RadioToday - Westminster debates DAB future of radio

The Westminster Forum on the future of the UK radio industry is taking place today, with a number of radio execs having their say. He said the radio industry should stop planning for switchover any time soon, get on with running their businesses in the most sensible way for them, and the Government should end regulatory uncertainty by agreeing to keep the FM frequency for the foreseeable future, and issue new longer term FM licences as a result. When consumers simply expect content to be delivered whenever, wherever, in the most convenient manner possible, why have we in radio come to the conclusion that we can simply impose a diminution of platform availability on people, simply because its currently costing us more money. - radiotoday.co.uk

radiotoday.co.uk

Ariel - Jo Kent saves cult hg2g game from scrapheap

Jo Kent, who works for radio and music interactive, saved the Bafta-winning Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy game from a server that is due to be decommissioned and volunteered to give it a new lease of life. The revamped game was launched at the weekend on Radio 4 Extra - 30 years after Douglas Adams created the original text-based interactive quest for devotees of his science fiction comedy radio series. Adams admirer Kent came across the files for a 20th anniversary edition of the game - enhanced by Rod Lord graphics and dressed up in Flash - when she was working through the websites on a server that was to be shut down. - bbc.co.uk

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Most smart-TV owners do not connect their TVs to the Internet: manufacturers must respond - Insight - News - Analysys Ma

Consumer electronics CE manufacturers must address this and help consumers to understand the functionality and benefits of smart TVs if they are to significantly increase usage of these devices. We believe that actual ownership levels for smart-TV sets may be higher than that reported in our survey, because some people may own a smart TV without even realising it, having purchased the TV for other features such as picture quality or the attractive form factor. Encouragingly for CE manufacturers, more than a third 36 of respondents who do not yet own a smart TV were interested in buying one, with interest peaking at 42 within the key 3554 age group these respondents typically have a higher income than their younger peers 1834 year olds, but are more interested in new technology than older respondents aged 55 or over. - analysysmason.com

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Decriminalising TV licence fee evasion is 'huge risk', warns BBC strategy chief - Media - The Guardian

We don't know what the system would be but what we're saying at this stage is doing it like this, very quickly, would be a huge risk. BBC3 is going to carry on, we're just doing it in a different way. 25 of iPlayer views now come through connected TVs ... - theguardian.com

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MPs bid to reverse BBC3 decision - News - Broadcast

Labour MP John McDonnell has tabled an Early Day Motion in parliament calling on the BBC to reverse its decision to close BBC3 as a television channel. The EDM, which is also sponsored by Culture, Media and Sport Committee member Austin Mitchell, said it was “concerned” by the proposal to move BBC3 online. The motion stated that BBC3 has pioneered programmes including Gavin and Stacey and raised fears that changes could lead to compulsory redundancies. It added that the BBC should receive a licence fee increase that tracks inflation when the corporation’s charter is renewed next year. The EDM said this would “ensure that quality diverse public service broadcasting that plays an enormous role in the broader creative industry can continue to flourish”. As well as McDonnell and Mitchell, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn has also sponsored the motion.

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Purnell warns against licence fee evasion plans - News - Broadcast

James Purnell has argued that decriminalising licence fee evasion would present a “huge risk” to the future of certain BBC services. The BBC’s director of strategy and digital estimated that if the rate of non-payments were to double from its current level of 5%, it would add up to around £200m of the corporation’s funding. Purnell equated this to the combined budgets of BBC4, CBeebies and CBBC. Purnell voiced his comments at a BBC iPlayer event on Tuesday after justice secretary Chris Grayling mooted the idea of making failure to the pay the licence fee a civil matter, to ease the pressure on courts.

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BBC News - New-look iPlayer unveiled by BBC

Almost 200,000 people have signed a petition calling for the BBC Three plans to be scrapped. Recommendations The new iPlayer features responsive design - meaning the look of the page, and some functionality, adapts depending on what kind of device is being used. The service will recommend more programmes to visitors, due to a growing number - currently 42 - of people who visit iPlayer without any particular programme in mind. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC - Blogs - Internet blog - Introducing the new BBC iPlayer

Fast forward to now and BBC iPlayer is available on over 1,000 different devices and serves 10 million programme requests a day. It now offers more than just catch-up, with live streaming, archive collections, exclusives and premieres. Weve also introduced innovative new features such as mobile downloads, enabling you to watch offline and on the go, and Live Restart, enabling you to jump back to the start of a programme while its being broadcast. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC - Media Centre - BBC unveils new BBC iPlayer

The apps have been downloaded over 28m times and in January 2014 there were 315 million requests - averaging over 10 million requests a day. Over 10 billion programmes have been requested in the six years since launch, with over 3 billion of these coming in 2013 alone. BBC iPlayer is really popular, and new iPlayer will be even better. - bbc.co.uk

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Ofcom - Ofcom confirms terms for new Channel 4 licence

Ofcom today announced that Channel 4s licence will be renewed for a 10-year period. Ofcom has also confirmed Channel 4s licence obligations, which are designed to provide benefits for TV viewers across the UK, while being sustainable for the broadcaster over the new licence period from 1 January 2015. Channel 4s current licence expires at the end of 2014. - media.ofcom.org.uk

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BBC ready to contemplate alternative to the compulsory licence fee - Media - The Guardian

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BBC refutes subscription suggestions - informitv

Most members of external review commissioned by the BBC suggest that subscriptions rather than the licence fee could fund the broadcaster from 2020, according to newspaper reports. The BBC says the report recommends an inflationary licence fee increase with greater commercial revenue. It says no subscription model is recommended. According to The Sunday Times, most of the 12 members of the centenary review panel thought that the BBC could become a subscription service rather than one financed through the licence fee. - informitv.com

informitv.com

Spectrum Strategy - Publications - GOV.UK

Spectrum is the airwaves over which all wireless communications devices televisions, mobile phones, radios, microphones and more communicate. Our vision is for use of spectrum to double its annual contribution to the economy by 2025 through offering business the access it needs to innovate and grow, and everyone in the UK the services they need to live their lives to the full. The second document sets out an update on Governments plans for meeting its commitment to release 500MHz of public sector spectrum by 2020. - gov.uk

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BBC News - BBC to argue for licence fee to be linked to inflation

10 March 2014 Last updated at 1226 A report into how the BBC is funded has recommended arguing for the licence fee to be pegged to inflation from 2020, instead of the current freeze. It also recommended making better use of commercial revenues to boost funds. The BBC denied claims it backed the introduction of a subscription service. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - Prepare for an event, the single drama is back

Remember the one off play or should I say the single drama The critics have been calling for their return for years, and on and off they have made the occasional reappearance on BBC television. On the eve of the release of a major series of new single plays on the BBCs iPlayer, Ive been looking through the archives at previous incarnations of the genre, and have found theres quite a reputation to keep up. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC - Blogs - Internet blog - News Archive Connected Studio: Build Studio

Using archive to enhance and enrich audience understanding of News happening now exploiting local and location based experiences and making experiences more social and personal. News can sometimes feel like a moving car. It can be quite hard catching up or getting into a News story when you arrive in the middle of it happening. - bbc.co.uk

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Digital 'white space' frequencies to be opened up for commercial use - Technology - theguardian.com

The prime minister, who was invited by Angela Merkel to join her in opening the high-tech trade fair, will highlight the commercial opportunities as he says that greater use of spectrum will lead to an increase from 50bn to 100bn in its economic benefits by 2025. Today we can put in our pockets a computer more powerful than any computer in the world 20 years ago. Indeed as our Spectrum Strategy will set out tomorrow, we aim to double the economic benefits of spectrum to UK companies and consumers from roughly 50bn today, to 100bn in 2025. - theguardian.com

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The BBC in crisis: We all need a place to make mistakes - TV Radio - Media - The Independent

As with so many BBC Three programmes, though, such a title would be a trojan horse a saucy, immediate way to draw attention to what turns out to be a more complicated story. For one thing, this isn't just an online transfer two-thirds of the 90m budget is being cut. The channel's remit was not to be edgy but to be youthful, two distinct characteristics that are often mistakenly elided. - independent.co.uk

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BBC3's Zai Bennett: 'It's perverse the station will cease to be a linear channel' - Media - The Guardian

I rather liked that mission statement and in the past three years every show we have made has tried to live up to those ideals of innovation and creativity, answering only to our young adult audience. BBC3 is the leading young adult TV service in the world it's more popular than Channel 4 for 16-24 year olds and from 10pm each evening it is the biggest channel for 16-34s bar none. In its rich history BBC3 has had some exceptional successes. - theguardian.com

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Is it wrong to axe BBC3? - Comment is free - The Observer

BBC3's Bad Education the first episode of series two premiered on iPlayer. They can now happily carry on watching BBC4 into their dotage. We're long past the point at which the first BBC3 transmission of a show tells the whole story. - theguardian.com

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Closing BBC3 cuts content for young but doesn't sort efficiency issues - Media - The Guardian

Then in later interviews Hall and his director of television Danny Cohen went further BBC4 wasn't safe either, with its future dependent on the outcome of the next round of charter and licence fee discussions between now and the end of 2016. Which means in the interim there must be a real risk that viewing of BBC3 as an online service will be significantly down on current levels. What's more another aspect of the BBC3 move that has received rather less attention raises further questions about the BBC's commitment to these vitally important and underserved audience segments. - theguardian.com

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BBC to argue for licence fee link to inflation - Media - The Guardian

The licence fee was frozen at 145.50 in the last deal thrashed out with the newly elected coalition government in October 2010. The recommendation is made in an internal BBC report into the corporation's future funding, which also recommends raising the amount of money it makes through commercial ventures, the corporation said on Sunday. The broadcaster made the disclosure following a newspaper report alleging that a review into the organisation's funding suggested replacing the licence fee with a subscription service from 2020. - theguardian.com

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The end of BBC3 means the end of the old BBC - Media - The Observer

What's in the frame for BBC3, home of sci-fi drama Torchwood Here outraged, protesting stands a crowd of cool comedians, producers, dynamic executives, cutting-edge analysts just the kind of people who tell you that print newspapers are dying because today's youth is swarming online. BBC3 costs around 85m in programme terms a juicier target than BBC4's 67m. - theguardian.com

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BBC News - TV licence fee non-payment could be decriminalised

8 March 2014 Last updated at 0348 Not paying the TV licence fee could become a civil offence, rather than a criminal one, under plans being considered by ministers. The BBC said changing the law could lead to more people failing to pay. In 2012 about 155,000 were convicted and fined for not paying the 145.50 fee. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC News - Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy video game returns

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy game embarks on its next chapter on Saturday with the launch of a new online game. The updated version has been made to coincide with the 30th Anniversary of the award-winning game, 36 years to the day since the programme's first-ever radio broadcast. The first two series of the radio programme will be aired on BBC Radio 4Extra from 6pm this evening. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - What's on BBC Red Button, 8-14 March

As always sports fans have ample reason to press red, with Six Nations highlights and a Formula1 preview on offer. Catch up with highlights andfeatures from the festival on Red Button - this weekend is your last chance to watch With the Formula One season fast approaching, tune in for a special F1 Season Preview show. - bbc.co.uk

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The BBC, not its young viewers, might be the biggest losers when BBC3 goes - Ben Ferguson - Comment is free - theguardia

Frankie in the BBC3 programme Growing Up Poor. My job was to find three boys who would be happy to let us follow them around their daily lives. The search took me to some of the most deprived parts of the UK. - theguardian.com

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Ariel - Staff have done enough to cope with cuts

The director of television believed programme makers had 'done enough' in working longer hours to turn smaller budgets into great tv, while senior managers 'avoided' difficult choices. Speaking to staff about the money-saving decision, announced on Thursday, to move BBC Three from a television to online service, Cohen admitted it had been a 'painful and difficult' couple of days. 'It's an opportunity for radical thinking and unprecedented collaboration.' 40-minute docs He expected the channel, which will have a 30m content budget, to continue to make a similar mix of shows - albeit considerably fewer of them - but with the 'freedom to break the traditional shackles' of linear schedules. - bbc.co.uk

