| Media News Archive 2004 |
| January 2004 |
| BBC to remove chart sponsor credits 02-01-04 |
The BBC today announced its intention to remove on-air credits currently given to sponsors of The Official Chart during broadcasts on the corporation's television and radio stations. Factual credits for sponsors of "events" that the BBC covers are allowed under the corporation's Producers' Guidelines. Under the terms of a deal between The Official Chart and the BBC reached four years ago, it was agreed that the unveiling of each week's chart would be classified as an "event," thus permitting sponsor credits to be broadcast.
BBC Radio 1's controller, Andy Parfitt, explained today that the BBC now feels that the "broadcast market has moved on considerably since then." He continued: "Taking this into account, and recent events, we no longer feel it is appropriate to allow on air mentions of sponsors of the chart.
"We are therefore working with The Official Chart Company to resolve this situation without breaking any of our contractual obligations that are currently in place." The decision will be implemented later this year provided current issues can be resolved. |
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| TCM encrypts and joins Sky lineup 10-01-04 |
| Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has become a subscription service after encrypting its channel and joining the Sky Family Package. The broadcaster blamed the move on "commercial reasons". It means viewers need to subscribe to a package costing £19.50 per month or more to receive TCM. |
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| Now we are Three 13-01-04 |
| The BBC's £80m-a-year youth network rarely attracts more than a few hundred thousand viewers. A year into its life, BBC3's controller Stuart Murphy tells Ian Burrell how he squares EastEnders spin-offs with public-service TV. |
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| Audience with no one: 55 days on TV 13-01-04 |
| More than 55 days' worth of programmes on the BBC's digital channels last year were watched by so few viewers that they scored zero on the official ratings scale. Figures from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board show that 1,328 hours of television on five networks were officially seen by no one. |
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| BBC thrives in Kilroy's absence 13-01-04 |
| Robert Kilroy-Silk's absence is still reaping benefits for the BBC today after ratings went up for the second day in succession for the alternative schedule the corporation put in place after pulling his talkshow. |
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| Record high ratings new BBC4 TV show 20-01-04 |
| The BBC's decision to show The Alan Clark Diaries on its specialist arts digital TV channel BBC4 has been deemed to be a great success. It comes after 848,000 viewers (7.22% of multi-channel homes) tuned in, making it the most-watched programme on the channel since its launch. |
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| BBC's Pebble Mill studios to close 26-01-04 |
An era in the history of the BBC is to end this spring when Pebble Mill, the corporation's TV and radio studios in Birmingham, closes.
The studios, in the leafy suburbs of Britain's second biggest city, pioneered the expansion of daytime television, with shows such as Pebble Mill at One and Good Morning with Anne and Nick. The Archers, Radio 4's long-running saga of farming folk, is still recorded there. |
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| War of the news walls 26-01-04 |
| ITV's news has suffered over the past few years, but its new editor-in-chief aims to change all that, starting with next Monday's revamp and a fixed slot for the main bulletin. David Mannion tells Maggie Brown about his plans for the news channel, the regions - and Sir Trevor. |
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| Two Golden Globes for The Office 26-01-04 |
| The BBC comedy The Office beat Sex and the City and Will and Grace as it was named best comedy TV series. Its star and creator Ricky Gervais beat Friends actor Matt LeBlanc to take the best comedy actor gong. It was the first time a British comedy series has won at the awards. |
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| BBC to be reined in, says Jowell's adviser 27-01-04 |
| The government's digital television adviser, Barry Cox, has predicted that ministers will impose tough controls on the BBC to reverse the process of "dumbing down" that critics believe has occurred under the present director general, Greg Dyke. |
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| Greg Dyke resigns 29-01-04 |
| BBC director general Greg Dyke today dramatically resigned as the corporation struggles to deal with the biggest crisis in its 82-year history. He is the second senior figure at the corporation to quit in the past 24 hours in the wake of Lord Hutton's devastating critique of the way the corporation handled the Kelly affair. |
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| ITV to launch ITV3 30-01-04 |
| ITV will launch its third mainstream channel before the end of the this year, it has been reported. ITV chief executive Charles Allen said following the success of ITV2 as a young viewers' entertainment channel, he wants ITV3 to aim at an older audience. It has not yet been decided if it would be a pay-TV channel. The merger of Granada and Carlton means the new ITV company will have access to a huge library of programmes and films. Some industry experts have dubbed it ITV Gold showing classics like Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown and Sherlock Holmes. |
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| The end of Free2view? 31-01-04 |
| According to the website Free2View, new Free To View viewing cards will no longer be issued after 31st January. If you are already registered with the service but have lost your viewing card, have a fault with your viewing card or have ordered a next generation viewing card through this service prior to January 31st but have not yet received it, please call 0870 054 1800. As most of you will be aware until May 2003 viewers with digital satellite equipment were able to obtain a smart card that would enable access to the BBC channels, ITV1, Channel 4 and Five, free of charge. Until that point the BBC met the cost of cards and the BBC, Channel4 and Five jointly funded the cost of administering the cards to customers. Discussion with government, broadcasters and regulator will continue with the objective of finding a cost effective solution to the ongoing provision of cards but for now there is no service planned beyond 31st January. |
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| February 2004 |
| ITV Merger 02-02-04 |
Newly-created ITV plc has received a boost from investors as shares in the UK's largest commercial broadcaster got off to a strong start. There is also speculation that ITV plc may attract takeover attention from an overseas media company keen to benefit from deregulation in the sector.
