MPs to quiz candidate for role of BBC Trust chair | Media | The Guardian

Jeremy Hunt has rejected a Labour proposal that the last two shortlisted candidates for the BBC Trust role should be interviewed by parliament. Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt wrote to his Labour shadow, Ivan Lewis, saying it was appropriate that the candidate appear before the culture, media and sport select committee before they were confirmed in the job. Former education secretary Ed Balls caused a political furore when he overruled the education select committee in October 2009 after it said Maggie Atkinson should not be appointed children's commissioner. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Making the new BBC One HD trailer

The BBC likes to throw out challenges, and the wheel stopped on this one for me and the marketing team I work with. The BBC One part was the easy bit. BBC One is the place that brings people together to watch an incredibly rich and diverse range of programmes. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Get DAB radio on your mobile phone - January - 2011 - Which? News

The headset includes earphones and will enable users to listen to DABradio stations like Radio 5 Live Sports on the move and see station, artist and track information on the screen of their phone. Key criteria must be met before an FMto DAB radio switchover can take place. One of the key triggers is that 50 of all radio listening must be on a digital platform. This brings a switchover date within easier reach than if the digital listening figure was based on DABalone. - which.co.uk

www.which.co.uk

Nokia gives away DAB headset

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Viewers could wait until 2012 for YouView launch - January - 2011 - Which? News

A senior YouView executive is quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying It just doesn't work when you turn it on and keeps crashing. We will understand our launch position better by the end of March 2011. The YouView project is expected to cost a total of 115 million, shared across its partners, and the BBC is predicted to have spent six million pounds on the project to the end of April 2011. - which.co.uk

www.which.co.uk

Digital switchover in Harpenden and Wheathampstead From St Albans Harpenden Review)

The existing analogue television is being turned off and to keep a service residents will need to convert their TVs to digital before the switchover date. Satellite and cable services such as Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media are not affected by switchover. Residents can check when they will be affected on the website for Digital UK, the organisation leading switchover in the UK at www.digitaluk.co.uk/home or by calling the helpline number 08456 505 050. - stalbansreview.co.uk

www.stalbansreview.co.uk

Can Hunt do a deal with Murdoch to meet Ofcoms concerns?

Today I think Mr Hunt is doing just that - or at least over the past few days a number of informed sources have told me that is what Mr Hunt is doing. As I revealed in a post earlier this month, Ofcom has made a clear recommendation to Mr Hunt that the proposed takeover should be referred to the Competition Commission for further scrutiny, because of the potential damage to plurality or media choice for citizens, especially in the provision of news. They insist there is nothing strange in Mr Hunt's failure yet to publish Ofcom's report - which he received on the last day of 2010 - or to say how he will respond to its recommendation. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Landmark arts series Civilisation in HD

The critically acclaimed 13-part series was first shown on BBC Two in 1969 and swiftly became one of the most important arts series of its time. Last shown in its entirety on the BBC in 2005, the repeat is part of the BBC's wider commitment to the arts through showcasing the jewels of its arts archive to new audiences and providing the biggest depth and range of original arts programming. The series was originally shot on 35mm film to ensure the highest possible quality, which has enabled it to be remastered for HD. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Time to switch on local TV? | Comment | Broadcast

20 January, 2011 By Lisa Campbell Jeremy Hunts plan is laudable, but lessons must be learned from radio. 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

Sky boosts development budget 160%

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

www.c21media.net

BBC News - Rural UK could get cheaper broadband under Ofcom plans

20 January 2011 Last updated at 0937 ET Rural parts of the UK could be set for cheaper broadband under plans set out by the communications regulator. Ofcom wants BT to reduce its wholesale charges by between 10.75 and 14.75 below the RPI measure of inflation. It is mainly in rural areas where BT is the only provider of wholesale broadband services. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

