Thursday 11 September 2014, AM
Local TV chief resigns | News | Broadcast
The boss of Comux has resigned less than two years after creating the company which is responsible for getting local TV on air. Ed Hall has stepped down as chief executive of Comux, which builds and manages the infrastructure for local television in the UK, and will hand back his stake in the not-for-profit company. He will continue to consult for Comux in a handover period over the next three months. In a resignation letter to culture minister Ed Vaizey, Hall said it was “job done” having established the transmission network for local TV and a playout centre in Birmingham. He said local TV will be a story of “ups and downs”, providing “spectacular success stories” and an “inevitable turnover of businesses”. The BBC Trust has been investigating Comux’s financial affairs for some months now, although Hall’s departure is said to be unconnected to the probe. - broadcastnow.co.uk
www.broadcastnow.co.uk
BBC News - Rona Fairhead: 'Critical time for BBC' as charter debate looms
- bbc.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk
Ariel - Purnell: Top shows won't be retendered
The strategy and digital director said that in-house favourites like EastEnders would not be open to indie bids if a more commercial model for BBC Production was adopted. He told the audience that a more commercial BBC Production would have to operate outside of public service boundaries, but argued that it was what the Corporation's programme makers wanted. 'Lots of people in-house were saying... set us free,' said Purnell, who would not entertain the possibility that in-house production might fail in the open market. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
BBC goes local - and mobile - with experimental 'popup' bureaus - Digiday
For its latest coverageexpansion, international news organization BBC is going local. The operations first stop is Boulder, Colorado, where the BBC has already started crowdsourcing story ideas from the local community via town hall meetings. Were used to telling global stories for a global audience, but we have never based ourselves in these communitiesfor any amount of time. said Matt Danzico, head of BBCs video innovation lab. - digiday.com
digiday.com
BBC: ISPs Should Assume Heavy VPN Users are Pirates | TorrentFreak
Service providers should become suspicious that customers could be pirating if they use VPN-style services and consume a lot of bandwidth, the BBC says. After cutting its teeth as a domestic broadcaster, the BBC is spreading its products all around the globe. As a result the BBC is now getting involved in the copyright debates of other countries, notably Australia, where it operates four subscription channels. - torrentfreak.com
torrentfreak.comChannel 4 to replace 4oD with new online hub All 4 | Media | theguardian.com
Channel 4 is to make live streaming of its TV networks and on-demand service 4oD available in a new online hub, branded All 4, in a bid to better exploit the growing trend in viewing on devices such as tablets and smartphones. As part of the digital transition, 4oD the brand launched by Channel 4 in 2006 as the first home of its on-demand, catch-up TV service will be scrapped. The All 4 initiative forms the next stage of Channel 4 chief executive David Abrahams plan to keep connected with the broadcasters youth audience, for which advertisers pay a premium, which is drifting from traditional TV to digital. - theguardian.com
www.theguardian.comWednesday 10 September 2014, PM
Tuesday 09 September 2014, PM
James Purnell: ‘Sword of Damocles’ is hanging over BBC funding | Media | theguardian.com
Purnell said he was very happy that the government had decided to bring forward a review of the licence fee which may pave the way for decriminalising non-payment. Purnell has previously said the step could cost up to 200m a year. Its got nothing to do with this government, which has acted very properly in terms of saying charter renewal would start after the election, Purnell told the Royal Television Society London conference on Tuesday. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.com
New BBC Trust chair Rona Fairhead will keep working for HSBC and Pepsi - TV Radio - Media - The Independent
She said One has to be realistic and say sometimes bad things do happen and sometimes the controls you think are effective turn out not be so. There has to be a conflict of interest, he said. If you ask anyone who has worked for me they will say I have a relatively large capacity for work, my working week can go very happily to seven days, she said. - independent.co.uk
www.independent.co.uk
Prospective BBC Trust Head Takes Grilling from U.K. Politicians
The U.K. governments preferred choice to head up the governing body of the BBC was questioned by members of parliament Tuesday as part of her selection process. Rona Fairhead, who is set to become the BBC Trusts first female director if appointed, was quizzed on various aspects on her suitability for the role, her opinions regarding the public broadcaster and her previous and current positions. But if I decide that is it not tenable, my primary role is at the BBC, she said. - hollywoodreporter.comwww.hollywoodreporter.comBBC Trust chair would be surprised if organisation survived in current form | Media | theguardian.com
The governments preferred choice to be the next chair of the BBC Trust has said she would be very surprised if the body survived in its current form beyond the renewal of the corporations charter in 2016. Rona Fairhead admitted on Tuesday that her role might be abolished in a shake-up of the way the BBC is governed, but gave her backing to the licence fee as the best way of funding the corporation. Giving evidence to MPs on John Whittingdales culture, media and sport select committee, Fairhead denied she was offered the role because of the governments determination to appoint a woman and said she had never been politically active. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comBSkyB bid may still be on cards, says 21st Century Fox president | Media | theguardian.com
Chase Carey, the president of 21st Century Fox, has hinted that a renewed bid to take full control of BSkyB remains on the cards, but said there are no plans to make a major acquisition in the near future. Carey, who has worked with Rupert Murdoch for 25 years, said that as the largest shareholder in BSkyB, long-term consolidation plans need to be considered. Well have to see how the world evolves, that is just reality. Three years ago, Murdoch was forced to abandon his bid to take full control of BSkyB after the phone-hacking scandal engulfed his media empire. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comLondon Live reduction in local content would set ‘unwelcome precedent’ | Media | theguardian.com
Channel 4 and Channel 5 have called on Ofcom to reject Evgeny Lebedevs proposal to slash London Lives programming, arguing it would set an unwelcome precedent that would devalue public service broadcasting. In July, London Live applied to Ofcom to amend its licence, including cutting peak-time local content from three hours to one hour a day. Channel 4 said allowing such drastic changes so easily would be an unwelcome precedent. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comBBC Trust chair Rona Fairhead faces Commons select committee – live | Media | theguardian.com
For many people here and around the world, it represents the best of British. She adds that she wants to help build a future for the BBC in which people are proud to work for it and it has the full confidence of licence fee payers. I would see my role as chair of the trust to be above all things the representative of the audience, of licence fee payers. 2. I will defend vigorously, against all comers, the impartiality of the BBC. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.com
Ariel - Licence fee enforcement to be reviewed
9 September 2014 Last updated at 1057 Ministers are to look at whether non-payment of the licence fee should remain a criminal offence. 'In 2012/13, almost 200,000 people ended up in court accused of not buying a tv licence,' he will say. 'When over 10 of magistrates' court cases concern this one offence, you have to ask whether the current system is really working. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukTuesday 09 September 2014, AM
ITV goes into battle with BSkyB and Virgin over ?100m fees for main channel - Telegraph
In todays highly competitive media marketplace that is simply wrong. It is in the interests of all broadcasters that we encourage the regulator and government to look again at this issue for the benefit of the industry and viewers. ITVs campaign is supported by Channel 4, which also stands to add tens of millions to its bottom line if a US-style system of retransmission fees is introduced. The attack is focused on BSkyB and Virgin Media. - telegraph.co.uk
www.telegraph.co.ukMonday 08 September 2014, PM
TV AND MEDIA 2014 Changing consumer needs are creating a new media landscape
The TV landscape is changing from one where traditional TV providers and physical media dominate and the consumer experience is inflexible. Nowadays, new aggregators enable consumers to decide what they want to watch and pick-and-mix their own services, something that 5 out of 10 consumers prefer over the traditional TV bundles.