The long-awaited tie-up has brought together all the former ITV regional companies, except Channel, Scottish, Grampian and Ulster. Chief executive Charles Allen said today that ITV was now "well placed" for growth and performing at its best level for 10 years. It will also deliver the £100 million of cost savings promised from the merger, he added. He also played down speculation that former BBC director-general Greg Dyke could be a candidate for the vacant post of chairman of ITV. |
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| Rupert's revolution 09-02-04 |
| Things look good for Sky as it celebrates its 15th birthday. It now reaches seven million British homes and its profits are set to soar. But despite revolutionising our TV viewing, the satellite broadcaster still has its critics. So what does the future hold? Maggie Brown talks to the major players. |
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| BBC and ITV duel for live football 16-02-04 |
| The BBC and ITV are to go head-to-head in the battle to restore live football to terrestrial screens when BSkyB auctions the rights to up to eight Premier League matches in the spring. |
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| ITV Chairman 20-02-04 |
| ITV is likely to choose a new chairman as early as next week - and there are just two remaining contenders, John Gardiner and Peter Burt. The nominations committee led by Sir Brian Pitman has whittled the short list down to men with strong links to the City and the ITV plc board. |
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| Digital Text on Channel Four 23-02-04 |
| Channel 4 has launched a new digital teletext service, accessed by pressing the text button whilst watching Channel 4. It features news, background information about Channel 4's top shows and TV listings. |
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| Drop in Free to view satellite homes 23-02-04 |
| The BBC's decision to stop supporting the 'solus' card system, which provided free to view conditional access to the major public service broadcasters such as the BBC, Channel Four, ITV and five on digital satellite, has led to a drop in the number of homes viewing TV via free-to-view digital satellite. Official figures from Ofcom show that while 827,000 homes used FTV digital satellite TV in the third quarter, this sank to 211,000 homes by the fourth quarter. |
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| BBC loses Scottish football rights 26-02-04 |
| The BBC has lost the rights to live Scottish Premier League football to Irish broadcaster Setanta. |
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| ITV bosses 'jolly' as staff face dole 26-02-04 |
| Up to 75 top ITV executives are enjoying a three-day stay at London's luxurious Park Lane Hilton as the company announced 400 job cuts in the Midlands. |
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| Astra 2D in front of the sun 29-02-04 |
| From now on, and for the next few days, Astra 2D will be in front of the sun at around 10.10 GMT. Due to this, reception will fail from around from 10.10 to 10.15 GMT. If you want to ensure your antenna is positioned correctly, ensure that there is no obstacle beween the antenna's postion and the sun at 10.10 GMT. You can do this test within the next days. This information was kindly forwarded by Martin Clostermann in southern Germany. |
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| March 2004 |
| BBC wins rights to the Powergen Challenge Cup 01-03-04 |
| The BBC has signed a new TV deal with the Rugby Football League to broadcast live coverage of the Powergen Challenge Cup. The three-year RFL deal coincides with a move by the sport from winter to summer and an August Cup Final which coincides with the climax of the Super League. The BBC has also secured rights with the League to show highlights of the Tri-Nations international series between Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. And it has won a deal to air the prestigious Six Nations rugby tournament until the end of the decade. |
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| BBC radio battles for Premiership 01-03-04 |
| The BBC is facing a multimillion pound battle to retain its monopoly of Premiership football radio coverage. |
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| Eastender's Mark Fowler laid to rest 07-03-04 |
| An old Eastenders favourite will be laid to rest in the coming months, according to the News of the World today. Mark Fowler, played by Todd Carty, finally loses his lifetime battle against Aids and is given a good old East-End send off. Characters from past and present, including Leslie Grantham (Den) and Leonard Fenton (Dr Legg), all attended filming which took place at North Watford Cemetry nearby to the Borehamwood studios where Eastenders filming takes place. Mark was last seen in the BBC soap leaving Walford on his motorbike. His departure came after his long and arduous battle against HIV, which he caught from his first wife Gill. Carty told the newspaper: "As I'm no longer in the show it's good to have closure for both the character and me." |
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| BBC misled with digital claim 10-03-04 |
| The BBC has been reprimanded by ad watchdogs for claiming its digital TV channels were new even though some have been around for years. |
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| Sky snatches Channel Five news from ITN 13-03-04 |
| Sky has won the contract to produce all of Channel Five's news programmes for five years from the beginning of next year. The decision represents a big victory for Sky and a blow for ITN, which had been locked in a lengthy battle with Sky to secure the contract. ITN is now reportedly studying the costs of Sky's successful bid and will possibly take legal advice if it believes Sky undercut it substantially enough for the deal to be considered a loss leader and therefore be seen as a form of "predatory pricing". However, Sky quickly hit back - saying its deal with Five is wholly commercial and that ITN's reaction is "sour grapes". Sky will provide a state-of-the-art studio in West London for Five, along with a dedicated team of 60 reporters, producers and technicians. |
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| Sky confirms major EPG reshuffle 13-03-04 |
| A major reshuffle of almost 40 general entertainment channels in Sky Digital's Electronic Programme Guide will take place next week. The move, on March 23, will mean that many channel numbers will change and even popular channels such as E4 and ITV2 will be found on different channel numbers. The shiftaround is intended to free up space in the Sky line-up to enable new channels to launch later in the year. |
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| Keating fuels BBC2 speculation 24-03-04 |
| BBC4 controller Roly Keating today refused to rule out interest in a new job as controller of BBC2 if Jane Root makes a highly anticipated move to the US. Speaking at the launch of BBC4's summer season, Mr Keating said he had "nothing to say" about the move - but failed to rule out categorically that he was interested in the job. |
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| Freeview could outstrip Sky by 2007 24-03-04 |
| Digital TV service Freeview is poised to replace Sky as the UK's favourite way of watching multichannel television by the end of 2007, research has revealed. |
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| Mair to be new face of BBC3 news 26-03-04 |
| BBC presenter Eddie Mair, tipped as a future host of the Today programme, is being lined up to front another relaunch of the corporation's youth-oriented news show on BBC3. |
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| BBC2 controller has quit 26-03-04 |
| The reign of the longest serving terrestrial channel controller, Jane Root, is drawing to a close, with an announcement due early next week that she is quitting BBC2 after five years to take a new job in America. |
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| Dyke: I was fired by BBC governors 26-03-04 |
| Former BBC director general Greg Dyke has admitted for the first time that he was fired in the wake of the Hutton report. |
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| Astra 2D Website 1 Year Old! 28-03-04 |
When I launched the Astra 2D Website on March 28th 2003, I had no idea that so many people would ever use it. When the BBC switched its services to 2D during June of last year, I was swamped by emails both asking for and giving reception advice. This time last year, we really had no idea how far the satellite could reach, or what kind of equipment would be needed out here on the fringes of the footprint . One year on many of those questions have now been answered. Today, many more people are now picking up tthe Astra 2D satellite, from Cyprus in the east to the Canaries in the west! There are still many out there with with the dreaded "No satellite signal being received" messege, so keep your reports, updates and advice coming in. Help me, help others.
Thanks to all, who have contributed and helped with the site.
