Media Talk: Parliament rushes through digital economy bill

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How Wikileaks shone light on worlds darkest secrets -World Politics, World - The Independent

When the Ministry of Defence first came across Wikileaks, staffers were stunned. If any further proof were needed of the website's extraordinary record in holding the authorities to account, it came this week, in the release of shocking video footage of a gung-ho US helicopter attack in Iraq that killed 12 people, including two unarmed employees of the Reuters news agency. An edited version of the tape had received almost 4 million hits on YouTube by last night, and it led news bulletins around the world. - independent.co.uk

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The digital economy bill: what made it |Technology |guardian.co.uk

The digital economy bill was an ambitious piece of legislation designed, among other things, to overhaul the broadcasting industry, start the ball rolling on radio switchover, ensure high-speed broadband access for all, and deal with internet piracy. Gordon Brown regarded it as an attempt to equip Britain for the digital age by providing the infrastructure needed to ensure the country's creative industries could flourish. That amounts to little more than a recognition that public service broadcasting content will increasingly be delivered over the internet as well as on TV. - guardian.co.uk

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Digital future one step closer

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The Press Association: Are you sure you re watching HD TV?

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Channel Islands Prepare for TV Digital Switchover in 2010

The four analogue TV channels will be permanently switched off in the area later this year on 27th November. After the switchover, around 50,000 homes in the region will be able to receive up to 15 Freeview channels for the first time. Digital UK, the organisation leading the digital switchover, will launch a public information campaign in March to advise residents of the Channel Islands about the switchover process. - prlog.org

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Doublethink The Digital Economy Bill against the digital economy

In 1938 Winston Churchill made a radio speech which was broadcast to America, describing what was happening as Nazi forces spread across Europe. The Bill now gets a third reading in the House of Lords, which means it is almost certain to become law. The government did a deal with the Conservative leadership, which got a number of provisions it didnt like removed. - eu.techcrunch.com

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ITV HD to offer regional channels

With the launch of ITV HD on satellite, cable and Freeview, there is something missing from the channel when it comes to news and regional programming and the clue is in the regional programming part As a result, the regulator Ofcom has issued ITV HD with enough licences to cover the regional variations. This is bold decision by ITV which has been struggling with finances recently, but there is the possibility that this move will help regional TV attract even more advertising in the long run. - techwatch.co.uk

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Anger about digital stitch-up

Edited highlights of Wednesday's House of Commons debate that lasted for 2 hours and 25 minutes. MPs voiced anger at the digital economy bill - aimed at supporting artists' copyright and tackle illegal file-sharing - being rushed into law. However, the bill was approved by MPs by a majority of 142 votes and it passed through the Lords on Thursday. - news.bbc.co.uk

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US broadband plan in flux after net neutrality ruling

The US ranks 15th in the world for providing access to high-speed internet Large parts of a US plan to give its citizens high speed net access are threatened by a court ruling involving net neutrality, regulators have warned. Advocacy groups said this ruling put the US broadband plan in legal limbo. In a blogpost, Austin Schlick the FCC's general counsel listed some of the 200 recommendations made under the plan that he said are now in flux as a result of the court ruling. - news.bbc.co.uk

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ITV launches HD ad push |Media |guardian.co.uk

The ad, directed by the music video director Dave Meyers, ends with HD versions of Ant and Dec becoming tall and buff. To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editormediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. - guardian.co.uk

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7 people who are returning their iPads | Betanews

Months of hype built up your expectations -- like one of those Internet romances. There's what you imagined the iPad to be, and now there is the reality. Yes, within 14 days of purchase and by coughing up a 10-percent restocking fee. - betanews.com

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BBC Media Show: Meow meow myths 07 Apr 10

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Digital economy bill: government forced to drop key clauses |Technology |guardian.co.uk

Ben Bradshaw pushed through the digital economy bill's second reading last night The government is to sacrifice clauses enabling the national rollout of replacement ITV regional news services and giving Ofcom more power as part of last-minute political horse-trading to get the digital economy bill passed into law. Ben Bradshaw, the culture secretary, has tabled three amendments to the DEB, which passed its second reading late last night with broad cross-party support. About 30 MPs were present in the Commons for the second reading debate. - guardian.co.uk

