Public demand inquiry into Murdoch expansion - Press, Media - The Independent

The ICM survey of 2,000 people, carried out for a group of rival media organisations, found that 63 per cent believed there should be an independent inquiry into the proposed takeover. Only 5 per cent said they supported the News Corp bid while 44 per cent opposed it and 52 per cent said they neither supported nor opposed it, or did not know. The poll found that 84 per cent believed that no single organisation should be allowed to control too much of the news media, while 75 per cent said it was important that there should be competing, independent sources of news in the UK. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Video games lose value faster than used cars - December - 2010 - Which? News

To help you find the best price, we took three popular games into leading high street stores that sell second hand video games, and asked how much we could expect for them in cash or store credit. Our results show that it really does pay to shop around when looking to sell your games. Getting the best price for your games During our research, we found that Cex, the entertainment and technology store, consistently offered us the best prices for our games, both in cash and store credit. - which.co.uk

www.which.co.uk

Vince Cables idiocy leaves Britain at Murdochs mercy | Henry Porter | Comment is free | The Observer

Some 20 separate public figures are in the early stages of suing the News of the World. These outstanding matters are very serious and it is only sensible that they are openly and satisfactorily resolved before we hand Murdoch's company the complete set of keys to the city gates. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Vince Cable stitch-up leaves Telegraph Group in a tangle over BSkyB deal | Media | The Observer

In paragraph one, Vince Cable, supreme ministerial joke-cracker, became a bit of joke himself. In par two, assorted Liberal Democrats hopped with rage. But, from par three on, the mover and shaker of all these events, the Daily Telegraph, found itself at cock-up centre, too. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

BBC pays to show its old programmes - TV Radio, Media - The Independent

The BBC is paying out around 80 a time for each use of its own old regional broadcasts, after giving away footage to local archives. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Ford to promote in-car DAB

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radiotoday.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt ruling will be open to legal challenge after past Murdoch support - UK Politics, UK - The Independent

He told Sky News it had been shelved because Mr Murdoch was now confident the deal would be waved through. You would have to do more than argue the minister was biased. Mr Hunt will then have to decide whether to refer the takeover to the Competition Commission. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt is knee deep in News Corp, claims Labour MP Tom Watson | Media | guardian.co.uk

In the letter, he demanded to know if O'Donnell knew about those meetings when he took legal advice before authorising the transfer of power to rule on media mergers from business secretary Vince Cable to Jeremy Hunt this week. Watson asked O'Donnell to reveal what was said at that meeting, which took place on 28 June, and where it was held. Hunt was handed the power to intervene in media mergers after business secretary Vince Cable was stripped of those responsibilities. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Vince Cables debacle is a clause IV opportunity for David Cameron | Martin Kettle | Comment is free | The Guardian

Two things are being taken too readily for granted in the wake of the humiliation of Vince Cable. The first is that Cable's demotion inevitably damages the Liberal Democrats in their coalition with the Conservatives. The clipping of Cable's wings obviously weakens the business secretary's effectiveness though perhaps not as much as City and Tory critics pretend and diminishes the standing of the Lib Dem who is still most widely admired by the public. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Seonaidh Caimbuel: Not a clear picture on Gaelic television - Scotsman.com News

The news that BBC Alba will available on Freeview will please a lot of people. The BBC Trust has yet to set a date, but viewers throughout Scotland will be able to access Gaelic television without needing a satellite dish or a subscription. In its decision this week, the trust reports that 45 per cent of us approve of spending on the Gaelic digital channel with 30 per cent neutral and 25 per cent against. - news.scotsman.com

news.scotsman.com

iPlayer tops 1.3bn in 2010 | 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

Jeremy Hunt has a lot more on his plate than just the BSkyB decision | Media | guardian.co.uk

Photograph Justin Williams Suddenly things have got even busier for the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt. That's right, the perennial political hot potato that is the appointment of the new BBC Trust chairman and if Hunt is still in the department and gets his way after the corporation's existing royal charter ends in 2016, it may be the last one. Interviews will be held in January and the former Conservative party chairman and Hong Kong governor, Lord Patten, is understood to be one of those being considered. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

November BBC iPlayer monthly performance pack

Nick's been in bed with flu for over a week, so I get to publish the iPlayer stats this month. This was a month-on-month increase of 1, with requests up 32 year-on-year. Continuing autumn titles contributed to another record-breaking month for TV requests, with three episodes of The Apprentice topping the list. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BSkyB: Without prejudice | Editorial | Comment is free | The Guardian