Expat |
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| BBC faces big shake-up under new chairman 29-03-04 |
| The new chairman of the BBC is facing a bulging in-tray that includes a plan to abolish the very board of governors on which he or she will preside. Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, said yesterday that the panel which interviewed candidates for the chairmanship last week had made its recommendation to her, and that an appointment would be announced within three weeks. |
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| Ryder leaving the BBC 31-03-04 |
| The BBC has been hit by another high level departure today, with vice-chairman Lord Ryder announcing he will be leaving in the summer. |
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| ITV's Property Blockbuster 31-03-04 |
| ITV is banking on a home-grown version of smash hit Australian property show The Block, billed as a cross between Big Brother and Changing Rooms, for summer ratings success. The show will pit four couples against each other as they compete to make the most money from their identical Brighton flats |
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| April 2004 |
| ITV3 lined up for September debut 08-04-04 |
| ITV has pencilled in a September launch date for its new drama and golden oldies channel, ITV3, provided negotiations with BSkyB are successfully concluded. |
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| Channel 4 clinches 18-month contract 08-04-04 |
| Channel 4 has backed down from its threat to abandon horse racing after 20 years by emerging last night from a game of brinkmanship with Britain's course owners with its deal intact to show the prestigious Cheltenham Festival. |
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| BBC kicks out at Welsh football deal 08-04-04 |
| The BBC has accused the Welsh Football Association of putting profits before fans after it sold the rights to home international matches to BSkyB in a £10m deal. BBC Wales believed it had sewn up a deal for the country's forthcoming internationals, including vital World Cup qualifiers against England and Northern Ireland. |
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| BBC digital channels announce rising ratings 09-04-04 |
| The BBC has reported improved audience share and reach for its digital TV channels. Pre-school channel CBeebies had an audience share of 7.3% in March, an improvement of 0.5 points compared with March 2003. Meanwhile, BBC3's share since its launch in February 2003 has increased 27% among all viewers and 38% for its target audience of 25- to 34-year-olds, compared with last year. |
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| Channel Four to launch new channels in 2005 18-04-04 |
| Channel 4 is investing £90 million in launching several new digital TV channels - including More4 early next year - in an effort to retain its share of the audience in the multi-channel market. The new channels will focus on comedy, music and factual programming. Rob Woodward, commercial Director of Channel 4, said it has yet to be decided whether all the channels will be free-to-air or subscription based, however More4 will be advertising-financed. It will be aimed at "an older, wealthier demographic audience than Channel 4" according to the broadcaster. |
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| ITV3 confirms September launch date 18-04-04 |
| ITV is planning to launch its new drama and golden oldies channel, ITV3, in September this year. However, the launch is dependent on a deal being struck with Sky over the restructuring of the two group's involvement in their joint GSkyB venture. GSkyB, which runs Granada Plus and Men and Motors, currently has a first-look deal with ITV for classic Granada dramas such as Cracker, Cold Feet, Prime Suspect and Brideshead Revisited, and launching ITV3 without access to these shows is not viable. It is also still unclear whether ITV3 will launch as a subscription channel, replacing Granada Plus, or whether it will be an advertising-funded channel operating alongside. ITV's chief executive, Charles Allen, said recently: "ITV3 will be launched this year using the extensive ITV, Carlton and Granada programme libraries. It will be targeted at a more upmarket audience, using favourite ITV dramas and classic movies. |
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| Michelle Fowler returns to Albert Square 26-04-04 |
| Michelle Fowler is to return to Walford, however the actress who originally played her won't be back. Having been in the US for the past ten years, Michelle will come back to save her daughter Vicki from the influence of her father Den Watts. Susan Tully, who played Michelle since the soap began in 1985, now has a successful career as a television director, and will not be returning as Michelle. An insider told the Daily Star that a newcomer would be cast in the role, in the same way that Kim Medcalf replaced Daniella Westbrook as Sam Mitchell. |
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| Government must support digital switch 26-04-04 |
| The BBC today warned the government that it would miss its target for digital switchover if the change was left to the market alone, as it backed the launch of a satellite version of its successful Freeview service. |
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| Parkinson walks out on BBC after 33 years 26-04-04 |
| Michael Parkinson dramatically quit the BBC today 33 years after he first joined the corporation, lashing out at the inconsistent scheduling of his famed Saturday night chatshow. |
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| BBC calls for satellite Freeview 27-04-04 |
| The BBC yesterday called for the introduction of a satellite version of Freeview after warning the government that it will miss its target for switching off the analogue television signal. The corporation said government intervention backed by millions of pounds of public money would be needed to convert the country to digital TV by 2010. Creating a fourth platform alongside Freeview, BSkyB and cable will be vital to meeting that deadline, said the BBC in a report submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. |
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| BBC to create FreeSat package 30-04-04 |
| The BBC has stated, that it is to create a formation of an alliance of broadcasters to produce a mass-market free satellite system that would rival BSkyB's platform. The corporation said it wanted to create a FreeSat option that would require no subscription to provide a digital free-to-air option for homes that use satellite technology. The news came as some in the City voiced doubts about Sky's long-term growth prospects. Although many analysts remain bullish about Sky, which now has 7.2 million subscribers, others have suggested that most consumers willing to take pay-television have probably signed up by now. |
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| May 2004 |
| BBC backs plan for free satellite TV service 01-05-04 |
| The BBC plans to follow the success of its Freeview digital television venture by backing a free-to-air digital satellite service. In a progress report to the government, the corporation recommended further state intervention if ministers are to achieve digital switchover by 2010. The BBC said the development of a satellite service would be "the final part of the jigsaw" by capturing consumers unable to receive Freeview's digital terrestrial signal and unwilling to pay for Sky's subscription packages. |
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| BBC keeps TV rights to Grand National 01-05-04 |
| The BBC has secured a five-year deal to broadcast the Grand National, the Derby and Royal Ascot. BBC Sport announced that it has signed new agreements with Racecourse Holdings Trust and Ascot until 2010. BBC director of sports rights and finance, Dominic Coles, said of the combined TV and radio rights: "We're delighted to have re-signed our three pillars of racing, the Grand National, Royal Ascot and the Derby, until the end of the decade, in the face of keen competition for the rights. We're pleased that most of Britain's premier sporting events are now live on terrestrial television." |
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| ITV buys GMTV stake from SMG 10-05-04 |
| ITV took control of GMTV today, buying out SMG's stake in a deal valuing the breakfast TV franchise at more than £120m. It means ITV now has 75% of GMTV after SMG agreed to sell its 25% stake for £31m, with the remaining 25% stake owned by Disney. |
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| A man they can do business with 24-05-04 |
| The choice of the new Director General was no real shock to anyone - but what's waiting for him at the BBC might be. Steve Hewlett asks if Mark Thompson can meet the nation's high expectations and balance the books. |