YouView risks becoming obsolete as launch further delayed until 2012 - Telegraph

YouView, the BBC-backed internet connected set top box, which will offer viewers a programme guide that goes seven days back in time, was due to launch by July of this year. However, according to insiders, YouView, which was originally meant to go on sale in 2010, will be lucky to get off the ground before the 2012 London Olympics, having failed to agree technical standards with a key TV industry body and function properly when tested. If they can't get it out before the Olympics, which is looking less and less likely, I wouldn't bother. - telegraph.co.uk

www.telegraph.co.uk

Media Talk podcast: Jeremy Hunt unveils his grand plan for local TV

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BBC remasters Civilisation for HD | Media | guardian.co.uk

Civilisation 'defined a new gold standard for arts programming'. Photograph BBC It was a landmark documentary series that is still discussed in hushed tones today. Now Kenneth Clark's Civilisation, the acclaimed BBC2 series from 1969 that traced the history of western art and philosophy, is to be remastered in high definition for a new generation of television viewers. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Audiophiles make me laugh. If you visit the What... fscked.co.uk

If you visit the What Hi-fi offices, do you think their computers use these cables to connect to their proofing printers, so they can get better midrange colour saturation and superior high-end vibrance - fscked.co.uk

fscked.co.uk

Richard Lambert and Lord Patten favourites to be BBC Trust chairman | Media | guardian.co.uk

With his media and financial experience on the Bank of England's monetary policy committee, outgoing CBI director general Lambert is seen as a safe pair of hands. He has applied for the job before, after Gavyn Davies resigned in the wake of the Hutton inquiry in 2004. Patten has already been interviewed and the other candidates are due to be seen over the next few days. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Sky offers private landlords help in making the switchover to digital - RL news

Many private landlords are still unclear about the actions they need to make to prepare for the digital switchover according to research carried out by Sky. Many regions such as the West Country, Wales and Granada have already made the switch with the remainder to follow by 2012. Skys research found that a substantial number of private apartment blocks are still not fully digitally ready. - residentiallandlord.co.uk

www.residentiallandlord.co.uk

Minister announces local TV channel plans - TV Radio, Media - The Independent

Licences for local television services will be handed out before the end of 2012. One that will sit alongside other public service broadcasters, offering a new voice for local communities, with local perspectives that are directly relevant to them. We will wait for the necessary technical assessment to be completed and we will listen to the commercially viable proposals that come forward. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Ivan Lewis accuses Jeremy Hunt of bias over News Corp/Sky takeover | Media | guardian.co.uk

Lewis launched a broadside against Hunt, the culture secretary, accusing him of failing to act in the public interest by continuing to sit on the media regulator's recommendation on whether the News Corp/Sky deal should be referred to the Competition Commission on media plurality grounds. He was referring to comments Hunt made last year, before taking over Vince Cable's responsibility for deciding whether to refer the proposed deal to competition regulators, where he said he could not see much difference in News Corp taking full control of Sky. To this end he said that Labour intended to launch a review investigating the possibility of transforming the BBC into a mutual organisation. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Mark Thompson warns over two-speed internet | Media | guardian.co.uk

Mark Thompson has now entered into the debate about net neutrality. There have been discussions recently about whether ISPs should have the right to charge premium rates to companies who are willing to pay extra to ensure their own content is delivered first. Opponents of that idea argue all content should be treated equally and delivered over networks on a first come, first served basis. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt plans new national TV channel - video | Media | guardian.co.uk

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Local TV channel carrying news and information to be launched on Freeview by 2013 | Mail Online

The coalition aims to have the service up and running by 2013. It is believed it will be part of the channels offered on Freeview. He will invite firms to register their interest in running the channel, which will carry local news and content, by March 1. - dailymail.co.uk

www.dailymail.co.uk

BBCs Thompson issues warning over future of free-to-air broadcasting

He said platforms such as YouView, which is a partnership with other public service broadcasters, were becoming increasingly important because of the fact there is going to be an intense battle for the living room over the coming years. - thestage.co.uk

www.thestage.co.uk

Thompson: free TV "has a lot to prove" | News | Broadcast

19 January, 2011 By Catherine Neilan Free-to-air broadcasting has a lot to do and a lot to prove if it is to exist in the future, Mark Thompson has claimed. 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

