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Sunday 16 August 2015, AM

Portsmouth DAB trial sets launch date

Listeners in Portsmouth will gain access to additional stations on DAB digital radio from Wednesday 19th August, when a new multiplex serving the city goes live. The nine-month trial is one of ten across the UK that aims to look at the feasibility, from a technical and cost point of view, of broadcasting services on DAB digital radio across a smaller area than traditional local services, which generally cover entire counties. - www.a516digital.com

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These sites accept Cookies: how streaming almost killed Sesame Street

As people turned their backs on cable, they embraced streaming services like Hulu Plus, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Apple TV. HBO was not far behind - striking a deal with Apple TV to launch a standalone HBO Now streaming service to be available on the device for just 14.99 a month. In addition to streaming of the Sesame Street, they partnered with PBS, Disney Channel, DreamWorks, Cartoon Network, Mattel, Hasbro, Lego and Scholastic to bring children's programming to the 24/7 world of online streaming. - www.theguardian.com

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Friday 14 August 2015, PM

Apple Said to Delay Live TV Service to 2016 as Negotiations Stall

Without enough content deals in place, Apple has scrapped plans to announce the service at a Sept. 9 event in San Francisco, which would have coincided with the beginning of the new network TV season, the people said. In addition to securing content, Apple has encountered problems creating a computer network that will ensure a fast, glitch-free viewing experience throughout the U.S. Such a network requires storing popular shows close to viewers, so each time a customer in New York for example wants to see local baseball game or the evening news, the shows don't have to be streamed all the way from one of Apple's four data centers in California, Nevada, North Carolina and Oregon. - www.bloomberg.com

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Friday 14 August 2015, AM

DAB+ figures released in Australia

The figures are compiled for Commercial Radio Australia, who also report on the most listened-to commercial DAB-only stations. There are now more than 45 extra DAB only stations on offer in the five metropolitan capitals, including targeted formats such as sport, talk and news, children's programming, country, chillout and dance music and short term pop-up stations focused on events or particular seasons. - media.info

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Thursday 13 August 2015, PM

Celebrity injunctions; Economist sale; FT editorial independence; football bans

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07/08/2015 Radio 4 Feedback

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Tuesday 11 August 2015, PM

BBC accused of 'abandoning' Birmingham after removing almost all TV and radio shows from city's production hub

The relocation is the latest in a series of setbacks for BBC Birmingham, which has been stripped of popular TV shows Coast, Countryfile and Hairy Bikers and lost prestigious BBC Radio 4 shows You and Yours, Farming Today and Costing the Earth. The Mailbox building, home of BBC Birmingham For 33 years, Pebble Mill, which was opened by Princess Anne as the UK's first purpose built broadcasting centre, was a familiar location to millions of BBC viewers as the backdrop for programmes such as The Clothes Show and Pebble Mill At One. - www.independent.co.uk

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UK traditional television viewing declines

Across the television viewing population the proportion of time spent watching time-shifted programming has grown incrementally each year to reach 12 of television viewing in 2014. If BARB were to report viewing of programmes irrespective of when they were actually transmitted, we might find that television viewing is much they same as it has been for many years. - informitv.com

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The UK's only Asian media news site

Rishtey has become the first Hindi general entertainment service to launch nationally on the Freeview platform. The channel, which took to the air at 1100 today, will be available on all Freeview HD boxes on channel 77. - www.media247.co.uk

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ITV Cymru Wales HD launches on August 25

ITV Cymru Wales will broadcast its news and programmes in HD from August 25. The current ITV HD service from transmitters in Wales will become ITV Cymru Wales HD. Viewers in Wales watching via Sky, Freesat and Cable will also receive ITV Cymru Wales HD. How can I watch ITV Cymru Wales HD You may need to retune your TV or set-top box from August 25 to receive all of the ITV services in your area. - www.itv.com

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Saturday 08 August 2015, PM

BT Ultra HD YouView box review

It's a YouView box, virtually identical in appearance and functionality to the YouView from BT box, except with a 1TB hard disk capable of storing 60 hours of UHD content. For anyone not wanting to buy a 4K screen yet it may be worth investing in the box before buying one, giving you noticeably superior pictures to Full HD channels. - www.techradar.com

