- news archive

This is an archive of news about . Some links may no longer work, due to the transient nature of the internet.

Trinity Mirror hits back at City over pensions
From The Times. Posted July 4 2008, 11.10pm
Trinity Mirror rejected City concerns that it may have to make substantial payments to help to prop up its £1.5 billion pension fund. (more)

Former WSJ editor heads race at Washington Post
From Financial Times. Posted July 4 2008, 10.15pm
The next editor of the Washington Post will be mandated to accelerate the combination of its print and online divisions, according to people familiar with a search that is expected to end early next week (more)

European public broadcasters elect next President and Vice-President
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 4 2008, 8.35pm
Jean-Paul Philippot, RTBF (Belgium) was elected today as the next President of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)*. He will succeed the current President, Fritz Pleitgen ARD (Germany), whose term of office will continue until the end of 2008. The EBU selected Richard Sambrook, BBC (United Kingdom) to be their next Vice President** replacing Boris Bergant, [...] (more)

May and Hammond could leave 'Top Gear'?
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 6.03pm
James May and Richard Hammond could leave Top Gear over a contract dispute, says a report. (more)

Final 'Heroes' grapples with tough competition
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 5.48pm
Season two of Heroes went out to mediocre ratings last night in a highly competitive 9pm hour. (more)

Tiscali TV to recommend content
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 5.38pm
Tiscali TV is introducing an interactive service called Tiscali Recommends. (more)

Ofcom invites DTT multiplex renewals
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 5.34pm
Ofcom invites SDN and Digital 3&4 Ltd to renew their digital terrestrial multiplex licences. (more)

Strong case for slimming down BBC, claims writer Antony Jay
From The Stage. Posted July 4 2008, 5.20pm
(more)

Shareholder demands scalp of TUI chief
From The Times. Posted July 4 2008, 4.16pm
The largest individual shareholder of TUI, the German tourism and shipping group, is demanding that chief executive Michael Frenzel is removed because of alleged special agreements with other shareholders, according to reports in a German newspaper. (more)

Future looks bleak for GrootNieuws Radio
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 4 2008, 3.28pm
It’s becoming increasingly likely that GrootNieuws Radio, the Dutch Christian radio station on 1008 kHz, will be forced to close down on 1 August. The station still needs to find 500,000 euro by the end of the month. Its appeal for financial assistance has so far resulted in about 500 donations, but the amounts are nowhere [...] (more)

Ban for 'debt services' operator
From BBC News. Posted July 4 2008, 3.17pm
A man operating a debt advice business exposed by the BBC's Watchdog programme is banned. (more)

BBC admits error in broadcasting shooting on News at Ten
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 2.59pm
The BBC has admitted it was wrong to broadcast graphic footage of a man being shot dead in Jerusalem. By John Plunkett (more)

BBC admits error in broadcasting fatal Jerusalem shooting on 10pm news
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 2.59pm
The BBC has admitted it was wrong to broadcast graphic footage of a man being shot dead in Jerusalem. By John Plunkett (more)

Veteran BBC journalist Wheeler dies at 85
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 2.41pm
Sir Charles Wheeler, the BBC's longest-serving foreign correspondent, dies aged 85. (more)

Behind the scenes of Russia Today
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 4 2008, 2.32pm
Moscow News has published an interview with Margarita Simonyan, a young woman in her 20’s who is Head of the 24-hour TV news channel Russia Today. I was interested to read that she grew up in Krasnodar, where I spent a month as a student in 1972. Read the interview Bookmark to: (more)

Daily Mail publisher is red-faced after laptop with personal data is stolen
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 2.25pm
Associated Newspapers has admitted that a laptop containing financial details of thousands of staff, suppliers and contributors has been stolen. By Tara Conlan (more)

News of the World's 'Sex with Diana' story was false, claims Paul Burrell
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 2.20pm
Paul Burrell's solicitors have written to the PCC claiming a News of the World story alleging the former royal butler claimed he had sex with Princess Diana was untrue. By Jemima Kiss (more)

'Street' creator to make BBC1 daytime dramas
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 2.09pm
The Street creator Jimmy McGovern is making five dramas exploring "contemporary issues" for BBC One daytime. (more)

McGovern to pen daytime drama series for BBC
From The Stage. Posted July 4 2008, 1.00pm
(more)

Journalism News Digest: A troubled week for Trinity
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 4 2008, 1.00pm
All the stories that have been making the news this week on HoldtheFrontPage (more)

C4 Costello series features Clinton, Elton
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 12.57pm
A Channel 4 series fronted by Elvis Costello is to feature Bill Clinton, Sir Elton John and Lou Reed. (more)

Polish Radio External Service begins longwave broadcasting
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 4 2008, 12.54pm
From July 1, Polish Radio External Service has started broadcasting on 198 kHz longwave. The 198 LW frequency is shared with Polish Radio Parliament, which will continue to broadcast when parliament is in session. At all other times Polish Radio External Service transmits on this frequency. Polish Radio External Service broadcasts in seven different languages: English, [...] (more)

Alan Carr offered �2m ITV contract?
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 12.54pm
Comedian Alan Carr is reportedly offered a �2 million contract with ITV. (more)

?Yes, Minister? writer calls for slimmed-down BBC
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 4 2008, 12.49pm
The BBC should be slimmed down to just one television and one radio channel, the co-writer of the “Yes, Minister” political satire said today. As it is funded by a tax on all television-owning households, the BBC should focus on BBC1 and Radio 4 to produce more distinctive programmes, Sir Anthony Jay said in a [...] (more)

