Tuesday 23 June 2009, PM
Freesat - all you need to know - AVReview Features
It has chalked up sales of over 400,000, the number channels has grown to over 145 and there's a wide range of Freesat-equipped hardware on the market catering for all budgets. A big part of Freesat's appeal is the lack of subscription costs, but the main reason why consumers are heading towards the service in their droves is the prospect of getting high-definition channels absolutely free. To belatedly celebrate its birthday, we're taking a look at the current state of Freesat how it compares to its rivals, the various ways of getting it and what the platform has in store for the future. - avreview.co.uk
www.avreview.co.ukMonday 22 June 2009, PM
Marquee opens BBC iPlayer despite Canvas problems
The idea is part of the partnership proposals presented as part of the BBC contribution to Digital Britain and is seen by some as an attempt to avoid top slicing of the licence fee revenue. The BBC has previously said that it is ready to share the iPlayer technology and brand with other public service broadcasters who could use the same technology and user experience to support their own branded, independent on-demand services supported by advertising or other means. The only problem is that most major broadcasters have already made significant investments in their own broadband video platforms. - informitv.com
informitv.comDigital Britain report disappoints
The Digital Britain white paper aims to set out the importance of the digital economy to the economic future of the nation, but some see it as disappointing, lacking vision, ambition and fibre. The ground that it attempts to cover is wide ranging but in many parts it descends into a commentary on general trends and vague observations about the digital landscape. What is lacking is any inspiring aspiration or groundbreaking initiative to invest in modern digital infrastructure. - informitv.cominformitv.com
ITV, C4 and Five rapped for pushing products | 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.ukMonday 22 June 2009, AM
Eexpensive TV productions that need to sell thousands of DVDs to cover their costs
A budgetary ice-age seems to be sweeping through UK television - raising fears about British broadcasting's delicate eco-stystem. The morning before Demons' fate was confirmed, the BBC instructed all six of its television networks to find record efficiency savings of 7.5 - over the next five years the channels will lose 1bn from their budgets. In March, head of programming Julian Bellamy said the broadcaster would like to commission more drama, but there was no money in the budget with which to do so. - guardian.co.uk
www.guardian.co.ukBBC - Radio 4 Blog: Reith 2009 in the Twitterverse
As I've explained in my previous blog posts, the 2009 Reith Lectures team was keen to extend the reach of the programmes beyond the traditional Radio 4 and World Service listeners. A key part of our strategy was social networking site Twitter. We wanted to find people already talking about Professor Sandel and his work, or related ideas, and establish a community of listeners which could start engaging with the lectures' themes before the programmes were even broadcast. - bbc.co.uk
www.bbc.co.ukSunday 21 June 2009, PM
The BBC is serving younger audiences well but could do more
Our review shows that BBC Three, Radio 1 and 1Xtra are doing a particularly good job in serving young people. Nine out of ten young people use BBC services every week, and the BBC as a whole provides a good range of high quality content for this group. However the BBC faces growing challenges in engaging young people with its news provision and reaching teenagers on television. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
...the Digital Britain lock-in |Media |guardian.co.uk
With cameras rolling and the temperature soaring outside, a door had to be flung open to prevent any unfortunate fainting incidents. Monkey update it has been brought to our attention that it was in fact Gideon's Standard colleague, senior reporter Amar Singh, who made the dash for freedom. The soon-to-depart government minister has dispensed with tank tops and now sports a side parting that could be modelled on the business secretary's own and he sprinkled his presentation with a few witty asides. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
Millionaire cheque bounces | Media Monkey |Media |guardian.co.uk
Who Wants to be a Millionaire is all about the money, so one contestant who won 10,000 in the ITV quiz was bemused to find the cheque bounced when she went to cash it in. To find out more information about driving traffic to your content or to place this widget on your site, visit outbrain.com. We welcome your feedback at userhelpguardian.co.uk or feedbackoutbrain.com. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukChannel 5 set for licence for high definition programmes on digital terrestrial television | Ofcom
Independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. 4G auction bidders announced December 20, 2012 Ofcom has today announced the bidders in the forthcoming 4G mobile spectrum auction the largest ever sale of mobile airwaves in the UK. npower fined for making abandoned calls December 6, 2012 The conclusion of an Ofcom investigation has today found npower, the gas and electricity supplier, to be in breach of rules on abandoned calls. - ofcom.org.uk
