RTL set for ITV bid

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 6 October 2008 at 11:31
Tags: Broadcast, Television

After announcing 1,000 job cuts and BSkyB being forced to sell down its share in the company, things could be looking up for ITV.

RTL, the owner of Five, has been given the go-ahead by its parent company Bertelsmann to bid for the company, with the RTL chief executive being given more than £1bn for European acquisitions, reports The Observer.

Following the ruling by the Competition Appeal Tribunal last week that BSkyB had to sell down it’s 17.9 per cent share in the company, ITV’s shares began to slide, down 4.7 per cent yesterday morning, and last month the broadcaster also lost its status as a blue-chip company the FTSE 100 index.

ITV shouldn’t get it’s hopes up just yet, however, as BSkyB is considering yet another appeal against the decision.

Sir Trevor McDonald to leave News at Ten, again

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 6 October 2008 at 11:10
Tags: Broadcast, Television

Sir Trevor McDonald is to leave ITN’s News at Ten for a second time, according to The People.

McDonald left News At Ten in 2005 after 32 years with ITN, but was brought in at the beginning of the year to help boost the profile of the return of ITN’s News at Ten.

His return was never intended to be long term and the 68-year old is said to have admitted that the late-night work is too much.

McDonald hit the headlines earlier this year for admitting to wine magazine Decanter he often drank a bottle of wine after work. In the same interview he also said that his co-anchor Reggie Bosanquet was often drunk at work, which sparked outrage from colleagues.

Angry responses to McDonald’s claims were publishes in September’s issue of ITN’s 1955 Club newsletter for past and current staff.

European commissision moves to block Channel 4 handout

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 6 October 2008 at 10:09
Tags: Broadcast, Television

The Government’s proposed £14m handout to help Channel 4 in the digital switchover to fulfil its public service broadcasting (PSB) commitments could be banned by the European commission, reports Media Guardian.

European competition commissioner Neelie Kroes wrote a letter to foreign secretary David Miliband suggesting that Channel 4 had enough money to pay for the digital expansion itself, adding that the government admitted that C4’s cash reserves totalled £170m.

Her letter said: “The commission has doubts as to whether the financial support pledged for C4 is necessary and proportional.”

“The mere fact that the switchover may affect its profitability (but not viability) does not constitute a valid reason for claiming state funding.”

C4 recently announced 150 jobs will be axed as it plans cuts of £100m by the end of next year.

A C4 spokesman said: “The commission has stated its position and we are working with the government to demonstrate that that’s not a valid position.”

Broadcast journalism student scores scoop with Nazi initiation ceremony

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 3 October 2008 at 10:04
Tags: Broadcast, New Media, Student Journalism

Well done to University of Gloucestershire broadcast journalism student Natalie Sutton who secured a scoop with the BBC yesterday with her video footage of a student intiation ceremony involving students downing pints of beer with carrier bags over their heads directed by another student in Nazi garb.

(more…)

ITN chief executive steps down

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 1 October 2008 at 08:59
Tags: Broadcast, Television

Chief executive of ITN Mark Wood has resigned after six years in the post, reports Brand  Republic.

Wood, who will remain in his role as chairman for a period, is leaving to pursue opportunities outside the company.

A new chief executive will be announced shortly.

Channel 4’s rival to Today Programme looking unlikely

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 30 September 2008 at 09:50
Tags: Broadcast, Radio, Television

Channel 4’s plans to take on BBC Radio appear to be crumbling after chief executive of Channel 4 told Media Week that the broadcaster’s digital radio plans have been scaled down with only one of the three planned Channel 4 branded radio stations now confirmed for launch.

In July last year Channel 4 told Press Gazette it intended to challenge the BBC’s “80-year dominance of speech radio” after winning the licence for the new digital multiplex.

Original plans included Channel 4 Radio, pitched as the rival to Radio 4, which promised an early morning news and analysis programme similar to Radio 4’s flagship Today programme.

Channel 4 now plans only to launch E4 Radio, a spin off of the digital TV channel aimed at teenagers, as it “represents the quickest prospect of a commercial return from radio”.

Duncan told Media Week: “We are now looking at a more staggered plan and deferring stations. The focus in the short term is E4 Radio, but we are involved in industry-wide chats about the future of digital radio.”

The cutbacks come after Channel 4 announced plans to axe 150 jobs and save £100m over the next two years, another credit crunch casualty.

A stark contrast to last summer when Channel 4 director of radio Nathalie Schwarz told Press Gazette that the new channels would be “wellresourced” and a ripple of excitement spread through the industry at the prospect of new jobs being created.

BBC World News managing director leaves to “recharge batteries”

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 30 September 2008 at 09:31
Tags: Broadcast, Television

The managing director of BBC World News Anne Barnard is resigning from the post after 14 years with the BBC, reports Media Guardian.