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DTG :: News :: Children watch nearly 90% of TV live

89 of children's TV viewing is still live, reveals the TV Licensing report, Telescope 2014 out today. 8 of the 10 most popular kids TV programmes are shown on school days between 430pm and 630pm. The report also revealed that children spend an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes a day watching TV an hour and a half less than the national average. - dtg.org.uk

dtg.org.uk

Feedback: The Oscars, Long Wave Broadcasting House 7 Mar 14

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BBC3 closure: now director of TV refuses to guarantee the future of BBC4 - Media - The Guardian

However, Cohen said the BBC had no choice because of the 2010 licence fee settlement, which saw the corporation take on extra funding responsibilities such as the World Service. We don't know for certain what will happen with BBC4 in the future. They will be seen as a warning shot, across the bows of opinion makers and the government, that further cuts to its funding in the next licence fee deal with result in the loss of more services including the politicians' favourite, BBC4. - theguardian.com

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BBC News - DG Tony Hall defends making BBC Three online-only

The decision to make the channel only available via the iPlayer is expected to contribute towards the corporation's plan to save 100m by 2016. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC - Media Centre - BBC Cymru Wales and S4C announce changes regarding broadcast pattern of Pobol Y Cwm

O fis Medi 2014 ymlaen, bydd yr ail-ddarllediad brynhawn Sul o ddigwyddiadaur wythnos yng nghyfres ddrama BBC Cymru yn dod i ben. Dywedodd S4C fod y penderfyniad yn adlewyrchu newidiadau i batrymau gwylio syn wynebu pob darlledwr, ac oherwydd fod y penodau diweddaraf iw gweld erbyn hyn ar-lein ar Clic ac iPlayer. Maer penderfyniad hefyd yn adlewyrchur angen i dorri costau ar adeg anodd iawn o ran cyllid. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC THREE goes online only: but how does this save money?

This step alone is being touted by the press as how the BBC will save money. In any case, as pointed out below, the BBC needs them during the day for the childrens channels. That has saved the BBC 3m a year. - mediauk.com

www.mediauk.com

SaveBBC3

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BBC News - BBC Three: Russell Kane on why channel should not be axed

The television channel, BBC Three, is expected to become online-only, as part of the corporation's plans to save 100m. The channel has an annual budget of around 90m and a weekly audience of around 4m. - bbc.co.uk

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Comedians in revolt as bosses plot to close £90m-a-year youth channel BBC3 - TV Radio - Media - The Independent

Lord Hall said further cuts are required to allow the BBC to deliver an additional 100 million of savings. It is still only halfway through a 700 million programme of cuts. A previous BBC management decision to close the 6 Music radio station was reversed by the Trust after a lobbying campaign by listeners. - independent.co.uk

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Media: BBC 3 online only; Vice news; net neutrality.

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Media Talk podcast: BBC3 to be axed

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BBC News - BBC Three to be axed as on-air channel

The BBC will make an official announcement on Thursday, media correspondent David Sillito said. The channel's service budget was 85m in 2013/14 - although moving the channel online would not eradicate those costs entirely. However, he added, the move to iPlayer would make sense for the station's target audience of 16-34 year-olds. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC - Media Centre - Radio 5 live celebrates 20th birthday

The six days of celebrations begins on Sunday 23 March when Drive presenter Peter Allen starts a week of presenter swaps where he will front a number of 5 live programmes, leaving his regular show to be co-hosted by some equally special combinations. Peter, who has been with 5 live since the launch day 20 years ago, will join Ian Wright and Kelly Cates on Sunday 23 March to present football phone-in 606. Full schedule below. Since its launch in 1994, 5 live has been BBC Radios home of news and live sport. - bbc.co.uk

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BBC3 on the brink of online move - News - Broadcast