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| June 2004 |
| ITV bursts BBC1 soap's bubble 02-06-04 |
| ITV1's latest assault on EastEnders with an Emmerdale special last night wiped 4 million viewers off the audience for the BBC1 soap, as it faces one of the most serious threats in its 19-year history. Last night ITV1 ran an extended 60-minute Emmerdale episode against EastEnders for the third Tuesday on the trot. EastEnders was watched by 7.6 million viewers and attracted a 37% audience share between 7.30pm and 8pm, according to unofficial overnights. |
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| ITV to overhaul western regions 02-06-04 |
| ITV has sought to counter criticism that it is neglecting its regional responsibilities by appointing a dedicated managing director for Wales and restructuring its former franchises. The network, which has come under fire from MPs for closing its studios in Nottingham and on the south coast with the loss of hundreds of jobs, said today it had appointed head-hunters to look for a new managing director for ITV Wales. |
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| BBC unveils Wimbledon TV coverage plans 07-06-04 |
| The BBC has announced how it will be covering this year's Wimbledon Tennis Championships, which start on June 21. Live and exclusive TV coverage will be available on BBC One and BBC Two, plus radio coverage on Radio Five Live and interactive offerings through BBCi and the BBC's Web site. Television output is enhanced this year with an increase in the number of show courts covered by BBC cameras from seven to eight. Sue Barker will present the BBC's live coverage while John Inverdale will front the daily highlights show, Today at Wimbledon. John McEnroe and Boris Becker will also provide commentary. |
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| Sky to launch Free channels 09-06-04 |
| BSkyB is to launch a package of up to 200 free channels to counter the growing threat from Freeview, the rival service backed by the BBC offering 30 channels for no fee. In a major change of policy, BSkyB is abandoning its "pay-TV only" service and trying to appeal for the first time to satellite "refusniks" who have never been attracted to the concept of subscription TV. Up to now viewers who wanted satellite TV were obliged to buy into a package of channels in order to get services such as the BBC that were otherwise free through an aerial. |
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| ITV changes plans for new kids TV channel 09-06-04 |
| ITV is seeking a deal with an existing kids channel rather than launching its own standalone ITV Kids service, as initially planned. It now wants to start a CiTV-branded slot on an existing childrens pay-TV channel, in exchange for a block of airtime on ITV. Disney and Nickelodeon have been named as two potential partners. An ITV spokesperson said: "ITV has been in conversation with a number of potential partners for some while. We are looking at options for strategic alliances in the children's arena." |
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| BBC drops Emma Awards 16-06-04 |
| The BBC has dropped plans to broadcast the Emma multicultural media awards after a storm of controversy engulfed this year's event at which David Beckham, Greg Dyke, Tom Cruise and Vanessa Feltz were amongst those given honours. |
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| BBC bags Olympics until 2012 18-06-04 |
| The BBC has clinched TV rights to the Olympic games until 2012 after the organisers decided not to sell the contract to the highest bidder. The decision is a boost to the BBC, which is preparing for its most comprehensive Olympics coverage yet in Athens later this summer. |
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| Sky and Channel 4 sign carriage agreement 18-06-04 |
| Channel 4 and Sky have signed a new agreement to ensure that all Channel 4's TV channels will continue to be available across the Sky digital platform until at least the end of 2007. Sky will also carry More 4, Channel 4's upcoming digital TV channel for older viewers, when it goes on air in early 2005. Channel 4 has also extended its conditional access agreement with Sky until October 2008. |
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| BBC4 unveils ambitious growth plans 20-06-04 |
| The new controller of BBC4, Janice Hadlow, is vowing to introduce more "big, ambitious, authoritative" factual shows to the digital TV channel. She said: "I want BBC4 to be a place where you can see even more big, ambitious, authoritative series. I want really big, thought-provoking ideas." Hadlow also is also keen to introduce new faces to BBC4, adding: "One of BBC4's jobs is to develop talent, faces, ideas. It's quite possible for the channel to be nurturing people who are doing one thing for BBC4, but in the longer term move into the wider landscape of mainstream TV. |
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| ITV to bring back Popstars 24-06-04 |
| ITV has confirmed that reality series Popstars will be back for a third series, Broadcast reports this week. The new run will get a new twist: this time round, the show will look to create the UK's next musical male-female duet. The new version will be called Popstars: Boy Meets Girl, the programme is expected to be given a Saturday night slot for its thirteen-week run. |
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| 25 million tune in to England - Portugal on BBC One 24-06-04 |
| A peak of almost 25 million viewers saw England knocked out of Euro 2004 in Lisbon last night (Thursday), according to unofficial figures. The tense match, which included 30 minutes of extra time and a climactic penalty shootout, averaged a hefty 20.6 million viewers and a 73.6% share of the audience across almost three hours on BBC One. A peak of 24.7 million - an 84.4% share - came in the final five minutes. As many as 10 million more could have been watching in pubs, clubs and at outdoor venues around the UK. According to Broadcast, the figure is the BBC's highest ever TV sports audience since ratings began. |
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| ITV3 channel launch date is unveiled 29-06-04 |
| ITV has announced the launch date for its new third entertainment channel, ITV3. The station will go on air in the fourth quarter of this year and will be aimed at the over-35s. ITV has said it will also double its programming budget for ITV2, spending the extra cash on sports rights, US series and films. The UK's biggest commercial broadcaster also said it aims to triple its revenue from its non-terrestrial stations within three years, setting itself the target of generating £150 million in revenue. |
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| July 2004 |
| Sky's Free To View, is nothing new! 03-07-04 |
| The forthcoming Sky Digital free to view package costing £150 for a Sky installation and viewing card will be offering viewers very little for their money. Virtually all 150- 200 channels to be offered including the BBC are already Free To Air (FTA), and do not require a Sky Digital receeiver or card. The new service will include ITV1, Channel Four and Five. Notabily missing from the free to view lineup is ITV2, currently free on digital terrestrial. |
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| New BBC TV region announced 05-07-04 |
| The BBC has announced plans to create a new TV region in Central England for Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. The regional feed is expected to become available on Sky Digital later this year. |
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| Satellite Freeview Fading! 05-07-04 |
| The prospect of the BBC launching a free-to-air satellite version of Freeview in competition with a service from Sky has faded after the two broadcasters indicated they would co-operate together. |
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| Parkinson to head ITV's autumn lineup 07-07-04 |
| Michael Parkinson's new ITV chatshow will start in September as the network ramps up the battle against the BBC, which is expecting a bumper August courtesy of the Olympics and the return of Premiership highlights. The network yesterday unveiled its plans to advertisers, and the all-important autumn season will include 13 extra hours of drama and the speedy return of reality blockbuster I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in November. |
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| BBC 10 O'Clock News to go interactive 12-07-04 |
| The BBC is to introduce a new and enhanced interactive service for its flagship news programme, the BBC Ten O'Clock News. Starting this autumn, it will offer viewers longer interviews, extra footage and background on the day's stories. Richard Sambrook, Director of BBC News, said: "The BBC News audience consistently tell us that they want even more information on the day's events. 'Ten O'Clock News Extra' will provide that platform for added depth and context to the bulletin and will help drive a new audience towards our interactive services." |