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What Digital Economy Bill? #debill

- whatdebill.org

whatdebill.org

Regional TV news consortium plan misses election contract deadline |Media |guardian.co.uk

The government admitted today that its attempt to rush through plans for independent consortiums to take over ITV regional news provision before the general election has failed. A Labour victory in the 6 May general election is the only thing that can now save the plan, which the Conservatives say they would scrap. Separately, the government has also been forced to remove the clause from the digital economy bill enabling the scheme to be started nationally after 2012, as part of a deal with the Conservatives to get the rest of the legislation through parliament before it is dissolved later this week. - guardian.co.uk

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Digital Television Update - 2009 Q4 | Ofcom

Q4 2009 1.1 Consumer survey results for the fourth quarter of 2009 show that take-up of digital television in UK households stood at 91.4, up by 1.9 percentage points pp in the quarter and 2.6 year on year. 1.2 Consumers are continuing to convert additional sets in the home. As a result almost 69 of all secondary TV sets had been converted to digital by the end of Q4, up by around 8.5 percentage points in a year. - ofcom.org.uk

www.ofcom.org.uk

BBC News - BBC West TV area goes all-digital

The TV transmitter which serves the BBC West area has been switched to a completely digital signal. The change to the Mendip Transmitter, just outside Wells, completes a process of switchover which began on 24 March. Anyone experiencing problems with the switchover should contact Digital UK on 08456 505050. - news.bbc.co.uk

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Digital economy bill second reading today: expect fireworks |Technology |guardian.co.uk

The election is being called today which would push this controversial bill through to the 'wash-up'. It's the big day for the digital economy bill - 6 April, second reading and perhaps some debate in the house of Commons. Gordon Brown is also expected to take a trip to Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen to dissolve parliament so there can be a 6 May election. - guardian.co.uk

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The Digital Economy Bill needs debate - James Cridland

The Digital Economy Bill is important for the UK radio industry. If a number of conditions are met, then it allows the government to choose whether to switch off FM and transition the major radio stations over to digital. Ive stayed conspicuously silent on this section of the Bill, and I dont intend to tell you what I think of this bit quite yet. - james.cridland.net

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BBC Feedback podcast 02 Apr 10

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Which? Podcast - Freeview vs Freesat - our TV experts compare HD picture quality

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Elgato Netstream DTT networkable TV tuner Register Hardware

Why release a brand new tuner in the UK without supporting the free-to-air terrestrially broadcast HD TV platform The Elgato has two tuners on board, both fed from the one co-ax port, and so can transmit to two network clients simultaneously. It doesn't downgrade the broadcast video bitrate to do so, Elgato says, and I certainly so no drop in picture quality. - reghardware.co.uk

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New Doctor shows hes right man for the job -TV Radio, Media - The Independent

This is what Doctor Who does or has done since 1966, when William Hartnell transformed into Patrick Troughton, complete with a new pair of pixie boots. These days, the Doctor's footwear doesn't regenerate with him. Audiences may be happy to accept a transdimensional police box piloted by a thousand-year-old man who can save the universe with a screwdriver but a pair of Converse trainers rearranging their molecules into some Doc Martens - independent.co.uk

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The only future for television in the UK is paid for | Steve Hewlett |Media |The Guardian

Most of the noise around Ofcom's 700-page pay TV review last week centred on cash. Most unusually, because this sort of thing doesn't often happen to a Murdoch company in the UK, Sky managed to occupy much of the public moral high ground in the ensuing debate about the price at which Sky will be required to wholesale its premium sports services to other operators. On the other hand, Sky will get significant new wholesale revenues from its new competitors and, crucially, the right to retail directly in its own name to 10m Freeview homes. - guardian.co.uk

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Freeview HD advice is hit and miss, finds Which? - Which? News

Freeview HD equipment has been available to buy since February. For example one Comet store only told researchers about Sky's HD service until they asked for other options. Nearly all the retailers Which visited correctly stated that researchers would need an HD ready TV to be able to watch channels in high definition. - which.co.uk

