Great things to read about British TV from March 2008 to today

Thursday 31 March 2016, PM

28% of Piracy Takedown Requests Are \"Questionable\"

This week, researchers from Columbia University's American Assembly and Berkeley published an in-depth review of the current takedown regime, with one study zooming in on the millions of takedown requests Google receives every week. The company currently acts in response to 97.5 of the takedown requests, which means that the vast majority of the questionable notices are honored. - torrentfreak.com

torrentfreak.com

Kermode and Mayo's Apple gag does not take the pith, rules BBC Trust

The complaint was initially rejected by the BBC's audience services department before being shunted upstairs to the trust's editorial standards committee. It also said that BBC presenters were allowed to refer to commercial products, whether directly or indirectly, and the complaint proceeded no further. - www.theguardian.com

reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk

http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Public%20Service%20News%20and%20Digital%20Media.pdf

Public service news based on Q5a/b 'Which, if any, of the following have you used to access news in the last week' Social media use for news is based on Q3 'Which, if any, of the following have you used in the last week as a source of news' Calculations include for Finland, Yle tv-uutiset, Yle uutiset, Yle tv-uutiset and Yle radiouutiset for France, news in the following channels of France Tlvisions, francetvinfo. Bbc News has long worked with social media both as a means of news reporting and news distribution and many channels and news programmes have built their own social media profiles. - reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk

Wednesday 30 March 2016, PM

The Archers, From T20 to PM

Wednesday 30 March 2016, AM

Watch Freeview shows anywhere with EE TV: Service lets users stream and download programs to their mobiles to keep for a

From today, EE TV customers will be able to download any programmes they record on their TV to their phones and keep them, for as long as they wish, to watch while offline. From today, EE TV customers will be able to download any programmes they record on their TV to their phones and keep them for as long as they wish, to watch while offline. - www.dailymail.co.uk

www.dailymail.co.uk

Don't buy a Freeview Play box until you've read these five facts

Since then its growth has stalled, but Freeview Play aims to modernise TV once again by bringing streaming services directly to your TV. But what can Freeview Play offer you over your standard TV recorder, smart TV and streaming devices such as Google's Chromecast and the Amazon Fire TV Stick Is it really worth investing in a Freeview Play box just yet If a separate set-top box doesn't appeal, Panasonic is offering up a line of Freeview Play compatible Viera TVs. Including a tuner into the TV as standard makes much more sense - it's how Freeview managed to reach a wide audience initially. - www.alphr.com

www.alphr.com

Tuesday 29 March 2016, AM

The Archers, From T20 to PM

Friday 25 March 2016, AM

UTV unveils new look as part of ITV family

The fresh look was designed by ITV Creative and the UTV Creative team and will be on air in the coming months. Rufus Radcliffe, Group Director of Marketing and Research at ITV, said the makeover firmly positions UTV as part of the ITV family. - www.u.tv

www.u.tv

Wednesday 23 March 2016, PM

Twitter's impact on journalism, Mail on Sunday editor Geordie Greig, Ashley Highfield of Johnston Press

Partial Channel 4 sell-off 'would leave it with Two Weddings and Half a Funeral'

- www.theguardian.com

Wednesday 23 March 2016, AM

Eight-second videos are long enough to infringe on copyright, says UK judge

Two factors help to determine whether fair dealing applies for a particular case. It's not yet clear whether the defendants will appeal or whether damages will be awarded against them. - arstechnica.co.uk

arstechnica.co.uk

Tuesday 22 March 2016, PM

BBC Names Mark Linsey as Director of Production Division BBC Studios

Linsey has been acting director of BBC Television since October 2015, and spent more than 20 years working in TV production before joining the BBC, including roles at Central, LWT, Hat Trick Prods. Charlotte Moore will be responsible for BBC television pending the announcement in the next few weeks of a new structure to simplify the BBC. Linsey will spend the next month working with the Studios teams before the new division launches on April 29. - variety.com

variety.com

Netflix races ahead of Amazon and Sky with 5m UK households

Netflix is far ahead of competitors such as Amazon's Prime Instant Video or Sky's Now TV, and is continuing to grow faster than the other services. According to the data, there are about 1.6 million households subscribing to Amazon's service in the UK, up about 300,000 over 2015, and fewer than 1 million signed up to Sky's Now TV. In total, more than 6.5 million households are signed up to some sort of video-streaming service. - www.theguardian.com

