Keep up with the daily developments that effect free TV in the UK. This list is updated often - you can follow
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First, here are some podcasts to listen to - click the link for direct play.
Media: Loss of listeners to Radio 1 22 May 13 Media Talk podcast: Nick Grimshaw and the missing million Media Talk podcast: Nick Grimshaw and the missing million Recommended reading
And here are the daily recommendations for developments with Freeview, Freesat, Freesat from Sky, Digital radio, free HD and online viewing. Summaries are done by
Clipped-Your articles and documents summarizedMonday 26 January 2009, AM
Greg Dyke on how Ofcoms big idea is too little too late for ITV |Media |The GuardianITV was created as a regional system to counter the blatant London metropolitan bias of the BBC during the 1950s. We ended up with 15 ITV companies each running at least one regional news service - some ran two or three which the individual ITV companies were proud to broadcast. In fact, for the smaller ITV companies regional news was their raison d'etre. - guardian.co.uk
What will Ofcoms second BBC mean for Channel 4 and other broadcasters? |Media |The Guardia…And, if they come to pass, they are likely to affect all the major players in public service broadcasting in one fell swoop. Ofcom's proposals could see Channel 4 as we know it subsumed into a wider entity with a completely new corporate structure. This idea of creating a second major public broadcaster is new and, according to government insiders, has come straight from the good Lord himself. - guardian.co.uk
Sunday 25 January 2009, PM
Broadband for all plan under threat |Business |The ObserverLast week's dire profit warning from BT has put the company's plans to build a new super-fast broadband network for 10 million British homes in jeopardy. The warning also appears to have made it critical that the rest of the telecoms industry now help meet the estimated 3.5bn cost of realising the government's ambition to bring some form of broadband to every home by 2012. It emerged on Thursday that BT's corporate IT business had wildly over-estimated the potential profits it could make from a handful of large contracts. - guardian.co.uk
ITV to become "limited" PSBIt takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk
Ofcom risks making a pigs ear of C4 if we lose gourmet selection of quality TV | Business -
Radio Today with United Radio: Instore DAB loud and clear -
DTG News: New ASTRA 1M satellite ready for operationDTG Staff 20.01.2009 Links open in a new window. - dtg.org.uk
Teletexts public service remit at risk |Media |guardian.co.ukThe growth in internet usage and the arrival of nationwide digital television in 2012 means there may no longer be any reason for Teletext to have any public service remit, according to Ofcom. Losing its public service protection would mean Teletext would have to pay for the television signal which carries its text-based news service. It wants to merge some of its regions and reduce national news to 20 pages. - guardian.co.uk
UKTV: its origins and its destiny |Media |guardian.co.ukTo contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editormediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. - guardian.co.uk
The DTV delay -- would this be the last? | BetanewsThe Act would push mandatory rollover back to June 12. The coupon program will be extended to July 31, and customers whose coupons expired before they could be used will be allowed to get fresh coupons. Rockefeller has been an outspoken critic of the timing and details of the changeover for years now as the current chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, he's gone from being one of three lonely votes against changeover-related issues to leading the pack on how to make it right. - betanews.com
Friday 23 January 2009, PM
Premier League braced for ruling on pubs showing live football |Football |The GuardianLegal experts said yesterday that the case, the latest round of a long-running battle with publicans over showing overseas broadcasts on a Saturday afternoon, could overturn the basis on which the Premier League sells its TV rights. Lawyers at Denton Wilde Sapte, which has acted for a range of sporting bodies including the Premier League, said the threat was significant. If it were to lose the case, then not only would pubs be able to avoid paying an average of 9,000 a season to show Sky and Setanta matches, with a knock-on effect on the amount broadcasters were prepared to pay, but it could impact on Saturday match attendances. - guardian.co.uk
Pay-TV grey market could be fully legalised in Sky pubs challenge - What Satellite Digital… -
EXCLUSIVE: New Freesat HD box on its way -