It was quite improper to reveal his prejudice in such a manner and there was no question that he, as business secretary, could not play any further part in the forthcoming decision over whether to allow, block or refer the bid. The decision now passes to Jeremy Hunt at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It would be a mistake to assume that Mr Hunt is a blank sheet of paper a quasi-judicial figure above politics who brings no prejudices of his own to the matter. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Hunt ruling will be open to legal challenge after past Murdoch support - UK Politics, UK - The Independent

He told Sky News it had been shelved because Mr Murdoch was now confident the deal would be waved through. You would have to do more than argue the minister was biased. Mr Hunt will then have to decide whether to refer the takeover to the Competition Commission. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Connected home is the trend for 2011 - Telegraph

Being addressable opens up a whole new world of possibilities the beginnings of that are already being seen with the way Sky customers can set their Sky boxes remotely, but that trend is set to accelerate rapidly over coming years. One solution, the company thinks, is a programme guide that goes backwards as well as forwards turn back to last night, see what youve missed and watch it on demand. In a way its an analogue solution to a very digital problem, but it may also be the way to put on-demand, digital TV into the homes of many refuseniks. - telegraph.co.uk

www.telegraph.co.uk

MediaGuardian Review 2010: What will next year bring? | Media | The Guardian

2011 will be the year of the connected TV and not necessarily just YouView. Games consoles will come to life as suppliers of TV we are at the edge of the next TV revolution. YouView will be a winner next year but so will Skywhich is in a wonderful position of having all the connectivity in place through all its broadband connections. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

BBC TV channel replaces radio

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radiotoday.co.uk

Rupert Murdoch in legal talks over BSkyB bid | Media | The Guardian

The company has held talks with its lawyers in an attempt to determine whether such an action could succeed. Cable issued an intervention notice in November, five months after News Corp said it had made an offer to buy the 61 of BSkyB it does not already own. News Corp's lawyers could argue that the decision was taken for personal reasons by pointing to comments made by Cable to undercover reporters at the Daily Telegraph. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Conservative links to Murdoch under scrutiny as private meeting revealed | Politics | The Guardian

The meeting took place on 28 June, shortly after News Corp said it had made an offer to buy the 61 of BSkyB it does not already own. Hunt's relations with the Murdochs are now under fresh scrutiny since he was handed official responsibility for ruling on News Corp's bid to take full control of BSkyB. Civil servants normally record details of meetings between ministers and commercial interests to keep colleagues up to speed with discussions that are taking place across government. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

BBC - Nick Robinsons Newslog: Somethings bugging me

He survived as secretary of state for rather less business than before. The public, they argue, has a right to know the private policy disagreements of those around the cabinet table. It's been used with great effect to expose football hooligans, violent racists, fraudsters and the like. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Does the Vince Cable sting undermine journalistic integrity? | Maggie Brown | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Vince Cable's comments about the government and Rupert Murdoch were recorded by two journalists posing as constituents. Drug dealing, arms dealing, people trafficking, fraud, corruption, exploitation and the misuse of public office for personal gain are some of the grander examples that fall into this category. The implicit deal is that wrongdoing is exposed, and it is in the public interest that society benefits more from acquiring the information, than from the undermining of trust that accompanies this. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Anthony Rose, ex-YouView CTO iPlayer Head to speak at VoD the rise of web-connected TV | News On Digital Med

In the UK, YouView has seen terrestrial broadcasters join-up to deliver a web-connected TV service - does this mark a new way of working and what will be the importance of collaboration in future media output Any additional places will be invoiced at 95vat. Tickets for Associate Members remain at 95vat - if you are an Associate, and wish to book, please login and register for the event, and we will invoice you. - ukaop.org.uk

www.ukaop.org.uk

BBC Pestons Picks: Unanswered questions about Cable

What I still feel bemused about is why the Telegraph, for which I used to work, did not publish the one story that would have unquestionably legitimised its under-cover exercise to elicit the private views of Lib Dem ministers. The important point is that Mr Cable was the final judge - on his own, with almost absolute power - about whether this takeover should be allowed to proceed. This would have been a personal decision, not a cabinet one, under the terms of the 2002 Enterprise Act. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC archive sale marks the death of common sense | Media | guardian.co.uk

