RaW - Radio Warwick - news archive

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

Myanmar cyclone Nargis victims re-connected via telecommunication
From Media Network Weblog. Posted May 16 2008, 11.01am
The International Telecommunication Union has deployed 100 satellite terminals to help restore vital communication links in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar on 2 May with devastating effect in Yangon and the low-lying Irrawaddy delta region. Thousands were killed, and thousands more are injured and missing. High winds cut electricity, destroyed roads and [...] (more)

Journalist goes undercover in kerb crawl probe
From Hold the Front Page. Posted May 15 2008, 9.20am
Advertiser crime reporter experiences Swindon's seedier side in special investigation (more)

170,000 people in Sarawak deprived of quality TV and radio reception
From Media Network Weblog. Posted May 8 2008, 1.24pm
Some 170,000 people in Sarawak are unable to receive television and radio signals from Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), the Sarawak legislative assembly was told today. Even if they do, the reception is poor, said Public Utilities Minister Datuk Seri Awang Tengah Ali Hassan. Awang Tengah said that, according to a report by the Broadcasting Department, 93 [...] (more)

Microsoft withdraws proposal to acquire Yahoo!
From Media Network Weblog. Posted May 4 2008, 12.26pm
Microsoft has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Yahoo!, saying the struggling Internet pioneer refused to budge on price despite the software giant upping its offer to nearly $50 billion. Talks aimed at resolving corporate dueling that began with Microsoft’s offer on 1 February to buy Yahoo for $31 per share ended with the two firms unable [...] (more)

Sky One draws on Russell Crowe epic
From UTalk Marketing. Posted April 24 2008, 1.00pm
Giant foam hands signal the return of Gladiators (more)