Jimmy McGovern to make BBC daytime drama set in Liverpool
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 12.38pm
Jimmy McGovern is to make a BBC daytime drama series which partly takes its inspiration from the Ingrid Bergman movie The Yellow Rolls-Royce. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

Sky considering �2.5bn bid for Digital+
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 12.36pm
Sky is considering a bid of more than �2.5bn (�2bn) for Spanish satellite pay TV firm Digital+. (more)

BBC's Charles Wheeler dies
From The Independent. Posted July 4 2008, 12.30pm
Sir Charles Wheeler, one of the BBC's longest-serving and most popular foreign correspondents, has died, the corporation announced today. He was 85. (more)

Sir Charles Wheeler R.I.P.
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 4 2008, 12.26pm
BBC Director-General Mark Thompson led the tributes to Sir Charles Wheeler, one of the BBC’s most renowned correspondents, who died today aged 85. Mark Thompson said: “To audiences and to his colleagues alike Charles Wheeler was simply a legend. His integrity, his authority and his humanity graced the BBC’s airwaves over many decades. He is utterly irreplaceable [...] (more)

Obituary: Charles Wheeler
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 12.21pm
For more than four decades Charles Wheeler, who has died aged 85, reported for BBC radio and television from most of the world's trouble spots. By Harold Jackson (more)

Wogan quiz wins Richard and Judy slot
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 12.18pm
Channel 4 commissions a new Terry Wogan quiz show to air at teatime. (more)

McFly: Newspaper deal is "no-brainer"
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 12.10pm
Pop group McFly describe their album release deal with the Mail On Sunday as a "no-brainer". (more)

RNW Annual Report 2007 now available online
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 4 2008, 11.47am
The Radio Netherlands Worldwide annual report for 2007 is now available online. You can access the report on this page. If you have any comments, please leave them on that page on our website rather than in this blog. Bookmark to: (more)

TV ratings - Thursday July 3: Channel 4's Fallout watched by 1.4m
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 11.45am
Hard-hitting drama Fallout drew 1.4 million viewers, concluding Channel 4's Disarming Britain series on gun and knife crime. By Jemima Kiss (more)

Top Gear's James May and Richard Hammond 'turned down' BBC offer
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 11.03am
Top Gear stars James May and Richard Hammond have not yet signed new contracts, despite their agreements expiring at the end of the month – leading to fears they may leave the show. By Mark Sweney and Tara Conlan (more)

Veteran BBC foreign correspondent Charles Wheeler, 85, dies
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 10.54am
Sir Charles Wheeler, one of the BBC's longest standing foreign correspondents and the father-in-law of London mayor Boris Johnson, has died at the age of 85. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

links for 2008-07-04
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 4 2008, 10.31am
News | Facebook closes app after second privacy violation - NMA Facebook has shut down one of the site's most popular applications after 'privacy violations'. The removal of Social Hi comes just one week after the site's fourth biggest application Top Friends was pulled after a hacker made users' private details publ (tags: facebook apps) Disillusioned Berliner Zeitung staff [...] (more)

Emmerdale's Jack Sugden dies aged 63
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 9.54am
ITV soap's longest-serving actor Clive Hornby, who played the rural farmer character for 28 years, died last night. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

Broadband speeds must be faster, says Ofcom
From Daily Telegraph. Posted July 4 2008, 9.25am
Telecoms regulator Ofcom has called on fixed line operators like BT and Virgin Media to offer much faster broadband speeds and has promised to let them make a return if they make the necessary heavy investments. (more)

Virgin adds 'ER' pilot, more US TV to VOD
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 9.20am
The ER pilot film, Private Practice and Sarah Connor Chronicles will appear on Virgin's VOD service this month. (more)

Murray's Wimbledon exit seen by 7.7m
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 9.20am
Andy Murray's Wimbledon exit drew a peak audience of 7.7m to BBC One on Wednesday. (more)

Freeview Playback renamed Freeview+
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 9.18am
Freeview is rebranding its digital video recorders from Freeview Playback to Freeview+. (more)

BBC2 plans property series with Urban Splash
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 9.18am
BBC Two will follow a group of amateur designers as they build homes "with a difference" in a street in Manchester. (more)

The return of the chameleon
From Radio Today. Posted July 4 2008, 9.04am
The famous Listen in Colour strapline and chameleon-based logo for Jazz FM is returning to promote the relaunch of the digital only station later this year. (more)

Video: Christopher Hitchens gets waterboarded
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 4 2008, 8.57am
For his latest Vanity Fair article, Believe me, it's torture, Christopher Hitchens underwent a session of waterboarding to test whether it amounts to torture (hat tip Greenslade) Here's the video: Here also is the video of a investigative reporter from Current TV's vanguard journalism strand beating him to the punch by undergoing the procedure for a piece [...] (more)

Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk: Word counts are there for a reason
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 4 2008, 8.50am
Freelancing: Stick to the word count in the brief. If you are substantially under, this could lead to problem of bare space on the page. If you are substantially over, someone will have to cut your copy to size. Tipster: Tom Stainer Got a tip? Submit it here - we will pay a fiver for the [...] (more)

US teenage pregnancy cult to feature in BBC3 documentary
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 8.16am
BBC3 is to broadcast a fast turnaround documentary about the 17 teenage girls from the same US Catholic school who all became pregnant at the same time. By Mark Sweney (more)