Barnard, who joined BBC World in 2000, has been managing director for 18 months, previously working at chief operating officer. She told staff she was leaving so she could she could “refresh, take a bit more personal time, travel a bit and recharge some batteries” before seeking a new career move.

Editorial director Sian Kevill will take on Barnard’s responsibilities.

Speculation over future of ITV as BSkyB forced to sell down share

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 30 September 2008 at 09:01
Tags: Broadcast, Television

Broadcaster BSkyB has been ordered to sell down it’s 17.9 per cent share in broadcaster ITV to below 7.5 per cent after losing an appeal with the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

At the hearing on Monday BSkyB appealed against the tribunal’s original ruling in December, but the tribunal dismissed the appeal and in a written judgement said: “our view there is no substance in Sky’s complaint.”

The tribunal also ruled that Business Secretary John Hutton and the Competition Commission were incorrect in concluding that the stake did not have an impact on media plurality and supported the argument from rival broadcaster Virgin Media that the Commission had been too lenient.

Media Lawyers told The Financial Times that this could mean tougher approach to mergers in the broadcast media sector in the future. “This ruling confirms that for now Sky will have to sell to below 7.5 per cent, but things could get even worse,” one lawyer said. “Virgin succeeded in arguing that the public interest had not been properly looked at by the Competition Commission. Sky might be ordered to sell even more.”

Speculation has already begun on possible bidders for the shares, which fell almost 7 per cent ahead of the ruling.

Media bankers told the FT that the ruling would not spark an immediate bid for the whole of ITV unless the price fell sharply, and ruled out private equity interest due to the state of the credit markets.

“I just don’t see anyone coming in for the whole stake at this point, If you wanted to buy ITV, then buying the stake signals your intentions and pushes the price way up. Better to let it bleed to death,” said one banker.

Analysts who spoke to Media Guardian also ruled out a bid for the whole of ITV, but didn’t rule out private equity interest for the shares, also speculating that the most likely contender to buy the shares is Channel Five Owner RTL.

One analyst said: “I don’t think there will be an immediate buyer [for the stake], however, over the next nine months there is a 40% chance that either RTL/Bertelsmann or private equity will buy the stake.”

Tories call for broader vision from BBC

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 29 September 2008 at 09:47
Tags: BBC, Broadcast, Journalism, Radio, Television

Tory Shadow Culture Media and Sport Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called for “broader vision” from the BBC, in exchange for its £3.3 billion a year licence fee cheque. (more…)

NME Radio gets time on FM

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 24 September 2008 at 10:24
Tags: Broadcast, Consumer Magazines, Magazines, Radio

The digital radio offering from IPC’s music weekly, NME, will be broadcast on FM in London and Manchester later this year reports Media Guardian.

NME Radio, which launched in June this year, has two temporary broadcast licenses, from 6 October to 2 November in London and 10 November to 7 December in Manchester.

NME Radio is currently available via digital TV and the internet, and is in negotiations to secure a slot on DAB next year.

Local radio station faces eviction

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 23 September 2008 at 15:00
Tags: Broadcast, Radio

Local radio station for West Somerset, Quaywest 102.4, is facing eviction from its premises in Watchet following its owners, Laser Broadcasting, failing to pay rent on the offices and studio for two years, reports Radio Today.

Local council officials have said that the company has failed to pay the £50 a week rent for the property, owned by Somerset Council.

Tom Bown, the district council’s corporate information officer said: “Quaywest Radio has not paid the council any rent since 2006 despite efforts by the council to get them to do so and assurances by the station that it would.

“We feel that it is not fair that this company is expanding on a national level at the expense of the local taxpayers in West Somerset. With regret, we have been left no option other than to take legal action.”

Speculators cashed in minutes before BBC HBoS scoop

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 22 September 2008 at 09:06
Tags: Broadcast, Journalism, Media Business, National Newspapers

Speculators made £190 million the two minutes before 9am on Wednesdsay when BBC business editor Robert Peston broke news of takeover talks between Lloyds TSB and HBoS, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Peston told the MoS that information on the takeover was “tightly held”. He said: “If there were big buys before I broadcast, that is quite scary.”

The shares more than doubled in value in the hour following Peston’s scoop.

Positive step for press freedom in Zimbabwe?

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 17 September 2008 at 11:27
Tags: BBC, Broadcast, Journalism, National Newspapers, Newspapers, Photography

Following the new power sharing deal in Zimbabwe between longtime ruler Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, the country could see the return of previously banned media outlets, reports African Press Agency.

(more…)

Sheffield Wednesday drops libel case against fans’ forum

Posted by Patrick Smith on 17 September 2008 at 10:25
Tags: Broadcast, Law, New Media

Sheffield Wednesday FC has dropped its long-running libel case against 14 fans whose postings on the online forum owlstalk.co.uk prompted the club into a legal challenge in the High Court.

As George Monbiot writes in The Guardian, the original case started two and a half years ago and just over one year ago the High Court ordered the site owners to reveal the identity of three anonymous posters.