EXCLUSIVE: Full Sky Digital EPG listings after reshuffle
From Biz Asia. Posted April 24 2008, 11.52am
BizAsia.co.uk brings you the full Sky Digital channel listings as they will appear after the reshuffle. There are no changes planned for following EPG categories Documentaries, Sports, Adult and Radio. Sky plans to implement a marketing campaign through a number of different media prior to the changes taking place in order to inform viewers of the changes. The new channel line up is currently scheduled to be implemented on a genre by genre basis between 05:00 and 08:00 on the dates specified below. Entertainment 101 BBC1 / RTE1 102 BBC2 / RTE2 103 ITV1 / UTV / TV3 104 Channel 4 / TG4 / S4C 105 Five 106 Sky One 107 Sky Two 108 Sky Three 109 UKTV Gold 110 UKTV Gold +1 111 Dave 112 LIVING 113 LIVING +1 114 LIVING2 115 BBC THREE 116 BBC FOUR 117 Channel 4 (Wales) 118 ITV2 119 ITV3 120 ITV4 121 Virgin1 122 Virgin1+1 123 Bravo 124 Bravo+1 125 Challenge 126 ParaComedy 1 127 ParaComedy +1 128 ParaComedy 2 129 SCI FI 130 SCI FI +1 131 ITV2+1 132 UKTV Drama 133 UKTV Drama+1 134 S4C 135 Channel 4+1 / Channel 4 136 E4 / Channel 4+1 137 E4+1 / E4 EIRE 138 More4 / E4+1 (ROI) 139 More4+1 / More4 (ROI) 140 Channel 4 HD / More4+1 (ROI) 141 BBC1 NI (ROI Only) 142 BBC2 NI (ROI Only) 143 BBC HD 144 DMAX 145 DMAX+1 146 Zone Reality 147 Zone Reality +1 148 Zone Reality X 149 Zone Romantica 150 Hallmark 151 E! Entertainm 152 Challenge+1 153 Bravo2 154 DMAX+2 155 Hollywood TV 156 Biography 157 Film24 158 Dave +1 159 ParaComedy2+ 160 MTV 161 RTE1 (NI) 162 RTE2 (NI) 163 TG4 (NI) 164 FX 165 FX+ 166 Information TV 167 Info TV2 168 Passion TV 169 Raj TV 170 Sky One HD 171 My Channel 172 Trouble 173 Trouble +1 174 Five US 175 Five US +1 176 Five Life 177 Five Life +1 178 Men & Motors 179 ITV3+1 180 Red 181 fame TV 182 Channel 6 (only avail ROI) 183 Current TV 184 BEN 185 Ape TV 186 Life One 187 AIT Int'l 188 AnimeCentral 189 Open Access 2 190 Open Access 3 191 Urban TV 192 OBE 193 FX+1 194 Sumo TV 195 propeller 196 Nuts TV 197 Pulse 198 BET 199 200 201 202 203 Channel M 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 Lifestyle & Culture 240 Disc.RealTime 241 Disc.RT Extra 242 Disc.H&Health 243 Sky Real Lives 244 SkyRealLive+1 245 SkyRealLives2 246 UKTV Style 247 UKTV Style +1 248 UKTV Gardens 249 UKTV Food 250 UKTV Food +1 251 Travel Channel 252 Travel Ch +1 253 254 Disc.RT +1 255 Disc.H&H +1 256 Sky Arts 257 Sky Arts HD 258 UKTV Style 2 259 Performance 260 Mainstreet 261 Fashion TV 262 Real Estate TV 263 264 Wine TV 265 Disc.Travel&L 266 Wedding TV 267 Wedding TV+1 268 Africa Channel 269 Diva TV 270 SA Direct 271 Luxe TV 272 Baby Channel 273 Luxe TV HD 274 O'seasproperty 275 276 277 278 279 280 Horse&Country 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 Movies 301 Sky Premiere 302 Sky Prem+1 303 Sky Comedy 304 Sky Action 305 Sky Family 306 Sky Drama 307 Sky ScFi/Horror 308 Sky Classics 309 Sky Mdn Greats 310 Sky Indie 311 SkyScreen 1 312 SkyScreen 2 313 Sky PremiereHD 314 SkyScreen 1HD 315 Film4 316 Film4 +1 317 TCM 318 TCM 2 319 Zone Horror 320 Zone Thriller 321 True Movies 322 True Movies 2 323 movies4men 324 movies4men+1 325 movies4men 2 326 327 movies24 328 movies24+ 329 Nollywood 330 AIT 332 SkyScreen 2HD 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 347 348 349 Music 350 MTV ONE 351 MTV ONE+1 352 MTV BASE 353 MTV HITS 354 MTV DANCE 355 MTV TWO 356 VH1 357 VH1 Classic 358 TMF 359 The Box 360 The Hits 361 KISS 362 Smash Hits! 363 Magic 364 Q 365 Chart Show TV 366 The Vault 367 Flava 368 Kerrang! 369 oMusic TV 370 Channel U 371 Fizz 372 Bliss 373 374 Scuzz 375 376 Flaunt 377 378 ROCKWORLDTV 379 Bubble Hits 380 Musflash TV 381 Bedroom TV 382 NME TV 383 Clubland 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 Music Choice 396 Music Choice 397 398 399 400 Sports 401 Sky Sports 1 402 Sky Sports 2 403 Sky Sports 3 404 Sky Spts Xtra 405 Sky Spts News 406 MUTV 407 408 Sky Sports HD1 409 Sky Sports HD2 410 Eurosport UK 411 Eurosport2 UK 412 413 Motors TV 414 415 At The Races 416 417 NASN 418 Setanta Golf 419 Extreme Sports 420 421 Chelsea TV 422 423 Arsenal TV 424 Arsenal Replay 425 426 427 Fight Network 428 429 Setanta Sports1 430 Setanta Sports2 432 Racing UK 433 Racing World 434 Setanta Ireland (Not NI) 435 Setanta News 436 Celtic TV 437 438 Rangers TV 439 Setanta Sports (ROI) 440 441 442 ESPN Classic 443 444 445 RealmadridTV 446 447 448 LiverpoolFCTV 449 450 Sky Sports HD3 451 452 Rush HD 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 PPV 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 News 501 Sky News 502 Bloomberg 503 BBC NEWS 504 BBC PARL'MNT 505 CNBC 506 CNN 507 S4C2 508 EuroNews 509 FOX News 510 CCTV-9 511 NDTV 24x7 512 Russia Today 513 France 24 514 Al Jazeera Eng 515 516 517 518 519 Documentaries 520 Discovery 521 Discovery+1 522 Disc.Knowldge 523 Disc. Turbo 524 Disc. Science 525 Animal Planet 526 Nat Geo 527 Nat Geo+ 1hr 528 Nat Geo Wild 529 History 530 History+1hour 531 Crime 532 UKTV Docs 533 UKTV Docs+1 534 UKTV People 535 Animal Plnt+1 536 Discovery HD 537 UKTV History 538 UKTV H'tory+1 539 CommunityChnl 540 541 542 543 Nat Geo HD 544 545 History HD 546 547 Business Chn'l 548 549 Disc.Sci+1 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 Religion 580 GOD Channel 581 GOD Europe 582 Wonderful 583 TBN Europe 584 DAYSTAR 585 revelation 586 UCB TV 587 Inspiration 588 LOVEWORLD TV 589 EWTN 590 Gospel Channel 591 Word Network 592 Genesis 593 Faith 594 KICC TV 595 596 597 598 599 600 Kids 601 Cartoon Netwrk 602 CN Too 603 Boomerang 604 Nickelodeon 605 Nick Replay 606 Nicktoons 607 Jetix 608 Jetix +1 609 Disney Chnl 610 Disney Chnl+1 611 Play Disney 612 Play Disney+ 613 CBBC Channel 614 CBeebies 615 Nick Jr. 616 POP 617 Tiny Pop 618 Boomerang +1 619 Cartoonito 620 Nick Jr. 2 621 CITV 622 Disney Cine 623 BabyTV 624 BabyFirst 625 Tiny Pop +1 626 PopGirl 627 Pop +1 628 Disney Cine+1 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 Shopping 640 QVC 641 JML 642 JML Lifestyle 643 TV SHOP 644 Ideal World 645 price-drop tv 646 Pitch TV 647 Thomson TV 648 JJB Sports 649 Best Direct 650 Jewellery Ch. 651 Simply Ideas 652 TV Warehouse1 653 TV Warehouse 654 bid tv 655 Thomas Cook 656 Gems TV 657 Pitch World 658 Best Direct+ 659 Shop on TV 660 Thane Direct 661 TVW Select 662 JML Choice 663 Stop + Shop 664 Price Crash 665 speedauctiontv 666 JML Innovation 667 JML Solutions 668 Vitality 669 Sky Travel 670 Gems TV 2 671 Create & Craft 672 Teletext Hols 673 Vinappris 674 JJB Golf 675 Max TV 676 U Save.TV 677 CelebrityShop 678 Price Crash 2 679 Home&Travel 680 Screenshop2 681 682 Entrepreneur 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 Movies PPV 700 Sky Box Office 701 Sky Box Office 702 Sky Box Office 703 Sky Box Office 704 Sky Box Office 705 Sky Box Office 706 Sky Box Office 707 Sky Box Office 708 Sky Box Office 709 Sky Box Office 710 Sky Box Office 711 Sky Box Office 712 Sky Box Office 713 Sky Box Office 714 Sky Box Office 715 Sky Box Office 716 Sky Box Office 717 Sky Box Office 718 Sky Box Office 719 Sky Box Office 720 Sky Box Office 721 Sky Box Office 722 Sky Box Office 723 Sky Box Office 724 Sky Box Office 725 Sky Box Office 726 Sky Box Office 727 Sky Box Office 728 Sky Box Office 729 Sky Box Office 730 Sky Box Office 731 Sky Box Office 732 Sky Box Office 733 Sky Box Office 734 Sky Box Office 735 Sky Box Office 736 Sky Box Office 737 Sky Box Office 738 Sky Box Office 739 Sky Box Office 740 Sky Box Office 741 Sky Box Office 742 Sky Box Office 743 Sky Box Office 744 Sky Box Office 745 Sky Box Office 746 Sky Box Office 747 Sky Box Office 748 Sky Box Office 749 Sky Box Office 750 Sky Box Office 751 Sky Box Office 752 SBO HD1 753 SBO HD2 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 International 780 B4U Movies 781 B4U Music 782 Sony TV Asia 783 STAR One 784 STAR Plus 785 PCNE Chinese 786 Bangla TV 787 mta-muslim tv 788 Zee TV 789 Zee Music 790 Zee Cinema 791 ARY Digital 792 PTV Prime 793 MATV National 794 DW-TV 795 TVEi 796 Abu Dhabi TV 797 SouthForYou 798 AlphaEtcPun 799 TV5 800 MAX 801 Record TV 802 DM Digital 803 DM Gold 804 ARY QTV 805 Venus TV 806 ARY Oneworld 807 Aastha TV 808 STAR News 809 STAR Gold 810 PTV Global 811 Zee Gujarati 812 Mana Telugu 813 Islam Channel 814 Channel 'S' 815 GEO UK 816 Sahara Filmy 817 Sahara One 818 AAJ TAK 819 Noor TV 820 Peace TV 821 Channel Punjab 822 Music India 823 jazeerachildren 824 AAG 825 GEO News 826 Channel S NTV 827 ATN 828 DD-News 829 DD-India 830 Sunrise TV 831 NDTV Imagine 832 Glory TV 833 Brit Asia TV 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848 849 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 Gaming 860 i Play TV 861 Gala TV 862 Pitch Gaming 863 YouPlay TV 864 Sky Vegas 865 SkyPoker.com 866 Live Roulette 867 Pitchgaming2 868 YouPlay TV2 869 SmartLive 870 871 872 873 874 Dating 875 Dating Channel 876 Gay Date TV 877 Gay Network 878 Chat Box 879 Specialist 880 Teachers TV 881 Pub Channel 882 Sky Venue 883 Open Access 884 Audi Channel 885 SupremrMastr 886 Psychic TV 887 888 889 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 Sky Cust Ch Adult 900 Playboy TV 901 Adult Channel 902 Spice Extreme 903 Television X 904 Television X2 905 Television X3 906 Babestation 907 FriendlyTV 908 Babeworld.tv 909 Get Lucky TV 910 Lucky Star 911 Playboy One 912 Tease Me 913 Television X4 914 Over 18 TV 915 Climax3 - 1 916 Climax3 - 2 917 Climax3 - 3 918 SportxxxBabes 919 redhot amateur 920 redhot 40 + 921 redhot just 18 922 redhot dd 923 redhot fetish 924 redhot girl girl 925 redhot raw 926 redhot viewers 927 XPLICITXXX 928 Playboy TV 929 Adult Channel 930 Spice Extreme 931 Hustler TV UK 932 100% Babes 933 XXX TV 934 Amateur Babes 935 Gay TV 936 SportxxxGirls 937 SportxxxWives 938 18 Plus Movies 939 18 Plus Movies 940 18 Plus Movies 941 18 Plus Movies 942 18 Plus Movies 943 18 Plus Movies 944 18 Plus Movies 945 Gay Prowler TV 946 Fantasy 1 947 Fantasy 2 948 Tease Me 2 949 House Of Fun 950 LivexxxBabes 951 Blue Kiss TV 952 The Other Side 953 954 Northern Birds 955 Essex Babes 956 HappyHourGirls 957 LiveXXX 958 959 960 961 962 963 964 965 966 967 968 969 Entertainment 970 Sky Cust Ch 971 BBC 1 Scotland 972 BBC 1 Wales 973 BBC 1 NI 974 BBC 1 London 975 BBC 1 NE & C 976 BBC 1 Yorks 977 BBC 1 Yrks&Lin 978 BBC 1 N West 979 BBC 1 W Mids 980 BBC 1 E Mids 981 BBC 1 East (E) 982 BBC 1 East (W) 983 BBC 1 S East 984 BBC 1 South 985 BBC 1 Oxford 986 BBC 1 West 987 BBC 1 S West 988 BBC 1 Cl 989 BBC 2 England 990 BBC 2 Scotland 991 BBC 2W 992 BBC 2 NI 993 ITV1 (AD) 994 Channel 4 (AD) 995 HD Retail Info (Ret Only)/ Channel 4+1 (AD) 996 Chl Line-up 997 Retail Info (Ret Only) 998 Sky 999 Sky Cust Ch Radio 0101 BBC R1 0102 BBC R2 0103 BBC R3 0104 BBC R4 FM 0105 BBC R5 Live 0106 Classic FM 0107 Virgin Radio 0108 talkSPORT 0109 Capital 0110 Planet Rock 0111 XFM 0112 FUN Radio 0113 theJazz 0114 Choice FM 0115 BBC WS 0116 BBC R Scot. 0117 BBC R Wales 0118 BBC R Ulster 0119 BBC Asian N 0120 BBC 6 Music 0121 Gold 0122 WRN Europe 0123 Premier 0124 Heart 0125 UCB UK 0126 0127 0128 smooth fm 0129 Solar Radio 0130 Panjab Radio 0131 BBC 7 0132 0133 Sunrise 0134 UCB Bible 0135 UCB Talk 0136 UCB Insp 0137 1Xtra BBC 0138 TWR 0139 BBC R n Gael 0140 0141 Raaj Radio 0142 RTE R1 Extra 0143 BBC R4 LW 0144 BBC 5LSport 0145 Club Asia 0146 Real Radio 0147 EWTN 0148 0149 0150 Sukh Sagar 0151 Asian Gold 0152 BBC London 0153 0154 BBC R Cymru 0155 0156 CC Radio 0157 0158 Gaydarradio 0159 Family Radio 0160 RTE Radio 1 0161 ArrwRock 0162 0163 0164 RTE 2FM 0165 RTE Lyric fm 0166 RTE RnaG 0167 0168 Akash Radio 0169 Desi Radio 0170 The Hits 0171 Galaxy 0172 Smash Hits 0173 Kismat 0174 0175 0176 Amrit Bani 0177 LBC 97.3 0178 Kiss 0179 Heat 0180 Magic 0181 Q 0182 MOJO 0183 Kerrang 0184 Radio 0185 Spectrum 1 0186 Liberty 0187 Yarr 0188 InsightRadio 0189 0190 big L 1395 0191 0192 0193 0194 Colourful 0195 RTI Radio 0196 0197 0198 0199 Caroline 0200 VirginXtrme 0201 VirginCRock 0202 VirginGrve 0203 Virgin 105.8 0204 0205 DutchIntSv 0206 Recordbrazil 0207 Rainbow 0208 0209 Yorkshire R 0210 Newstalk 0211 BFBS Radio 0212 Hot 0213 0214 0215 0216 0217 0218 0219 0220 0221 0222 0223 0224 0225 0226 0227 0228 0229 0230 0231 0232 0233 0234 0235 0236 0237 0238 0239 0240 Related links: EXCLUSIVE: Asian channels Sky EPG listings Sky EPG resuffle to affect Asian channels New EPG numbers for Asian channels on Sky Asian channels set for EPG reshuffle on Sky (more)

