provide television access services. Following consultation, Ofcom published the Code in July 2004, together with an explanatory statement setting out the channels that would be required to provide such services in the following year. 1.2 The Code also provides for a mid-year review of the audience share and revenues of UK-licensed television channels, based on data for the previous year. - stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

BBC iPlayer - Help - Android Tablet devices - Why does the BBC iPlayer App launch the service via my browser?

Well, there are a few issues which we are currently addressing which we hope to resolve shortly. In the meantime, you can still use the App to access BBC iPlayer. Your BBC iPlayer App will be prompted to update when the issue has been resolved. - iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk

iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk

Murdoch: News Corp 'not big enough'

C21Media.net is Everything about content in the 21st Century, from television to web, mobile, tablet and beyond. - c21media.net

www.c21media.net

Broadcast and technology industries form White Spaces consortium

The consortium will test technologies under a variety of scenarios to assess how TV white spaces could be used to facilitate communications and information services. The TV white spaces hotspots will include local pubs, other leisure venues, and commercial and residential premises. DTG Staff 27.06.2011 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.uk

www.dtg.org.uk

BBC World Service 'to receive additional funding'

The fundings boost will increase the World Service's funding as a proportion of the FCO's budget to just over 14.5, acoording to Hague. A number of projects have been set up to support the development of the media and wider society in the Middle East and North Africa region which may total an additional investment of up to 1.65m over the next two years, according to Hague. DTG Staff 22.06.2011 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.uk

www.dtg.org.uk

Ariel - The iPlayer goes global

The BBC's international version of the iPlayer will launch in different territories at staggered times, with Western Europeans likely to get it first. It will initially only be available on Apple's iPad and there will be a modest subscription charge. The plans will be unveiled at the Banff World Media Festival in Canada. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Ariel - Cometh the Hour

There is little to distinguish this as a film set unless you look closely - a sign outside the dilapidated 1930s building says 'Lime Grove Studios' and, in a parking lot behind its imposing facade, there are television vans and a snaking of thick wires. His feisty producer Bel, with whom there is obvious chemistry, is determined to do something serious and investigative - and the unfolding Suez Crisis presents her with the opportunity. In 1953 items included why nylons laddered and how to kick a football. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Ariel - Lords say let Ofcom regulate BBC

Principally they found that the complaints process is 'convoluted and overly complicated' and say it must be improved. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Murdoch faces sky high price for BSkyB - Media - guardian.co.uk

Crispin Odey, founder of Odey Asset Management, believes the satellite broadcaster is worth 19bn. If that's the case, Rupert Murdoch's company would need to pay 11.6bn for the 61 of shares it does not already own. Another fund manager, Fidelity, has valued BSkyB at just a little less. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Cable Forum: Fraudster ordered to pay back £23,000

Blackburn Magistrates ordered Imran Khansia, 30, of Livingstone Road, Blackburn, to forfeit 23,390 at a proceeds of crime hearing. The cash is already in the hands of the authorities it was seized in April 2008 when Khansia, along with three other men, was arrested in a police raid that netted around 200 modified, or chipped set-top boxes, along with cash, computers and documents. Khansia began a six-year jail term for his part in the operation following has conviction in May 2010. - cableforum.co.uk

www.cableforum.co.uk

BBC - The BBC Radio Blog: John Myers' review of the BBC's popular music stations

Today we are making public a report which looks at potential synergies and savings within Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music and 1Xtra. The key challenge was to identify possible ways of sensibly reducing costs while protecting the quality of our programmes. The findings of the report will help us with our current planning as we look to save costs. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC iPlayer global launch to begin in western Europe - Media - guardian.co.uk

Doctor Who will be one of the programmes available on the BBC iPlayer in western Europe. Diehard BBC fans living in western Europe will have to pay somewhere under 10 6 a month the fee is still to be decided in return for a mix of contemporary and archive content on the Apple tablet, all of which will be in English. As a result some familiar programmes which do not fit into this theme, such as EastEnders, are unlikely to be available. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

I Ditched Scheduled TV for On-Demand - SlashGear

Sometimes the big changes creep up on you, and its only much later that you realize youve had your own little digital lifestyle epiphany. Having read about the death of scheduled television and the migration to on-demand content for years now, it still all seemed like a distant unfeasible dream. Yet somehow, without really intending to, Ive been weened off broadcast TV and liberated from the schedules, without really trying. - slashgear.com

www.slashgear.com

Motorola Televation Streams Live TV to Connected Devices AndroidGuys

Motorola Mobility just announced a new broadband device designed to share live TV across other connected IP devices. Theres no word on pricing or availability yet, but Motorola will be at the2011 Cable Show inChicago, IL. this week. Hopefully this becomes available for consumers to buy outright and not as part of a package deal with specific cable providers. - androidguys.com

www.androidguys.com

Ariel - Reports of 1500 job cuts are speculation

13 June 2011 Last updated at 1640 Helen Boaden has dismissed weekend press reports that 1500 jobs are under threat in News as 'muddled' and 'inaccurate'. In reality however, all ideas are provisional, they need to be tested - and to be signed off by the Trust. Until then they are literally work in progress.' The figure of 1500, out of 8000 journalists, was also speculation, Boaden insisted, although given that 70 of the division's cost base is in people, there would definitely be post closures as part of DQF. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC Television centre sell-off Q A - Media - guardian.co.uk

BBC Television Centre it is estimated that vacating it will save 20m a year. This cash will come in handy as the BBC makes cost savings required by a six-year licence-fee freeze, which will see its income cut by 16 in real terms. The BBC owns a number of large premises around the UK and aims to find some of these savings by reducing the size of its property portfolio by 30. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Ariel - Who wants to buy TVC?

Bidders are being sought to either buy the place as a whole and re-develop it, or to enter into a joint-venture partnership which would retain some of the most well-known features of the site. 'We spent six months really agonizing over this choice, and that's why as part of this exercise we're looking to see if there's someone out there who won't follow the traditional route of trying to dilute the English Heritage restraints, mazimise land value and put x thousand apartments on it. There may be someone who can recognise the iconic legacy of TVC. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk