The DTI has published a report (PDF, 33 pages) that examines concurrent competition powers in sectoral regulation. Concurrency is the regime through which regulators such as Ofcom, Ofwat, Ofgem and ORR are given powers alongside the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to enforce the Competition Act 1998 (and the corresponding provisions of the EC [...]
Digital switchover will take place from 2008-2012 and the first ITV region to switch will be the Border region which straddles the north of England and the south of Scotland. Last week, DigitalUK held a conference in Carlisle to explain to local citizens what will be involved and to answer questions and concerns. The event [...]
Folks, the life of an avid OfcomWatcher is never boring:
1. Monday the 22nd. Went to a seminar here in Oxford held by Dr. Karen Yeung on how regulatory agencies such as Ofcom manage publicity. The examples given were the U.K. Office of Fair Trading and the Australian consumer regulator. Does the regulator communicate primarily to [...]
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has today published a report of a trial conducted in Bolton to investigate what type of support would be needed at digital switchover by people aged 75 and over.
The results of the trial, run jointly by the DCMS and the BBC, show that:
98% of participants [...]
Ofcom press release below – although it fails to mention that Ofcom’s current Chief Operating Officer, Ed Richards is a shoo-in for the top job.
“The Ofcom Board today announced that Stephen Carter will stand down from his role as Chief Executive Officer, with effect from 15 October 2006.
He will continue to lead on all operational [...]
Technically most of the options are already known: mobile TV; ‘standard’ mobile telephony – particularly expanding coverage in rural areas; wireless broadband, terrestrial High Definition Television (HDTV); additional standard definition TV channels or interactive services. There is also the wildcard of what the European Commission calls ‘innovative new services’, which could mean things not invented [...]
As Don points out below, the issue of whether Ofcom should impose restrictions on the advertising of junk foods to children seems to be gathering steam. Just take a look at the consultation responses Ofcom has released on its website (my favourite: Mr. Mike Thomason – they should put him on the Ofcom Content Board). [...]
Ofcom could face its first judicial review at the hands of the National Heart Forum, an alliance of health and consumer charities and professional medical organisations concerned about obesity.
In its current consultation of the advertising of food to children on TV, Ofcom offered three options for new restrictions, but did not include the NHF’s favoured [...]
Today’s MediaGuardian has a piece from Jeff Jarvis on the BBC’s role in the media marketplace. He writes in part:
The BBC can become the grand laboratory of media. For because of those licence
fees, you are in a better position than any organisation anywhere to think
generously, to share knowledge and audience – and thus revenue and [...]
Sorry, folks – if you click on any of our archived material to the right you may receive a ‘Not Found’ message. We’re working on the problem and hope to have it fixed soon.
Until then, you can always search (and read) our archive on Google using the limitation — site:ofcomwatch.co.uk — in your Google search. [...]
BT has today published its fourth quarter and full year results.
Some of the highlights are:
Revenue of £19,514 million, up 6 per cent (3 per cent excluding the impact of reductions to mobile termination rates and acquisitions)
New wave revenue of £6,282 million, up 38 per cent, represents 32 per cent of total revenue
Profit before taxation [...]
A good day at the Competition Appeal Tribunal for Ofcom today, with the CAT unanimously upholding an Ofcom determination that Media Marketing and Promotions (MMP) breached number portability conditions by not porting three non-geographic numbers it had
been providing to Prime Time Radio (PTR) to another service provider, Uniworld, at PTR’s request.
The CAT dismissed MMP’s argument [...]
Earlier this week, I attended the launch at the House of Commons of the newly-formed Associate Parliamentary Media Literacy Group. The event was chaired by Lib Dem MP Danny Alexander – whose constituency name (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey) is itself a test of media literacy – and he will chair the Group.
There were [...]
O2 yesterday became the last of the UK’s major mobile phone networks to reduce the cost of making calls abroad in an attempt to avert the threat of regulation from the European Union.
As an article in today’s “Guardian” puts it: “The industry is moving swiftly to avert the threat of EU-wide regulation. EU telecoms [...]
Interesting comparison point for those of you who were following the recently leaked details of what certain BBC celebrities earn.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is consulting on whether it should adopt a rule that would generally require disclosure of corporate non-executive salaries when those salaries exceed executive salaries (under certain circumstances).
As applied [...]
Sorry folks, been busy lately … err … enjoying the sunshine…
Ofcom this past Tuesday released this regulatory statement on the obligations of television broadcasters (except the BBC, which is separately regulated) relating to cross-promotions. According to Ofcom, all of the regulations adopted by the ITC in 2002 have been repealed except:
* Cross promotions [...]
Following Friday’s departure from the Department of Trade & Industry of Alun Michael and several other Ministers, the DTI has now announced a new allocation of responsibilities with Margaret Hodge assuming responsibility for e-commerce and the communications and information industries.
NB – This post has been amended.
Reuters is reporting that the European Commission is not budging on its proposed Audiovisual Media Services Directive – which includes provisions to regulate (non-linear) internet based services.
The DCMS, supported by Ofcom and other bodies, argue (rightly in our view) that the Commission’s proposals would stifle innovation and place a [...]
Ofcom has today published information about per-provider slamming and mis-selling complaints. The regulator states that: “This data is made publicly available as part of Ofcom’s continuing enforcement activity in this area to help ensure consumers are properly protected and informed.”
Behind this seemingly innocuous statement is a significant shift by Ofcom in how it [...]
The growing interest in using C-band for UMTS or wireless broadband is ringing alarm bells for satellite operators.
The World Radio Conference (WRC) of 2007 may be some way off but a storm is already brewing over certain agenda items not least what is being described as �a serious threat to satellite businesses in Europe and [...]
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