Barclay brothers withdraw complaint against Stephen Glover
From Media Guardian. Posted April 23 2008, 10.53am
Telegraph proprietors Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay will not pursue their complaint about the Independent's media columnist Stephen Glover. By Stephen Brook (more)

TV ratings - April 22: Anfield draw is TV gold
From Media Guardian. Posted April 23 2008, 9.50am
More than 10 million viewers watched Chelsea score a last-gasp Champions League equaliser against Liverpool on ITV1. By John Plunkett (more)

'Skins' finale draws 740,000 for E4
From Digital Spy. Posted April 15 2008, 3.13pm
The final episode of the second series of Skins drew 740,000 viewers, audience figures show. (more)

Mirror titles pay out to GMTV presenter Kate Garraway
From Media Guardian. Posted April 10 2008, 10.09am
GMTV presenter Kate Garraway has won a high court apology and 'substantial' damages over false allegations in the Sunday Mirror. By Tara Conlan (more)

Kate Garraway accepts apology and damages from the Mirror
From Press Gazette. Posted April 10 2008, 12.00am
GMTV presenter Kate Garraway and her husband Derek Draper gazed lovingly into each others eyes at London’s High Court today as a judge was told that they were “faithful, happy and in love.” (more)

Bianca's Square return draws 10.4m
From Digital Spy. Posted April 9 2008, 9.53am
Some 10.4m viewers saw Bianca Jackson return to Albert Square in Monday's EastEnders, figures show. (more)

Magazine editors to draw up 'airbrushing' code
From Press Gazette. Posted April 1 2008, 12.00am
A group of rival women's magazine editors have agreed to work together to draw up a voluntary code of practice on airbrushing and "size zero" models. (more)

GCap braced for Global Radio to bid
From The Times. Posted March 31 2008, 1.44pm
A leading GCap shareholder said it is still expecting a takeover by Global Radio to go ahead, as today's 5pm "put up or shut up" deadline draws closer. (more)

Rock and pop concerts for Dubai after Live Nation buys Gulf promoter Mirage
From The Times. Posted March 24 2008, 12.00am
The world’s biggest live music companies are to take their battle for supremacy to the Gulf states after announcing plans to turn the region into the next lucrative staging post for rock’s biggest stars. Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which reinvented the Dome as a live music venue, plans to lure acts such as Prince and Bon Jovi to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to perform in new, purpose-built arenas. Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter and AEG’s leading global rival, is beating a similar trail. It has acquired a controlling stake in Mirage, a leading Dubai-based promoter, which has hosted concerts by Aerosmith and Shakira. Madonna, who has signed an exclusive music and concert deal with Live Nation, is expected to add Dubai, the UAE’s main city, to her tour circuit. The race to bring rock and pop to the Gulf is part of a wider effort to develop the region as a centre of tourism. Emirates is intent on making itself the world’s airline of choice, for example, a world in which millions use it to fly to the area’s rapidly expanding resorts and developments. Those resorts are already among some of the most exclusive on the planet, The World, perhaps the best-known of them, and its peers built on so grand a scale that they can be seen from space. And some of music’s most famous names are allegedly buying their slices of these exclusive spots. Yet if the superstars are intent on spending money on seven-star hotel suites and private islands, the Gulf remains a source of untapped income. Despite a wealthy expatriate population, a young music-loving local audience and the fact that 15 million visitors are expected to visit Dubai in the next decade, the Gulf region has yet to establish a consistent infrastructure for live music. With live performances replacing record sales for artists’ pension plans, the region, overlooked so far by the likes of U2 and the Rolling Stones, is seen as the next frontier for promoters to conquer. AEG Live has hired Thomas Ovesen, the man behind some of Mirage’s biggest concerts, to oversee a new live promotions office in Dubai. AEG Live hopes to operate arenas in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, seating 10,000 to 15,000 fans and styled after its own O2 in London, inside two years. Mr Oveson plans to draw young, wealthy music fans from neighbouring states by staging Las Vegas-style residencies featuring big names. Mr Ovesen said: “My vision is that the UAE will be the hub for entertainment for the entire region. We believe the O2 model, where Prince played 21 nights, could really work in the region. The right type of artist can expect to clear $1 million. But until now, the local live music scene has been fairly insignificant.$” AEG plans to host Broadway musicals as well as pop concerts in its new arenas, with the shows marketed at foreign expats living in Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. The company has promised to balance ticket prices so that the local Asian population can attend. Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, said: “A presence in that region is very important to us in terms of growth and finance opportunities.” His Dubai-based rival Mirage Promotions, which secures acts such as Diana Ross and Bryan Adams for corporate clients in the region, will be rebranded as Live Nation after the US giant took a 65 per cent controlling stake. Elissa Murtaza, its managing director, said: “Whilst our current focus is to be on the burgeoning UAE, our position in the Middle East provides us with the opportunity to expand our operations. Our new partnership with Live Nation will help us to accelerate our growth by providing us better access to talent and resources.” The Gulf does have a flourishing local music scene, which is reflected in the recently launched MTV Arabia service and the arrival of a concert infrastructure, but it does present some logistical problems for touring international rock stars. Some artists have been unwilling to undertake a four-day round trip to Dubai for a one-off show. Promoters also have to make provision for an entirely car-bound audience. This month Celine Dion played her first Dubai concert, at the Four Seasons Golf Club, charging £135 for a platinum seat. Organisers had to promise the authorities smooth-flowing traffic and car-parking for 9,000 vehicles before the concert could take place. Western stars will have to respect local sensibilities. Last month, the Radio 1 DJ Grooverider was sentenced to a four-year prison term in Dubai after admitting to carrying cannabis into the country. “They can have the rock’n’roll but not the sex and drugs,” Mr Oveson said. He added: “Given the wealth of the country, the possibilities for charging for high-end, quality shows are endless. Frankly, if Elvis were alive, he’d consider a visit to Dubai in the next couple of years. I believe the future is here.” (more)