Tuesday 22 March 2016, AM

#47 - Radiodays Europe 2016 - The Media Podcast with Olly Mann

Saturday 19 March 2016, AM

DTG :: News :: New players help to boost broadband connections, John Whittingdale supports Channel 4 privatisation and O

This would align the UK with European Commission proposals that more spectrum should be available for mobile services. Ofcom has now launched a consultation process to accelerate the clearance of the 700MHz band, currently used by digital terrestrial TV services. - dtg.org.uk

dtg.org.uk

Thirty years of the TV sofa: from political strategy to sexism

The breakfast show presenters went back to desks for a bit, before returning to sofas. It's the same with famous fictionalised sofas - on the Royle Family, it's the dad who gets his own armchair while the rest of the family cram onto the sofa. - www.theguardian.com

Friday 18 March 2016, PM

#46 - Channel 4 fights to keep Black Mirror - The Media Podcast with Olly Mann

Desert Island discussion, Radio 2 country

Thursday 17 March 2016, PM

UKTV executive sacked after stealing huge cache of confidential TV data from media regulator

The disclosure of the data breach, which was immediately reported to Ofcom by UKTV, led to panic amongst rival broadcasters. Ofcom has now written to television companies, insisting that their data has been recovered, and adding that the 27-year-old employee, who worked for the regulator on a short term contract, has been sacked by UKTV. - www.telegraph.co.uk

www.telegraph.co.uk

John Whittingdale must allow the BBC board to be truly independent

When David Clementi's report recommended the creation of the unitary board, which I am on record as supporting, he appeared to accept that the government would have the right to appoint the chair, deputy chair and four non-executive directors for the nations. If the BBC is to be seen as free from government control, then the board must be seen to be entirely independent from it. - www.theguardian.com

Wednesday 16 March 2016, PM

Maria Eagle, Sir Joseph Pilling, Balancing journalism and security services

Tuesday 15 March 2016, PM

BBC News channel to merge its two paper reviews into one extended show

The BBC News channel's two late night paper reviews will be merged into one extended show as part of a raft of changes to the 24-hour service starting on Monday. Its 15-minute review of newspaper headlines, The Papers, currently airs twice a night, at 10.30pm and 11.30pm, but the latter slot has been dropped to allow a repeat of BBC2's Newsnight at 11.15pm. The new paper roundup will run for 20 minutes at 10.40pm after the 10pm bulletin and Sportsday. - www.theguardian.com

Monday 14 March 2016, PM

BBC Radio 5Live keeps the nation company. It would be wrong to take it off-air

The latest service to be threatened with digital exile is Radio 5Live. The station best equipped to dog your footsteps is Radio 5Live. - www.theguardian.com

BBC and ITV in online video talks

The BBC offers programming online through BBC iPlayer for up to 30 days after transmission. In 2007, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 launched a joint venture online video service, known as Project Kangaroo. - informitv.com

informitv.com

BBC radio chief: government plans threaten our independence

The government-commissioned Clementi report recommended that the BBC's day-to-day operations be run by a unitary board, headed by a majority of non-executive directors, while full responsibility for regulation be handed over to the media regulator Ofcom, replacing the BBC Trust. The BBC's director general, Tony Hall, has already flagged his concerns about the proposals, pointing out that unlike any previous governing body, the unitary board would set the editorial direction of the whole BBC. Neither the trust nor its predecessor - the BBC governors who oversaw the corporation from its founding until 2005 - had such powers. - www.theguardian.com

Monday 14 March 2016, AM

Government will choose most members of BBC board, says Whittingdale

John Whittingdale said only two or three members of a 13-strong unitary board, which would replace the discredited BBC Trust model, would be BBC executives while the rest would be government appointees. In a speech last week, Lord Hall pointed out that unlike any previous governing body, the unitary board would set the editorial direction of the whole BBC. Neither the trust nor its predecessor - the BBC governors who oversaw the corporation from its founding until 2005 - had such powers. - www.theguardian.com