Jeremy Hunt considers online TV crackdown | Media | guardian.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt is to consider tougher regulation of online TV. Hunt admitted that while he did not believe it was possible to introduce blanket regulation for the internet, he was keen to put online content rules under scrutiny. Today, TV content on the internet is subject to no regulations even if it was made by a traditional broadcaster and streamed over broadband meaning that there are no taste and decency or impartiality requirements. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Government unveils local TV action plan

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has launched an action plan for introducing local TV. New and existing media providers have been invited to register their interest by 1 March and come forward with suggestions on how a channel dedicated to local news and content could work best. The new act will aim to allow the UK's digital and creative industries to move to the next stage and play their fullest possible role in promoting competition, innovation and economic growth. - dtg.org.uk

www.dtg.org.uk

Government confirm new DCMS responsibilities

Competition and policy issues relating to media, broadcasting, digital and telecoms sectors are now the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport. He will continue to work closely with BIS ministers. DTG Staff 19.01.2011 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.uk

www.dtg.org.uk

Belgiums TV phone-in scandal | Media | guardian.co.uk

Well, Belgian TV is now embroiled in a similar controversy. A government minister said tighter rules were essential, but if they did not work then Belgium should follow the example of the Netherlands by banning all TV phone-in games. To find out more information about driving traffic to your content or to place this widget on your site, visit outbrain.com. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Patten first interviewee for BBC Trust chairman | Media | guardian.co.uk

Lord Patten was said by one insider to be 'very keen' about the job. Interviews to find a replacement for Sir Michael Lyons, who is leaving in April, were not expected to begin until the end of this week. Some Department for Culture, Media and Sport insiders are also said to wonder whether or not his profile might eclipse that of culture secretary Jeremy Hunt. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Minister announces local TV channel plans - TV Radio, Media - The Independent

Licences for local television services will be handed out before the end of 2012. One that will sit alongside other public service broadcasters, offering a new voice for local communities, with local perspectives that are directly relevant to them. We will wait for the necessary technical assessment to be completed and we will listen to the commercially viable proposals that come forward. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt to radically rethink media regulation | Media | guardian.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt said new communications act would be about more than 'tweaking the current system'. The new communications act is also expected to be used to scrap contract rights renewal, the mechanism that governs ITV1's ad sales. To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editormediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Is local TV really the best idea Jeremy Hunt can put forward? | Media | guardian.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt ... doing the real business behind closed doors That's the legal process you see that's how we debate media policy in this country. Dull discussion about media policy in public, while the minister takes the big decisions without wider consultation behind the scenes. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Action plan to make local TV a reality

Government aims to award licences by the end of 2012. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has launched an action plan to make his vision of local TV a reality. Speaking at the Oxford Media Convention, Mr Hunt said the initiative would offer communities a new voice and provide local perspectives directly relevant to them. - culture.gov.uk

www.culture.gov.uk

Arqiva seeks partner for online TV venture | Media | guardian.co.uk

Last October Arqiva completed a strategic review of SeeSaw, which employs about 30 staff, and is set to begin the hunt for an investment partner. Arqiva plans to look at all investment options for the business in order to support SeeSaw's long-term success. To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editormediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

TV news gets local touch with new channel - Telegraph

The new channel will be available on Freeview and is likely to be in operation by the spring of 2013. The most likely spot is at Channel 6, which is currently occupied by ITV2. The channel may also be made available via Sky and Virgin, but no decision has yet been taken as to whether they will be forced to carry it. - telegraph.co.uk

www.telegraph.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt unveils plan for new national television channel | Media | guardian.co.uk

Under the plan, which echoes the model championed by local TV company Channel 6's Richard Horwood, the national digital terrestrial channel will use a network affiliate model, with guaranteed opt-outs at specific times of the day, so that a range of local services can be featured. He intends to use legislation to ensure that the new Freeview channel secures a slot high up on digital TV electronic programme guides. The final report delivered to government by Lazard investment banker Nicholas Shott last month said that a total of only 10 to 12 TV services might work in major conurbations, broadcasting up to two hours of content daily. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