Rock and pop concerts for Dubai after AEG buys Gulf promoter Mirage
From The Times. Posted March 24 2008, 12.00am
The world’s biggest live music companies are to take their battle for supremacy to the Gulf states after announcing plans to turn the region into the next lucrative staging post for rock’s biggest stars. Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which reinvented the Dome as a live music venue, plans to lure acts such as Prince and Bon Jovi to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to perform in new, purpose-built arenas. Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter and AEG’s leading global rival, is beating a similar trail. It has acquired a controlling stake in Mirage, a leading Dubai-based promoter, which has hosted concerts by Aerosmith and Shakira. Madonna, who has signed an exclusive music and concert deal with Live Nation, is expected to add Dubai, the UAE’s main city, to her tour circuit. The race to bring rock and pop to the Gulf is part of a wider effort to develop the region as a centre of tourism. Emirates is intent on making itself the world’s airline of choice, for example, a world in which millions use it to fly to the area’s rapidly expanding resorts and developments. Those resorts are already among some of the most exclusive on the planet, The World, perhaps the best-known of them, and its peers built on so grand a scale that they can be seen from space. And some of music’s most famous names are allegedly buying their slices of these exclusive spots. Yet if the superstars are intent on spending money on seven-star hotel suites and private islands, the Gulf remains a source of untapped income. Despite a wealthy expatriate population, a young music-loving local audience and the fact that 15 million visitors are expected to visit Dubai in the next decade, the Gulf region has yet to establish a consistent infrastructure for live music. With live performances replacing record sales for artists’ pension plans, the region, overlooked so far by the likes of U2 and the Rolling Stones, is seen as the next frontier for promoters to conquer. AEG Live has hired Thomas Ovesen, the man behind some of Mirage’s biggest concerts, to oversee a new live promotions office in Dubai. AEG Live hopes to operate arenas in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, seating 10,000 to 15,000 fans and styled after its own O2 in London, inside two years. Mr Oveson plans to draw young, wealthy music fans from neighbouring states by staging Las Vegas-style residencies featuring big names. Mr Ovesen said: “My vision is that the UAE will be the hub for entertainment for the entire region. We believe the O2 model, where Prince played 21 nights, could really work in the region. The right type of artist can expect to clear $1 million. But until now, the local live music scene has been fairly insignificant.$” AEG plans to host Broadway musicals as well as pop concerts in its new arenas, with the shows marketed at foreign expats living in Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. The company has promised to balance ticket prices so that the local Asian population can attend. Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, said: “A presence in that region is very important to us in terms of growth and finance opportunities.” His Dubai-based rival Mirage Promotions, which secures acts such as Diana Ross and Bryan Adams for corporate clients in the region, will be rebranded as Live Nation after the US giant took a 65 per cent controlling stake. Elissa Murtaza, its managing director, said: “Whilst our current focus is to be on the burgeoning UAE, our position in the Middle East provides us with the opportunity to expand our operations. Our new partnership with Live Nation will help us to accelerate our growth by providing us better access to talent and resources.” The Gulf does have a flourishing local music scene, which is reflected in the recently launched MTV Arabia service and the arrival of a concert infrastructure, but it does present some logistical problems for touring international rock stars. Some artists have been unwilling to undertake a four-day round trip to Dubai for a one-off show. Promoters also have to make provision for an entirely car-bound audience. This month Celine Dion played her first Dubai concert, at the Four Seasons Golf Club, charging £135 for a platinum seat. Organisers had to promise the authorities smooth-flowing traffic and car-parking for 9,000 vehicles before the concert could take place. Western stars will have to respect local sensibilities. Last month, the Radio 1 DJ Grooverider was sentenced to a four-year prison term in Dubai after admitting to carrying cannabis into the country. “They can have the rock’n’roll but not the sex and drugs,” Mr Oveson said. He added: “Given the wealth of the country, the possibilities for charging for high-end, quality shows are endless. Frankly, if Elvis were alive, he’d consider a visit to Dubai in the next couple of years. I believe the future is here.” (more)

Memories of Arthur C. Clarke, who has died aged 90
From Media Network Weblog. Posted March 19 2008, 3.03pm
Science fiction visionary Arthur C. Clarke has died at the age of 90. He seized the world’s imagination with his best-known book “2001: A Space Odyssey” and visions of extra-terrestrial civilisations. Drawn to Sri Lanka in 1956 by scuba diving, which he said was as near as he could get to the weightlessness of space, he [...] (more)

Newspaper's fans forum bombarded after football draw prediction
From Hold the Front Page. Posted March 18 2008, 3.55am
Champions League draw 'leaked' on Echo website 90 minutes before it took place (more)

BBC2's working class heroes draw 1.7m
From Media Guardian. Posted March 10 2008, 1.31pm
The launch of BBC2's controversial season about the white working class averaged 1.7 million viewers on Friday. By Ben Dowell (more)

TV cameras to be kept out of court as Straw kills off Falconer initiative
From Media Guardian. Posted March 10 2008, 12.04am
Plans to broadcast court cases in England and Wales on TV have been shelved (more)

'Rock Rivals' fails to draw a crowd
From Digital Spy. Posted March 6 2008, 2.24pm
New ITV1 drama Rock Rivals fails to match a repeat of Traffic Cops in the ratings. (more)

Radio Nostalgia: Online recordings of Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station in 1982
From Media Network Weblog. Posted March 5 2008, 4.30pm
My RNW colleague Ehard Goddijn has drawn my attention to two long audio files (almost one hour each) on the website of Dutch public broadcaster VPRO featuring good quality recordings of the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station on the night of 1/2 April 1982, as Argentine troops invaded the islands. It sounds to my ears as [...] (more)

Eurovision warm-up draws 5m
From Media Guardian. Posted March 3 2008, 12.31pm
More than 5m saw X Factor runner-up Andy Abraham become UK's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. By Leigh Holmwood (more)

England rugby draws 6.8m for BBC1
From Digital Spy. Posted February 25 2008, 4.44pm
BBC One coverage of Six Nations rugby attracts a strong Saturday night audience of 6.8m. (more)

England rugby win draws a crowd
From Media Guardian. Posted February 25 2008, 12.12pm
England's victory over France in the Six Nations rugby drew a peak audience of 6.8 million viewers to BBC1. By Chris Tryhorn (more)

Crawley News launches its own website
From Hold the Front Page. Posted February 25 2008, 12.30am
The site is being updated daily to bring Crawley residents the very latest news (more)

'Mitchell & Webb' return draws 1.4m
From Digital Spy. Posted February 22 2008, 4.31pm
A new series of Mitchell and Webb earns 1.4m while Ashes To Ashes leads the way. (more)

Freelancers see the value in trawling web for copyrighted images
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted February 20 2008, 12.00am
Journalists prepared to do the donkey-work can turn illegal online use of copyrighted material into a new revenue stream but it's a job they resent (more)

Freelancers see the value in trawling web for copyrighted content
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted February 20 2008, 12.00am
Journalists prepared to do the donkey-work can turn illegal online use of copyrighted material into a new revenue stream, but it's a job they resent (more)

Kaplinksy draws 1m for Five News
From Digital Spy. Posted February 19 2008, 12.57pm
Natasha Kaplinsky nearly doubles Five's teatime bulletin audience as it hails success across its channels. (more)

Kaplinsky draws 1m for Five News
From Digital Spy. Posted February 19 2008, 12.57pm
Natasha Kaplinsky nearly doubles Five's teatime bulletin audience as it hails success across its channels. (more)

Garraway to sue Sunday Mirror
From Media Guardian. Posted February 12 2008, 9.50am
GMTV presenter Kate Garraway has launched legal action against the Sunday Mirror. By Stephen Brook (more)

GMTV's Kate Garraway sues Sunday Mirror over love-life revelations
From Press Gazette. Posted February 12 2008, 12.00am
GMTV presenter Kate Garraway is suing the Sunday Mirror after it published allegations about her relationship with Anton Du Beke, her partner is the television series Strictly Come Dancing. (more)

GMTV's Kate Garraway sues Sunday Mirror over love-life claims
From Press Gazette. Posted February 12 2008, 12.00am
GMTV presenter Kate Garraway is suing the Sunday Mirror after it published allegations about her relationship with Anton Du Beke, her partner is the television series Strictly Come Dancing. (more)

Newspaper Society draws up new ad guidance
From UTalk Marketing. Posted February 11 2008, 11.47am
Aims to tackle human trafficking (more)

Blaxill joins Bauer
From Radio Today. Posted February 11 2008, 9.56am
Former 6Music and Radio 1 boss Ric Blaxill has joined Bauer Radio as a launch consultant, as the group plan to expand its digital radio services. The news was announced on the day GCap announces plans to withdrawal from bespoke national digital services. (more)

Eagle Radio Stands Up for Local Arts
From Merry Media. Posted February 11 2008, 12.39am
96.4 Eagle Radio is showing its support to Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre following the announcement of the withdrawal of Arts Council funding at the end of 2008. . (more)

Mail campaign sees thousands fall silent for anniversary of trawler tragedy
From Hold the Front Page. Posted February 8 2008, 12.05am
Triple Trawler Tragedy "not consigned to history" as reporter's idea results in major commemoration (more)

Clampdown expected on newspaper sex ads as tough new guidance is drawn up
From Hold the Front Page. Posted February 1 2008, 12.25pm
Industry talks with Government bring pledge to stem demand for trafficked women (more)