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Freeview aiming for 50% coverage

It was back on the 2nd December when Freeview first began broadcasting in high definition, initially in two locations, London and the North West of England. - techwatch.co.uk

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Johnston s Local Pay Site Trial Has Been A Disaster | paidContent:UK

We could have told Johnston Press, when it announced the plans back in November, that people wont pay to read local newspapers online. But We could have told Johnston Press, when it announced the plans back in November, that people wont pay to read local newspapers online. - paidcontent.co.uk

paidcontent.co.uk

Sky v Ofcom: a real clash of the titans |Media |guardian.co.uk

Media coverage of Ofcom's pay-TV ruling against BSkyB yesterday failed to convey a real sense of the gladiatorial battle that is taking place between the protagonists. As a veteran of previous regulatory skirmishes involving BSkyB over the past two decades, this is the first time I have seen a regulator able to take on the broadcaster and demand that it change its business practices. To change the metaphor, if this had been one of Sky's pay-per-view heavyweight boxing matches, it would have been decided on points. - guardian.co.uk

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ITV Player and Teletext jobs next for Freesat red button extras

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Media Talk: Sky, Ofcom, and Simon Singh's victory for free speech

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How do you want to watch HD TV in the future? Its time to tell Ofcom |Media |guardian.co.uk

Freeview HD ad but what equipment will you be able to watch it on In order to unscramble this information, manufacturers of equipment and developers of software which receives Freeview HD signals must obtain a decoding table from the BBC, which is only given out if the manufacturer agrees to abide by certain conditions. You might be wondering why the BBC has submitted this request, and if you did, you're probably not alone. - guardian.co.uk

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OS OpenSpace, the quality mapping API from Ordnance Survey

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overpriced HDMI cables

If youve already splashed out on the huge flat-screen tv, a state-of-art Blu-Ray player, and a satellite dish with a monthly subscription that brings with it hundreds of channels, then it probably seems like its a small price to pay for HDMI cables. But, this is exactly the mentality that gets people to pay for this habitually over-priced bit of technological excess. The truth, as our infographic points out, is that there is absolutely no difference between the cheapest and most expensive HDMI cables, at least over shorter runs. - mint.com

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Regional TV news pilots unlikely to be signed off before election |Media |guardian.co.uk

The government looks set to fail in its attempt to get the ITV replacement regional news pilots signed off before the general election, placing the future of the project in doubt. It is understood that the standstill period has been extended by 10 days to 16 April, by which time Whitehall is expected to be in hiatus for the general election, making it impossible for the ITV news pilot contracts to be signed. This means the future of the independently financed news consortiums will rest on a Labour victory in the election, which is expected to be called for 6 May, as the Conservative party has vowed to scrap the project if it wins power. - guardian.co.uk

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Pestons Picks: Ofcom: We could have been much beastlier to Sky

Ofcom is trying to create the impression that it is intervening in Sky's commercial freedoms to the absolute minimum necessary to correct what it perceives as the satellite broadcaster's unfair competitive advantages. Now, I am unclear whether it is adopting this forelock-tugging tone to reinforce its legal case when Sky's appeal comes to court, or whether it thinks that the weight of public and political opinion is pro Sky and anti regulator, or whether it's just frightened of big burly Sky. BT, the acknowledged supreme master of gaming the regulatory system, implies not - in that its statement today whinges about how Ofcom could and should have cracked down harder on Sky. - bbc.co.uk

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Media: Simon Kelner on the Indie, Sky and pay TV - 31 03 10

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BBC News - Opposition mounts to UKs Digital Economy Bill

The plan to cut off persistent pirates has proved controversial The government has published a new draft of a controversial clause in the Digital Economy bill, in an effort to ease its progress through parliament. The Liberal Democrats said they will oppose any plans to rush the Digital Economy bill into law. The bill faces its second reading in the House of Commons next week. - news.bbc.co.uk

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Sky ruling: Culture secretary challenges Tories to back Ofcom |Media |guardian.co.uk