The club also pursued Wednesday fans who had posted negative comments about its chairman Dave Allen on the BBC Radio 5 Live football blog. Incidentally, Allen has now left the club after a disagreement with the board.

Monbiot has no time for the club or for British libel laws - often described as among the most stringent in the world - and points out that the current las is based on the rules from the 19th and 20th century designed to protect the reputation of upper class gentlemen.

Owls fans may well be lighting up the message boards again today: the team lost 6-0 away to Reading last night…

ITV’s Austin latest newsreader to attack vain broadcasters

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 16 September 2008 at 10:40
Tags: Broadcast, Television

ITV newsreader Mark Austin has accused 24-hour news channels for choosing presenters for their good looks rather than their journalistic talents.

In an interview with the Radio Times, he said: “I do think there are a number of pretty young women and handsome young men without a solid journalistic background reading the news nowadays… naming no names, but particularly on the 24-hour news channels. You don’t need to have been to a war zone to read the news, but it does help.”

Austin’s comments echo those of BBC’s Peter Sissons, who earlier this year launched an attack on the BBC. The 66-year-old newsreader said: “What matters far more is the passing appeal of presenters. We are all fashion goods now. Presenters are chosen more and more for the way they look, than what they have done.”

Earlier this month television newsreader Selina Scott began legal action against broadcaster Channel 5 claiming she had her contract cancelled because she was too old.

Al Jazeera excutive claims she was forced out for being “a woman, a Christian and Western”

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 10 September 2008 at 10:43
Tags: Broadcast, Television

A former female executive at Al Jazeera English is seeking more than £1 million compensation at an employment tribunal on the grounds of race, sex and religious discrimination, reports The Telegraph.

Jo Burgin, the former head of planning, is seeking compensation over the non-renewal of her contract in April 2007 and has branded the management of the news channel as “inconsistent, inefficient and malicious” and said she was forced out of her job because she was “a woman, a Christian and Western”.

Josh Hartnett to sue Daily Mirror

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 10 September 2008 at 09:49
Tags: Broadcast, National Newspapers, Newspapers, Television

Hollywood star Josh Hartnett is suing the Daily Mirror for alleging he had a “sexual dalliance” in the library of a London Hotel, reports the BBC.

The Pearl Harbour star has rubbished claims by the Mirror that he was caught on CCTV taking part in sexual activity in the Soho hotel, and that staff had seen the incident and given him a verbal warning.

Hartnett, who is about to start a run in a West End production of Rain Main, plans to seek damages for defamation and a public apology. His legal team said the allegations were “a complete fabrication” and “defamatory and unsubstantiated.”

In a recent interview with ITV1’s GMTV, Hartnett called the story “rubbish”. He said: “It’s incredible the stories they [the British newspapers] come out with.

“In the States at least they have to make a call to a representative and try to make a reality out of the situation. Over here they just make things up.”

He also questioned the paper’s claims of a video of him in action. “There was a rumour about a video,” he said. “But how can you have a rumour about a video? It would be on the Internet [by now].”

Scotland needs own channel, concludes inquiry

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 9 September 2008 at 09:42
Tags: Broadcast, Journalism, Television

Scotland won’t be getting a Scotland-only evening news programme on the BBC, an independent inquiry has said.

Although the Scottish Broadcasting Commission said that UK broadcasters were under serving the Scottish audience, it didn’t support Scottish first minister, Alex Salmond, in his demand for Scottish Six, a news bulletin to replace BBC1’s main evening bulletin.

The commission’s chairman, Blair Jenkins, concluded Scotland needs its own publicly funded digital channel which would include news and current affairs.

Jenkins said: “We make it clear that the proposal for a new Scottish Network does not let UK public service broadcasters off the hook, in terms of delivering good services to people in Scotland - what we’re proposing in no way removes that responsibility from them.”

Stuart Cosgrove, head of programming with Channel 4, supports the idea, but questions where the funding would come from, claiming the £75m quoted would not be enough to deliver “entirely new content”.

He said: “The more general point of the report is also fair, which is that Scotland has not had the investment it should have done in broadcasting from the BBC or Channel 4 and the sector here has under-performed.”

BBC head of regional programming quits

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 5 September 2008 at 10:26
Tags: BBC, Broadcast, Television

BBC’s head of regional and local programming, Tamsin O’Brien, is to stand down from her role in the North West after two years, reports How Do.

She said: “This has been a very difficult decision for me. I feel as proud to be working for the BBC now as I did the day I arrived almost twenty years ago.”

Banksy interviews Bell for web radio venture

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 5 September 2008 at 09:49
Tags: Broadcast, New Media, Online, Radio

Former Daily Mirror editor, and Fleet Street columnist, David Banks is to interview broadcaster Martin Bell for a new web-based radio venture.

An Audience With… is a spin-off from Clive Conway Productions’ theatre shows of the same name. Banksy’s chat with Martin Bell goes out live on Monday, 8 September, from 8-9pm.