www.ericsson.comBBC4 goes weird and wonderful with abstract idents and new shows | John Plunkett | Media | theguardian.com
New writers, quite bold and exciting, is all he will say. On Monday night he will do the unthinkable, dismantling his channels branding and handing the precious between-programme idents to a bunch of artists including Turner prize winner Laure Prouvost. The results, to coincide with a new season of programmes about abstract art, will be weird and wonderful, and even laugh-out-loud funny. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comUKTV seeks to exploit scale as field narrows
UKTV has predicted a decline in the number of channels on British television, as the broadcaster heralded an increase in its own market share. The company - which owns Dave, the channel famous for its repeats of popular programmes - increased revenues 6 per cent last year to £278mwww.ft.comITV chief: Force BSkyB and Virgin Media to pay retransmission fees | Media | theguardian.com
The impact of this wholly outdated regime is that UK public service broadcasters are forced to subsidise major pay-TV platforms. ITV points out that last year US free-to-air broadcasters received about 3.3bn 2bn in retransmission payments from cable operators. Last year culture minister Ed Vaizey called on BSkyB to scrap its charges, or possibly face regulation. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comMonday 08 September 2014, AM
UKTV profits fall 7% in 2013 | Media | theguardian.com
Revenues were up 6 to a record 278m, with reported Ebitda down 6 to 67.4m, according to the broadcasters annual results published on Monday. UKTV chief executive Darren Childs said Investment is key to our future growth. This is a really significant phase in UKTVs story, when we move from challenger to contender. The company said its total share of the audience grew 5 in 2013 to 4.7 across all its channels. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comSunday 07 September 2014, PM
Cliff Richard raid: The BBC’s breaking news dilemma | Media | The Guardian
The BBCs case against the accusations was very strong but the corporation was also uncharacteristically lucky. For once the knives were out for its accuser well before the letters BBC were ever even uttered he was after all the man responsible for a police force standing accused of ignoring as many as 1,400 child victims of organised grooming and sexual abuse over more than a decade in Rotherham. The BBC robustly defended its deal with the police and the coverage it subsequently gave to what became its exclusive story. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.com
Broadcasters slam London Live bid to slash local content | News | Broadcast
Channel 4, Channel 5, UKTV and rival bidders have lined up to slam London Live’s proposals to radically reduce its commitment to local programming. The Evening Standard-operated television station wrote to Ofcom in July to request a number of changes to its licence, including slashing its primetime local content by two thirds - from three hours, to one hour a day. Cutting local repeats and diluting its service commitments were also priorities. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.uk
Freeview: "95% of the most watched programmes are on Freeview" | IP
What kind of affect do you expect the growth of more targeted advertising models to have on free broadcasting, and what innovations are Freeview involved in here Are there any new free TV models from around the world you think are innovative and inspiring If you had to pick a winner, is the future of TV free or the opposite - iptv-news.com
www.iptv-news.comRona Fairhead: grill the nominators, not the nominee or the BBC | Media | The Observer
She's a smart operator, and she can reasonably ask to be cut a little slack over her BBC vision thing after a sudden arrival from left or perhaps right field. The essential BBC governance argument, raging until charter renewal in 2017, is whether the trust/executive board split is good, bad or indifferent. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comYouGov and the Digital Television Group September 2014 [pdf]
How are consumers changing the way they are accessing content? - cdn.yougov.comcdn.yougov.com
RadioToday | DAB radio outage in some parts of the UK
There are no reports of problems with commercial stations. Posted on Thursday, September 4th, 2014 at 921 am by Radio Today UK. - radiotoday.co.uk
radiotoday.co.ukSunday 07 September 2014, AM
Ofcom | Request to change frequency of Somerset local DAB multiplex: Statement
As MuxCo's proposal to change the frequency of the local radio multiplex service would have no impact on the range of local digital sound programme services proposed to be available in the Somerset area, Ofcom was satisfied that this statutory criterion had been met. The sole respondent to the consultation suggested that if the Somerset multiplex were permitted to change frequency from 10D to 10B, this might cause interference with the Oxfordshire local radio multiplex service which is also broadcast on the 10B frequency. - stakeholders.ofcom.org.ukstakeholders.ofcom.org.ukFriday 05 September 2014, PM
Wednesday 03 September 2014, PM
Tessa Jowell: Fairhead must be a 'firewall' | News | Broadcast
We have recently launched our new Broadcast subscription packages, which means theres an option to suit everyone. Learn more about the new packages here and choose the one that best suits you. Subscribing takes just 2 minutes and offers instant access to the website. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.uk
BBC News - Apple iCloud security exploit is a concern, experts say
It has emerged that a security measure called two-step verification, which is recommended by Apple, can be bypassed using easily available software that allows access to iCloud back-ups. Usually, people who have forgotten their login details can regain access to their accounts by entering the answers to some personal questions - and this process cannot be exploited when two-step verification is enabled. 'Chinks in armour' Other security experts said Apple's advice about two-step verification was possibly misleading. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukMedia: Who is Rona Fairhead?; the BBC on Sir Cliff coverage; the Press Gazette joins IPSO.