Update: The BBC wants to change BBC3 from a traditional TV channel to an online-only brand that will super-charge the iPlayer. BBC director general Tony Hall has made it clear that evolving the VoD platform is one of his highest priorities, and an announcement that BBC3 will become part of iPlayer, as revealed by Broadcast, is now expected tommorrow (6 March). The move will then have to be ratified by the BBC Trust. Hall’s Oxford Media Convention speech was full of hints about scaling back services and initial reaction focused on the axe falling on BBC4. But multiple top-level execs dismissed the idea that the former Royal Opera House chief executive would ditch the arts channel, and instead revealed the emergence of the proposals surrounding BBC3. Repurposing BBC3 will attempt to achieve two aims at once: contributing to Hall’s plans to save £100m by 2016, and boosting his vision to make iPlayer the “front door” to the corporation’s television and radio services. Sources agreed that the addition of an online-only BBC3 would increase iPlayer’s firepower, but there are concerns about the wholesale transition.

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Lord Hall's axeing of BBC3 is the least worst way of saving money - Media - theguardian.com

If the reports of BBC3's demise are correct, and I imagine they are, then it is obviously not a time for rejoicing. Surely no-one believed that that the BBC could go on delivering on all fronts when its budget has been constrained due to the licence fee freeze at a time when it has also been required to take on extra commitments. Of all the cuts that could be made, the axing of BBC3 is unquestionably the most sensible or perhaps the least worst. - theguardian.com

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BBC3 to be axed under director general's plans - Media - theguardian.com

Tony Hall's plans must be approved by the BBC Trust. His decision also signals a reprieve for its sister channel, the arts and culture specialist BBC4, which has faced calls for it to be axed and merged into BBC2 although it is not clear if the channels will subsequently be renumbered. Critics of the BBC's size had singled it out as a candidate for closure, seizing on what they perceived to be its salacious and celebrity-obsessed content. - theguardian.com

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Ariel - No decisions yet over BBC Three future

Bad Education's Whitehall said its 'support of new comedy in particular is vital', while Lucas - whose Little Britain began its tv life on the channel - called the rumours that it may close 'horrible'. They hope a Twitter protest can repeat the success of the celebrity-backed public campaign that overturned the decision to close 6 Music four years ago. Last week, the director general told the Oxford Media Convention that the 'status quo was unlikely to be an option' as the BBC faced a flat licence fee and new obligations, although he did not point the finger at any specific service. - bbc.co.uk

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YouView: "All of our shareholders are pleased" - IP TV News

We also added market-leading accessibility functionality including zoom, high contrast EPG and compatibility with Grid 2 software. Its a strong partnership and all of our shareholders are pleased with the success of YouView in just 18 months. Looking ahead, what do you think YouView will have to do to remain significant in such a rapidly changing ecosystem Its important to remember that UK consumers arent as far ahead with technology adoption as we think, so it always needs to be relevant and compelling to them. - iptv-news.com

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BBC eyes online-only future for BBC3 - News - Broadcast

The BBC is drawing up plans to turn BBC3 into an online-only channel, Broadcast can reveal. The idea is emerging as a favoured proposal that would both prepare the corporation for a revolution in TV viewing and help it find £100m in savings. Several BBC sources indicated that a plan to move the channel onto iPlayer is being discussed at the highest level, although no formal decisions have been taken. One senior industry figure said they were “certain” it is on the corporation’s agenda.- broadcastnow.co.uk

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Don't axe BBC3, stars plead - Media - theguardian.com

Axing BBC3 would save nearly 90m in programming costs, the lion's share of the 100m that Hall has to save. The cuts come on top of the 700m of savings the corporation is already making. - theguardian.com

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Ofcom - Assessing the impact of second screen

A report for Ofcom by Technologia There has been a proliferation in the number of second screen applications available for hand held devices such as tablets and smart phones, which facilitate interaction with content viewed on TV. In order to improve our understanding of second screen applications, Ofcom commissioned a report from Technologia. This report explores top level functionality, technologies, and the commercial landscape of second screens, and analyses the significance of second screen applications in providing new access services to consumers, and Rich EPG functionality for TV viewing. - stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

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Mary Beard wants viewers to switch off TV shows that do not represent women - Television radio - The Guardian

Classics professor Mary Beard says older male television presenters are still seen as the voice of authority. - theguardian.com

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