www.ofcom.org.ukBBC Trust responds to Digital Britain report
Our review shows that BBC Three, Radio 1 and 1Xtra are doing a particularly good job in serving young people. Nine out of ten young people use BBC services every week, and the BBC as a whole provides a good range of high quality content for this group. However the BBC faces growing challenges in engaging young people with its news provision and reaching teenagers on television. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukSaturday 20 June 2009, PM
DAB Digital Radio in the UK, Italy, and Denmark - blog - James Cridland
Then pointed out that Ofcoms forecasts in 2006 for digital listening said that wed be at 35 by now were actually at 20. Similarly, RadioCentres forecasts have been out of kilter with where we actually are. Then he goes through a few challenges to DAB in the UK. - james.cridland.net
james.cridland.netGoodbye Sky - blog - James Cridland
I got one of the first Sky Movies decoders, which was free for a Sky Pioneer like myself. I declined to buy a decoder card, when that became available. For me, the excitement was the large amount of foreign channels also on the platform nearly 32 channels, I think, including a rather peculiar comedy channel with an ident of a goldfish, I seem to remember. - james.cridland.netjames.cridland.netAnother exciting new sound for BBC Radio
Flash Player is already installed in many corporate environments - and, since Flash is in use on many other websites including the video for BBC iPlayer, chances are you'll already have it. In the UK, we've taken this opportunity to greatly increase our audio quality doubling the bitrates for most live streams, and using a significantly more efficient audio codec which increases the audio quality yet further. For bitrate watchers - AAC is much more efficient than MP3 at the same bitrate, and thus gives a significantly better sound. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukSaturday 20 June 2009, AM
A carve-up of the licence fee would be sheer vandalism | Polly Toynbee |Comment is free |The Guardian
Just as the lottery was once plundered so the BBC will, before long, shrink away to something insignificant. Make no mistake, that isthe purpose of those malign forces that have pushed for this for years. This is not about the sum of money itself, because governments already decide how much the BBC gets when setting the licence fee in hard times ahead, no doubt the BBC will be squeezed like everyone else. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukFriday 19 June 2009, PM
BBC NEWS | Business | Setanta loses Premier TV rights
A potential rescue deal, led by a US investor who had proposed buying 51 of Setanta, had fallen through. The league will now put the rights to the 46 live matches for the 2009/2010 season out to auction, after Setanta missed Friday's payment deadline. Offers to buy the rights need to be made by Monday. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.ukPremier League ends Setanta deal |Media |guardian.co.uk
Setanta's failure to meet the deadline for the next instalment of payments for the 46 live Premier League matches next season casts serious doubt over the company's future, after a fortnight in which it has been desperately seeking new funding to ward off the threat of administration. The Premier League will now re-tender the 46 live matches to other broadcasters in two packages of 23 live games. It is with considerable regret that we announce that Setanta has been unable to meet its obligations. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukMedia Talk: Digital Britain
download.guardian.co.ukThursday 18 June 2009, AM
The corporation fixation | Comment | Broadcast
- broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukSetanta collapse could cost Premier League clubs 30m |Media |The Guardian
Setanta must pay the Premier League another instalment of 10m by the end of Friday or face the possibility of going into administration. The Irish company faces yet another crucial day on Friday, when it is due to pay 10m to the Premier League. If it misses that deadline, its rights will revert to the League and Setanta is likely to go into administration. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
Ofcom to crack down on strong sexual content shown just after watershed |Media |guardian.co.uk
Ofcom is concerned that these services are broadcasting sexually explicit content, including R18 material, that is only meant to appear on encrypted, subscription-only adult channels. In the past couple of years, the regulator has fined a number of babe channels for breaches of the broadcast code. In April Ofcom fined Playboy TV 22,500 for serious and repeated breaches of the broadcasting code for the unencrypted airing of explicit scenes in 2007 and 2008. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukWednesday 17 June 2009, PM
Wednesday 17 June 2009, AM
Tip blocks TV and phone signals
Residents in Rhosaman, Carmarthenshire claim they have noticed interruptions after Celtic Energy's East Pit returned to full production. Some say they have had to change mobile companies and can no longer receive certain digital television channels. Neath Port Talbot Council said the tip operated within the approved height granted by planning permission. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.ukTuesday 16 June 2009, PM