C4 making Lil' Chris chatshow series
From Digital Spy. Posted July 4 2008, 8.12am
Channel 4 is making a series of Everybody Loves Lil' Chris. (more)

GTN hires more producers
From Radio Today. Posted July 4 2008, 8.03am
Global Traffic Network UK has signed two new producers to work at its existing airborne operations base at Oxford and Plymouth Airports. (more)

BBC Scotland Doc Wins Again
From allmediascotland - Spike. Posted July 4 2008, 7.49am
A BBC Scotland documentary - following rock musician, Mark Everett, aka Eels, trying to find out more about his late father, the quantum physicist, Hugh Everett III - has won yet again. Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives has taken the science communication prize at the Third International Science... (more)

Media Talk podcast: live(ish) and on location in Glasgow at the Radio Academy Festival
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 7.22am
Matt Wells presents a special edition of the podcast from Scotland's second city, rounding up all the news and issues from the Radio Academy Festival (more)

Trinity-Johnston merger is "speculative gossip" say bosses
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 4 2008, 7.20am
City broker suggests troubled publishers should join forces (more)

'Green light' for police surveillance of journalists and photographers
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 4 2008, 7.20am
Home Secretary's view raises concerns over 'unacceptable restrictions' of media covering public events (more)

Regional paper celebrates rugby appeal success
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 4 2008, 7.20am
Coventry Telegraph helps kicks city's rugby club into next season (more)

Roger Federer stars as Greek hero in Olympics ad
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 6.23am
China hopes a dramatic global TV promotion featuring tennis player Roger Federer as a mythic Greek hero will heighten interest in the Olympics. By Mark Sweney (more)

Disillusioned Berliner Zeitung staff advertise for new proprietor
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 6.23am
Staff at the Berliner Zeitung newspaper in Germany are so unhappy with their owner, David Montgomery, that they have advertised for a new proprietor in a rival German magazine. By Helen Pidd (more)

Wogan's Total Recall: Sir Terry to step into Richard and Judy's shoes
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2008, 6.23am
Broadcasting veteran Terry Wogan has been asked to make a four-week run of a new quiz show that will air on Channel 4 later this year. By Tara Conlan (more)

Radar: Gawker cuts staff pay rate for 2nd consecutive quarter
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 4 2008, 6.22am
Gawker has cut the rate at which staff members get paid for the second quarter running. Writers working for the blog get their salary paid according to traffic on the site. According to Radar, at the start of the year those bloggers were getting $7.50 per 1000 page views that then went down to $6.50 for the next quarter and it is now $5. (more)

Press Gazette: BBC iPlayer to be available on third-party websites
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 4 2008, 6.22am
The BBC is to make its on-demand web TV and radio player, iPlayer, embeddable on other websites, according to TV news site Channel 21. The move means viewers will be able to watch clips of BBC programmes on third party websites such as Facebook. (more)

Journalists' union launches anti-bullying handbook
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 4 2008, 6.10am
NUJ's book focuses on workplace intimidation, Dorset Echo begins hunt for new editor and more news in brief (more)

New photography chief for journalism training body
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 4 2008, 6.10am
Steve Phillips is new chairman as NCTJ's announced four additions to its photography board (more)

BSkyB considers €2.5bn Spanish bid
From Financial Times. Posted July 4 2008, 3.00am
British Sky Broadcasting, the UK satellite group, is considering making a bid of more than €2.5bn ($3.9bn) for Digital Plus, the Spanish pay-television platform,... (more)

It's no party
From Financial Times. Posted July 4 2008, 3.00am
There was a sharp contrast in the party mood at the respective media gatherings for the Sky summer party, overlooking the Thames at the Oxo Tower, and the ITV drinks... (more)

Primark faces customer exodus after BBC 'child labour' allegations
From Daily Telegraph. Posted July 4 2008, 12.01am
Primark, the value clothing retailer, faces losing customers in the wake of a BBC documentary alleging the use of child labour in its supply chain. (more)

Tie-up with Lloyd's List publisher is sunk but UBM is still buoyant
From Daily Telegraph. Posted July 4 2008, 12.01am
Where to now for United Business Media? A fortnight ago the company called off talks about a £3bn merger with rival business information publisher Informa, owner of shipping bible Lloyd's List. (more)

How to save the BBC from itself (and get its hand out of our pockets)
From Daily Telegraph. Posted July 4 2008, 12.01am
A combination of corporate imperialism and institutional self-regard stops the broadcaster seeing where its future lies, argues Jeff Randall (more)

Posh values of BBC present one-sided picture of UK
From The Times. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
Go to Glastonbury and it is tempting to conclude, while watching bands perform in the Somerset countryside, that this is the real England. It is easy to believe that you have found the essence of a nation when there are large crowds around, a hint of rain in the air and hills in the distance. (more)

Crossing the divide: Cooking with the enemy
From The Independent. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
There's a moment when one of the two strong women at the centre of Good Intentions, a ground-breaking television drama series showing at prime-time on Israel's Channel Two, leaves a voicemail for the other, who is preparing to drop her son off at the induction camp for the first day of his compulsory army service. "I only wanted to wish you good luck for your son," she says. "I hope he will be safe." (more)

Maradona fights for cash
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
Footballer Diego Maradona, famed for the Hand of God incident when Argentina played England in 1986, has launched a legal battle over a newspaper interview with The Sun. (more)

