Idea for the GMS
The GMS should start by covering creative contests and ceremonies that are ignored by other broadcasters. The BBC has Eurovision, but maybe GMS can find a diamond in the rough.
Neil Fraser Appointed Head of Gaelic Media Service
Neil Fraser has been appointed the new Chairman of the Gaelic Media Service, Ofcom announced today (30 September, 2003). His appointment, which has the approval of the Secretary of State for Scotland, will take effect from 1 January 2004 and will run for four years.
The new Gaelic Media [...]
New Look ofcomwatch.co.uk
We’ve got a new look thanks to Tommi Eisele at keindesign
It looks great – many thanks Tom!
Stirton’s Take On Playlists
In response to a number of posts on this site throughout the summer in regard to radio playlist quotas for domestically produced music we recieved this handy alternate checklist from Lindsay Stirton. He says:
“I thoroughly support the idea of quotas for music, though perhaps nationality is only one basis for selection. Here [...]
Sarah Baxter on the BBC’s reception in the U.S.
The September 28th Times has a piece on the image of the BBC among those Americans who know it exists…I mean…who tuned in during the Iraq war for unbiased coverage of events.
The whole piece appears overstated to me. I was, depending on the week, in the [...]
Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside…
As everyone else was gabbing on about boring old shite in the main hall at the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, Tessa Jowell was announcing to a fringe meeting that the BBC would emerge from charter renewal a strong and independent organisation.
She told a Social Market [...]
Prince Phillip: First To Test Ofcom’s New Harm and Offence Codes?
Reports indicate that Prince Phillip is to direct and produce that annual blockbuster – The Queen’s Speech.
Apparently Prince Phillip has been disappointed by the ’soft’ approach of recent broadcasts and sees an opportunity this year to preach his own brand of “Muscular Christianity”. This is [...]
Digital TV Takeup 10m+
BSkyB hopes to announce it has reached 7m subscribers three months ahead of schedule when it celebrates the fifth anniversary of Sky Digital on Wednesday.
Meanwhile Freeview has pushed the number of digital TV homes in Britain past 10m for the first time, according to a report by Continental Research published today. [...]
From Poetry To Prose?
Harsh words from Sonia Purnell in the Independent on Sunday this past weekend in regard to Ofcom’s regulatory intergration and convergence.
The article quotes a senior source as saying, “People have got very angry and emotional about the whole process…we have been boiling down five existing regulators into one, and appointing staff through [...]
Carter RTS Keynote Reviewed
Decent reframing of Stephen Carter’s RTS Cambridge speech – at least the PSB portion of it – by Maggie Brown in today’s mediaguardian. All the key points highlighted – particular emphasis on Ofcom’s desire to frame the debate in terms that move beyond the “you know it when you see it approach” [...]
New coined term…
How about, instead of ‘Celebrity Regulator’, we use ‘Reguplaya’, as in: “He may be a regulator, but he’s still a playa.”
Propa!
Tom Glocer Interview
There’s a good one in today’s Wall Street Journal — at least the U.S. version.
Among other things, Glocer (CEO of Reuters Group PLC) describes the cultural differences and similarities of British and U.S. media coverage of business and financial affairs.
Go On My Son
Apparently BSkyB shareholders are playing down the chances of James Murdoch getting the top job – while the director in charge of the appointment warned that he would have to work harder than any other candidate to prove his credentials. Afterall its not who you know but what you know in this [...]
egad!
Maybe I didn’t coin the term, ‘celebrity regulator’…!?!?!
On May 9, 2002, an Australian website — Crikey — used the term to describe Allan Fells, who, at the time, was apparently chairman of the ACCC.
By the way, Crikey looks like a very cool website. Maybe they will let me use ‘celebrity regulator’ in [...]
Cross-post from mediafrenzy:
Ofcom recently published details of how it will consult with the public and affected regulatees on policy matters. Any student of administrative law will quickly note the obvious differences between Ofcom’s procedures and the very formal procedures specified by the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) for U.S. regulatory agencies.
I generally favor the less [...]
U.K. Exports and Imports
Some work and some do not.
Celebrity Regulator Cribs
Following on from Russ’ post about celebrity regulators…
It would be great to do an MTV/Homes and Gardens style ‘Celebrity Regulators’ Cribs. This is where we would take a look around regulators homes and then do a write up of what stuff they have stashed away at their pad.
No doubt most regulators have their [...]
Ball Mulls Ofcomwatch Offer
BSkyB’s departing chief executive Tony Ball has signed comprehensive non-compete agreements and a multimillion pound three-year consultancy deal to prevent him from working for a rival pay or free television service in the UK.
With so few ‘real’ options now open to a man who has had so many bright ideas over the [...]
Ofcom — Not yet fully powerful
Luke alerted me that Ofcom now has an official countdown on its website which tracks how many days are left until “Ofcom is vested with full powers on 29 December 2003.” 97 days as of today.
Naturally, I double-checked their calculations. Ofcom is clearly going by the age-old rule, [...]
What’s Dyke worried about?
If the BBC fulfills the goals it set for itself, the British public will be well-served with at least one quality broadcaster (on numerous analog and digital platforms), right? So what’s the problem with permitting Viacom to acquire ITV?
The problem with suggestions that there are ‘quality’ dangers associated with U.S. ownership [...]
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