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| BBC unveils interactive Olympics service 12-07-04 |
| The BBC has announced its most extensive TV coverage of the Olympic Games ever, scheduling 250 hours of coverage from Athens plus over 1,000 hours through its first ever interactive Summer Olympics TV service. Sky Digital viewers will be able to access four additional streams to watch extended coverage of the 37 events. Freeview users will be able to access two additional events. In addition, the BBC's Website at bbc.co.uk/olympics will let UK broadband users access high-quality live coverage on their desktop. |
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| Will Sky close its music TV channels? 12-07-04 |
| Sky has admitted that it is reviewing the future of its three music channels, The Amp, Scuzz and Flaunt, and at the same time has moved its head of music channels, Jo Wallace, to head up original programming on Sky One. Any closure of the channels would mark a major retreat from the broadcaster's attempt to challenge rivals MTV and Emap in the pay-TV music market. Wallace's move to Sky One comes as the entertainment channel tries to reposition itself to attract a more upmarket 16-34 audience. |
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| London TV launches on Sky this week 12-07-04 |
| A new 24 hour TV channel dedicated to showcasing what to do and where to go in London has launched on Sky Digital. London TV provides bite-sized entertainment to inspire Londoners to explore their own city and helps visitors to make the most of their stay. Broadcast round the clock from a studio overlooking the River Thames, London TV features the latest on the capital's culture, shopping, eating and trips out, with news on the hottest events and special offers. |
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| BBC channels face threat of disruption 12-07-04 |
| BBC TV channels and digital services face severe disruption later this month after union members in the corporation's technology arm voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action. Union members voted to strike just hours after the subsidiary was acquired by German electronics giant Siemens. The strike could begin as early as July 21 and could decimate the technical side of the BBC just days before the corporation starts broadcasting the Athens Olympics. |
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| UK Media News in brief 12-07-04 |
| Sports presenter Des Lynam is returning to the BBC to present an interview show on Radio Five Live from August... Euro 2004 enabled ITV to increase its advertising revenue by 17 per cent during June with an extra £25 million being spent... Channel Five has ordered a new reality makeover show that transforms couples with surgery and therapy in the run up to their wedding day. |
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| ITV eyes stars for £8m historical drama 19-07-04 |
| ITV is trying to lure Anna Friel and Jurassic Park star Sam Neill to lead the cast in one of its most ambitious costume dramas of the last 10 years - an £8m epic based on the true story of an 18th century female petty criminal put on one of the first convict ships to the Botany Bay penal colony in Australia. |
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| Trisha denies axe speculation 19-07-04 |
| Trisha Goddard has denied reports that she has been axed from ITV's daytime lineup. Last week it was rumoured that the talkshow host had been fired by the network after demanding an increase on her £500,000 salary. "That's nonsense," Trisha told the Sunday Mirror today. "I wish my salary was £500,000. Don't get me wrong, I'm very well paid, but there have never been rows about money. "It has always been about hammering out working conditions. I can't believe some of the stories that have been going around about me." She admitted that stories of her being approached by rival channels were accurate, however. "Yes, that is true," she said. "But then I'd be mortified if I hadn't. Other TV companies knew my contract with ITV was up for renewal. If I didn't get approaches, I'd be thinking the time had come for me to do Celebrity Big Brother." |
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| BBC eyes broadband launch 19-07-04 |
| BBC new media director Ashley Highfield has revealed that the corporation could launch its own low cost broadband service just weeks after commercial rivals accused it of breaching a "catalogue of promises" to cap spending. |
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| August 2004 |
| ITV takes a ratings mauling 04-08-04 |
| ITV has suffered its worst ever month after being caught in a pincer movement between BBC1 and Channel 4, which enjoyed record audiences thanks to cricket and Big Brother and other reality shows. ITV1 has been hit by a double ratings whammy - registering its lowest ever weekly audience share last week and lowest ever monthly share in July. |
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| BSkyB: 'We will have 10m homes by end of decade' 04-08-04 |
| Announcing a hefty rise in profits, BSkyB today set a new target of 10 million subscribers by the end of the decade as chief executive James Murdoch sought to assuage City fears that growth at the pay TV giant was tailing off. Mr Murdoch answered calls from analysts and investors for a clear strategy to take the company towards digital switchover - pencilled in by the government for 2012 - by unveiling a series of new targets and initiatives and announcing a 65% rise in full year operating profits to £600m. |
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| ITV3 to launch as free channel 04-08-04 |
| ITV golden oldies channel ITV3 is expected to launch on November 1 as a free service showcasing movies and classic dramas such as Coronation Street and Cold Feet. The decision not to charge viewers comes after months of negotiations and ends speculation that it would be a pay-TV service along the same lines as E4. |
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| South African TV in Europe! 07-08-04 |
NSAT (New South African Television) will be launched officially on Monday 9th August 2004 on the Sky platform across Europe to around 25 million viewers, the channels number on Sky's EPG will be 837.
More information is available at: www.nsat.tv |
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| Low key launch for Sky's Freesat service 09-08-04 |
| James Murdoch, Sky's CEO, admitted that Sky had misjudged how to win more subscribers and said he no longer wanted to go with the "free" and "cheap" approach as this simply encouraged willing converts. Accoprding to media press reports, this has clouded Sky's attitude to Freesat which was to be promoted as a cheap satellite rival to Freeview. Freesat's launch is now expected to be more low key and it will only be launched as a trial in areas of the UK with poor Freeview reception. |
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| Disney's ABC1 channel set for September launch 09-08-04 |
| Disney has confirmed that the UK version of its popular ABC TV network will launch on September 27. Called ABC1, the channel will initially only be available to Freeview viewers, but there are plans to expand onto pay-TV platforms such as Sky Digital. It will launch ahead of ITV's planned new entertainment channel, ITV3, and there will be no ads during the first few months on air. ABC1 will be broadcast from 6am until 6pm from September 27, and plans to eventually expand to a 24-hour schedule. Its schedule will include US drama, comedy and serials including the soap General Hospital, the sitcom Sports Night plus The Geena Davis Show, Once & Again, Home Improvement and 8 Simple Rules. "In its first phase, ABC1 will champion an under-served British audience - people who are busy at home during the day," said Disney's John Hardie who is overseeing the launch. |
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| New Sky+ box will have bigger hard drive 09-08-04 |
| Sky has announced that a new version of its Sky+ personal video recorder system is to go on sale in October. The new box, called the Sky+ 160, will boast a bigger 160Gb hard drive enabling an average of 80 hours of storage. It will cost £399 and also feature two USB ports for home networking. According to Sky's latest subscriber figures, there are now 397,000 users of Sky+. In a statement, Brian Sullivan, Director of New Product Development and Sales at Sky said: "Sky+ is transforming the way we watch TV. The next stage of that revolution will be the forthcoming launches of Sky+ 160, and the software upgrade to all Sky+ boxes, providing even more flexibility, choice and control for our growing customer base. After listening to customers we are delivering new interactive recording and sorting functionality as well as the option for an average of 80 hours storage space." |