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Friday 07 August 2015, PM

Customer complaints prompt Sky investigation

Under rules introduced by Ofcom last year, if you took out a contract after 23 January 2014 and your provider increases prices on that contract, you can cancel without paying any penalty fees. Together we convinced Ofcom to take action and, as a result, fixed contracts mean fixed prices from the day you sign the agreement until the end of the contract. - www.which.co.uk

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WorldDMB changes back to its original name

WorldDMB is changing its name to WorldDAB from today to reflect the primary mission of the organisation. DAB has made enormous progress over the last four years, particularly in Europe and Australia, with growing signs of interest in other territories and WorldDAB intends to play a leading role in this process. - radiotoday.co.uk

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TV Decline May Help Apple Web TV Deal

For instance Last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC it was possible his company might sell ESPN directly to consumers over the Web - just like Netflix or HBO. For instance In 2014, when Intel was trying to launch its own Web TV service, it wanted to get the rights to automatically provide on-demand access to any show that had aired in the last three days. - recode.net

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Bournemouth DAB expands to cover Dorchester

National BBC DAB coverage has been increased to 96 of the population and the Government, BBC and commercial radio has agreed plans to build a further 182 local DAB transmitters to extend local DAB coverage to more than 90 of the population. Almost 54 of homes in the Bournemouth area have a DAB digital radio, and 41 of radio listening hours are to digital platforms. - radiotoday.co.uk

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Ofcom investigates Sky over complaints of ignored cancellation requests

The broadcasting watchdog Ofcom is investigating Sky over concerns that customers' attempts to cancel their contracts are being ignored. Ofcom launched the investigation, which will look at Sky's TV, phone and broadband services, after monitoring the way that providers across the board give customers opportunities to cancel their contracts. - www.theguardian.com

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Thursday 06 August 2015, PM

Two-thirds of UK's Netflix and Amazon users don't watch their original shows

Amazon recently struck a 160m deal to create a new show with former Top Gear stars Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. Just 31 of people told Ofcom in April they used an online TV service to watch original programming, compared to 75 who said they used the service to watch films and almost half who said they watched US shows. An earlier survey from the beginning of 2014 found that only 24 of Netflix subscribers and 15 of Amazon Prime subscribers said the reason they had signed up to the service was to watch original programming. - www.theguardian.com

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TV industry revenue breaks £13bn barrier boosted by advertising growth

The BBC's contribution to total broadcaster income has grown slower than most other sources over the last five years, up only 1.3 from 2009 and down as a proportion of the total from 23 to 20.1. Subscriptions remain the biggest single source of revenue for broadcasters. Advertising revenue increased 3.9 to 3.8bn, with broadcasters increasing their total share of display advertising - which includes print ads and online banners - slightly to 44. The core channels of the public service broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 attracted 2.1bn in advertising, well over half the total. - www.theguardian.com

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RAJAR: 50% of houses now have DAB radio

Listening to analogue radio declined to a new low of 53.7 and digital listening in cars grew by 48 year on year and now accounts for almost 17 of all in car listening. Capital XTRA grew on digital platforms by 27 to 511k digital listeners, whilst the Gold Network grew by 22 to 612k digital listeners with over 50 of its listeners being digital for the first time. - radiotoday.co.uk

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Wednesday 05 August 2015, PM

Media bans for sports journalists, Vice's new women's channel, Clarkson on Amazon Prime

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Cheap Premier League football on TV

If you take the full Sky Sports package with Sky or Virgin, you'll get access to all seven Sky Sports channels, including the newest, Sky Sports 5, which covers European football. To get BT Sport Lite - If you have BT broadband but Sky TV, you'll get BT Sport Lite for 'free' but you'll need to opt into it, otherwise you'll automatically be upgraded to the full BT Sport pack costing 5/month. - www.moneysavingexpert.com