I love TV innovations so why am I a 3D refusenik? | Media | guardian.co.uk

There is considerable consumer resistance to the heavily engineered and expensively adapted for TV glasses. Six of us sat down in a large drawing room, on a dark gloomy evening to watch the new 3D Sky channel on the new TV, which left little change from 2,000. Until going 3D, the household had subscribed to the basic Sky entertainment package, costing 19.50 a month, plus HD another 10. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Erik Huggers to leave the BBC

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Digital TV switchover "an unqualified success"

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YouView - the last of Skys problems

Sky, which could soon be fully-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, currently has more than 10 million subscribers. For now, its new offering will come in the form of Sky Atlantic. However, at the moment only 42 of the UK population claim to be aware of connected TV, although the research shows that there has already been a significant shift in behaviour stimulated by the availability of on-demand services on the TV set. - mediatel.co.uk

mediatel.co.uk

Huggers quits as BBC technology boss | 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

Government and industry back Digital TV Group recommendations on future of UK digital terrestrial tel

Key recommendations in the report were The horizontal platform must evolve post switchover to achieve maximum consumer and industry benefit. Above all, the interest of the consumer must be placed at the heart of the industrys thinking. The DTG and its Council has a unique role to play in drawing together the whole digital and internet television industry to address post switchover challenges and ensure consumer benefit. - dtg.org.uk

www.dtg.org.uk

BBC Internet Blog: December 2010 BBC iPlayer monthly performance pack

This was the third month in a row that BBC iPlayer broke its total number of requests record, and is a year-on-year increase of 27. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Richard Desmond brings OK! TV to Channel 5 | Media | guardian.co.uk

OK magazine, whose success Richard Desmond hopes to translate on to television with OK TV will replace Live from Studio 5 on Monday 14 February. It is expected to be backed by a big marketing campaign and heavy cross-promotion in Desmond's newspaper and magazine empire, including the Daily Star and Daily Express. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

ITV considered replacing half of evening news with gameshow | Media | guardian.co.uk

ITV News ... halved if the price is right McKinsey proposed that ITV1's national news bulletin which goes out at 6.30pm and lasts 30 minutes should be reduced to 15 minutes and run immediately after a shortened 15-minute regional bulletin. ITV's programme-makers were asked if they could develop or buy a gameshow costing 30,000 an episode to fill the half-hour slot from 6.30pm the sort of budget traditionally used to fill daytime slots. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

New Sky EPG line up to make it even easier for customers to enjoy the best in pay TV

The revised UK channel line-up will help make great TV - including the best of pay , in HD - even easier to find, which will deliver increased benefits to customers and broadcasters alike, in terms of channel accessibility and programme discovery. So, for example, HD subscribers will find Sky 1 HD at 106, with Sky 1 moving to 170. This change reflects the increasing demand from those customers to watch their favourite TV in HD. - corporate.sky.com

corporate.sky.com

Ofcom | Digital Television Update

Consumer survey results for the first quarter of 2011 show that take-up of digital television in UK households stood at 93.1, up by 1 percentage point year on year. Consumers are continuing to convert additional sets in the home. 75.7 of all secondary TV sets had been converted to digital by the end of March 2011, up by 5.2 percentage points in a year. - stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

Apples future without Steve Jobs wont be as bright | Betanews

As US stock markets open, investors will give their vote of confidence about the company's future. Yesterday, in a stunning and unexpected announcement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs took another medical leave, but this time with no set time period like the last one. Commenter rrode74 made similar observation I have zero doubt Apple announced this yesterday when US markets are closed. - betanews.com

www.betanews.com

YouView launch set to hit Sky | City A.M.

Sky is currently the undisputed king of pay-TV in the UK with more than 10m subscribers. YouView was set to launch in the second quarter of this year but industry sources believe delays may push the date back to late 2011 or early 2012. The report says Virgin Media will be the big winner over the next few years as its broadband is generally quicker and more reliable an increasingly important consideration for consumers. - cityam.com

www.cityam.com

Humax: Never say never to Google TV | News | TechRadar UK

- techradar.com

www.techradar.com