TV regulator says C4 should merge in order to survive - Business News, Business - The Inde…The possibility of diverting some of the licence fee to C4 also remains on the table. Among the proposals were those relating to C4, and Ofcom called for an overhaul of the broadcaster to create a rival to the BBC. It proposed a remit of public service broadcasting content including news, current affairs, older children's programmes, shows made outside London and a range of digital media content. - independent.co.uk
In Febrooary 2009, Ur Lolcats n Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? -
Tuesday 20 January 2009, PM
DTG News: Switchover Help Scheme to launch in WalesThe Digital Switchover Help Scheme will soon be offered to older and disabled people living in Wales. The Switchover Help Scheme has been set up to help eligible older and disabled people to switch to digital on one of their TV sets. People are eligible if they are aged 75 or over, are receiving or could receive attendance allowance, mobility supplement or disability living allowance, have lived in a care home for six months or more, or if they are registered blind or partially sighted. - dtg.org.uk
DTG News: Switchover messages to appear in Devon and CornwallFrom today, analogue viewers will see a series of intermittent messages such as This TV gets its signal from the Huntshaw Cross transmitter group, and needs to be ready for digital switchover on 12th August 2009. Viewers in the West Country who see the messages know they have to get ready. There are a number of ways to go digital depending on where you live. - dtg.org.uk
DTG News: Isle of Man to switch in 6 monthsThe Isle of Man is less than six months away from starting the switch to digital TV on 18 June 2009. Digital UK has published a message to all the island's residents don't leave it too late to get advice or buy equipment. If you are unsure about the different ways to get digital television, speak to your local retailer, call Digital UK on 08456 50 50 50, or visit digitaluk.co.uk. - dtg.org.uk
Radio Today with United Radio: Digital One plans DAB expansion -
Tuesday 20 January 2009, AM
Is Radio 4 too posh? Mark Damazer serves up his recipe for change - TV Radio, Media - The …5 Live, with its cab drivers calling in to debate their favourite topics traffic wardens, roadworks and UK immigration policy Late last year, I suggested to Damazer that I should spend a week of continuous listening to his station, after which he'd talk to me in his office at Broadcasting House. From October 2009, Stourton 51 will be replaced by Justin Webb, currently North American editor. - independent.co.uk
Monday 19 January 2009, PM
Senate considers delaying DTV transition until June | BetanewsIf approved, Sen. Rockefeller's bill would extend the transition date by 90 days to June 12. This despite the fact that broadcasters say they are already ready, and most US stations are already broadcasting in DTV -- the real switch being thrown would be the one that turns off the analog signal. Already, broadcasters are being permitted to leave those signals running after February 17, if only to show images informing viewers that regular analog broadcasts have ceased. - betanews.com
Friday 16 January 2009, PM
Rochdale Online -Are you ready to go Digital?With less than 12 months to go before Rochdale makes the digital television switch over, Digital UK is urging viewers to make sure they are ready. Almost nine out of ten households in the town now has a digital television set ahead of the 4 November switch over. Television in Rochdale is powered by the Winter Hill transmitter, which lies between Manchester and Preston. - rochdaleonline.co.uk
Telegent chip to bring Freeview to netbooks? | News | TechRadar UKTelegent has developed a new single-chip TV receiver that will allow laptop manufacturers to bring Freeview enabled computers out of the box. The TLG2300 offers both digital and analogue television integration on a chip, opening up the possibility that your netbook or laptop will come fully equipped to act as a digital television. We've contacted Telegent Systems to find out just how effective the chip is without an external aerial, but the early suggestions are that it should work fine. - techradar.com
BBC HD: "Creeping" DOGs Update - BBC Internet BlogI had hoped that I could come back and tell you that the creeping DOGs which I also noticed watching the channel at home over the holidays were just a temporary seasonal aberration, caused as a result of staff less familiar with the channel or more stretched because of the holidays, making mistakes. The system for taking the DOG off certain content is not effectively automated, and therefore changes like adjustments to junctions between programmes can cause it to reappear. However, while that may have been a factor it does not explain - as a number of you have noted - why it was on Anne Frank or Larkrise which like you I don't expect to see it on. - bbc.co.uk
