Category: Media

We live in a (for the most part) democratic society, and one of the consequences is that we have a wide-ranging press publishing the full spectrum of opinion. As you might sometimes guess, I tend to lean a little left of centre in most areas, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t in some small…

I’m a bit late with this one, but it’s still worth commenting on. Last weekend, The Observer had a story entitled Official: BBC Is Too Upmarket. The report details how Director General, Mark Thompson, has ordered a large review entitled Household Value to determine who uses what BBC services. Although in its early stages, it…

Following on from my recent rant, I noticed yesterday that the TV homepage is currently soliciting for some research. I dutifully filled out the survey, and at length went through some of my less than happy thoughts about. Now I’m not suggesting that you should skew their research in any way, but if you were…

Reading the BBC’s response to Ofcom’s Digital Dividend Review (effectively determining what happens to all that bandwidth currently used by analogue TV once it’s switched off between 2008 and 2012), it’s notable that radio and television in this country are facing the same issues – encoding technology. Currently DAB uses MPEG-2 technology, as does Freeview.…

This morning’s Mediaguardian has a fascinating interview with Simon Kelner, editor of The Independent. I’ve always had something of a softspot for the Indie, as somebody who’s bought it on and off from day one (indeed I’ve just been out to pick up a copy of today’s – and I bet I’m in the minority…

Brand Republic is reporting (subscription) that ITV is axing its dedicated ITV Play digital TV channel. The overnight strand will continue to run, but the dedicated channel is reported to be going. A spokesman for ITV refused to comment on ITV Play, but confirmed that the broadcaster is reviewing all its digital channels ‘to ensure…

The “Participation TV” story isn’t going away anytime soon. Today’s Guardian has another full page on the scandal and an editorial – Hanging on the Telephone – to boot. I’m quietly (well not that quietly) proud about the editorial since I think, in some small way, I may have informed it a little. Just because…

I’m not sure how quickly the TV companies will be back making revenue from audience “interaction,” but today’s front page of The Mirror, while perhaps a little OTT, must make for disturbing reading.

It’s all go today. Broadcast reports that ITV is losing £1.5m per week while it suspends its premium rate lines. The voting mechanism will be up and running for Dancing on Ice tomorrow, but there’s even a suggestion that ITV Play won’t be returning at all! Of course I doubt it’ll be replaced with anything…

An interesting discussion going on over at the Media Guardian Organ Grinder blog. Janine Gibson hates these premium rate phone-ins as much as I do.

The Sky/Virgin Media battle rolls on, with Sky putting starting a big poster and radio campaign. What a shame that the ads weren’t checked for grammar. Lynne Truss anyone? It’s “Virgin Media has” not “Virgin Media have!”

As newspapers desperately attempt to shore up their circulations, they keep giving things away. The best of today’s “gifts” was a copy of The Killing Fields DVD in The Times. This is a great film that I haven’t watched for years. It’s remarkable that the film’s director Roland Joffé made this film and The Mission…

A great piece by Janine Gibson in the Mediaguardian blog referring in particular to a Daily Mirror piece (scroll down). I wholeheartedly agree with it all.