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| Sky's shares fall after poor growth figures 09-08-04 |
| Shares in Sky fell almost 20 per cent last Wednesday, hitting their lowest value since October 2002, and wiping more than £2 billion off the company's value after a poor quarter of financial results for the broadcast. James Murdoch, Sky's CEO, admitted the company needed a rethink as its current strategies were delivering "diminishing returns". He said Sky had to become a more inclusive brand and begin a "conversation" with those yet to be turned on to pay-TV. In the fourth quarter, Sky added attracted 81,000 new subscribers, compared to 133,000 for the same period last year. City analysts had been expecting a growth of 100,000+ subscribers. |
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| New feedback show for BBC News 24 16-08-04 |
| Former Times media editor Ray Snoddy is reported to have been lined up as presenter of a new weekly feedback show on BBC News 24. The 30-minute show will launch later this year and provide viewers with a weekly opportunity to broadcast their opinions of BBC news, current affairs and other factual output. |
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| Channels Four and Five discuss merger 16-08-04 |
| Channel 4 has hired the investment bank UBS to help it to decide whether it should merge with its terrestrial rival, Channel Five. C4's average audience share is about 13 per cent, but in homes with digital TV its share drops to between seven and eight per cent. To address this, C4 is reportedly seeking government approval to allow it to merge with Channel Five. C4 has also held talks with other broadcasters, including Telewest-owned Flextech, which runs Living TV and Bravo. |
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| Subscription income exceeds TV ad revenue 16-08-04 |
| A new report from UK media regulator Ofcom says subscription income from UK pay-TV services exceeded TV advertising revenues for the first time in 2003, reaching £3.2 billion compared to the £3.15 billion spent on ads across all TV platforms. Revenue from commercial analogue channels was down four per cent in real terms at £2.6 billion, whereas pay-TV revenues have more than doubled since 1998. |
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| BBC buys Aussie Sitcom 16-08-04 |
| BBC2 has bought the popular and critically aclaimed Australian sitcom Kath and Kim, which features a lower middle class Melbourne mother and daughter trapped in suburban hell. Kath and Kim, broadcast by Australian public service broadcaster ABC, had become the country's most popular homegrown sitcom for more than a decade. |
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| Sky wants to use BBC's 'Freesat' name 16-08-04 |
| The BBC is in talks with Sky about allowing the satellite broadcaster to use its 'Freesat' trademark for its free-to-air satellite service, which Sky aims to launch in October. A BBC spokeswoman confirmed that one option being discussed is to allow Sky to make official use of the Freesat name, which it has copyrighted. It comes after Sky CEO James Murdoch said that it was still in talks with the BBC about what involvement it could have in the Sky service. According to media press reports, the BBC has been in talks for months with several broadcasters, including Sky, about launching its own free-to-air, digital satellite service. |
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| ITV secures Newcastles home fixtures! 23-08-04 |
| TV has secured exclusive live rights to Newcastle United's UEFA Cup home matches at St James' Park for the 2004/2005 season. The fixtures will air on either ITV1 or ITV2. |
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| Radio station removed from Sky line-up 23-08-04 |
| Student Broadcast Network (SBN) has been removed from the Sky Digital channel 878 amid reports that the troubled company has gone into liquidation with £4.5million of losses. The station is best known for helping to finance student radio stations across the UK. |
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| Film Four to hold freeview weekend 23-08-04 |
| Channel Four's digital film channels - FilmFour, FilmFour +1 and FilmFour Weekly - will be available free from Friday October 1 to Sunday October 3. The freeview will see FilmFour showing 18 films, plus another 3 on the FilmFour Weekly channel. Films will include The Gift, Manhunter, The Game and Evolution. |
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| Huge audience for interactive Olympics 23-08-04 |
| A record breaking six million viewers have pressed the red button to use the BBC's interactive Olympic services so far. The figures, which have yet to be consolidated, show that 6.13 million people have used the service for more than one minute since the Opening Ceremony on Friday 13 August. The previous highest figure was during this year's Wimbledon when 4.1 million people went interactive for one minute or more. During the Commonwealth Games in 2002, 3.4 million viewers went interactive. The figures show that 50 per cent of the available audience have pressed red to interact. Eighty per cent (4.89m) of those who have pressed the red button have used the service for more than three minutes. Fifty-eight per cent were still with the interactive service after 15 minutes and 46 per cent stayed with the service for more than 25 minutes. |
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| Kids' DVD to remain part of BBC's Corn Flakes deal 23-08-04 |
| The BBC will not drop a children's DVD from its promotional deal with Kellogg's Corn Flakes even though it contravenes the spirit of its new policy concerning promotions on food products aimed at kids. The promotion on 11 million packets of Kellogg's Corn Flakes offering discounted DVDs of BBC programmes including Little Robots, aimed at four to six-year-olds, would continue, a BBC spokeswoman said today. |
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| Eastenders Slump blamed on Cast 30-08-04 |
| BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey today blamed EastEnders' falling ratings on cast problems. Ms Heggessey said producers had been forced to string out a storyline that was mauled by TV critics involving the Ferreira family because of the absence of key members of the cast. When you have a cast where one is ill, one pregnant, one who may be in rehab and another in a car crash, that's when you end up being overdependent on a storyline about a kidney transplant," she said. The storyline was dragged out for months and fuelled criticism about the quality of scriptwriting and characterisation in the BBC's flagship soap. But Ms Heggessey refused to admit there was anything more seriously wrong at EastEnders and said soap ratings ebb and flow. "EastEnders has had a very very slight decline, there are always 50% of the available audience watching, I would suggest that is not a serious decline." |
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| Changing Rooms axed 30-08-04 |
| Changing Rooms, the BBC property programme that revolutionised the way Britons decorate their homes and spawned dozens of makeover shows, has been axed after eight years. The BBC said the next series of the long-running show, due to be screened this autumn, would be the last although it will broadcast one-off specials. |
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| Patsy unhappy with new Emmerdale storyline 30-08-04 |
| Patsy Kensit is unhappy about a new Emmerdale storyline which involves her character, Sadie King, having an affair with a younger man, according to the Sunday Mirror. The new plot sees Sadie having a fling with Robert Sugden, who is played by 22-year-old Karl Davis. A show insider told the newspaper, "Patsy wants Sadie to be seen as a sophisticated super-bitch. She doesn't think rolling in the hay with a toyboy is going to do anything for her. And Robert Sugden is hardly one of the heart-throbs." A spokesperson for Kensit denied that there was a rift between Patsy and the show's bosses. |
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| New Radio channels on Sky 31-08-04 |
| Two new radio stations, Pulse Unsigned and GlobeCast Radio have launched on Sky's EPG. Pulse Unsigned can be found on EPG number 905 and is dedicated to bringing unsigned acts from the UK, Europe and the US to a new wider audience. GlobeCast Radio is available on EPG number 907 and will feature a mix of music, motoring news, a sports roundup and news headlines. |
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| ITV to launch more digital channels 31-08-04 |