downloads.bbc.co.ukWednesday 03 September 2014, AM
Liberty Global plc - Class A Ordinary Shares (NASDAQ:LBTYA); ITV PLC (OTCMKTS:ITVPF) News Analysis: Liberty Global Rumor
The 10 billion acquisition rumor is turning out to be a blessing for ITV as its stock price boosted incredibly, reaching an all-time high since January 2011. Liberty Global is a US-based multinational corporation with operations spanning two prime segments, namely telecommunications and television. The company is said to be one of the largest providers of broadband internet service outside the US, and is managed by an American billionaire John Malone. - bidnessetc.comwww.bidnessetc.comTuesday 02 September 2014, PM
Report on the results of the work of the High Level Group on the future use of the UHF band
Pascal Lamy, Chairman of the High Level Group on the future of the UHF spectrum, proposes to repurpose the 700 MHz band for wireless broadband and asks for regulatory stability for broadcasting to continue in the 470-694 MHz band until 2030. - ec.europa.euec.europa.euTuesday 02 September 2014, AM
DTG :: News :: Takeover hopes boost ITV share prices
As more speculation of a takeover of ITV comes around, the broadcasters shares rose to a record high this week. We're certainly going to keep an eye on the progression of any ITV takeover. DTG Staff 02.09.2014 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.ukdtg.org.ukWe can’t let tech giants, like Facebook and Twitter, control our news values | Media | The Guardian
He showed us mini-robots and talked about building the internet in space. We smiled indulgently, inwardly questioning the robustness of his faculties, and talk turned inevitably to the future of newspapers. Well, said Cerf, rotating his robot, the problem is theres news and theres paper, and those are two separate things. It seemed so preposterously obvious as to be not worth further scrutiny. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comBBC News staff vote to strike | Media | theguardian.com
BBC News programmes could be hit by industrial action later this month over plans to cut more than 400 posts, after union members voted to strike over the proposed cuts. The unions argue that given the high level of interest in applying for voluntary redundancy 470 volunteers, according to Bectu which they put down to low morale within BBC News, the corporation should be able to avoid compulsory departures. A further 415 posts will be cut, but 195 new positions created, meaning a net reduction of 220 full-time posts. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.com
DAB+ starts in the UK: what you need to know - media.info
FunKids will be broadcast as a test until 31st December 2014. Ofcom have given specific permission for DAB signals to be broadcast. DAB differs from the original DAB by having improved error correction and a more efficient audio codec. - media.infomedia.infoMonday 01 September 2014, PM
Will This WebTuner Do Away With Your Set Top Box? - CMO Today - WSJ
WebTuner, a secretive startup, has been quietly approaching big media industry players with a plan to bring TV-viewing into the broadband age. The centerpiece of its plan is a device meant to replace pay-TV providers outmoded set-top boxes. WebTuners gadget, which looks like a slightly longer version of an iPhone charger, plugs into a wall or power strip and streams TV channels and on-demand programming over the web to TV sets. - blogs.wsj.com
blogs.wsj.com
Five challenges facing Rona Fairhead | News | Broadcast
We have recently launched our new Broadcast subscription packages, which means theres an option to suit everyone. Subscribing takes just 2 minutes and offers instant access to the website. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.uk
Ariel - Cleaners, porters and engineers walk out
1 September 2014 Last updated at 1219 Mail deliveries, cleaning and porter services in BBC buildings may be affected on Monday by strike action. More than 44 of those who are Bectu members took part in a ballot, which closed last week, in which more than 80 voted in favour of strikes. They are joined by engineers - who look after things like heating, lighting, plumbing and power systems in BBC buildings - in the walkout, which will last from 9am on Monday until 9am on Tuesday. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukEdinburgh Festival confronts future of television | informitv