Friday 16 January 2009, AM
Lord Carter could propose Channel 4 merger into wider entity, claims report |Media |guardi…Lord Carter will publish the Digital Britain report in the next few weeks. Carter's report will conclude that Channel 4 is no longer unique in a multichannel TV and digital media age and is struggling to balance its public service broadcasting remit with its need for commercial funding, according to the FT. The report is understood to say that the BBC will remain the cornerstone of public service broadcasting, suggesting that the government will reject calls to top-slice the licence fee. - guardian.co.uk
Thursday 15 January 2009, PM
Andy Duncan dismisses merger of Channel 4 with Five |Media |guardian.co.ukAndy Duncan said a merger 'made no sense whatsoever'. Duncan also made a thinly-veiled attack on US web search giant Google's lack of investment in the UK creative industries. However, other broadcasters have questioned whether these initiatives would provide this level of financial benefit. - guardian.co.uk
Thursday 15 January 2009, AM
The Office of Fair Trading: Review of the Contract Rights Renewal UndertakingsWe have recently updated our website and the page you have requested may have been moved or archived. Please return to our home page to find the information you are looking for or press the 'back' button on your browser to return to the previously viewed page. - oft.gov.uk
York council homes to get digital TV aerials (From York Press)The new systems have recently been introduced in the Nunnery Lane area of York. The work is being carried out to prepare tenants for Yorks switch-over to digital TV in 2011. The work is being funded by charging tenants 50p per week for maintenance of their community aerial, rather than 17p. - thepress.co.uk
Digital set-up hits residents pockets - Scarborough Evening NewsKevin Drinkall, 53, of Woodland Walk, is frustrated that Yorkshire Coast Homes is insisting on charging its 1,200 tenants who live in sheltered accommodation an additional 26 a year. The money will fund the new service, which will give residents access to Freeview, using a digital TV or set top box, plus access to Sky Plus by subscription without an additional aerial or dish. He said They now want to charge me 26 a year for something I dont need. - scarborougheveningnews.co.uk
Dave brings +1 to Freeview | Broadband TV NewsDave, the self-styled home of witty banter, is adding its 1 hour channel to the UKs DTT platform Freeview. The channel, already available on Sky and Virgin Media, will go live on January 22 and continue between 08.00 and 04.00 daily. Its mix of popular comedy, panel games, and light hearted documentary features has helped define the channel while providing Freeview households with a glimpse of multichannel television outside of the public broadcasters. - broadbandtvnews.com
Wednesday 14 January 2009, PM
Timeshifted Dave to launch on Freeview. -
Wednesday 14 January 2009, AM
BBC sorry for misquoting experts views |Media |The ObserverDorothy Rowe complained to the corporation that her interview on the Radio 2 programme What Do You Believe had been so heavily edited that the final version misrepresented her views. What was not broadcast was what I had said about how such structures can be damaging to people. An Australian who spends much of her time in the UK, she has become one of the most respected modern-day thinkers, named as one of the six wisest people in the UK by a magazine and voted one of the world's 100 living geniuses in a global poll. - guardian.co.uk
Tuesday 13 January 2009, PM
BBC deal could secure ITV local news until 2016 |Media |guardian.co.ukITV executives believe a deal to share resources with the BBC would guarantee the commercial broadcaster's regional news services until at least 2016. The proposed deal would see ITV and BBC regional news services produce separate programmes but share buildings and even news footage. Grade is heavily lobbying for the removal of a swathe of regulations - including abolishing programming production quotas and abolishing public service broadcasting licence payments - which ITV says costs it hundreds of millions of pounds. - guardian.co.uk
Sky introduces low-power LNB -
Tuesday 13 January 2009, AM
Terrestrial - News - No SuperCasino for Northern Ireland - Digital SpyThe service will be available 24 hours a day on channel 48 in England, Scotland and Wales. However, gambling regulations in Northern Ireland mean that it is not carried on the Belfast transmitter. - digitalspy.co.uk
Stephen Brook on Channel 4s funding gap |Media |guardian.co.uk -
CNN International joins Freeview |Media |guardian.co.ukThe channel will air on Freeview 84 seven days a week between the hours of 9pm and 1am. To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editormediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. - guardian.co.uk