Internet radio hits the mainstream
From Media Guardian. Posted January 28 2008, 11.41am
UK web-based radio is drawing more than 8m listeners each week with nearly 2m downloading podcasts, according to a survey. By Jemima Kiss (more)

Nations get raw deal from broadcasters
From Media Guardian. Posted January 22 2008, 7.31am
Independent TV producers have warned of a decline in shows commissioned in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. By Owen Gibson (more)

Rights firm draws bid approach
From Media Guardian. Posted January 21 2008, 11.35pm
Entertainment Rights, owner of rights to Postman Pat and Basil Brush, said yesterday that it had received a bid approach (more)

Scott Mills gets new TV role
From Radio Today. Posted January 10 2008, 9.03pm
BBC Radio 1 drive time presenter Scott Mills is fronting a new talent show on BBC Three. Scott is no stranger to television as he currently hosts the Wednesday night National Lottery draw on BBC One, but this will be his biggest TV project so far. (more)

A licence to crawl all over broadcasting
From Media Guardian. Posted December 22 2007, 11.55pm
A little top-slicing, sir? No, not of your Christmas turkey. This is a different turkey: the supposed future of the BBC licence fee (more)

Crawley News production ed fined £1,000 over picture of Asbo youth
From Press Gazette. Posted December 13 2007, 12.00am
A journalist who was fined £1,000 after being convicted of publishing a picture of a teenager who had appeared in a Youth Court is to appeal. (more)

Jordan withdraws Heat complaint after magazine makes charity donation
From Media Guardian. Posted December 4 2007, 1.12pm
Katie Price – aka Jordan - has withdrawn her complaint about a Heat sticker mocking her disabled son Harvey after the magazine apologised. By Chris Tryhorn and Stephen Brook (more)

BBC1 controller shortlist drawn up
From Media Guardian. Posted November 29 2007, 7.14am
The search for a BBC1 controller to replace Peter Fincham has moved to the next stage, with a shortlist of candidates drawn up. By Tara Conlan (more)

Editor draws on 30 years in print to pen novel about life in the newsroom
From Hold the Front Page. Posted November 28 2007, 12.00am
Former regional press man denies new work is autobiographical - and says "hacks will love it" (more)

TV ratings - November 23: Posh draws viewers to Ugly Betty
From Media Guardian. Posted November 26 2007, 1.13pm
Victoria Beckham's star turn on Channel 4 sitcom Ugly Betty brought 2.1 million viewers to the programme on Friday, November 23. By Stephen Brook (more)

TV ratings: November 23: Posh draws viewers to Ugly Betty
From Media Guardian. Posted November 26 2007, 1.13pm
Victoria Beckham's star turn on Channel 4 sitcom Ugly Betty brought 2.1 million viewers to the programme on Friday, November 23. By Stephen Brook (more)

Radio show by homeless people
From Media Guardian. Posted November 23 2007, 1.13pm
A new radio show made and presented by homeless people has been praised for its raw honesty, and is helping transform its makers' confidence. Marc Leverton reports (more)

Renault withdraws newspaper ad after complaints of racism
From The Independent. Posted November 23 2007, 1.40am
Renault has withdrawn an ad over fears that its use of the term "the N-word" could cause offence. (more)

Global Traffic Network European Radio Awards
From Media Network Weblog. Posted November 21 2007, 2.02pm
Somewhat belatedly (for which we apologise), we draw your attention to the results of the first Global Traffic Network European Radio Awards held on 5 November. Photos of the event, and a full list of winners, are available on the website. (more)

Dr. Phil Hit by Truck While Being Interviewed on Radio Show
From radio.about.com. Posted November 16 2007, 9.14pm
Don't worry, he's fine. According to "The Daily Dish" section of sfgate.com: "TV self-help guru Dr. Phil McGraw was hit by a truck while he was chatting to fans, by... (more)

World Radiocommunication Conference draws to a close
From Media Network Weblog. Posted November 13 2007, 3.15pm
An agreement on how to divide the world’s radio-frequencies among satellite operators, mobile phone companies and broadcasters is close, industry and diplomatic sources said today. Insiders said participants in the month-long World Radiocommunication Conference, due to wrap up on Friday, were wrapping up a deal sharing out the spectrum used in wireless and satellite signals, [...] (more)

Studios and scribes draw up battle lines
From Media Guardian. Posted November 9 2007, 11.56pm
On a chilly morning, groups of writers have taken to the streets of Burbank to wave black and red placards and walk in circles in front of the studio gates. (more)

Top Tips For First Time Radio Advertisers By Martin Sims, Creative Director And Co-Founder, Leading Radio Specialists Eardrum
From Press Release, via webitpr. Posted November 7 2007, 2.30pm
?�KEEP IT SIMPLE Make sure you have ONE simple message per script. It?s very tempting to cram in a variety of items, prices and product details, but that can be confusing to listen to. The same goes for contact details. Having a website, address, phone number and email address is too much for the listener to take in, so keep the call to action simple as well. ?�DRAW THE LISTENER IN Radio is a very... (more)

BBC starts trawl for redundancy volunteers
From Media Guardian. Posted November 6 2007, 5.07pm
The BBC has begun its search for volunteers to take redundancy as part of its plan to axe 1,800 staff. By Leigh Holmwood. (more)

C4 celebrates birthday with pledge to redraw remit and save its soul
From Media Guardian. Posted November 1 2007, 11.53pm
Broadcasting 25-year-old broadcaster to invest in comedy and drama amid allegations of dumbing down. (more)

Reveal withdraws claims of death threats to Coleen McLoughlin's parents
From Press Gazette. Posted October 30 2007, 12.00am
Coleen McLoughin has complained to the PCC over a story in Reveal magazine which claimed her parents had received death threats. (more)

Reveal withdraws Coleen McLoughlin claims
From Press Gazette. Posted October 30 2007, 12.00am
Coleen McLoughin has complained to the PCC over a story in Reveal magazine which claimed her parents had received death threats. (more)

Free Media Movement concerned at Sri Lanka?s withdrawal of ABC licence
From Media Network Weblog. Posted October 28 2007, 12.27pm
The Free Media Movement (FMM) of Sri Lanka says it is deeply concerned about the government’s withdrawal of the broadcasting licence of the ABC radio network*. In its communiqué to the ABC network, the Ministry has said that this action was being taken because the news item broadcast by the network had caused panic in the [...] (more)

Chairman of Broadcasting Corporation of China resigns
From Media Network Weblog. Posted October 24 2007, 1.10pm
Jaw Shau-kong, Chairman of Taiwan’s Broadcasting Corporation of China, has announced his resignation at a news conference, citing unfair suppression by the government. “I hereby announce my withdrawal from the operation team effective today. I don’t want to play the game any more,” he said. Jaw, a politician-turned broadcaster, accused the government of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive [...] (more)

Rugby, F1 draw strong audiences
From Digital Spy. Posted October 22 2007, 1.12pm
England's sporting attempts dominated the weekend's television schedules, audience figures show. (more)

Israel: Extreme-left group files suit against Judea/Samaria radio tender
From Media Network Weblog. Posted October 14 2007, 11.12am
The left-wing peace activist group Peace Bloc (Gush Shalom) has filed a suit with Israel’s Supreme Court, demanding that the tender for a regional radio station in Judea and Samaria [The West Bank] be withdrawn. The petitioners claim that the tender is designed merely to give the Arutz-7 radio station a chance to get back on the [...] (more)

Israel: Left-wing peace activist group files suit against Judea/Samaria radio tender
From Media Network Weblog. Posted October 14 2007, 11.12am
The left-wing peace activist group Peace Bloc (Gush Shalom) has filed a suit with Israel’s Supreme Court, demanding that the tender for a regional radio station in Judea and Samaria [The West Bank] be withdrawn. The petitioners claim that the tender is designed merely to give the Arutz-7 radio station a chance to get back on the [...] (more)

'Pride of Britain' draws in 6.7m for ITV
From Digital Spy. Posted October 12 2007, 12.39pm
Pride of Britain awards show pull in 6.7 million viewers and a 30.1% audience share for ITV1. (more)

BBC and ITV reality hits both draw 7 million viewers
From The Stage. Posted October 8 2007, 3.45pm
(more)

Northern Rock withdrawals at �2bn
From BBC News. Posted September 16 2007, 12.13pm
Anxious savers have withdrawn almost �2bn from the Northern Rock since Friday, the BBC learns. (more)