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Monday 03 August 2015, PM

BT Sport Ultra HD Review: Makes Even My Mum Want to Watch 4K Football

Using a new 4K-enabled YouView box, BT follows in Netflix's footsteps, piping the BT Sport Ultra HD channel down your broadband connection rather than attempting to channel it over the UK's antiquated airwaves. Though a free add-on for those already signed up to it, the BT Sport Ultra HD channel is only available as part of the top BT TV package, Entertainment Ultra HD, for 15 a month, while the new YouView box comes with a 44 installation fee. - www.gizmodo.co.uk

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Sunday 02 August 2015, PM

ITV threatens DCMS over closure of iPlayer loop-hole

ITV chief executive Adam Crozier has written to government ministers raising concerns that proposals to close the iPlayer loophole would result in consumers being charged to access ITV Player. According to Sky News, ITV has warned the Department of Culture, Media & Sport that it is considering legal action over the proposals that will force users of terrestrial broadcasters’ catch-up services to buy a TV licence. Currently iPlayer users do not need to buy a TV licence, a loophole estimated to cost the BBC £150m a year, but the government’s proposals to “modernise” the system include expanding it to include the commercial PSB’s catch-up players. - www.broadcastnow.co.uk

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Diane Coyle: Former vice-chair of BBC Trust says licence fee payers deserve to know how organisation will be funded in f

Sources told The Independent that the Osborne-Murdoch meeting, understood to have been in Downing Street, took place in late June before the BBC's Director-General, Lord Hall, was informed of the government's plan to shift financial responsibility for free TV licences for the over-75s from the Department of Works and Pensions to the BBC. George Osborne is alleged to have held a meeting with Rupert Murdoch in late June. She equated the scale of the loss - 650m - as the equivalent of losing BBC 2's budget, all of BBC network radio, or all of BBC3, 4 and Radio 5 and 6, plus all the BBC's local radio operations. - www.independent.co.uk

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First small scale DAB starts. in Brighton

Small scale digital radio took to the air in Brighton this morning with the UK's first local DAB multiplex. Ten small scale DAB multiplexes will be launching in the next few weeks across the UK.. - radiotoday.co.uk

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Friday 31 July 2015, PM

31/07/2015 Radio 4 Feedback

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Wednesday 29 July 2015, PM

29/07/2015 Radio 4 Feedback

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Tuesday 28 July 2015, PM

BBC looks to make more long-form shows for iPlayer after success of Adam Curtis's documentary Bitter Lake

The BBC is looking to make more long-form programmes exclusively for iPlayer after a ground-breaking film, made for the online platform by Adam Curtis, was nominated for a major award. Bitter Lake, which ran for 2 hours 17 minutes, and explored themes including the growth of Wahhabism and America’s historic relationship with Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, has been shortlisted for Best Historical Documentary at the Grierson awards.. - www.independent.co.uk

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Monday 27 July 2015, PM

BBC iPlayer - Help - Downloading from the BBC Site

- iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk

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Friday 24 July 2015, PM

24/07/2015 Radio 4 Feedback

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Thursday 23 July 2015, PM

EU accuses Sky and Hollywood's big six of illegally 'geo-blocking' film access

The European commission has accused Sky and six Hollywood studios of putting up anti-competitive barriers that restrict consumers from watching the films and TV shows of their choice. The commission has sent a statement of objections - a list of formal charges - to Sky UK and the six studios Disney, whose recent hits include Maleficent Fast Furious maker NBC Universal Paramount Pictures, which owns the Transformers franchise Sony, the studio behind the Spider-Man series Twentieth Century Fox, whose TV hits include Modern Family and Warner Brothers, owner of the Harry Potter franchise. - www.theguardian.com

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Wednesday 22 July 2015, PM

The chair of the BBC Trust, Digital news providers, Ofcom's review of BT Openreach

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Twelve Winds Consulting » Twelve Winds Consulting

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Can we talk?

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Which of your customers gets the most attention?

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How loyal are your customers?

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How engaged are your employees?

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Are you managing HIV/AIDS in your workplace?