Monday 12 January 2009, AM
Alok Jha on Skys plans to save tonnes of CO2 |Media |The GuardianIt was the first UK broadcaster to go carbon neutral and now Sky wants to do more. The company's latest plans, announced today, include energy-efficient studios, upgrading set-top boxes to automatically go into standby mode, and encouraging production companies to develop more sustainable ways to make programmes. To offset a total carbon footprint of just over 52,000 tones, the company, chaired by James Murdoch, has invested in wind and hydro energy schemes in China and India. - guardian.co.uk
Sunday 11 January 2009, PM
The DTV launch is a shambles, say FCC commissioners | BetanewsAdelstein has served at the FCC since 2002, and McDowell began his first term in 2006. Remember the coordinated governmental effort to fix and work around potential Y2K problems That tech initiative, like the DTV transition, involved multiple agencies. - betanews.com
Saturday 10 January 2009, PM
The UK government s plans to retain email data and rate online content will cost too much,…JBL will be at CES this year, which is no surprise, and itll be showing off at least a trio of new speakers, which also isnt that surprising. ReadMore A number of startups have attempted to create what might be termed the Instagram for video. Now, before you throw up in your mouth at such an idea, consider the players so far. - uk.techcrunch.com
Friday 09 January 2009, PM
Deadline announced for local TV licencesIt takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk
Digital television switchover is on July 1As the credit crunch bites harder many people will want to know how much going digital will cost. The Huntshaw Cross transmitter and its smaller local relay masts which serve much of North Devon will be converted so they can broadcast digital signals, offering more choice in channels and services. Residents who want to receive television via an aerial will need to make sure their TVs can receive these digital signals. - thisisnorthdevon.co.uk
Financial crisis boosts Freesat sales | News | TechRadar UKThe latest data from Freesat shows that sales of the subscription-free satellite service doubled in the run-up to Christmas. The success of Freesat, which launched in May last year, can be attributed to several factors. As the economic crisis continues to bite, Freesat's free digital TV package is an ideal choice for telly-watchers. - techradar.com
U.K. Stocks Drop for Third Day; Anglo American, ITV, BSkyB Fall -
Ive read Ofcoms public service review submissions so you dont have to |Media |guardian.co.…Ofcom received some 300 submissions in December, in response to the regulator's Public Service Broadcasting Review phase two, and prior to its final recommendations, which it will publish later this month. Several worried stars, including Grand Designs' Kevin McCloud, plead Channel 4's case. now a backer of Danny Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire and is exercised about the future of Channel 4 subsidiary Film4. - guardian.co.uk
BBC NEWS | Technology | TVs on show at tech expoThis page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets CSS if you are able to do so. - news.bbc.co.uk
Obama transition team suggests delaying DTV transition | BetanewsVP Dennis Wharton suggested that it was the original firmness of this transition date that enabled the whole changeover to take place to begin with, and that it may be far too late now for legislators or executive officials to trade blame for insufficient resources. Last November, soon after his appointment to the new transition team, Podesta -- former chief of staff under Pres. Clinton -- suggested to Multichannel News that the DTV switchover would be one of his team's many subjects, although he admitted some ignorance of its details at the time. - betanews.com
Wednesday 07 January 2009, PM
No Formula 1 for BBC HD...yet | What Satellite Digital TV -
Tuesday 06 January 2009, PM
Is internet radio in your car the future? - blog - James Cridland -
Three million still to make digital TV switch - Which? NewsCampaigns Making consumers as powerful as the organisations they deal with. Consumer Rights Your essential guide to consumer rights and what to do if things go wrong. Conversation Want to comment on burning consumer issues of the day - which.co.uk
Monday 05 January 2009, PM
More viewers for More4It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk
Media Monkey: Michael Grade delivers second opinion on Doctor Who: I was wrong |Media |gua…To find out more information about driving traffic to your content or to place this widget on your site, visit outbrain.com. We welcome your feedback at userhelpguardian.co.uk or feedbackoutbrain.com. - guardian.co.uk
Monday 05 January 2009, AM