I was more than a little surprised to discover that the BBC material I needed has been given away to a local film archive. Said archive is happy to give me a copy for 70 VAT, if I am happy to wait for the 'few days' it will take to obtain it. Switch hitting Light switches at the BBC's research and development department's refurbished home in west London have been axed. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Hunts praise for Murdoch comes back to haunt him - UK Politics, UK - The Independent

The Culture Secretary has displayed flashes of hostility towards the BBC that chime with the tycoon's belief that the national broadcaster is cosseted at public expense. Mr Hunt startled BBC bosses whose salaries he has publicly criticised with his tough approach to negotiations over its budget which ended up with the organisation agreeing to fund the World Service from the licence fee. This month he accused the BBC of institutional bias towards the liberal left, claiming it was out of step with the public on such issues as Europe and immigration. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

Which? uncovers dialling code costs and confusion - December - 2010 - Which? News

Companies use a range of different dialling codes, and even for the same dialling code, call charge rates vary greatly depending on your phone operator and whether you're calling from a landline or a mobile. Sky, for example, had the longest average wait of all broadband providers at over five minutes and uses an expensive 0844 number. This would set you back 41p from a BTlandline, but charges by other providers - such as VirginMedia - may be higher. Chaotic call costs Mobile charges are almost always higher than from landlines, so if you end up having to make a call when you're out and about, it could quickly add up. - which.co.uk

www.which.co.uk

Rupert Murdoch Wanted A Fox News-Style Channel In Britain: BBC Chief

- huffingtonpost.com

www.huffingtonpost.com

What Vince Cable said about Rupert Murdoch and BSkyB

The Telegraph this morning chose not to publish the most explosive part of the remarks made by Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, to undercover reporters. Vince Cable and Rupert Murdoch A whistleblower has passed me the full interview. Here are the excised comments by Mr Cable. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC Alba to be shown on Freeview

Programmes are currently available on Sky, Freesat and live on the BBC iPlayer. Scottish politicians and local authorities had called for the channel to be shown on Freeview. It has served Gaelic speakers well and was attracting more than four non-Gaelic speakers for every viewer who uses the language, according to the review. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

TG4 to be broadcast on freeview

Previously TG4 was available on a free-to-air basis to about 60 of the population in Northern Ireland. The UK and Irish governments have now agreed that the most effective way to provide for the continuing provision of TG4 is by building a new 'band' which is a means of carrying the channel. It is hoped that this will increase the coverage of these channels in Northern Ireland, enabling about 90 of the population to receive the services on Freeview. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Rhondda views get raw deal after digital switchover - Wales News - News - WalesOnline

She and her partys Assembly candidate for the area Sera Evans-Fear have urged operators to invest in Welsh transmitters so all viewers get the same deal. She said While the digital switchover is welcome, it has left the people of the Rhondda with fewer channels to choose from than many other parts of the UK. They are angry that they are receiving a second-class service and arent able to receive the full number of channels. - walesonline.co.uk

www.walesonline.co.uk

European Commission statement on News Corps BSkyB takeover | Media | guardian.co.uk

The commission's findings concern solely the competition aspects of the proposed transaction. They are without prejudice to the ongoing investigation by the competent UK authorities of whether the proposed transaction is compatible with the UK interest in media plurality, which is different from the commission's competition assessment. The UK remains free to decide whether or not to take appropriate measures to protect its legitimate interest in media plurality as permitted under article 21 of the EU Merger Regulation. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

BBC Trust - Trust approves BBC ALBA carriage on Freeview

Please visit the BBC Trust homepage to find the information you want. you may have typed the web address incorrectly - please check the spelling, or that there are no spaces or capital letters. Alternatively, please try the other links and search box on this page. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC - Press Office - BBC Statement on Trust review of BBC Alba

This will make the channel more widely available for a wider audience. - bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

EC OKs News Corp s Sky Bid, Saying People Don t Want Bundled Media Anyway| paidContent