Saturday 12 March 2016, AM

UK viewers doubled amount of time spent streaming TV in 2015

Traditional TV viewing accounted for 76, or three hours and 51 minutes per day, close to 28 hours per week. While traditional TV still dominates viewing, there has also been growth - albeit only from 24.5 minutes a week to 28 minutes a week on average - in consumption on other devices such as tablets, smartphones and laptops. - www.theguardian.com

Friday 11 March 2016, PM

US Elections, In Tune

Thursday 10 March 2016, PM

BBC News most trusted source for more than half of people in the UK

The results of the poll, published on Thursday, also suggested more than half of people did not trust the government with the future of the BBC. The corporation's future size and scope remains uncertain following last year's funding settlement, in which it took on the 700m cost of free TV licences for the over-75s, with the government's BBC white paper likely to be delayed until after the EU referendum. The online YouGov survey commissioned by 38 Degrees, which was behind a petition signed by nearly 400,000 people in support of the BBC, said 53 of people did not trust the government to protect BBC services during charter renewal. - www.theguardian.com

Wednesday 09 March 2016, PM

Charlotte Moore, Turkish press crackdown, Concern about BBC independence

BBC warned against making further cuts to local radio services

One option is said to be a merger with Radio 5 Live, with local radio stations retaining their own breakfast and drivetime stations. The last time BBC local radio faced big cuts, four years ago, proposed savings of 15m were halved to 8m following protests from listeners and MPs, and opposition from the then-BBC Trust chairman, Lord Patten. - www.theguardian.com

Wednesday 09 March 2016, AM

Channel 4 chief hits out at critics calling for privatisation

Speaking at a conference held by Enders Analysis, he chose to make the 1bn fight over privatisation highly personal, publicly attacking the two former Channel 4 senior executives. Abraham accused Johnson of flip-flopping on his view of Channel 4 given his long history of defending the broadcaster's model, most recently last September in front of the House of Lords communications committee. - www.theguardian.com

Tuesday 08 March 2016, PM

BBC increases savings target to £800m a year to pay for drama and sport

The BBC has increased its savings target by 100m to 800m a year over the next five years, blaming rapid inflation in the cost of drama and sport. While there are still doubts over the BBC News channel, BBC sources said on Tuesday that Radio 5 Live would not be axed completely, although it is looking at ways to save money, possibly using its services for local radio. - www.theguardian.com

Tony Hall to sound warning over governance proposals

Tony Hall will today sound a strong warning that Sir David Clementi’s BBC governance review could open the door to further erosion of the corporation’s independence. The director general is expected to raise concerns about Sir David’s recommendation that a new unitary board, tasked with governing the BBC, should consist of six government-appointed posts, including the chairman and vice chairman. If adopted, the BBC believes that this will be the first time in history that the government will have the power to appoint members of the BBC’s operational board. The recommendation has caused concern at New Broadcasting House and, in a speech at an Enders Analysis and Deloitte media conference on Tuesday, Hall will strongly reject the idea. He will make clear that, unlike the BBC Trust, the board will have the power to set the editorial direction of the BBC. This includes contributing to key decisions on programmes, services and journalism. “It doesn’t feel to me that these tasks should be undertaken by government-appointed board members,” Hall will warn. “The BBC is one of the world’s great public service broadcasters - not a state broadcaster.” He will add: “A strong, sustainable BBC needs new safeguards for independence, not yet more erosion. The secretary of state reminded us last week that the public want the BBC to remain independent.”

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Tuesday 08 March 2016, AM

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/88816/Digital_UK_LCN_7_Consultation_Stmt_1March16.pdf

English Local services stay at LCN 8 where they are joined by Scottish services to create a consistent UK-wide LCN for local TV. This would result in LCN 7 becoming vacant in England and Northern Ireland but would result in fewer channel moves. In summary, the changes will enable The move of BBC Alba and Channel 4 Wales to LCN 7 The move of Local TV services in Scotland and Wales to LCN 8 The creation of a channel reservation for Local TV across the UK at LCN 8 Local TV channels in England and Northern Ireland currently on LCN 8 being offered the opportunity to move to LCN 7 5 In reaching this decision, we gave due consideration to all the responses we received. - www.digitaluk.co.uk