Broadcasting Cross-media Mergers - BERRAn example of an anti-competitive activity would be when two companies agree to charge the same price for a similar product. Anti-competitive activities can be very bad for consumers. Reforming and improving the laws on anti-competitive activities is a major part of this work. - berr.gov.uk
How will UK television be affected by the credit crunch? |Media |The GuardianIn many ways, 2009 will be like 2008 - only more so. Current trends will continue to be important shaping schedules and characterising commissioning. Similarly, the emphasis within lifestyle shows will continue to shift away from property programmes that view houses as investments - an acquisitive attitude that seems old-fashioned in recessionary times - and towards shows predicated on houses being homes. - guardian.co.uk
Maggie Brown: 2009 will be a watershed year for British broadcasting |Media |The GuardianThis year promises to be a watershed in British broadcasting. By the end of this month we will have the options of a rescue package for beleaguered Channel 4, and of relief for ITV from some of its regional commitments and restraints - with Ofcom giving its final policy recommendations to the government from the public service broadcasting review in two weeks' time. The regulator spent the end of 2008 tackling the cuts faced by regional programmes, news, religious, arts and children's programmes. - guardian.co.uk
Fury in France as Sarkozy bans adverts from state TV - Europe, World - The Independent -
Sunday 04 January 2009, PM
PR-USA.net - Government consults on proposals to reduce Sky stake in ITV -
Saturday 03 January 2009, PM
Missing your bingo telly fix? | Bingo NewsSince the surprise departure of ITV's live bingo show, some of us at the Hideout have confessed to missing our weekly fix of bingo on the telly. Helping more people to play UK bingo than ever before, the show demonstrated that you don't have to play online to get your fix or to get a huge bingo bonus in the bank. Of course, there has been talk of bingo launching on most mobile phones next year too, and if you have SKY you can always check out the games available on the Gala channel. - bingohideout.co.uk
Saturday 03 January 2009, AM
Are the worlds digital plans killing mobile DTV?Here's a very familiar theme for us every year Despite not only manufacturers' own best efforts but also certain governments' own regulatory bodies to drive and even enforce industry standards, there's no one way to do digital mobile TV. Despite the push from manufacturers, mobile carriers and government regulatory agencies, mobile digital television has failed to make an impact on the world like it did in South Korea. There has been doubt about the viability of mobile digital television for years, and in 2008, we watched the different approaches of the US and EU toward hastening its adoption yield ultimately the same result. - betanews.com
Friday 02 January 2009, PM
Sky TV aerial charge is a real turn-off - Islington News: Gordon McIntosh | HfI | Homes Fo… -
New Doctor to be revealed on BBC One tomorrow -
North Devon Digital television switchover is on July 1THE job of getting the West Country ready for the big switch to digital television falls to Bill Taylor. Around the UK switchover will take place gradually as each transmitter is converted to provide high-power digital signals. These will reach virtually all households including those unable to receive Freeview today. - thisisnorthdevon.co.uk
Friday 02 January 2009, AM
Competition rules would scupper Channel 4 and Five merger, report says |Media |guardian.co…The idea of the merger, previously examined in 2004, resurfaced in December as a possible scenario for plugging the 150m-a-year funding gap that Channel 4 claims it will face by 2012. Ofcom has put the figure at between 60m and 100m. A combined Channel 4 and Five would control 34 of the UK TV ad market. - guardian.co.uk
Where Are Our Extra FTA Digital Channels? - Gizmodo Australia - gizmodo.com.au
Wednesday 31 December 2008, PM
Viacom pulls nine channels from Time Warner US cable network |Media |guardian.co.ukIf the channels are pulled tomorrow morning as planned, viewers will be able to log on to a website IWantMyChannelsBack.com to complain. To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editormediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. - guardian.co.uk
Wednesday 31 December 2008, AM
Plug is pulled on Southampton tenants' cable TV (From Daily Echo)They will instead give 13,000 Southampton tenants the choice of hooking up to Sky TV or Freeview in time for the digital switchover in 2012. Tory council leaders will spend 2.6 million installing a new system enabling tenants to receive digital TV signals from a communal aerial or satellite dish. John Radmore, treasurer of the Southampton Federation of Tenants and Residents Association, said there had been complaints about picture quality and a lack of channels. - dailyecho.co.uk