Emap considers offering loans to draw bidders
From Media Guardian. Posted September 10 2007, 1.00am
Emap is considering offering loans to bidders for its businesses. By Richard Wray (more)

Muxco hires Matt Deegan as creative director
From thenoise.co.uk. Posted September 6 2007, 5.54pm
Muxco has hired former GCap corporate development executive Matt Deegan to the newly created role of creative director. Deegan left GCap earlier this year - where he was responsible for drawing up the company’s digital multiplex bids, and also helped the broadcaster win the XFM South Wales licence. Since leaving GCap, Deegan has worked as a new [...] (more)

'The authenticity of raw, unedited interviews can add a lot to the text story'
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted September 5 2007, 12.00am
Journalism.co.uk talks to Mike van Niekerk, editor-in-chief of online with Australia's Fairfax Media (more)

My Mentor: Ben Raworth on Danny kelly
From The Independent. Posted September 3 2007, 1.00am
I came into the magazine industry very late, after a somewhat chequered youth ? I had spent time in prison and been a manual labourer. When I went to meet Danny Kelly in 1994 ? he was launching Total Sport ? I was 29 and had never worked in an office before. I had written some features for FHM, but I had no idea how a magazine worked. (more)

ITN's Emmys nomination withdrawn
From Media Guardian. Posted August 30 2007, 1.00am
2pm update: ITN has said it is 'extremely disappointed' after its International Emmy nomination was withdrawn following an error at the organising committee. By Leigh Holmwood. (more)

Biggest Winners & Losers Q2/07
From Radio Today. Posted August 16 2007, 10.24am
As part of our RAJAR Q2 2007 analysis and coverage, we bring you the stations with the biggest jumps in figures in the past quarter and in the past year. All local and regional stations have redrawn their Total Survey Areas (TSAs) based upon Postcode Districts. Under the previous system, stations based their survey areas on Postcode Sectors. As a result, some stations may artificially lose or gain listeners. (more)

Financial accounts slog trawls in the news
From Hold the Front Page. Posted August 3 2007, 12.00am
Close look at the council coffers digs up some major leads (more)

Lottery balls for Radio Scilly
From Radio Today. Posted July 18 2007, 1.37pm
The new radio station for the Isles of Scilly is to launch on September 3rd, and has been licensed by the islands' council to run a weekly lottery draw. Money raised will fund Radio Scilly's volunteer training programmes and will offer annual grants to established islands-based organisations. (more)

Sky shrugs off Virgin and puts on a show to draw applause from the City
From The Times. Posted July 12 2007, 12.00am
BSkyB decided to pre-empt its own annual results yesterday by releasing subscriber figures for its fourth quarter, two weeks ahead of the prelims. The City liked what it saw, driving the shares to 700p – for the first time since James Murdoch unveiled his strategy back in the summer of 2004. Customer numbers were up by 90,000, better than predicted, and while Sky was emphatic that this was not simply a one-off gain from disgruntled Virgin Media customers, it was hard to ignore that view completely. Virgin Media is conceding that it lost about 40,000, conveniently the difference between its third-quarter gain of 51,000 and the fourth-quarter growth. (more)

Sky puts on a multimedia show to draw round of applause from the City
From The Times. Posted July 12 2007, 12.00am
BSkyB decided to pre-empt its own annual results yesterday by releasing subscriber figures for its fourth quarter, two weeks ahead of the prelims. The City liked what it saw, driving the shares to 700p – for the first time since James Murdoch unveiled his strategy back in the summer of 2004. Customer numbers were up by 90,000, better than predicted, and while Sky was emphatic that this was not simply a one-off gain from disgruntled Virgin Media customers, it was hard to ignore that view completely. Virgin Media is conceding that it lost about 40,000, conveniently the difference between its third-quarter gain of 51,000 and the fourth-quarter growth. (more)

Ofcom urged to 'be bold' on the future of radio
From Media Guardian. Posted July 4 2007, 1.00am
1.15pm: The trade body for commercial radio has called on Ofcom to draw up a 'road map' for the future of radio. By Ben Dowell. (more)

News boss urges union to withdraw strike threat
From Hold the Front Page. Posted July 4 2007, 12.00am
MD hopes union will "see sense" and call off action on redundancy move (more)

Former Seattle Talk Show Host Found Dead in Crawl Space
From radio.about.com. Posted July 3 2007, 5.18am
From seattlepi.newsource.com: "As a former radio talk show host, Mike Webb made his name by bringing a righteous, raging passion for politics to his late-night broadcasts. At 52 years old,... (more)

Event: 'Move On Up In News' in September
From Biz Asia. Posted June 26 2007, 9.32am
Black and minority ethnic professionals in newsrooms and studios across the UK are invited to take part in 'Move on Up in News', an event being held in London on Friday 21st September. The event is not only for BME journalists. It's also aimed at camera operators, graphic artists, studio managers, gallery staff, floor managers, researchers, broadcast assistants and so on. Its purpose is to assist BME professionals to make contacts in broadcast and online news in an attempt to help address under-representation in this sector. Because Move on Up in News is about making contacts, it¹s just as relevant for experienced professionals as for people in their first job. Whether you¹re a print journalist considering a move across into radio or television, or you work in broadcasting and want to step up to the next rung of the ladder, this is the event to attend. The day is being organised jointly by the broadcasting union BECTU and BBC News in partnership with the NUJ and ITV News. Others taking part include IRN, Channel 4 News, Reuters, Sky, The Telegraph Media Group, Times Online, GCap, Guardian Media Group, Bloomberg, Chrysalis and Al Jazeera English. The event will be held at the TUC in Great Russell Street, London, WC1. George Alagiah, who'll be speaking at the opening with Sir Trevor McDonald, welcomed the initiative. He said: "There are plenty of people ... of colour and talent who feel the broadcast industry is not interested in them. So we have a few more faces on screen - but the floor management, the boardrooms and the places where budgets are allocated and schedules drawn up do not represent our diverse country". Helen Boaden, Director of BBC News, and David Mannion, Editor in Chief of ITV News, will be among almost 80 senior figures from the industry availablem for one-to-one meetings with the BME professionals. There¹ll also be a number of workshops at which senior BBC editors, correspondents and presenters will be on hand to offer career development advice. Application forms are available online at www.bectu.org.uk. The deadline is 16th July. You can get more information by emailing moveonupinnews@bectu.org.uk or by phoning BECTU on 020 7346 0900 and asking for 'Move on Up in News'. (more)

US Webcasters to hold ?Day of Silence? in protest of royalty rate increase
From Media Network Weblog. Posted June 25 2007, 9.49am
Thousands of US webcasters plan to turn off the music and go silent tomorrow, 26 June, to draw attention to an impending royalty rate increase that, if implemented, would lead to the virtual shutdown of this country’s Internet radio industry. “The arbitrary and drastic rate increases set by the Copyright Royalty Board on March 2nd threaten [...] (more)