The UK will ultimately decide on whether to allow the buy-up, after Ofcom publishes its investigation on its effects on media plurality by December 31. News Corp already owns 39.1 percent of Sky, one of the worlds most successful subscription TV businesses the full takeover was prompted by Sky hitting 10 million customers this year, the pair are yet to agree a price. With respect to bundling with print subscriptions, the market investigation revealed that price is only one, and not the main factor determining readers choice of and loyalty to a newspaper. - paidcontent.org

paidcontent.org

Cross border reception for RT and TG4 | Broadband TV News

Northern Ireland is to gain a new low power digital TV multiplex for the carriage of television services from the Irish Republic. This combined with analogue overspill from transmitters in Ireland has given the channel reception in 60 of homes. The additional capacity within the multiplex will enable the carriage of the two principal RTE channels. - broadbandtvnews.com

www.broadbandtvnews.com

Google TV Faces Delays Amid Poor Reviews - NYTimes.com

Google TV has just enacted its first programming cancellation. Google has a long history of putting out new products and then revising them on the fly. This year, for example, computer makers waited for Googles new ChromeOS software so they could ship new types of Web-based laptops. - nytimes.com

www.nytimes.com

Google TV products pulled from trade show

Google has reportedly asked manufacturers to delay announcing support for its television platform, just weeks before the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Google TV, which brings search and the web to television screens, launched with Sony and Logitech but received mixed reviews. The major television networks blocked access to their online shows. - informitv.com

informitv.com

Mobile television success a matter of definition

With smartphones and tablets offering larger screens and higher resolutions, mobile television and video services are redefining their role. They can now be seen as part of a multiscreen strategy, appealing to pay-television operators as much as mobile networks. MobiTV has been a pioneer in mobile television for over a decade and now reaches over 14 million subscribers in the United States. - informitv.com

informitv.com

Ofcom | Letter to Arqiva regarding the broadcast of Sky Text on DTT

Notice of Ofcom's decision on Arqiva's request is set out in the letter at the following web link. - licensing.ofcom.org.uk

licensing.ofcom.org.uk

Decision due on BSkyB buyout bid | 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

Why is the Barclay family complaining about the News Corp-Sky deal? | Media | guardian.co.uk

The Barclays, in short, should be on their side. These are not people who hold press conferences, but seem prepared to mix it with the liberal half of the British media they otherwise have little in common with. There may still linger memories of a time when the Times ran several pieces investigating their finances shortly after Sir David and Sir Frederick took over the Telegraph. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Leaked memos cast doubt on Fox News claim of neutrality - Press, Media - The Independent

At issue in the supposedly-secret directives is semantics specifically the language that Fox correspondents use when discussing two of the most controversial items on Barack Obama's presidential agenda healthcare reform and climate change. That would directly contradict Fox's official policy, which has always been to insist that while commentators such as Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck are dyed-in-the-wool conservatives, its news teams are unbiased. The first leaked memo, made public last week, was sent by Sammon last October, shortly after the US Senate unveiled a health bill which included a provision that would give the public sector a small role in providing medical insurance to Americans. - independent.co.uk

www.independent.co.uk

BSkyB loses sex discrimination and unfair dismissal cases | Media | guardian.co.uk

BSkyB faces a 200,000 payout to two women journalists after they won their claims for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination. A tribunal ruled that Natalie Stone, 34, and Victoria Waterson, 31, were axed from their jobs because they were mothers with young children. The pair, who both earned about 20,000, can claim up to 65,300 each for unfair dismissal and open-ended damages for sex discrimination. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Ofcom | Review of ITV Networking Arrangements - Statement

Statement published 161210 1.1 We have decided, following consultation with stakeholders, that the system of cost sharing between Channel 3 licensees specified in the existing Networking Arrangements should be retained for the moment. The statutory purpose of the NWA is to enable the Channel 3 licensees, when taken as a whole, to be a nationwide system of services which is capable of competing effectively with other television broadcast services in the UK. 1.3 Ofcom has a statutory duty to carry out a general review of the NWA from time to time under section 293 of the Communications Act 2003 the 'Act'. - stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

Hindsight is 2010 vision | Broadband TV News

This may be just the thought that you would expect from a year-in-review piece, but so much has happened over the last 12 months that 2010 may genuinely become seen as a defining year, writes Julian Clover. Freeview HD is undoubtedly a slow burner, but one that should shine brightly in years to come. The BBC should thank Channel 5 for deciding that it didnt want to take an allocation that could have changed some perceptions about the last of the analogue broadcasters. - broadbandtvnews.com

www.broadbandtvnews.com

Broadband TV to take off with launch of YouView, says expert

- cable.co.uk

www.cable.co.uk

Zai Bennett appointed BBC3 controller | Media | guardian.co.uk

Bennett succeeds Danny Cohen, who became the controller of BBC1 in October. The digital channels overseen by Bennett are some of the most successful parts of the ITV business. Bennett will inherit a channel that had an 88m budget in the year to the end of March. - guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

ITV could settle dispute with STV out of court | 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