Is media law justice for all?
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
In a landslide vote, delegates at the Media Law Conference agreed that the benefit Conditional Fee Arrangements provide in terms of access to justice in media law cases does not outweigh the gag on freedom of expression. (more)

Celebrity ruling should 'strike fear'
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
A Court of Appeal ruling that a celebrity's reasonable expectation of privacy should be decided on a case-by-case basis is bad news for journalists, according to Caroline Kean from media law firm Wiggin. (more)

How to make the FoI Act work for you
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 may contain 23 exemptions – but it has proved to be a "shoulder-mounted rocket launcher of mischief making" for journalists, according to news agency boss Matt Davis. (more)

Social media copyright – a tangled web
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
Using material uploaded to the internet by users of social-media websites like YouTube, Facebook or personal blogs without permission is a risky approach for major publishers, barrister Christina Michalos of 5 Raymond Buildings warned the... (more)

Mosley case will be a legal landmark
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
The case of Max Mosley versus the News of the World kicks off on Monday in what promises to be a landmark privacy battle. (more)

Mum wins Express damages over dole 'scrounger' claim
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
A mother of five from Cornwall has won damages and an apology from the Daily Express after the paper portrayed her as a dole "scrounger" who had refused to go back to work. (more)

Max Mosley privacy case will be a legal landmark
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
The case of Max Mosley versus the News of the World kicks off on Monday in what promises to be a landmark privacy battle. (more)

Diego Maradona sues The Sun over interview fee
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
Footballer Diego Maradona, famed for the Hand of God incident when Argentina played England in 1986, has launched a legal battle over a newspaper interview with The Sun. (more)

Peter Oborne: Newspapers are demonising Muslims
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
Daily Mail columnist Peter Oborne has warned that British newspapers are part of a 'dangerous demonising' of the country's 1.6 million Muslims. (more)

Veteran BBC correspondent Charles Wheeler is dead
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
Sir Charles Wheeler, one of the BBC's longest-serving and most popular foreign correspondents, has died, the corporation announced today. He was 85 and was suffering from lung cancer. (more)

Paul Burrell complains to PCC over Diana 'sex' story
From Press Gazette. Posted July 4 2008, 12.00am
Princess Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, has complained to the Press Complaints Commission over a News of the World splash headlined: 'I Had Sex With Diana'. (more)

Anna Pickard on why Hollywood studios keep going to the small screen for ideas
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 11.04pm
Ross, Rachel et al are coming to the big screen, but are Hollywood remakes of much loved TV shows (more)

Listen very carefully - 'Allo 'Allo! is coming back
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 11.01pm
A theatrical version of the 80s BBC sitcom which ran for seven seasons over 10 years is to tour (more)

French pro-am news website Rue89 gets million euro investment
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 11.00pm
£871,200 investment to further evolve the online-only news site (more)

Thomson Reuters launches Formula One website
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 11.00pm
Mobile versions to launch later this month in India and UK (more)

B&B fund-raising effort rescued
From BBC News. Posted July 3 2008, 10.42pm
Efforts by Bradford & Bingley to raise �400m have been rescued after a would-be investor pulls out, the BBC learns. (more)

BSkyB considers bid for Spain's Digital+
From Financial Times. Posted July 3 2008, 8.39pm
British Sky Broadcasting, the UK satellite group, is considering making a bid of more than €2.5bn for Digital+, the Spanish pay-TV platform, which would mark its first foray outside the UK and Ireland since an ill-fated move into Germany in 2000 (more)

Nigeria: Independent radio/TV station for Efon-Alaaye soon
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 3 2008, 5.45pm
An independent radio and television station is to be established at Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State. A former board chairman of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chief Biola Olasope, said in Lagos that the project had so far gulped N150 million. He told NAN that the project was being sponsored by an indigenous firm, “Ekiti-Sope Radio [...] (more)

China launches first Croatian-language website
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 3 2008, 5.27pm
Text of report in English by Croatian state news agency HINA ZAGREB, July 3 (Hina) - The Chinese Embassy in Zagreb and China Radio International (CRI), the state-run radio network that has been broadcasting programmes in 48 languages for over 60 years, in Zagreb on Wednesday presented the Chinese government’s first Internet site in the Croatian [...] (more)

RFE/RL to end its broadcasts to Romania
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 3 2008, 5.24pm
Just a few days after the BBC announced it is closing its Romanian service on 1 August, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has announced that it will do likewise, also on 1 August. However, unlike the BBC World Service, RFE/RL’s Romanian-language broadcasts to Moldova and the Transdniester region will continue. The Romanian Service began experimental broadcasting on July [...] (more)

'Creature Comforts' returns for charity
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 3.24pm
Aardman Animations brings back Creature Comforts for a charity ad campaign. (more)

Trinity Mirror to merge features subs on national titles
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 3.00pm
Trinity Mirror is axing 11 subeditors as it integrates some subbing operations across national titles the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People. By Stephen Brook (more)

Viewers complain after BBC News broadcasts Jerusalem shooting
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 2.52pm
BBC News has received 61 complaints after its 10pm bulletin on BBC1 showed police shooting dead the man who drove a bulldozer into vehicles in Jerusalem yesterday. By Tara Conlan (more)

Radiohead star guests on classical LP
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 2.46pm
Radiohead's Thom Yorke contributes to a classical album called Cortical Songs. (more)