Digital Britain: Stephen Carters plans for broadband, web piracy, television, local media |Media |guardia
9.10am After months of debate, bargaining and thinking deep thoughts, Stephen Carter's media baby, Digital Britain, will today be unveiled. The announcement is expected by the new culture minister, Ben Bradshaw, at about 3.30pm in the House of Commons. The unveiling of the report could be delayed, depending upon the parliamentary business it follows. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukFriday 20 March 2009, AM
BBC Red Button in the Freeview EPG : BBC - Press Red Blog
In our What's On post on Wednesday, we mentioned that one of the comments heard regularly is that people don't always know about some of the content we have on the red button. This data hasn't traditionally been held in the BBC's normal schedule database, hence it hasn't been available before. Getting the data isn't as simple as it would be for a normal TV channel. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukMonday 16 March 2009, PM
BBC HD Channel Up To Nine Hours Per Day : BBC - BBC Internet Blog:
Those paying close attention may have noticed that for the first time today outside of a major event, the BBC HD schedule is up at 9 hours. That's the full service that we have permission for from the BBC Trust, and from now on until there is any extension to the service the channel we plan to deliver to you. We'll start daily at 4pm, and run through to between 12.30 and 1.30 7 nights a week although we will of course still extend the channel hours when there are sporting or other events that fall outside those hours. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
Barb TV ratings system to change |Media |guardian.co.uk
The multi-platform, timeshifted digital world means the percentage of programme's audience that watches it the first time it appears on the small screen is in rapid decline. Smith's more recent offering, The Pursuit of Happyness, had only 25 of its total audience watching its debut live on Sky Movies Premiere last year. In addition, viewers could watch via Sky Movies Premiere1 or a number of narrative repeats on the two channels over the next seven days. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukGrade s ITV is in a classic lose lose situation | Greg Dyke - Times Online
- timesonline.co.ukwww.timesonline.co.ukFriday 13 March 2009, AM
BBC NEWS | Science Environment | Campaign against snide online remarks
The internet has created a whole new language. That is the official word coined in the States for a snide remark made online. The web-based 'nastiness' has annoyed one New York writer so much he has started a campaign against it. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.ukGuardian Media Talk: The death of regional media?
download.guardian.co.ukBBC Media Show: 11 March 2009
downloads.bbc.co.uk
RTL slashes Fives value by half and eyes merger with Channel 4 |Media |The Guardian
The owner of Five, RTL, yesterday slashed the value of the television company by more than half, blaming conditions in the advertising market. Gerhard Zeiler, RTL's chief executive, added that the worsening environment in the UK was forcing companies to consider consolidation. Five made a loss before financial and restructuring charges of 2m, compared with a profit in 2007 of 10m. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukThursday 12 March 2009, AM
Ripping up the rulebook at ITV
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.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukTuesday 10 March 2009, AM
BBC NEWS | Technology | The future of TV lies on the net
As its name suggests IPTV is all about getting the shows you like via the net rather than through the air. Viewers will be able to watch on-demand content through their television via a special set top box, expected to cost between 100-200. The service will run in addition to existing on-demand efforts such as BBC iPlayer and 4oD, and content on Canvas will require no extra subscription - just an existing broadband connection. - news.bbc.co.uknews.bbc.co.ukDTG News: ASTRA 2C satellite to move to 31.5 Degrees East
In the meantime, the services transmitted via 28.2 degrees East will continue to be broadcast from the other satellites co-located at this orbital position. DTG Staff 10.03.2009 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.ukwww.dtg.org.ukBSkyBs Digital Britain response
9 March, 2009 BSkyB's open letter responding to the Digital Britain report March 2009. 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.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukDTG News: DTG publish D-Book 6
The specification is now published annually to keep pace with the UKs rapidly-evolving DTT platform. The DTG was established by the industry over a decade ago to protect consumers and safeguard the reputations of distribution platforms and receiver manufacturers. This has been achieved by defining the detailed interoperability specification for UK DTT, and by the development and implementation of test specifications and test regimes to measure product conformance against brand requirements. - dtg.org.ukwww.dtg.org.ukFreeview HD box spec published
-blog.wotsat.comBBC iPlayer to go HD!
