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Published 27 February 2019
A decision has been made that makes Independent Local Radio less independent, less local and less good radio, says David Heathcote
Published 3 March 2011
Admit it to yourself, this isn’t a surprise even if you initially thought it was. It seemed obvious that Sky News was going to be the sacrificial lamb in a…
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…
Published 25 January 2011
There will no doubt be a lot of people looking at Jeremy Hunt today and drawing a lot of negative conclusions.
Published 25 January 2011
I’m no particular fan of this present government. I’m hardly unique in this, but I’m still finding it hard to accept that we appear to have got both the furthest-to-the-right…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Published 28 June 2010
Sneaking out into the ether today (WHY NOT HAVE A PINT OF FOSTERS?) is the news that Ofcom (MY MATE, MARMITE) has launched a consultation on Product (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – FOR THE HOLIDAY OF A LIFE TIME) Placement in TV programmes and whether commercial messages can be (I JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THAT WONDERFUL DUFF!) integrated into radio programmes.
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…
Published 15 April 2010
On 5 April 2010 Pennine FM became the latest in a list of smaller commercial radio stations to shut down and hand back its licence to Ofcom.
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…
Published 18 January 2010
Cost of TV sport to tumble as Ofcom turns screw on Sky Some people appear to be rather puzzled as to why the Conservatives in particular seem ambivalent towards Ofcom’s…
Published 9 November 2009
BBC’s plea for anti-piracy measures on Freeview is turned down It seemed rather strange that the BBC of all broadcasters should suddenly propose something that could restrict an individual’s right…
Published 29 August 2009
David Elstein: Murdoch “riled” by Ofcom According to David Elstein, formerly of, inter alia, the BBC, Thames and Channel 5, Ofcom’s “devastating” and “unanswerable” report of a couple of months…
Published 10 August 2009
Coverage of the data presented in Ofcom’s Communications Market Report indicates that many correspondents are not at their best when dealing with statistics. But Ofcom themselves don’t make it particularly easy to do anything other than misinterpret the data.
Published 3 July 2009
ITN newsreader Alastair Stewart calls for ‘Beeching’ inquiry into BBC Weirdly misappropriate-yet-somehow-highly-appropriate analogy of the month: TV presenter demands inquiry that results in major cutbacks based on short-term desires which…
Published 21 May 2009
Ed Richards warns against setting ‘meaningless’ radio switchoff date Today’s Radio 3.0 conference in London seems to have basically regurgitated the usual set of proclamations along with a few announcements…
Published 28 April 2009
Ofcom head Ed Richards sounds death knell for ITV regional news Yes we know that the media industry is going through hell at the moment – and this is particularly…
Published 17 April 2009
Fifty radio stations “could close” apparently. Well so far this year alone, we’re on five, following the closure of Pennine FM in Huddersfield just yesterday.
Published 3 April 2009
BBC fined £150,000 over Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross phone prank scandal ‘Sachsgate’ was basically the culmination of what can happen when star talent who have their own production company…
Published 17 February 2009
Commercial radio could launch new digital stations if regulation is eased So what has the RadioCentre got up its sleeve to save DAB from the jaws of possible obsolescence/apathy caused…
Published 29 January 2009
digital britain – interim report: Government outlines plans for UK’s digital transition Today saw the publication of (Lord) Stephen Carter’s interim report entitled “Digital Britain”, which in one sense is…
Published 23 January 2009
The fall out of the recent Ofcom report into the future of commercial public service broadcasting continues, with The Guardian reporting that Ofcom are not aren’t convinced that there will need to be a separate Teletext franchise going forward.
Published 22 January 2009
BBC and Channel 4 in talks to buy Virgin Media’s UKTV stake If the BBC and Channel 4 can join forces to purchase Virgin Media’s UKTV stake, then this not…
Published 21 January 2009
BBC licence fee ‘digital surplus’ could help fund new PSB body, says Ofcom Ofcom: Report summary plus links to full versions Now that the long-awaited report from Ofcom has finally…
Published 16 January 2009
ITV fined £220,000 by Ofcom over regional quotas It has taken Ofcom a year to punish ITV for a regional programming expenditure shortfall in 2007 (likewise a two year delay…
Published 8 December 2008
BBC News: Clarkson joke cleared by watchdog Joking about truck… sorry, lorry drivers killing prostitutes was bound to offend some people. The murder by Steve Wright, a lorry driver, of…
Published 26 November 2008
Government ditches plans to give Channel 4 £14m digital switchover help So the Government has decided rather tacitly to withdraw the earlier digital switchover help proposed for Channel 4 in…
Published 7 November 2008
Radio 2’s Dave Barber resigns ahead of on-air apology for Brand-Ross calls Apologies in advance for mentioning the ‘S’ word again, but I’ll try to keep it relatively brief this…
Published 6 November 2008
UTV criticises Channel 4 for backing out of digital radio project It may be true that if Channel 4 Radio had been up and running two years ago it could…
Published 3 November 2008
Lyons may regret speaking out as regional publishers call in lawyers Newspaper Society Press Release Based on a comment made by Sir Michael Lyons that slightly hinted that he might…
Published 28 October 2008
Gordon Brown criticises Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross’s BBC phone prank The transcript of what was said What started out as a “schoolboy prank” (except of course neither participants are…
Published 17 October 2008
ITV, Channel 4 and BBC to launch HD channels on Freeview next year We’re told that the future of broadcasting is high definition, yet ITV’s HD proposal for Freeview contains…
Published 13 October 2008
As someone who remains of the opinion that what the British Government did in the years 1945-51 to establish major post-war institutions (despite the country being nearly bankrupt) was brilliant…
Published 25 September 2008
NUJ warns of 500 ITV job cuts It’s no surprise whatsoever to learn that Ofcom has ‘bought’ the economic arguments put forward by ITV plc in its determination to cut…
Published 19 September 2008
Kids still exposed to bad food ads The government decided that TV adverts featuring so-called ‘junk food’ which are shown during children’s programmes are a bad idea, so it (and…
Published 12 September 2008
It’s been hanging around for goodness knows how long, but finally BSkyB have done the inevitable, and axed its pay TV proposals for DTT.
Published 12 September 2008
BSkyB job losses expected as Picnic is axed Whilst the news of BSkyB abandoning their Picnic terrestrial pay-TV project isn’t that surprising in itself, the official reason given for its…
Published 25 August 2008
All that glitters is not gold (Peter Fincham’s Edinburgh Television Festival speech) Now that the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is over, what can we learn from what happened there,…
Published 7 August 2008
Viewpoint: Ofcom is key player in ITV drama So Michael Grade is threatening to hand back ITV plc’s Channel 3 regional licences since it’s now claimed that under the current…
Published 28 July 2008
Plans for reduced public service role are good news for ITV Despite much talk of ‘radical’ solutions being required for the “digital age” – whatever that is, although for the…
Published 25 July 2008
ukfree.tv: Why Freesat did not launch with 230 channels At the moment this story has only appeared on one website as well as being fairly one-sided (there’s no rebuttal from…