| ITV CEO Charles Allen revealed to audiences at the Edinburgh International Television Festival that his network plans to launch more new digital channels after ITV3 is up and running. Allen said more new channels were necessary in order for ITV to effectively rival the BBC's bouquet of digital services. In particular, at least one of the new ITV services will be focused on children's programming to rival CBBC and CBeebies. No concrete announcements about the precise nature of the new channels will emerge until after ITV3 is launched, but Allen said some of the new services may be produced in collaboration with other broadcasters: "We'll see much more collaboration," he explained, "particularly in the area of children's. I do see us partnering with international partners to get more money onscreen. We're talking to everybody." Allen also said that the Granada Sky Broadcasting joint-venture with Sky, which operates Men and Motors and Plus, would continue. |
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| September 2004 |
| No bruising for Cruise but viewers still love Parky 06-09-04 |
| His interview with Hollywood king Tom Cruise was panned as lacklustre but chat show legend Michael Parkinson still has the pulling power, delivering an audience of almost 6 million for ITV on an expectedly sunny Saturday evening. The new-look ITV1 Saturday line-up got off to a sluggish start with warm weather and an England football World Cup qualifier on Sky Sports limiting the audiences for Parkinson's debut on the network and new Simon Cowell reality talent show The X-Factor. |
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| ITV in 'talks to buy UKTV digital channels' 06-09-04 |
| ITV chief executive Charles Allen is reported to have opened talks with the BBC over acquiring the ‘UKTV' branded digital channels which are jointly owned by Flextech and BBC Worldwide. The ten digital channels which include UKTV Gold and UKTV History are said to be 'effectively under the hammer', although no official decision will be made until later in the year. |
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| Extra Freeview hours for Community Channel 06-09-04 |
| The Community Channel is to begin broadcasting in a breakfast slot on Freeview this week. From September 6th, the station will get a new breakfast-time slot from 6am to 9am on Freeview channel 46, in addition to its night-time hours (2:45am to 5:45am). Community Channel Controller Jane Mote said: “At last we can shake off the 'middle of the night' stigma and give the growing number of Freeview viewers a chance to see TV with a difference" |
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| Racing UK to charge £20 per month 06-09-04 |
| Horse racing fans will have to pay up to £240 a year to watch live coverage from Racing UK. According to the Guardian, the channel, which launched in June after the collapse of British racing's deal with AtTheRaces, intends to start charging subscribers from October 1. Racing UK has signed deals with around half of all the UK's courses, including those that host many of the major meetings in the racing calendar, while AtTheRaces has re-signed the other half but will continue to show meetings for free. Simon Bazalgette, chairman of Racing UK, is confident that committed punters will be persuaded to pay £20 a month to follow racing from the 29 courses. The channel, on Sky Digital channel 432, has a target of 20,000 paying subscribers and break even within two years. |
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| ITV to launch five new digital TV channels 06-09-04 |
| Up to five new digital TV channels are to be launched by ITV, according to the broadcaster's chief executive, Charles Allen. Talking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, he did not say what content would be on the new channels, but hinted that one could be a children's service in conjunction with a US broadcaster. The other four could include re-branded versions of Granada's joint venture stations, Men & Motors and Granada Plus. No dates for the launches were given. |
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| EastEnders viewers want misery, says soap boss 10-09-04 |
| BBC soap boss Mal Young has issued an unlikely riposte to critics who claim EastEnders is too depressing, saying viewers "want to wallow in misery". The embattled drama serials executive, who made his name on Brookside, says EastEnders couldn't emulate Coronation Street, which is known for its gentle humour and uplifting storylines. |
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| London TV to get its own Sky Digital channel 12-09-04 |
| London TV, the free-to-air channel that provides information about news and events happening in the city, is to get its own Sky Digital channel number later this month. The channel will be available 24 hours a day channel 244 from September 20. It follows several months of time-sharing with Overload on Sky channel 166 between 3pm and 9pm each day. |
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| New Advert Channel launches on Sky Digital 12-09-04 |
| The Advert Channel, a free-to-air 24 hour TV channel dedicated entirely to commercials, has launched on Sky channel 694. The Channel features a reange of classic commercials from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s plus the best of today's ads. Its schedule also includes live studio discussions about advertising, plus behind-the-scenes documentaries on how adverts are produced. |
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| New estate agents TV channel starts this week 12-09-04 |
| The Move Channel, a free-to-air estate agents channel, is to launch on Sky Digital channel 780 this week. From September 13, it will allow estate agents and property developers to advertise their properies for sale. |
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| October launch for new free sports channel 12-09-04 |
| Bookmaker William Hill has confirmed it will launch a new free-to-air sports channel on Sky Digital on October 6. Live UK greyhound racing will feature alongside US horse racing coverage, betting programmes and interactive sports games on William Hill TV. The channel will be available on Sky channel 425, currently occupied by I-Sports TV. David Hood, a spokesman for William Hill, said: "We can bring a considerable wealth of expertise to the channel in terms of greyhound racing and bookmaking, but this is very much a learning curve for the company... we do not expect Channel 425 to produce the type of Sky Sports spectaculars that viewers have become used to. There won’t be too many bells or whistles, but it will be a professional show with good betting content available on a nightly basis." |
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| BBC Worldwide for sale 12-09-04 |
| The BBC has put its commercial sales and publishing division up for sale and has already approached Time Warner, Walt Disney and Germany's Bertelsmann about possible bids, the Financial Times reports. BBC Worldwide owns 10 channels including UK TV stations, BBC Prime, BBC Food, BBC America, BBC World and 26 magazines. Last year it had revenues of £657 million and generated £141 million in profit, which was ploughed back into the BBC. |
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| ITV3 to launch in November - Freeview only! 12-09-04 |
| ITV's new classic TV channel will launch on November 1, but only to Freeview customers. According to The Guardian, ITV3 has yet to agree a carriage deal with NTL or Telewest. Its chief executive, Charles Allen, said he is still in talks with the cable companies but has yet to begin negotiations with Sky. "It will come on to Freeview, then move on to cable," he reportedly said. "We're happy to put it on Sky, but Sky are saying they can't put any new channels (on Sky Digital) for six months." The channel will showcase classic movies and dramas such as Coronation Street and Cold Feet. |
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| New Freeview receiver from Hauppauge 20-09-04 |
| Hauppauge has launched a 'second generation' Freeview digital TV receiver which it claims offers "enhanced picture quality and faster operation." The Hauppauge DEC-1100-t uses the latest Philips chipset to provide its pictures and scanning. The box is priced at £79.99 and is the size of a CD Walkman. It will be available from the end of September. |
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| 55% of UK households now have digital TV 20-09-04 |
| TV regulator Ofcom has published its Digital Television Update for the second quarter of 2004, which shows that digital TV penetration has increased to 55 per cent of UK households, up from 53 per cent in the previous quarter. A further four per cent of households subscribed to analogue cable during the quarter, bringing the total number of households receiving some form of multi-channel TV to over 59 per cent. |