Exclusive Review: Asian Network's Love Bollywood
From Biz Asia. Posted June 17 2007, 1.30pm
As part of its programming changes, the BBC Asian Network unveiled a series of new shows, the most ambitious one being 'Love Bollywood', which launched on Saturday 16th June and Sunday 17th June. I had a listen to the eight-hour marathon over the two days and spoke to key industry and media insiders, representatives from the listening community and of course his own mind, to critique the shows, which clearly left a lot to be desired! "Is it wrong to buy pirate CDs and DVDs?" (Yawn!) This age-old issue isn't even a debate anymore - the answer is a foregone conclusion. But 'Love Bollywood' (replacing the hugely popular 'Film Cafe') believes this is a hot topic to discuss for a full hour on its Sunday edition. Worse still, on its Saturday edition, the presenters were devoting precious airtime to vapid brain-dead issues such as "Kissing In Bollywood", linking kissing to potential progression of the Indian film industry (for Chrissake!). What followed was a string of Joe Blogs calling the hotline to express random amateurish viewpoints (all in the guise of interactivity), nothing you haven't heard before or don't know about. [If this lot is keen to get this in-depth, why not get artistes and filmmakers who are notorious/famous for kissing to talk (if at all) and debate with credible culture crusaders? But heyho, that's hard work!] The precise problem with 'Love Bollywood' is that it fully and heartlessly takes out the entertainment and fun quotient from Bollywood to give it a falsely and superficially serious edge, that is far from welcome on weekend mornings. The razzle dazzle, glamour, gossip and excitement associated with the industry have gone for a toss only to be replaced by topics, points and facts that reflect a serious non-understanding of the Indian film industry and what it stands for. There is nothing time-specific about this programme either - you can play it anytime of the day and it will fit in! So why have it replace 'Breakfast'? Alright, so on the odd occasion we are lucky to have an intelligent commercial product or an aesthetic one from parallel cinema ('Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi', 'Sardari Begum', 'Omkara', 'The Legend Of Bhagat Singh', to name a few) but let's get real- on the whole, Bollywood cinema is predominantly commercial cinema, known the world over for its escapism and grandeur - why completely intellectualise it with casual verbal diarrohea that's far from stimulating or thought-provoking? More amusingly, why do that, when the presenters (two self-proclaimed 'it' boys, a fun-filled madcap and a shreeky political correspondent - none of whom match the intended character of the revised programme) quite evidently suffer from a pronounced lack of domain knowledge and expertise? (leave aside the floundering oratory and miserable pronounciations!) More pertinently, what is all this debate eventually leading to? Does 'Love Bollywood' have serious recommendations or solutions to curb piracy or was it a debate for the sake of a debate to kill an hour? The stunning Lara Dutta sat pretty in BBC's Mumbai studio on Saturday answering bog-standard PR questions about her new release....'Love Bollywood' obviously believes she's big enough to have back, considering she featured on 'Film Cafe' only last week! An over-saturated Amitabh Bachchan was used as a 15-minute filler, talking about the usual "honour" and "privilege" that it was to be felicitated by BAFTA and the IIFA Awards (for which he is the brand ambassador) being "the best". What else were the producers and presenters expecting him to say? Let's tread the originality path now.....The Maestro feature (featuring Asha Bhonsle on Sunday) is an obvious rehash of 'Musical Genius', that was previously on Sunday Soundtrack. The Lurve Bollywood feature (where a listener talks about a song to do with his/her love life or something like that!) is reminiscent of 'Undercover Lover' on Sonia Deol's show. The concept of interactivity and phoning in is a lame attempt to ape 'Phone-In by Nihal'? (At least, he does a good job of it!) So much for an all-new 'Love Bollywood'! Finally, according to the maiden episode of this programme, the Chopras' 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' was a defining moment in Bollywood. What does 'defining moment' mean? And whose opinion is that? The presenters'? The producers'? Or was their result drawn out of an online customer survey or a research scanning the annals of Bollywood history? Does it take a runaway hit at the box-office (like 'DDLJ') to define or redefine Bollywood? We don't think so! If 'DDLJ' redefined Bollywood, in recent years, what about RAAZ (which made the horror genre fashionable in Bollywood all over again), 'Jism' and 'Murder' (which brought in a wave of sensuousness), 'Dil Chahta Hai' (which introduced new-age youth culture), 'Don' (which popularised remakes), 'Krrish' (which gave Bollywood its first superhero), 'Lagaan' (which brought in sport), 'Rang De Basanti', 'Black Friday' and 'Parzania' (which brought in political awareness and consciousness) and 'Khosla Ka Ghosla', 'Honeymoon Travels...' and 'Bheja Fry' (which introduced unconventional budget cinema to the box-office)? Sorry guys, these films redefined Bollywood! (Heard of them?) I can't, for the life of me, understand why anyone with two grey cells would want to surface at 8am on weekends to endure four boring hours of pseudo-analytical gibberish interspersed with the odd song! Lazing around in your duvet, cooking some tidy breakfast, gardening....or perhaps.....tuning into the telly might be saner alternatives! What do you think of BBC Asian Network's new weekend programming, email us at raj@media247.co.uk. (more)

Appeal court decides 100%NL can definitely remain on the air
From Media Network Weblog. Posted May 31 2007, 9.37am
Although Dutch commercial radio station 100%NL has been on the air for almost a year, there was still an outside chance that its licence could be withdrawn again. That’s because RTL FM, who were originally awarded the licence in 2003, and the two other applicants - Radio Nationaal and Arrow - had set in motion [...] (more)

GCap broadcasts 'improvement' as profits fall
From The Scotsman. Posted May 26 2007, 11.44pm
RADIO group GCap will try to draw a line under its problems by focusing on the slimmed-down group's improved performance as it unveils a sharp fall in profits this week. (more)

Johnny Depp Tells of Keith Richards on GMTV
From Merry Media. Posted May 21 2007, 4.00pm
Johnny Depp will talk of his working relationship with Keith Richards in an interview with Kate Garraway on GMTV which will go out on 24th May.. (more)

Oxfordshire DAB advertised
From Radio Today. Posted May 9 2007, 12.57pm
Ofcom has advertised a new DAB Digital Radio licence for Oxfordshire. In addition, the body has replaced the planned licence for York & Scarborough with a licence for North Yorkshire, and joined the previously seperate multiplex licences for Guildford and Reigate & Crawley together as one to cover the county of Surrey. (more)

Radio 1 pulls 'promotional' track for brand of hair gel
From Media Guardian. Posted May 5 2007, 1.00am
Radio 1 has withdraws a song after it emerged the track appeared to be an advert for a brand of hair gel. By Helen Pidd. (more)

SMG unveils plan to float Virgin Radio
From The Scotsman. Posted April 12 2007, 11.11pm
SMG has revealed plans to float its radio business for up to �100 million, as the new management attempts to draw a line under a "badly flawed" strategy. (more)

First European HD Radio™ forum draws leading executives across multiple industries
From Media Network Weblog. Posted April 6 2007, 10.47am
More than 70 industry executives representing the automotive, broadcast, data content and IC industries attended the first-ever HD Radio™ European Forum held recently in Cologne, Germany. The agenda featured updates on the HD Radio rollout, an overview of current and future HD Radio applications and a roadmap on future plans. “The Forum surpassed all of our [...] (more)

Free Software to Listen to SIRIUS Satellite Radio on Any Windows Mobile Device
From radio.about.com. Posted March 12 2007, 12.00am
I received an email from David Bressler which said, "I just wanted to draw your attention to an application I have written to allow you to listen to Sirius Satellite... (more)

Samurai victory draws closer in Echo ban bid
From Hold the Front Page. Posted March 9 2007, 12.00am
Home Office says sword sales could be outlawed by end of the year (more)

ITV draws 5.7 million for 'Cold Blood'
From Digital Spy. Posted March 6 2007, 4.28pm
Drama serial starring Matthew Kelly returns with a 26% share of last night's audience. (more)

BSkyB?s basic TV channels withdrawn from Virgin Media
From Media Network Weblog. Posted March 1 2007, 9.29am
The new Virgin Media UK cable TV platform has lost BSkyB’s basic channels - which offer hit shows such as “Lost” and “24″ - after the two rivals failed to agree a new carriage deal, they said las night. Virgin Media has more than 3.3 million TV customers who will be affected by the move and [...] (more)

My Fave Ident...Sophie Raworth
From Merry Media. Posted February 21 2007, 12.00am
BBC Two launched their new idents on Sunday. Merry Media has been running the BBC Two New Ident Weekend - well, long weekend! Now it is time to closedown (until the next new bunch of idents). We spoke to many celebrities and media industry workers to find out their favourite BBC Two ident from over the years including Jeremy Vine, Roly Keating, Peter Barron, Toby Anstis and Penny Smith. Of course - we leave the best face 'till last! Merry Media spoke to Sophie Raworth - the presenter of the BBC's One O'Clock News - to find out what her favourite ident was:. (more)

RTM News in Sabah and Sarawak to be strengthened
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 19 2007, 10.22am
The Malaysian Information Ministry plans to improve further the news coverage and presentation by Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) in Sarawak and Sabah following the commissioning of the Satellite Operation Centre (SOC) last year, which enabled news materials to be transmitted at any time. Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said plans had already been made [...] (more)

Launch of RTÉ Television in Britain draws closer
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 14 2007, 4.42pm
The start of TV broadcasts in Britain by Irish public broadcaster RTÉ is moving closer after it was revealed that detailed work on the new service is under way. Senior RTÉ figures have confirmed to the Irish Post that a team is already working on a proposed schedule of programmes to be beamed into Britain. And the last barrier [...] (more)

999 campaign praised in Commons by Straw
From Hold the Front Page. Posted February 12 2007, 12.00am
Plus: Post's links with art and business rewarded, and more regional press news in brief (more)

Another director leaves Virgin
From Radio Today. Posted February 8 2007, 9.37am
Kathleen Saxton, strategy director of Virgin Radio is the latest departure from the station as merger talks between UTV and Virgin-owner SMG draw to a close. Saxton has been at the station for 18 months, and leaves after chief executive Fru Hazlitt quiz just one month. (more)

Death of CNN reporter draws more interest than former president's
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted January 30 2007, 1.02pm
Google News search last month saw less interest in the passing of Gerald Ford and James Brown that that of CNN reviewer James Kim (more)