-blog.wotsat.comMonday 09 March 2009, AM
Emily Bell: The biggest mistake of the past 10 years? Too much stuff |Media |The Guardian
Bear with me as we recap last week's 100-yard dash of media industry financial woe before breasting the tape of eternal doom. The ABCs for national newspapers recorded almost universal sales decline, with no sector growing and the Daily Sport yes, it is still going withdrawing from the audit altogether. The lack of any boundaries to bandwidth was only encouraged by a seemingly ever-expanding pool of advertising opportunities. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukSunday 08 March 2009, PM
Microsoft adding HD to Windows-7 - Rapid TV News
Read more Louise Duffy 04-01-2013 A Pakistani parliamentary panel has asked the government to ban all foreign content in any language during prime time on television. Read more Iaki Ferreras 04-01-2013 Madrid's regional public broadcaster Telemadrid is going through the worst time in its history the company has serious financial problems and is close to shutting... - rapidtvnews.comwww.rapidtvnews.comSky+HD Guide
- www1.sky.comwww1.sky.comSaturday 07 March 2009, PM
Fall from grace of Michael Grades ITV - TV Radio, Media - The Independent
As the red-socked television impresario walked into its headquarters in London's Gray's Inn Road, staff left their desks in the hope of a glimpse of the returning hero and burst into a spontaneous cheer when he appeared. The staff who once cheered their new executive chairman to the rafters had to hear from him that 600 jobs about 13 per cent of the workforce would be lost. You had to feel a little sympathy for the former Channel 4 chief executive who could not, when he determined to return to the commercial sector, have foreseen the economic conditions he would inherit. - independent.co.uk
www.independent.co.ukFriday 06 March 2009, PM
Friday 06 March 2009, AM
DTV broadcasters: Suddenly loss of signal could be a problem | Tech Policy Law News - Betanews
Much more serious, they condend, is the real possibility -- one which broadcasters are apparently just now addressing -- that certain viewers including those on the outskirts of analog broadcasting signals' coverage areas may suddenly find themselves without service. A key problem, however, as Rehr told the FCC, is the possibility of signal loss -- that some viewers won't get the signals from the channels that used to serve them. During Hawaii's early switchover on January 17, the biggest issue consumers there reported to call centers, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, was the inability to get a picture. - betanews.com
www.betanews.comSport TV rights: Sky want sport belonging to terrestrial television |Sport |The Guardian
They will present evidence that they claim shows that broadcasting events exclusively on pay TV does not have a detrimental effect on live attendances or reach. Supporters of strengthening the list will also point out that following the switch to digital television in 2012, the number of broadcasters that satisfy the free-to-air criteria will increase. With Uefa and Fifa also lobbying to have the legislation relaxed, there is also speculation that England's bid for the 2018 World Cup may make it politically expedient to give the latter a sympathetic hearing. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukThursday 05 March 2009, AM
C4 s Duncan: TV won t bounce back for years
4 March, 2009 By Robin Parker Channel 4 boss Andy Duncan has warned of the threat to the future of the industry posed by the economic downturn. 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.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.uk
Fall from grace of Michael Grades ITV - TV Radio, Media - The Independent
As the red-socked television impresario walked into its headquarters in London's Gray's Inn Road, staff left their desks in the hope of a glimpse of the returning hero and burst into a spontaneous cheer when he appeared. The staff who once cheered their new executive chairman to the rafters had to hear from him that 600 jobs about 13 per cent of the workforce would be lost. You had to feel a little sympathy for the former Channel 4 chief executive who could not, when he determined to return to the commercial sector, have foreseen the economic conditions he would inherit. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukWednesday 04 March 2009, PM
BBC Media Show: 4 March 2009
downloads.bbc.co.ukITV's headache is longer lasting than the recession
The latest round of cost cuts at ITV come as little surprise. We were expecting a dividend cut, probable disposals of Friends Reunited and SDN, a cut to the programming budget and at least 500 job cuts. The commercial broadcaster has taken a 2.7bn write down on the value of its assets and the proposed cost cuts are unlikely to be enough to cover its losses. - blogs.telegraph.co.ukblogs.telegraph.co.ukpick a page