Monday 29 December 2008, PM
BBC NEWS | Technology | Getting the most out of broadbandWith retail, housing and even hi-tech grinding to a bit of a halt in recent months, most commentators would agree that 2009 is going to be a slow year. Both BT and Virgin Media will kick-start their plans for next generation access in the UK in 2009. Virgin Media will upgrade its cable network to deliver speeds of up to 50Mbps megabits per second during the first six months of 2009. - news.bbc.co.uk
Turn off Sky News to get the real picture - The Daily RecordI've watched him do this on several international stories, and even seen him up close and personal in the Sky studios. As has been his network's coverage of Gaza. In endless footage of the massacre, not a head severed from the body has been shown, not a dead child, a mutilated woman. - dailyrecord.co.uk
Saturday 27 December 2008, PM
Australians get ready for the future of free TV | The Courier-MailWITHIN the next 12 months, Australian audiences will have access to a range of brand new digital television channels. Anews or classic-movies multi-channel, a 24-hour sports network and a channel that plays repeats two hours later are among plans being worked on by the big commercial networks. Viewers will also be able to buy a Freeview box that will allow them to record and store digital television content and have access to free electronic program guides all big advantages that subscription TV currently has over free-to-air. - news.com.au
Saturday 27 December 2008, AM
BBCs 9 out of 10 triumph in Christmas ratings battle |Media |The GuardianThe latest adventures of Wallace Gromit smashed viewing records, becoming the most-watched programme of the year with an audience of 14.3 million. The average total audience in peak time was 24.4 million, up from 23.8 million in 2007, said the BBC. A Matter of Loaf and Death, commissioned by the BBC, was one of the high points of the year for the corporation, with a 53 audience share. - guardian.co.uk
Wednesday 24 December 2008, AM
Radio Labs in 2008It's about that time for an end of year review, so here's how 2008 went for Radio Labs. I started off in January writing about our 10 percent time scheme which allows our team use 10 of their time to do their own work-related projects. The team have certainly impressed me with how many ideas they have and how many of them they actually build as well. - bbc.co.uk
Can technology keep television relevant in the digital era?One reason could be because technology is giving viewers clear alternatives to scheduled programming. NBC declared this year's Olympics the most-viewed event in television history, with the 17-day coverage attracting 86 of US television viewing households, or 214 million viewers. Events related to the presidential election also attracted a huge amount of viewers. - betanews.com
Tuesday 23 December 2008, PM
Media Talk on The Guardian - adambowie.comHe saw it as a straight ad for BBC viewers and listeners to go out and buy a DAB digital radio. The BBC is not promoting a particular brand of radio - they're promoting the format. That's not surprising since they broadcast in the format and have a national DAB multiplex. - adambowie.com
Will viewers choose their own running order? BBC - Journalism Labs - blogHistorically FMT Journalism has focused primarily onweb development. The reasons for this are many and none of them are any of my business but it is odd, because the first experiments that BBC News made with 'On Demand' started in the early 1970s and they were on television sets. The principle is relatively simple, take some text Journalists with access to agency feeds and ask them to write short news stories. - bbc.co.uk
Is Channel 4 heading towards oblivion? - TV Radio, Media - The IndependentInstead of enjoying a preferential place as one of a select group of universally available broadcasters, Channel 4 has to compete with an unruly mob of digital upstarts. Commercial revenues are predicted to fall between five and 10 per cent next year, and Channel 4's own predictions put the annual deficit at 150m by 2012. That shortfall is the cause of great concern for both Channel 4 and the Government, which sees the broadcaster as a crucial balance to the BBC's establishment voice. - independent.co.uk
Dramas cant match TV reality, says Grade - TV Radio, Media - The IndependentFrom Brideshead Revisited to Cranford, Britain's sumptuous TV dramas are renowned around the world as examples of broadcasting brilliance. The key to good drama is originality, storytelling, adventurism, reaching out to audiences and that isn't being done. In this context Michael Grade is indulging in a bit of spin ... - independent.co.uk