www.digitaluk.co.uk

BBC considering merging Five Live with local radio stations

'The affluent heartland audiences are protected, and the arts world indulged, while sport is raided'. There have been ongoing suggestions that Five Live faces cutbacks, but the corporation has strongly denied suggestions that the network could go online-only. - www.telegraph.co.uk

www.telegraph.co.uk

Monday 07 March 2016, PM

Television licence loophole

The BBC recently ceased transmissions of BBC Three, making it an online only service, accessible through the BBC iPlayer. Extending an anachronistic television licence to viewing on demand does not really address the question of the long-term funding of the BBC. It does open the door to a subscription model, which the BBC has always resisted. - informitv.com

informitv.com

Sunday 06 March 2016, PM

Welcome to the Whittingdale Broadcasting Corporation

As for Ofcom - incorporating the BBC in its overall media planning, issuing performance frameworks, balancing BBC interests against ITV and the rest - who chooses the chairman, the chief exec and the head of the new corporation-watching committee Take another bow, John Whittingdale. The BBC of Whittingdale's tomorrow will have a government-appointed chair and deputy chair, a government-appointed Ofcom chair and BBC sub-board chair - plus a tiny executive voice at the decision-making table. - www.theguardian.com

The trouble with getting the BBC to be less popular

The notion of more primetime arts, science and history programming, more analytical journalism, and more risk-taking new commissions is metaphorical music to ears that scorn Radio 2's literal kind. If the distinctiveness they claim is vital were actually to be enjoyed by more people than the corporation's current output, then ITV, Sky and Channel 5 would be complaining about that and then the culture secretary would have to commission a report calling for more blandness, less risk-taking and more audience-despising primetime bilge. - www.theguardian.com

Saturday 05 March 2016, PM

Bringing down the paywall

The arrival of UKTV's lifestyle channel, Home, on Freeview last week is timely evidence of an ongoing shift taking place in the broadcasting industry, which has seen more and more broadcasters begin to recognise the growth opportunities in FTA and benefits of moving out from behind the paywall. FTA TV, for example, no longer means settling for a handful of channels in fact, Freeview now has over 60 channels on its service, 12 of which are broadcast in HD. Another of Freeview's selling points for a broadcaster is that FTA TV is a much less crowded place to be, in comparison to the competitive pay-TV landscape where broadcasters must battle the giants, navigate complicated content rights and throw a lot of budget at diversifying their offering and making it stand out in light of challenging SVoD services. - www.tvbeurope.com

www.tvbeurope.com

Friday 04 March 2016, PM

#45 - Leveson II, a promising dawn for New Day and Radio 2 Country pops up

Fear of Flying, Evan Davis

BBC white paper may be delayed until after EU referendum

The government is likely to delay publishing the white paper on the renewal of the BBC royal charter until after the EU referendum, causing further delay and uncertainty for the corporation. Any legislation regarding the funding and future of the BBC is likely to attract massive media attention, which the government is unlikely to welcome during a divisive political vote over the EU. When asked whether the white paper would be delayed on Wednesday, culture secretary John Whittingdale said no decision had yet been. - www.theguardian.com

Thursday 03 March 2016, PM

Local TV stations gain greater EPG prominence following BBC Three's move online

Local TV channels across the UK are set to move to more prominent positions in the Freeview TV guide. In Scotland and Wales local channels are listed at channel 23 but will now be eligible to move to channel 8 following BBC Three's move online, while local services in England and Northern Ireland, which are currently on 8, will be offered the chance to move to channel 7. - www.seenit.co.uk

www.seenit.co.uk

BBC iPlayer 'loophole' to be closed soon, says culture secretary

John Whittingdale said the licence fee would be extended so it no longer just applied to live television viewers. Only UK TV licence holders can use the iPlayer to watch BBC programmes as they are broadcast live, but currently those without a licence can view the shows at a later date. - www.bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday 02 March 2016, PM

Race and TV viewing, The BBC impact on the market, Should Ofcom replace the BBC Trust?

Wednesday 02 March 2016, AM

Public support BBC and its independence from the government

The public has given strong support to the BBC in one of the largest ever responses to a government public consultation, while showing huge indifference to the way it is governed. Some organisations felt the current fair trading arrangements between the BBC and BBC Worldwide and BBC Global News needed further clarity and improvement. - www.theguardian.com