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Pestons Picks: Ofcom v Sky

Ofcom believes that millions of us make decisions on which TV service to buy and also which bundle of TV, broadband and telephony to purchase on the basis of whether we can get access to live sport and first-run Hollywood movies. Which is why it has concluded Sky derives an unfair advantage from its control of much of the top-rate live sport and films available in the UK. The media watchdog has today ruled that Sky has to sell its sports channels to rivals at prices that are between 10.5 and 23 below the existing wholesale prices - and wants the Competition Commission to force the Hollywood studios to sell on-demand rights to movies to companies other than Sky. - bbc.co.uk

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Competition issues in premium pay TV movies | Ofcom

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Ofcom orders Sky Sports price cut |Media |guardian.co.uk

The media regulator Ofcom today ordered BSkyB to reduce the amount it charges rivals to offer Sky Sports by more than 20. On the basis that most subscribers buy packages including the sports channels, the reduction for a bundle is 10.5 from 19.15 to 17.14. BSkyB, however, intends to apply to the Competition Appeal Tribunal for a stay on implementing the ruling. - guardian.co.uk

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High definition Freeview extension

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BBC News - Analogue TV end dates announced

Many portable TVs and video recorders still use the analogue signal A date has been announced for the end of analogue television in Scotland. It has now been announced that most of Ayrshire, Arran, southern Argyll and the Rosneath area of Dunbartonshire will switch off on 11 May next year. Some of Fife and Lothian will switch on 1 June and the rest of the central belt will follow a week later. - news.bbc.co.uk

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S4Cs Clirlun: its Welsh, but not as we know it | Media Monkey |Media |guardian.co.uk

The name may hardly trip off the tongue, but Monkey hears it is causing excitement in Wales because, explains Iona Jones, the Welsh-language channel's chief executive, it is a new Welsh noun, meaning high definition. S4C viewers were asked to invent a name and send in their suggestion the winner hails from Carmarthenshire. 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

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Regulator sets the fuse for shake-up of pay-TV -Business Analysis Features, Business - The Independent

After a three-year investigation, Ofcom finally revealed it was ready to publish its final statement on the investigation into the pay TV market in Britain at 7am today. Despite the hiccup at the 11th hour, the regulator hit the last day of its self-imposed deadline. Sky is the largest player in the pay TV market, with 9.5 million customers, followed by Virgin with 3.7 million. - independent.co.uk

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BBC on the hunt for new channel for Freeview HD - Media news - Media Week

Five had planned to provide a mix of its own programming and commissioned shows from on its own HD channel, but failed to provide media regulator Ofcom with launch details in time. The BBC acquired the right to use the unreserved capacity because it provides the Freeview multiplex that the HD channels are being rolled out on. Thomson's comments did not rule out an additional BBC HD service, but also suggested partnership possibilities for another broadcaster to create a wholly new offering if the interest is there. - mediaweek.co.uk

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HD goes Freeview - ITV Press Centre

- itv.com

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Freeview tweaks Sky in 12m ad campaign for HD services |Media |guardian.co.uk

Link to this video Freeview has unveiled a 12m advertising push to promote the launch of high-definition channels on its digital terrestrial TV service. The first ad in the campaign, a tongue-in-cheek take on BSkyB's HD promotions featuring slow-motion footage of action films and wildlife, features two men pretending to run against the backdrop of a giant owl swooping in for the kill. The campaign, by ad agency 18 Feet and Rising, will return in the key pre-Christmas sales period with a further 6m marketing push. - guardian.co.uk

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Men Motors goes to the scrapyard |Television radio |guardian.co.uk

It's too late for Virgin customers to pay their respects it disappeared without warning from the EPG at some point last week but anyone with Sky and Freesat still has a couple of days to drink it in before it's gone for good. You wouldn't realise by looking at it now, but in its time Men Motors or Granada Men Motors as it was when it launched in 1996 was a powerhouse. Granada Men Motors was as integral a part of mid-90s lad culture as Fantasy Football or horrible Ben Sherman shirts. - guardian.co.uk

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