Guardian: Channel 4 ponders move into regional news
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 2.41pm
Channel 4 is mulling over the a possible move into the gap in regional news broadcasting left by the retreat of ITV services. The broadcaster is in discussion with Ofcom and ITV about investing funds in regional news services and infrastructure - a move which could strengthen its public service broadcasting hand. (more)

BBC proposes pre-ordering on iPlayer
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 2.41pm
The BBC formally proposes a download pre-ordering function for its iPlayer VOD service. (more)

Virgin failure interrupts Murray match
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 2.26pm
Andy Murray's crunch Wimbledon match last night was interrupted for some BBC HD viewers on Virgin Media. (more)

KCR to relaunch as The Edge
From Radio Today. Posted July 3 2008, 1.46pm
Merseyside station KCR 106.7 has been bought by a consortium headed by group chairman and presenter Jon Jessop.The purchase means another end to the name KCR, as the station will re-launch as 106.7 The Edge later this year. (more)

TV ratings - July 2: Andy Murray's Wimbledon 2008 defeat to Rafael Nadal seen by 7.7m
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 1.37pm
Andy Murray's Wimbledon quarter-final defeat at the hands of Spain's Rafael Nadal was watched by a peak audience of 7.7 million viewers last night, July 2. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

CheckMEND service addresses online auction sites' problems
From Press Release, via webitpr. Posted July 3 2008, 12.27pm
Need for Stronger Solutions Underscored by eBay Counterfeit Ruling in France; US Decision Imminent Gloucestershire, UK, July 3, 2008 ? In light of the recent legal ruling in France resulting in a �31 ($63) million fine against eBay for selling counterfeit luxury goods, the global issue of product authenticity among online auction sites has been brought sharply into focus. Cybercrime and "e?fencing" are serious issues, costing consumers an estimated �2 ($4) billion annually. A judge... (more)

Gough, Du Beke join BBC1 "human Tetris"
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 12.26pm
A BBC One gameshow series dubbed "human Tetris" will feature Dale Winton, Darren Gough and Anton Du Beke. (more)

Federer and Flight of the Conchords star feature in new Nike ad
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 12.01pm
Nike is to air a TV ad that features Roger Federer in a tennis showdown against Rhys Darby, who plays hapless band manager Murray in Flight of the Conchords. By Mark Sweney (more)

Tate won't rule out comedy comeback
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 11.52am
Catherine Tate says that she would be willing to film special episodes of her comedy show. (more)

C4 considering move into regional news
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 11.11am
Channel 4 is considering a move into regional news, initially with online content. (more)

BBC veteran executive producer Paul Woolwich goes freelance
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 10.48am
Veteran BBC current affairs executive producer Paul Woolwich is to take voluntary redundancy and leave the corporation. By Tara Conlan (more)

Channel 4 ponders move into regional news as ITV retreats
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 10.41am
Channel 4 is considering a move into regional news in a bid to fill the gap left by ITV cutbacks and strengthen its public service broadcasting settlement hand. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

Local press 'Party in the Bay' story grabs worldwide media attention
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 3 2008, 10.40am
Eagle-eyed Herald Express reporter spots story on Facebook and generates headlines Down Under (more)

links for 2008-07-03
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 10.31am
What would make you post video comments? | Online Journalism Blog Paul Bradshaw asks in a video post: ""What would make you post video comments?" (tags: video blog comments) Official Google Blog: Google learns to crawl Flash "Google has been developing a new algorithm for indexing textual content in Flash files of all kinds, from Flash menus, buttons and [...] (more)

LA Times: Los Angeles Times to cut 250 jobs
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 10.30am
The LA Times announced yesterday that it will cut 250 jobs - 150 editorial positions - across the company in a latest effort to curb spending as reveunes plummet. In a further cost-cutting step, the newspaper will reduce the number of pages it publishes each week by 15 per cent. "You all know the paradox we find ourselves in," Times Editor Russ Stanton said in a memo to the staff. "Thanks to the internet, we have more readers for our great journalism than at any time in our history. But also thanks to the internet, our advertisers have more choices, and we have less money." (more)

NYTimes innovation plans: Widgets, iPhone, APIs
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 10.29am
Silicon Valley Insider talked to Marc Frons, chief technology officer of NYTimes digital, about the projects he's working on and the development that they'll be rolling out in the near future. Here's a brief overview: Things we have already covered: Those APIs: the plan is to eventually let developers outside of the Times play with its content [...] (more)

News of the World pays out and apologises to Jordan and Peter Andre
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 10.28am
Katie Price and Peter Andre have accepted substantial damages and a public apology at the high court in London today from the News of the World. By Stephen Brook (more)

ITV to borrow �110m to support turnaround
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 10.14am
ITV is borrowing an additional �110m through a bond issue to support its financial turnaround plan. (more)

Belgian newspaper group to take European Commission to court again after its first challenge over news aggregator fails
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 10.04am
Belgian newspaper group Copiepresse - yes, the one that's in that legal wrangle with Google - is about to re-enter a copyright battle with a second online publisher - this time it's the European Commission. Copiepresse will attempt to sue the EC for a second time after it had its copyright infringement case against the EC's [...] (more)

Channel 4 recreates The Shining to promote its Kubrick season
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 10.02am
Channel 4 has shot a 65-second promotional film which recreates the set of Kubrick's classic horror film, The Shining. By Mark Sweney (more)

Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk: Job interview technique
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 10.00am
Job interviews: Research the publication - who owns it, who works for it, what does it cover? Anticipate questions (know your CV inside out). Plan your questions beforehand. Listen carefully, don't interrupt or talk over the interviewer. Watch your body language. Tipster: John Thompson Got a tip? Submit it here - we will pay a fiver [...] (more)

Watch promo for More4's Kubrick season
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 9.50am
Promo, shot from the point of view of Stanley Kubrick, to promote a More4 season of the director's films. Made by Channel 4 Creative Services (more)

McClatchy editor sets up public wiki for discussions about innovation across the group
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 3 2008, 9.48am
US newspaper company McClatchy has set up a public wiki to act as an 'online repository of ideas' where its journalists and others can discuss innovation ideas for the group. The wiki is called McClatchy Next and has been set up by Howard Weaver, vice president for news at McClatchy. "It's a wiki, the same basic format [...] (more)

Big Green Switch wins campaigning website award
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 3 2008, 9.30am
Northcliffe sister site aims to help people live a greener lifestyle (more)

Two senior executives out in News International reshuffle
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 9.16am
Two key figures have left News International as part of the organisation's commercial reorganisation. By Stephen Brook (more)

Noel 'hated' 'No Deal' phone in comp
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 9.02am
Noel Edmonds says he always "hated" the phone-in that got Deal Or No Deal in trouble for misleading viewers. (more)

Noel 'hated' 'No Deal' phone-in comp
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 9.02am
Noel Edmonds says he always "hated" the phone-in that got Deal Or No Deal in trouble for misleading viewers. (more)

The view from the back row
From Radio Today. Posted July 3 2008, 8.16am
This year's Radio Festival seemed notable by it's inclusions and absences.The inclusion of a good PPL/PRS debate, but the absence of much chat about last week's record GCap fine. The inclusion of a free bar each night, but the absence of it being available while Sharleen Spiteri was getting ready. And the inclusion many Glasgow tourist brochures in the delegate bag, but the absence of, well, anything of much use in it. (more)

ITV to issue bonds to raise £110m
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 8.12am
ITV is to issue bonds to raise £110m in funding to support the turnaround of the business. By Mark Sweney (more)

Winton to front 'human Tetris' series?
From Digital Spy. Posted July 3 2008, 8.04am
Dale Winton is reportedly in line to present a BBC One series based on a Japanese game dubbed "human Tetris". (more)

Alan Finlayson: Big Brother exposes uncomfortable truths about Britain
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 8.00am
Alan Finlayson: Nine years on, the reality TV show continues to expose uncomfortable truths about the self-interest of modern Britain (more)

Gaelic Crime 'Docudrama' Goes into Production
From allmediascotland - Spike. Posted July 3 2008, 7.40am
A ‘docudrama’ about a Scottish serial killer from the 1950s, is to be made by the production arm of stv owners, SMG, for a forthcoming digital TV channel dedicated to Gaelic language programming. SMG Productions is currently in production with an one-hour docudrama about... (more)

The Fairness Doctrine: Free Speech and the Radio Marketplace
From radio.about.com. Posted July 3 2008, 7.34am
For about 26 years between 1949 until 1985, Radio adhered to a government policy called "The Fairness Doctrine". After it was eliminated, conservative talk radio made a stunning rise in... (more)

Knickers in a Twist
From allmediascotland - Spike. Posted July 3 2008, 7.29am
Spike likes the clarification that appeared in yesterday’s Press and Journal newspaper, concerning a stripper arrested for impersonating a police officer. It reads: “We have been asked to point out that Stuart Kennedy, of Flat E, 38 Don Street, Aberdeen, who appeared at... (more)

Brief Return to talk107 Airwaves for Graham
From allmediascotland - Spike. Posted July 3 2008, 7.28am
Listeners to the Edinburgh-based all speech radio station, talk107, could have been forgiven for not believing their ears on Tuesday evening. They thought he was gone for good, but no. Back, to stir things up, was former programme director and morning host, Mike Graham - but neither as a... (more)

Newspaper's rugby club appeal raises �50k in two weeks
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 3 2008, 7.10am
But 'remarkable achievement' may still not be enough to save Coventry RFC (more)

Journalists' union in restructuring plan
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 3 2008, 7.10am
NUJ looks to reorganise to itself for 21st century needs (more)

Agency boss helps reporters lift the lid on council spending
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 3 2008, 7.10am
Three-week council audits provide rich source of news (more)

Local press' party in 'The Bay' story grabs worldwide media attention
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 3 2008, 7.10am
Eagle-eyed Herald Express reporter spots story on Facebook and generates headlines Down Under (more)

Orange rebrands with global TV ad campaign
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 6.11am
Mobile phone operator Orange is to launch its biggest global TV campaign, thought to be worth as much as £90m. By Mark Sweney (more)

News International close to choosing HQ location
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 6.08am
News International is in the final throes of decision making on its new London headquarters. By Stephen Brook (more)

TV matters: Mark Lawson on Bonekickers
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 12.34am
Mark Lawson on Bonekickers (more)

Limbaugh signs radio contract worth $400m
From Financial Times. Posted July 3 2008, 12.25am
Rush Limbaugh, the conservative talk radio host, has signed an eight-year contract extension said to be worth as much as $400m (more)