It is less than a decade since the first YouTube video of elephants at San Diego Zoo, which has now been watched by nearly 16 million people worldwide. The view from the festival is that the future of television is neither doomed, nor is it safe, as Brent MacGregor reports. YouTube also featured heavily in the later session How do you do digital Perhaps this attraction arises because of the apparent similarity to broadcast television. - informitv.com
informitv.com
Ariel - Peter Horrocks to leave the BBC
1 September 2014 Last updated at 1054 Peter Horrocks is to leave the BBC in the new year after a 33 year career. World Service director since 2009, he has led it through some significant changes - not least, this year's move from Foreign Office to licence fee funding. He has also guided the international services through savage budget cuts, service closures and a modernisation programme, but leaves with the global audience at record levels. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukMonday 01 September 2014, AM
Who is Rona Fairhead? | News | Broadcast
A largely unknown quantity to the broadcasting industry, Broadcast runs the rule over the governments preferred candidate. We have recently launched our new Broadcast subscription packages, which means theres an option to suit everyone. Learn more about the new packages here and choose the one that best suits you. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.uk
RadioToday | Folder Media puts Fun Kids radio on DAB+
The multiplex operator believes that only 3m of the 20m digital radio sets sold are capable of receiving DAB transmissions. This test, at 64kbit/s on the Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool multiplex is seen as a real world test of the format till the end of the year. One of the questions weve been getting from potential new service providers is the viability of launching stations in DAB. - radiotoday.co.ukradiotoday.co.ukDTG :: News :: Viacom positioned to finalise C5 deal
The acquisition was started in May of this year and will be complete by 20 September according to reports. Channel 5 will be bought by Viacom for an estimated 450m after the company has agreed to honour the channel's commitment to 600 hour of original British children's programming each year which was a condition of the broadcaster's licence renewal last year. A source within the Department for Culture Media and Sport suggested that Viacom had raised 'one or to issues' surrounding the production of this content, all of which have been ironed out. - dtg.org.ukdtg.org.ukThe BBC Trust may have found its saviour - TV Radio - Media - The Independent
The former Sun editor and Brunswick PR David Yelland has described her as an excellent choice. Ms Fairhead would be the first woman in the job and her candidacy has been a well-kept secret after many potential applicants ruled themselves out of a part-time role that proved difficult for the previous incumbents, Lord Patten and Sir Michael Lyons. Its said Ms Fairhead left the Financial Times Group, where she was chairman and chief executive, because she didnt get the top job in 2012. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukSunday 31 August 2014, PM
Rona Fairhead offers relief but no respite for BBC | Media | The Guardian
These are testing times for the BBC, as they will no doubt be for the new trust chair. Relief mainly that she was not one of the other mooted candidates for example, the former BBC chairman Michael Grade. There are several things about Fairhead that are ideally suited to the circumstances. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comDaily Mail on the wrong trail over BBC’s Sherlock success | Media Monkey | Media | theguardian.com
But thats ancient history, and this week the Emmy awards in Los Angeles delivered fresh humiliation. This level of success at the Primetime Emmys is pretty much unprecedented for UK shows in the events 65-year history. American television shows swept the board. Er ... theyve always swept the board year in, year out until Downton and Sherlock. - theguardian.comwww.theguardian.comNew Statesman | Gee up, Newsnight: is it time to stop flogging the dying horse?
Its possibly because of the grimness of the news agenda that I find myself ending the day with BBC2s Newsnight less often than I used to. Twenty-four-hour news channels and all the commentary online make it ever harder to offer a definitive take on the day, and over on Radio 4 the Today programme mops up the key interviews. I would move the programme to a new slot start it at 11pm and give it up to an hour, with a brief to be more discursive. - newstatesman.comwww.newstatesman.compick a page