Death of CNET reporter draws more interest than former president's
From Journalism.co.uk. Posted January 30 2007, 1.02pm
Google News search last month saw less interest in the passing of Gerald Ford and James Brown that that of CNN reviewer James Kim (more)

UK's first Muslim/Jewish radio set for launch
From Biz Asia. Posted January 30 2007, 1.00pm
The UK's first Muslim/Jewish radio station is set for a launch on the worldwide web on Thursday 1st February. Radio Salaam Shalom will broadcast via its website at www.salaamshalom.org.uk from its custom-built studios in Bristol. The innovative concept was thought of by two Rabbis, an Imam and members of the Jewish and Muslim communities to establish dialogue and develop stronger understanding between the two groups. The station will broadcast a mixture of live and pre-recorded speech and music programmes - starting with six hours of new material daily with the chance for listeners around the world to also access archives, visit bulletin boards and contribute their own programmes or ideas. Chair of Salaam Shalom, Peter Brill commented: "This is an exciting opportunity for the two communities to learn about each other and work together. More importantly it is the chance for the moderate majority of Muslims and Jews in Britain, and possibly around the world, to have their voices heard on matters of culture, faith and everyday life." Farooq Siddique, Radio Salaam Shalom's Vice-Chair and Director of the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society added: "We are determined that the station is for the long term. Already we've seen fantastic co-operation between volunteers from the two communities to get the station launched. There is an increasing understanding that the Jew and Muslims in Bristol and the UK have a common history that dates back thousands of years. Now, more than ever, it is time to draw on and learn from our positive cultural experiences." (more)

Solomons’ broadcaster feels the pinch as the government cuts funding
From Media Network Weblog. Posted January 23 2007, 4.20pm
The Solomon Islands public broadcaster is already feeling the pinch from the government’s decision to withdraw all funding. The General Manager of the SIBC, Dykes Angiki says the broadcaster’s 2007 annual budget, passed by the Board only four weeks ago, is now in disarray by the abrupt withdrawal of nearly US$60,000 of annual funding. However, Mr [...] (more)

Pop stars and DJ?s unite to save the Ross Revenge
From Media Network Weblog. Posted January 18 2007, 6.54pm
A group of disc jockeys and pop stars from the 1970s have joined forces to preserve one of Grimsby’s best known deep sea trawlers. The Ross Revenge was a top earner out of Grimsby for many years and was at one time the longest sidewinder in the world, but after the Cod War in the 1970s [...] (more)

Straw condemns paparazzi treatment of Kate Middleton
From Press Gazette. Posted January 11 2007, 1.12pm
1.15pm: Paparazzi harassment of Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton has been condemned as "appalling" by Commons Leader Jack Straw. (more)

Russell Watson Withdraws from Just The Two Of Us
From Merry Media. Posted December 22 2006, 2.44pm
Russell Watson has been advised by his doctor not to take part in the new series of the BBC One show Just The Two Of Us.. (more)

RSF urges Venezuelan Government to drop idea of referendum on RCTV
From Media Network Weblog. Posted December 20 2006, 12.57pm
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has voiced concern about the threat hanging over the privately-owned Venezuelan broadcasting group Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) that its licence will not be renewed. Communication and information minister William Lara announced after the presidential election on 3 December that the network’s future will be put to a referendum. “If RCTV’s licence is withdrawn [...] (more)

Chinese radio, TV stations to pay music royalties
From Media Network Weblog. Posted December 18 2006, 2.17pm
Chinese radio and TV stations are expected to pay royalties on the music they broadcast from next year, when a set of fee collection methods and standards will be officially promulgated. ”The methods and standards are being drawn up by the Office of Legislative Affairs of the State Council. They are expected to be officially promulgated [...] (more)

Hazlitt 'could quit SMG role'
From The Scotsman. Posted December 4 2006, 12.11pm
FRU HAZLITT, the head of Virgin Radio, has withdrawn from the selection process of chief executive of Scottish media group SMG, sources claimed today. (more)

Fru out of SMG Chief Exec race
From Breaking Radio. Posted December 4 2006, 9.50am
Fru Hazlitt, the head of Virgin Radio, has withdrawn from the chief executive selection process of SMG, the Scottish media company, according to people familiar with the situation. (more)

More radio and TV transmitters planned for Sarawak
From Media Network Weblog. Posted December 4 2006, 8.20am
Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will install more radio and television transmitters in Sarawak under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. State Second Minister of Resource Planning and Management Datuk Seri Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this was necessary for better quality broadcast and reception for listeners and viewers in the rural areas. “There will be two FM transmitters in [...] (more)

Hazlitt out of SMG boss race
From Radio Today. Posted December 4 2006, 6.44am
The chief executive of Virgin Radio Fru Hazlitt has withdrawn herself as a potential CEO of parent company SMG. It was recently widely reported the ex-Yahoo! UK boss would take the position, which has been empty since Andrew Flanagan stood down in July. (more)

Digital Broadcasting Switchover Forum 2007
From Media Network Weblog. Posted December 1 2006, 2.58pm
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation is holding a conference on the migration of broadcasting transmission from analogue to digital. Hosted by ICASA (the South African Telecoms Regulator) and partnered by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, the event will draw on informed experience and case studies from across the African continent to provide delegates with a complete spectrum [...] (more)

Champions League draws crowd of 6.4m
From Media Guardian. Posted November 22 2006, 12.00am
TV overnights: Celtic and Manchester United gave ITV1 its best Champions League audience this season. (more)

BBC withdraws reward for Blair scoop
From Media Guardian. Posted November 21 2006, 12.00am
3.30pm: The BBC has been forced to withdraw a �100 reward to any journalist confirming that Tony Blair was to be interviewed by police in the 'cash for peerages' inquiry. By Jason Deans. (more)

BBC World Service Trust wins Radio for Peacebuilding Award
From Media Network Weblog. Posted November 10 2006, 3.44pm
Darfur Lifeline - The BBC World Service Trust’s humanitarian radio service in Sudan - has won first prize for its children’s programme Ursom ala el ard makaanak (Draw Your Place On Earth) in the Youth category of the Radio For Peacebuilding Awards. The prize is awarded by Radio For Peacebuilding Africa. The 30-minute programme, Ursom ala [...] (more)

ITV draws up shortlist for top job
From Media Guardian. Posted November 9 2006, 12.00am
8am: Two lists of contenders have been drawn up for candidates to replace Charles Allen as ITV chief executive, with three names on each. By Tara Conlan and Leigh Holmwood. (more)

ITV to draw up chief executive shortlist this week
From Brand Republic. Posted November 6 2006, 8.11am
LONDON - The board of ITV is expected to whittle down a long list of candidates for the broadcaster's vacant chief executive job to a shortlist of preferred candidates, when it meets later this week. (more)

Quality Radio refused permission to use cancelled AM frequencies
From Media Network Weblog. Posted November 3 2006, 2.56pm
The Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands has rejected the request of Quality Radio to be allowed to continue using the four AM frequencies which were licenced in 2003, but withdrawn earlier this year because they had not been suffiiciently used. Ruud Poeze, boss of Quality Radio, had asked to be allowed to continue using the frequencies on an [...] (more)

1200 voting machines in the Netherlands withdrawn from use
From Media Network Weblog. Posted October 30 2006, 2.16pm
In the run-up to next month’s general election in the Netherlands, the government has withdrawn the licences for 1200 electronic voting machines, about 10% of the total in the country, after it was discovered that the radio signals produced by one particular type of machine can be received several tens of metres away, meaning that voter [...] (more)

Moyles' audience up as commercial breakfast loses out
From Brand Republic. Posted October 26 2006, 11.10am
LONDON - BBC Radio 1 'saviour' Chris Moyles has added to his success, drawing more listeners to his breakfast show as Capital, Magic and Heart all slip. (more)

Tiscali Partner with RawFlow
From ASMeC - Association of Streaming Media Companies. Posted October 20 2006, 4.47pm
Tiscali Embraces The Power Of Peer-to-Peer Technology With RawFlow - As Featured in Mi2N (http://www.mi2n.com) Tiscali Business and RawFlow agree on partnership to deploy Peer-To-Peer streaming technology for Tiscali's growing European Media Delivery Network - first project is for Tiscali's Freestream online radio broadcasts (more)

SMG continues to search for CE
From Radio Today. Posted October 20 2006, 9.40am
The Scottish Media Group have drawn up a 'long list' of potential candidates to take over as Group Chief Executive.A number of people have been approached, and the Chairman is currently in discussions with potential candidates for the position.