Last rites for Christmas TV? - TV Radio, Media - The IndependentWith the onset of catch-up TV over the internet and on-demand services from companies such as Virgin Media, the next generation of Freeview is in the works to dramatically boost the service to households across the country. After a few initial hiccups, its traffic has leapt 14 times in the past year, and has had nearly 252 million requests for programmes. This is part of a wider trend that has seen traffic to video sites jump 48 per cent in the past year. - independent.co.uk
BetaNews | Internet radio interoperability group to launch at CESAt CES next month, a new organization formed to promote interoperability across media devices will get off the ground -- and by that, they mean a way to get podcasts and streaming content to work on multiple device platforms. Initially formed earlier this year at the Interent Radio Summit, the group is spearheaded by radio broadcasters, content providers, and technology specialists in the area of Internet radio. Registration to attend the group's first general meeting is available on the IMDA's Web site. - betanews.com
iPlayer subtitles increase: our early Christmas present to hard of hearing peopleAs the person responsible for ensuring that iPlayer is giving the best experience it can to disabled audiences, I thought it would be worth looking back at how far we've come this year in the provision of subtitles for the service. It took until 1986 for us to subtitle our first live programme an episode of Blue Peter, with the subtitling of news programmes following in 1990. Well, back when I started my role in February, the situation didn't look good - subtitles had been suspended from the iPlayer launch in December 2007 because a robust subtitling solution wasn't ready for launch. - bbc.co.uk
Please Wait... - BBCi LabsHowever due to the way our service has to be structured, it's an unfortunate necessity. BBC Red Button has a chunk of space on each of those transponders which enables us to have a service alongside the TV channel - so that when you press red you don't need to leave the channel you're watching. Our video services too also sit in another transponder to the TV channel. - bbc.co.uk
Metronic Sat HD 100 review from TechRadars expert reviews of Digital TV recordersSimple styling Aesthetically, the Metronic doesn't deviate too far from its Freesat siblings its all-black stylings and diminutive size fall in line with boxes from Grundig and Bush. There's no CI slot this is strictly FTA. This can be used to install software updates from a flash drive also achievable via satellite and adds the bonus of multimedia playback, although chunky drives can be a tight fit. - techradar.com
Top of the blogs for 2008 - blog - James Cridland -
Tuesday 23 December 2008, AM
Television 2008 quiz |Culture |The GuardianWho has replaced Nicky Hambleton-Jones as presenter of 10 Years Younger a child prodigy, traumatised mute and all-round weirdo River Tam on the good ship Serenity a Transformer a seasonal eye infection 3. Which TV news show presenter appeared in several issues of Spider Man comic this year, lambasting Peter Parker for being a bleeding-heart liberal - guardian.co.uk
Monday 22 December 2008, PM
Review of the year in media |Media |The GuardianIt made several apologies during 2008, whether for showing 12 hours of sport or because the Doctor Who actor John Barrowman got his wanger out on radio. Dawn Airey wasn't especially sorry when she jumped job for the second time in 12 months, leaving ITV for Five, but there were a lot of sorry newspaper journalists, casualties of the credit crunch. News at Ten returns to the airwaves but sets the tone for the rest of the year by promptly losing out to BBC1's rival bulletin in the ratings on its debut and never recovering. - guardian.co.uk
Saturday 20 December 2008, AM
TV killed the Movie cubicgarden.com...home networking to branch out The number of U.S. online households with home networks should quadruple by 2008, a report says, as consumers expand networks to include entertainment gear and appliances. - cubicgarden.com
Channel 4s targeting of BBC Worldwide assets is bold and, potentially, brilliant |Media |g…Johnson, remember, was effectively chosen by Ofcom's former chief executive Stephen Carter and soon-to-depart chairman Lord Currie in a bid to sort out Channel 4's financial vulnerability the fact it feels too small, and is too dependent on programmes commissioned from independent suppliers to thrive as a public service broadcaster. So far, most attempts at self-help, while trying to be a mini BBC, have rather blown up in Channel 4's face. The 28m spent on buying into the former Emap music channels last year has generated some cash, but distracted managers. - guardian.co.uk
Buying an HD TV? Don't wait! -