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Tuesday 21 July 2015, PM

Ofcom could take on BBC regulation but not governance, says Sharon White

Ofcom chief executive Sharon White has said the watchdog could take on the wider regulation of the BBC but ruled out absorbing the governance role of the BBC Trust, saying she would draw a line in the sand over the issue. With the future of the BBC under review by the government and the trust widely expected to be axed, chancellor George Osborne has indicated that he would like to see its regulation pass to the media regulator. - www.theguardian.com

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BBC Radio 4 reignites the DAB v FM debate

Ten years ago listeners complained of poor reception, and BBC Radio 4s Today Programmes has sparked a debate resulting in listeners complaining of exactly the same thing. On Monday morning, James Cridland and DigitalRadioUKs and Laurence Harrison appeared on the show to defend DAB, and talk about the possible end of FM. Both provided facts and figures about DAB listing and a multi-platform world, but listeners reacted by complaining of the lack of reception. - radiotoday.co.uk

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Monday 20 July 2015, PM

Peter Salmon to head BBC Studios

Salmon, who is currently the BBC's director, England, having overseen the set-up of its BBC North complex in Salford, will be responsible for the entirety of the corporation's in-house content production. BBC Studios proposals and the unprecedented production free-for-all is regarded as both an opportunity and a threat to the BBC's in-house team, opening it up to competition and free market pressures like never before. - www.theguardian.com

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Sunday 19 July 2015, PM

Will S4C return to bleak times?

When the last licence fee deal in 2010 handed the BBC responsibility for funding S4C, it replaced a long period of inflation-linked annual rises with a 24.4 cut. Will the government wish to provoke the comparatively sleepy red dragon of Welsh nationalism The Welsh Language Society ran a fierce picketing campaign after the 2010 deal, and is calling for a statutory funding formula for S4C. Its appetite for direct action reminded everyone that S4C is an effective piece of social policy engineering. - www.theguardian.com

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Sunday 19 July 2015, AM

Jonathan Dimbleby urges public to rise up in support of embattled BBC

The veteran political broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby has attacked the commercial enemies of the BBC for setting out to destroy it, and has urged audiences to rise up to defend the corporation. A source close to the top of the BBC also claimed that, far from being cowed by criticism of its orchestration of support for the BBC in a letter signed by celebrities such as Michael Palin, David Attenborough and Emma Thompson, the BBC executive, led by director general Lord Hall, was to make the tone of the debate more combative, not less. - www.theguardian.com

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Friday 17 July 2015, PM

17/07/2015 Radio 4 Feedback

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BT announces aggressively low price for 4K Ultra HD sports channel

BT has announced that it's Ultra HD sports channel will be available as part of a TV bundle costing just pound15 per month. As with BT's current line up of set top boxes, the new model has been developed in partnership with YouView, the aerial/broadband hybrid TV platform which BT co-owns alongside the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Channel 5 and TalkTalk. - www.seenit.co.uk

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#34 - BBC debate begins, Quirker launch Moyles on XFM - The Media Podcast with Olly Mann

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James Purnell: charter renewal paper 'depressing'

BBC strategy boss James Purnell has branded the government’s charter renewal green paper “depressing” in a heated debate with Daily Mail columnist Stephen Glover on Newsnight. Former Labour politician Purnell repeatedly raised his voice as he accused the government of attempting to tie the BBC’s hands behind its back. “We welcome the debate, it’s an important debate,” he told host Evan Davis. “The slightly depressing thing is that when you read the green paper every introduction is [about] how great the BBC is and what a precious asset it is, [but] all the questions are about how can we make it smaller, how can we tie its hands behind its back.”.... - www.broadcastnow.co.uk

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Thursday 16 July 2015, PM

Free to view TV for the connected age Update: July 2015

Digital UK’s increasingly important role alongside managing day-to-day operations for UK terrestrial television is leading the development of a long-term strategy for the platform as it adapts to shifts in technology and viewer behaviour - www.digitaluk.co.uk

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Department for Culture, Media and Sport BBC Charter Review: public consultation

Last year, as Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, I heard evidence from a range of experts about the BBC on the challenges it has faced and the issues for its future. This has helped to establish what this Charter Review needs to consider. As Secretary of State, I want to hear from people all over the UK, so I can understand what this country wants from and for the BBC. - www.gov.uk

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No plans to reduce news on BBC local radio | RadioToday

The BBC has confirmed to RadioToday that there are no plans to reduce news programming on any BBC local radio stations. - radiotoday.co.uk

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