Articles by David Hastings

Who’s cheating who?

Published 21 February 2011

Ever feel that you’ve been had? Some viewers of BBC Three’s reality-cum-consumer advice show The Real Hustle might conceivably feel that they have been duped themselves with the revelation that…

This shouldn’t be done

Published 15 February 2011

Apologies in advance to regular Media Blog readers for sounding like a stuck record here, but this sort of thing really shouldn’t be done at all. I’m talking here about…

Missing believed wiped

Published 8 February 2011

— Not for publication until further notice — And you thought that the days of the BBC junking its supposedly ‘unwanted’ output instead of preserving it in some form –…

Last night of the Proms

Published 31 January 2011

At first glance, the axing of the BBC’s Electric Proms may superficially seem regrettable but perhaps understandable from a financial perspective given that major cuts have to be made. But…

More to do, less to see

Published 24 January 2011

So the BBC has finally revealed a list of its online services for trimming or closure in order to meet its 25% budget cut, which broadly correlates with a similar…

Age concern

Published 11 January 2011

Just like other long-established media sectors such as the music industry, television seems to have its own set of unwritten rules in terms of how people are handled within its…

Devil in disguise

Published 22 December 2010

Judging by the reaction from some media commentators, the removal of Vince Cable from making the decision as to whether or not News Corp can take over BSkyB (it’s bound…

Biased opinion

Published 18 December 2010

Major news provision costs money. Of all people, Mark Thompson ought to know a thing or two when it comes to such matters, as well as the roles and responsibilities…

Who not to trust

Published 14 December 2010

The BBC Trust has predictably had a rough ride since its inception, especially as it was initially created through political expediency as opposed to a natural requirement for change, therefore…

Not much to love

Published 24 November 2010

Whilst everyone else is currently thinking about other, much more pressing matters such as the economy, student fees or a certain wedding, the UK radio industry is still fretting to…

Sky writing

Published 22 November 2010

Want something to read that’s simultaneously both amusing and sinister at the same time? Then head over to the Sky website and download the PDF of BSkyB’s submission to Ofcom…

A face for radio?

Published 10 November 2010

As well as a certain dispute involving a group of disgruntled journalists, there’s another ongoing BBC-related row in the form of employment tribunal action taken by ex-Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly…

The hardest sell

Published 5 November 2010

Strikes are never nice things even when you have 100% support from all concerned, but when it affects a group of people who appear to have relatively secure and reasonably…

Catch-up work

Published 1 November 2010

Nearly everyone seems to agree that some form of video-on-demand represents the future of television, so naturally there’s a race on between established UK providers (BSkyB, Virgin Media) and broadcasters/producers…

Cutting remarks

Published 20 October 2010

Given the pro-BBC lobby’s near-meltdown at the merest thought of yesterday’s licence fee settlement (not only frozen but with additional expenditure tacked on as well), it’s rather perplexing to still…

Frozen asset

Published 19 October 2010

It’s true that the BBC has now managed to secure licence fee funding for another six years, but only the most pessimistic would have thought anything otherwise under the circumstances;…

Political persuasion

Published 13 October 2010

Whilst the media world awaits Vince Cable’s crucial decision on whether News Corp. should be permitted to further extend its influence with a full takeover of BSkyB, there’s a political…

Too many cooks?

Published 30 September 2010

Dave Hastings listens to Attenborough

Fraud without end, Amen.

Published 30 September 2010

The phone quiz scandal will run and run

They want your money

Published 30 September 2010

Does C4 deserve some of the licence fee?

A little local difficulty

Published 28 September 2010

After the Tories’ manifesto pledge that Labour’s ITV regional news provider proposal will be swiftly replaced with something that’s city-centric (despite the alarmingly high failure rate for local television), it…

Own worst enemy

Published 18 September 2010

David Hastings on how the BBC isn’t helping its own defence

Frozen in time

Published 16 September 2010

Perhaps a very predictable thing to happen to the TV licence fee given recent events, but the decision to freeze the fee until at least 2013 further highlights ongoing weaknesses…

The S4/C problem

Published 10 September 2010

Now is not a good time for Welsh television broadcaster S4/C, which has just been given an ultimatum by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt to draw up a financial plan for…

Thompson’s revenge

Published 28 August 2010

It has taken a year after the infamous (and highly predictable, especially in retrospect) James Murdoch speech at the Edinburgh International Television Festival for the official “right to reply” from…