Switch to digital radio could happen in 2017 - TV Radio, Media - The IndependentThe UK could make the switch from analogue to digital radio as early as 2017 according to a Government-commissioned group's report today. The group singled out criteria which must be met to trigger this being able to happen, including at least 50 per cent of total radio listening taking place on digital platforms. In the UK, 31.4 per cent of adults listen every week on digital, which gives digital platforms a total share of radio listening of 18.7 per cent, according to figures from radio body Rajar. - independent.co.uk
Protecting consumers from unfair small print charges | OfcomIndependent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. 4G auction bidders announced December 20, 2012 Ofcom has today announced the bidders in the forthcoming 4G mobile spectrum auction the largest ever sale of mobile airwaves in the UK. npower fined for making abandoned calls December 6, 2012 The conclusion of an Ofcom investigation has today found npower, the gas and electricity supplier, to be in breach of rules on abandoned calls. - ofcom.org.uk
Sky ditches its free deal |Money |The GuardianUntil now, Sky has offered its highly-regarded but basic broadband package 2Mb/s to any customer paying for one of its satellite TV packages. From 1 March, Sky will impose a 5-a -month charge for all customers that do not take Sky Talk - although most do, as it covers unlimited calls. Those taking its Mid or Max broadband will also pay another 5 a month if they do not take Sky Talk. - guardian.co.uk
Friday 19 December 2008, PM
Digital Radio Working Group: Final ReportThis snapshot, taken on 12/05/2010, shows web content acquired for preservation by The National Archives. External links, forms and search may not work in archived websites and contact details are likely to be out of date. The UK Government Web Archive does not use cookies but some may be left in your browser from archived websites. - culture.gov.uk
Friday 19 December 2008, AM
BBC introduces CBBC iPlayer, plus beta Mac and Linux downloads |Media |guardian.co.ukThe BBC has already set up a password-protected parental guidance lock that prevents children watching unsuitable on the standard iPlayer. It was just over one year ago, on 13 December 2007, that the BBC introduced an expanded version of the web TV catch up service that offered programmes via streaming rather than downloading. The BBC Trust had decided that the iPlayer should be limited to downloads within seven days of broadcast that could be watched for up to 30 days, which meant that digital rights management had to be used to control downloaded content. - guardian.co.uk
Putting a price on Canvas18 December, 2008 By Kate Bulkley Broadband-connected Freeview is a huge step forward - at a cost. It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk
Panasonic LZD81 Freesat TV is better than the PZ81 - Which? NewsCampaigns Making consumers as powerful as the organisations they deal with. Consumer Rights Your essential guide to consumer rights and what to do if things go wrong. Conversation Want to comment on burning consumer issues of the day - which.co.uk
Thursday 18 December 2008, PM
How to get BBC iPlayer on the Mac working - blog - James Cridland -
BBC NEWS | Technology | BBC iPlayer now available on MacThe two systems, which have been able to stream BBC programmes via the iPlayer for a year, will now be able to handle downloads. Lab edition The iPlayer is the BBC's online media player that lets viewers stream programmes for up to seven days after broadcast or download and watch them for up to 30 days. In early 2008 ISPs complained that the popularity of the iPlayer was putting a strain on their networks and forcing up their costs. - news.bbc.co.uk
BSkyB - no business will be immune to challenges of 2009 - TelegraphThe company has said that it did not expect to lose customers to Freeview - and that it was on track to reach its target of 10m subscribers by the end of next year. In the three-month period to September 30, the number of homes with Sky services passed the 9m mark for the first time, with customer growth 87,000 in the period, up 5pc year on year. Neil Berkett, chief executive of competitor Virgin Media, predicted in November that take-up of pay-TV services would slow over the course of 2009. - telegraph.co.uk
BetaNews | Nationwide DTV test hits snags with Comcast, DishYesterday, local TV stations in 42 states and DC participated in the first nationwide digital television consumer readiness test. Broadcasters turned off their analog signals some time between 500 and 700 pm ET. Aside from some noteworthy exceptions, the results so far seem largely favorable. - betanews.com
Thursday 18 December 2008, AM
Ofcom names new chairmanIt takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk
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