April 30th 2008
By: scottvine
Cause the man from Mars won’t eat up bars when the TV’s on (Blondie - ‘Rapture’)Rapture TV has announced it is to appeal the ruling of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) of 31 March 2008 which roundly dismissed its appeal against an Ofcom decision relating to electronic programme guide (EPG) ...
April 30th 2008
By: Russ
Folks, we have been saying for years that mobile termination rates are the single biggest UK rip-off. We've said it before (here) - Ofcom should do more.
Anyway, this little video sums up what's at stake:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASpq4WZniQU[/youtube]
High petrol prices? Groceries more expensive? At least those costs aren't based on ...
April 30th 2008
By: Russ
Ofcom just released this news:
Martin Donnelly, Director General Europe and Globalisation at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is to join Ofcom on secondment as Senior Partner responsible for Ofcom’s international work and its activities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Donnelly replaces Ian Hargreaves, who is joining the Foreign Office as ...
April 28th 2008
By: Russ
UPDATE: Roger Darlington covers the progress of this important issue here. The primary legal difference between the U.S. and the U.K. in this regard is the availability of class action relief in the U.S. While class action lawsuits are often abused, they certainly put a stop to this type of ...
April 24th 2008
By: Russ
UPDATE: Nigel Griffiths failed. Ed Vaizey made some very sensible comments -- here.
On Friday the Nigel Griffiths legislation on Junk Food advertising: the Food Products (Marketing to Children) Bill will get its second reading in Parliament. Based on my discussions with people that know U.K. politics, the bill ...
April 21st 2008
By: Russ
Ofcom appear before Parliament tomorrow from 10:30 - 13:00. Ed Richards (CEO) and David Currie (Chair) will appear before the Culture Media and Sport Committee and the Business and Entreprise Committee, sitting in a joint oversight session.
The webcast should be here.
Last year I attended and I thought the proceedings ...
April 20th 2008
By: Russ
Hey people, here's what shakin' this week:
-- On Tuesday the 22nd at 10:30 am, Ofcom CEO Ed Richards and Chair Lord David Currie appear before Parliament's two select committees with oversight responsibility in its sectors (T&I, CMS). You can probably watch it streamed live here.
I predict a riot.
-- ...
April 18th 2008
By: Russ
Broadband stories like this one are now becoming as common as NHS horror stories:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtZXD3fwPGw[/youtube]
Ofcom CEO Ed Richards has been making good statements about this lately, but these problems having been going on now for almost three years.
Time for action...
April 17th 2008
By: Russ
I wrote last week that I thought Ofcom's willingness to pay research in its PSB Review was questionable. After looking into this matter further, my opinion is even stronger. Here is why I think Ofcom's research was below standard:
-- It strongly appears that -- instead of deliberative research ...
April 14th 2008
By: Russ
The most cogent insights in the history of regulatory theory came from the Chicago School. In particular Nobel winner George Stigler famously observed that firms often acquire policy or regulation so as to serve their interest, not the public interest.
Ofcom's Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) review looks like it could ...