Spurned advances

Published 3 August 2010

If you were wondering what Virgin Media’s stance on Project Canvas development was going to be, then wonder no more, but Virgin Media’s objections are in the final analysis both…

Express takeover

Published 23 July 2010

Another chapter in Five’s turbulent history begins with Richard Desmond’s acquisition of Channel Five from RTL for £103.5m being finally confirmed today after months of negotiation (and speculation from the…

Difficult to defend

Published 17 July 2010

This was perhaps inevitable given the scale and nature of recent economic and political events; namely Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt publicly declaring that “he could “absolutely” see viewers paying less…

Freedom versus regulation

Published 13 July 2010

Some people still seem to think that the Jon Gaunt versus Ofcom case was all about freedom of speech, but the reality is that it basically related to the ability…

Keeping the distinction

Published 5 July 2010

The announcement that BBC Radio 6 Music has been saved from closure may have dominated today’s media news, but that’s not the only thing that the BBC Trust has been…

Reversing strategy

Published 4 July 2010

Since the recently proposed BBC cutbacks (6 Music/Asian Network closures and website downscaling) were originally leaked to The Times newspaper ahead of publication, it’s unsurprising to learn of another ‘leak’…

Breaking the spell

Published 24 June 2010

Whilst waiting to discover its eventual fate, the BBC Trust has to at least appear ‘useful’ as a regulator of the BBC, therefore it’s no surprise to learn that the…

Not-so-Freeview

Published 18 June 2010

The announcement that BSkyB is withdrawing its Sky Sports News channel from Freeview may not be that unexpected but it does raise some interesting unanswered questions in relation to Sky’s…

Copy protected

Published 14 June 2010

With the (perhaps unsurprising) announcement that Ofcom has now given the go-ahead for the BBC’s so-called Freeview anti-piracy technology, there’s a real danger that recording TV programmes for posterity could…

Virgin’s territory

Published 4 June 2010

Virgin Media has finally completed a long-expected deal to sell its TV channels (Bravo, Bravo 2, Challenge, Challenge Jackpot, Living, Livingit, Virgin 1) to BSkyB for £160m, and in exchange…

Five’s loss, One’s gain

Published 28 May 2010

Given the recent growth in HDTV broadcasting, it was perhaps inevitable that the BBC would plan to have more than one high definition TV channel in order to avoid an…

Canvas clearance

Published 19 May 2010

Yes it’s true: Project Canvas has just been given the go-ahead by the Office of Fair Trading, so in theory this long-awaited means of providing a quick and convenient means…

The 6 Music effect

Published 13 May 2010

It seems that the widely-publicised campaign to save BBC Radio 6 Music from threatened closure has not only significantly increased the station’s weekly reach – having now passed the magic…

Not over the moon

Published 30 April 2010

Last Saturday, viewers of Doctor Who on BBC One in England were abruptly treated to a caption promoting “Over the Rainbow” which appeared shortly before the end credits during the…

Dalek marketing

Published 18 April 2010

Following on from yesterday’s Doctor Who episode “Victory of the Daleks” is this Private Eye article that supposedly shines some light on certain marketing decisions that have allegedly affected this…

Extra marketing

Published 12 April 2010

If BBC management weren’t planning to close any radio stations, the repositioning of 1Xtra as a closer relation to Radio 1 would make sense from a marketing perspective because at…

Over there, not here

Published 6 April 2010

Whilst the BBC Trust is trying to appear useful by blocking the UK launch of dedicated iPhone (and iPad) applications for various BBC services, BBC Worldwide has gone ahead and…

Sticky wicket

Published 31 March 2010

Ofcom: Delivering consumer benefits in Pay TV Ofcom orders Sky Sports price cut Football, cricket and rugby fans make up the core of BSkyB’s pay-TV business, and their willingness to…

Keeping their word

Published 22 March 2010

Channel 4 select committee review is a stinker Channel 4 may have been doing relatively well as of late, even whilst managing to dodge all the problems that have similarly…

Marketing defeat

Published 10 March 2010

Pop Justice: Another quick thing about BBC radio then we’ll be quiet BBC chief: 6 Music listeners ‘at heart of commercial radio demographic’ Steve Lamacq attacks ‘public flogging’ of 6…

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