Watch this: ABBA: The Mamma Mia! Story | Sunday Schools: Reading, Writing and Redemption | Fallout | The Office: An American Workplace
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 12.23am
Sarah Dempster suggests ABBA: The Mamma Mia! Story | Sunday Schools: Reading, Writing and Redemption | Fallout | The Office: An American Workplace (more)

Paul Howlett's TV film picks: Heaven Can Wait | Little Children | The Limey
From Media Guardian. Posted July 3 2008, 12.18am
Paul Howlett recommends Heaven Can Wait | Little Children | The Limey (more)

Thomson executive joins Daily Mail publisher
From Daily Telegraph. Posted July 3 2008, 12.01am
DMGT, publisher of the Daily Mail, has recruited Thomson Reuters executive Suresh Kavan to run its business information publishing division, replacing Martin Morgan, who is to become group chief executive. (more)

Reed hopes loan offer will kick-start auction
From The Times. Posted July 3 2008, 12.00am
Reed Elsevier has been forced to offer a loan to would-be buyers of its £1billion-plus business magazines division in an attempt to kick-start an auction of the unit behind Farmers Weekly and Flight International. (more)

Downturn? We're doing fine says publisher launching Wired UK
From Press Gazette. Posted July 3 2008, 12.00am
As Condé Nast announced the launch of a UK edition of American technology magazine Wired – the title's publisher has said the economic downturn was an "opportunity not a threat". (more)

Katie Price and Peter Andre win apology over 'bad parents' claim
From Press Gazette. Posted July 3 2008, 12.00am
Katie Price and Peter Andre today won damages and a public apology from the News of the World after the Sunday paper accepted that its allegations that they were bad parents were untrue. (more)

BBC footage of fatal shooting prompts complaints
From Press Gazette. Posted July 3 2008, 12.00am
BBC's Ten O'Clock News sparked almost 100 complaints after showing footage last night of a Palestinian man being shot dead after running amok with a bulldozer in Jerusalem. (more)

Trinity Mirror axes 11 jobs in subbing merger
From Press Gazette. Posted July 3 2008, 12.00am
Trinity Mirror has called for voluntary redundancies as it merges some subbing operations across the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People in a bit to save costs following a downbeat trading update earlier this week. (more)

Major deal for Rush Limbaugh
From Radio Today. Posted July 2 2008, 11.57pm
Rush Limbaugh, one of America's biggest names in talk radio has apparently signed a 200 million pounds - eight year deal - with Premiere Radio Networks. (more)

Question time: Emine Saner talks to Julian Clary on the world of TV, his career as a novelist
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 11.49pm
Emine Saner talks to Julian Clary about the TV world, his career as a novelist - and his burning ambition to play Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night (more)

Talk show host signs $38m deal
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 11.13pm
Rightwing presenter Rush Limbaugh becomes one of the highest-paid media figures in US with new deal (more)

Environment: Climate risk from flat-screen TVs
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 11.09pm
Flat-screen televisions could have a greater impact on global warming than the largest coal-fired power stations, a leading environmental scientist has warned. By Ian Sample (more)

Objection: BBC drama is unfair on us, say barristers
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 11.08pm
Serial drama, Criminal Justice, criticised by Bar Council for showing barristers as unprincipled and overly aggressive (more)

BBC presenter: media to blame on house prices
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 11.08pm
Former economics editor Evan Davis claims that journalists could have averted the crash with prior warnings (more)

Television: Top Gear in hot water over G&T on ice
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 11.08pm
Clarkson and co escape censure after polar special criticised for 'glamorising the misuse of alcohol' (more)

Interview: Alex Ballantyne, MD of Hearst Digital 'Why rush? We're building properties for the medium to long term, not short-term gain'
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 2 2008, 11.00pm
Journalism.co.uk talks arriving online late, video plans and social media tools with the head of NatMags UK digital wing (more)

NetDoctor to launch online TV service
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 2 2008, 11.00pm
Partnership with the Dept of Health will bring in 150 wellbeing videos (more)

Brian May slams ITV over Mandela cuts
From Digital Spy. Posted July 2 2008, 10.55pm
Brian May criticises ITV for cutting Queen's performance at Nelson Mandela's birthday concert. (more)

Mondays singer to cameo in 'Shameless'
From Digital Spy. Posted July 2 2008, 10.25pm
Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder is to cameo in Shameless. (more)

Michael Buerk rescued from yacht
From Digital Spy. Posted July 2 2008, 9.34pm
Former 999 host Michael Buerk is rescued by lifeboat crews after his yacht breaks down. (more)

Edmonds vows to battle "broken Britain"
From Digital Spy. Posted July 2 2008, 8.50pm
Noel Edmonds will rail against Britain's social ills in a new primetime entertainment show for Sky One. (more)

'Top Gear' G&Ts were 'irresponsible'
From Digital Spy. Posted July 2 2008, 8.14pm
The BBC Trust upholds a complaint about Top Gear presenters drinking while driving. (more)

Virgin1 to air US 'Monster Hunter' show
From Digital Spy. Posted July 2 2008, 7.57pm
Virgin1 is to air 12 episodes of US mystery investigation series The Monster Hunter. (more)

Radio Festival: Make Radio 1 and 2 digital-only, says RadioCentre
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 5.15pm
Commercial radio body RadioCentre has called for BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 be made digital-only to drive DAB takeup. By Owen Gibson (more)

Frequency change for RNW Spanish from 5 July
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 2 2008, 5.14pm
The RNW transmission in Spanish at 2359-0157 UTC via French Guiana will change frequency on 5 July to improve reception in South America. The current 9895 kHz will be replaced by 7325 kHz. Bookmark to: (more)

BBC: Viewers must complain within 30 days
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 4.41pm
The BBC has halved the amount of time viewers have to make a complaint to 30 days. By Tara Conlan (more)

Disabled model show impresses for BBC Three
From Digital Spy. Posted July 2 2008, 4.34pm
The first instalment of new reality show Britain's Missing Top Model draws decent ratings for BBC Three. (more)

ITV shares dip below 40p
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 4.29pm
ITV's share price has fallen briefly below 40p for the first time as media stocks have taken another hammering. By Mark Sweney (more)

France 24 chief becomes head of Radio France Internationale
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 2 2008, 4.22pm
The head of a new, streamlined French media group, Alain de Pouzilhac, took over as CEO of Radio France Internationale on Tuesday, marking one of the first steps in a controversial overhaul of public broadcasting in France. Pouzilhac is already the head of Audiovisuel extérieur de la France (AEF), a group set up to bring [...] (more)

French public TV chief slams ?stupid? Sarkozy claims
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 2 2008, 4.13pm
The head of French public television hit out today at President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans for broadcasting reform, saying his arguments were “false” and “stupid.” Sarkozy last week confirmed plans to end advertising on France Télévisions’ five channels from January, arguing that French public TV stations were too similar to private broadcasters and must be freed from commercial [...] (more)

Journalism students in McCann scoop
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 2 2008, 4.10pm
Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell doorstepped as he left lecture (more)

Noel Edmonds: TV must act to regain trust
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 4.03pm
Deal or No Deal presenter Noel Edmonds has said broadcasters must 'take the initiative' to restore trust in British TV after the fakery scandals. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

BBC announces 'human Tetris' gameshow Hole in the Wall
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 3.43pm
BBC1 is to air a new family Saturday night entertainment show called Hole in the Wall developed from a hit Japanese format. By Tara Conlan (more)

Internet provides boost to radio listening
From UTalk Marketing. Posted July 2 2008, 3.28pm
Good news for industry (more)

Heinz male kiss ad cleared by watchdog ASA
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 3.09pm
The UK's advertising regulator has decided not to investigate Heinz's 'male kiss' TV ad, despite 215 complaints from viewers. By Mark Sweney (more)

Product placement could erode TV writers' control over story, warns guild
From The Stage. Posted July 2 2008, 3.00pm
(more)

Sir Alan steps down as Amstrad chairman
From The Times. Posted July 2 2008, 2.56pm
Sir Alan Sugar, the multi-millionaire star of The Apprentice TV series, has stepped down as chairman of Amstrad, the company he founded aged just 21. (more)

Digg launches recommendation engine
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 2 2008, 2.14pm
Digg is launching a new recommendation engine - offering a first play with the new technology to a random sample of Digg users to test this week. The beta device will analyse users past 'Digging' activity to uncover other users and content that may be of interest to them. Digg intends to roll out the technology later [...] (more)

BBC's Evan Davis says media could have warned of credit crunch
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 2.06pm
Radio Festival 2008: The BBC's former economics editor Evan Davis said today journalists could have done more to warn the public about the credit crunch that triggered the current housing price crash. By John Plunkett (more)

Racing revamped with £3m marketing push
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 1.53pm
Racing events such as the Derby could become as big as Wimbledon, with an industry marketing initiative that will see broadcasters having to re-bid for media rights. By Mark Sweney (more)

Racing revamped with £9m marketing push
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 1.53pm
Racing events such as the Derby could become as big as Wimbledon, with an industry marketing initiative that will see broadcasters having to re-bid for media rights. By Mark Sweney (more)

Independent: Trinity and Johnston Press to merge?
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted July 2 2008, 1.36pm
"Trinity Mirror and Johnston Press failed to draw any steam out of suggestions that they should merge yesterday as the London market, unsettled by fears for the economy, sank into the red," so say a piece in the Independent that canvased opinion of leading mergers and aquisitions bank ABN Amro about the nightmare that is advertising reveune in regional newspaper publishing. The bank stirred the pot by telling the Indy that given the problems faced by the media sector companies would increasingly look for industry consolidation. "These are desperate times, and they call for desperate measures: we believe a Trinity/Johnston combination makes sense," ABN said. (more)

Roles of journalists and bloggers ?blurring?
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 2 2008, 1.13pm
The roles played by journalists and bloggers are blurring with many news organisations now offering online services and their reporters writing their own blogs, a news seminar in Ulaanbaatar has heard. Mock Pak Lam, MediaCorp Technologies’ Managing Director, said to meet the challenge from bloggers and social networking sites, news organisations were actively seeking contributions from [...] (more)

Freeview HD slots advertised by Ofcom
From Digital Spy. Posted July 2 2008, 1.12pm
Ofcom issues a formal advertisement for applicants to run high definition services on a reconfigured DTT multiplex. (more)

Top Gear criticised for showing Jeremy Clarkson and James May drinking G&T while driving
From Media Guardian. Posted July 2 2008, 1.04pm
Top Gear has been rapped by the BBC Trust's editorial standards committee for showing Jeremy Clarkson and James May drinking while driving. By Tara Conlan (more)

Azerbaijan to consider prolonging BBC broadcasts in the country
From Media Network Weblog. Posted July 2 200