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| Analogue TV switch-off could start in 2007 20-09-04 |
| TV regulator Ofcom has confirmed it hopes to begin switching off the UK's analogue TV signals as part of a phased-shutdown from 2007. The regulator has also told commercial broadcasters ITV, Channel 4 and Five that they must switch off their analogue signals by the end of 2012. The news comes as Ofcom added that trials of digital-only TV networks are to begin next spring in two Welsh villages where hundreds of residents have agreed to abandon analogue TV. |
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| ITV to expand its regional services on Sky 20-09-04 |
| Just like Channel Four, ITV has also announced a deal with Astra to lease two transponders at 28.2° East. The broadcaster says it intends to expand its regional services and interactive offerings using the extra capacity - although the exact details are being kept under wraps for the moment. Mick Desmond, ITV's broadcast CEO, said: "To stay at the top against a background of continuing digital viewer growth, we need to ensure that we have the transmission capacity to meet our digital strategy objectives." |
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| Ulster TV bullish as ad revenues soar 20-09-04 |
| ITV minnow Ulster Television today said it had outperformed the commercial TV network in the first half of the year and expected the pattern to continue in the third quarter. Ulster - which runs the ITV franchise in Northern Ireland - grew TV advertising revenues by 16% between January and June, and anticipates a 14% increase in the three months since then. |
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| Channel Four could launch 14 new channels 20-09-04 |
| Channel 4 has signed a £55m deal with satellite operator Astra that will allow it launch up to 14 new channels. Its 10-year lease of two transponders on Astra 2D will enable it to start new TV channels, such as the upcoming More4 entertainment channel for older viewers, plus additional interactive TV services. Channel 4 is also likely to sub-let some of the transponder space to other digital satellite TV channels - just as it does on Freeview where Bid-Up.tv leases some of its digital terrestrial space. As the two satellite transponders have been leased direct from Astra, Channel Four could also launch its pay TV services as free-to-air services in the future, once its existing encryption deal with Sky ends in 2008. |
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| Topup TV compatible box now available 27-09-04 |
| A new digital terrestrial receiver the Thomson DT12300 Top Up TV Box is now available and can pe purchased at the following stores: Argos, Comet, Currys, Index, John Lewis and Miller Brothers. |
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| ABC1 on Freeview 27-09-04 |
| ABC1, the new general entertainment channel from Disney, has now launched on digital terrestrial television. Named after the ABC television network in the USA, which is also owned by Disney, the channel is available on DTT channel 15. It is on air from 6am to 6pm daily. ABC1 broadcasts a variety of American programmes, including soap opera General Hospital and sitcom Eight Simple Rules. |
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| October 2004 |
| ITV3 on Sky from 2005 07-10-04 |
| Information on the Net, suggests Sky will carry ITV3 from March 2005, no information is available as to whether the channel will be part of a package, FTV, or Free To Air. ITV3 will launch exclusively for free on Freeview Digital Terrestrial from November 1st 2004. |
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| ITV tightens its grip on GMTV 12-10-04 |
| ITV has completed the £31m acquisition of SMG's stake in GMTV, the latest step in taking full control of the breakfast-time broadcaster. Following the merger of Carlton and Granada to create ITV plc, chief executive Charles Allen announced in May that the company would buy SMG's 25% stake in GMTV, taking its overall stake to 75%. |
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| Coronation Street Omnibus moves to ITV2 17-10-04 |
| Coronation Street's weekly omnibus on ITV1 is to move to ITV2 from next Saturday, FTV card holders (ITV1, Channel Four and Five), will now have to catch up with events in the Street during the week. ITV2 is not available to FTV viewers and there are no immediate plans to make the channel available for free as is the case on Freeview. |
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| ITV3 testing on the Astra 2D satellite? 17-10-04 |
The Astra 2D Website can confirm that test of some kind have been taking place on transponder 54 (10.906V, SR 22.0, FEC 5/6) , under the ident 'G54' . An ITV3 tectcard has also appeared intermittently.
It is not clear whether the channel plans to launch on Dsat simultaneously with the Freeview launch on November 1st. Sky's claims that there will be no room on the EPG before March next year. To view the tests on a Sky receiver, use the Add Channels option. |
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| What Satellite website back online 24-10-04 |
| Wotsat.com have apologiesed to visitors who found the Web site unavailable for several days during October. This was due to a technical mix-up at their domain name registrar, the site suffered several days of downtime. Contrary to rumours, both What Satellite & Digital TV and Wotsat.com are still going strong! |
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| ITV's new red button service ready to launch 24-10-04 |
| ITV's enhanced interactive service is about to launch on Sky Digital. ITVi lets viewers interact with ITV's most popular programmes and also now includes betting from Littlewoods, games from Playjam, peope searching from Friends Reunited, mobile phone ring-tones and online dating. |
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| BBC may launch new UK films channel 24-10-04 |
| The BBC may launch a new film channel dedicated to UK films next year to try and fend off criticism about its £85m a year expenditure on Hollywood movies at the expense of domestic productions. BBC Director General Mark Thompson told a media select committee of MPs that the Corporation may explore the option with another broadcaster to determine whether there is enough room for such a channel in the UK. |
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| ITV to launch fourth TV channel in 2005 24-10-04 |
| With brand new entertainment channel ITV3 launching on November 1st, ITV has revealed that it is also planning to launch further digital TV channels in 2005. ITV has confirmed that a fourth channel will begin in the middle of next year and is likely to target female viewers. Jonathan Lewis, ITV's director of digital channels, said: "We are spending a lot of time looking at new channels and we may launch a new channel sometime next year. It could be called ITV4 because that would make sense." Meanwhile, ITV3 will launch on Freeview channel 34 from November 1. The ITV News Channel has been temporarily removed from the Freeview line-up until early 2005 to free up space for the new ITV3 channel. |
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| Sky's new Freesat service launches 24-10-04 |
| Sky has launched its long-awaited free-to-air satellite service to compete against Freeview, the terrestrial digital service. The service, which includes around 200 TV and radio channels, (most were already FTA) is available for a one-off payment of £150. Sky bosses have kept relatively quiet about the Freesat launch, which is aimed at taking a share of the 200,000 Freeview receivers sold each month. However, Freesat is only available direct from Sky, unlike Freeview which is sold in retailers like Dixons and Currys. Notably missing from the Freesat lineup are ITV2, ITV3, Sky Sports News and the Music Factory, all available for free on digital terrestrial Freeview. All you really get is IV1, Channel Four and Five, the BBC is already free via satellite. |
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| Channel 4 is boring 26-10-04 |
| One of the founders of Channel 4 has accused the broadcaster of becoming "tawdry and repetitive" and warned it is failing to fulfil its remit to break new programming ground. Anthony Smith, a founding member of Channel 4's board, said that in failing to offer an alternative to the proliferation of reality TV and property programmes, Britain's fourth terrestrial channel was in danger of becoming just the kind of broadcaster it was set up to challenge. "What bothers me is not that such programmes are tasteless - though they sometimes are. It's that they are as boring, predictable and safe as most of the rest of commercial TV. Channel 4 is in danger of solidifying into exactly the creative sclerosis and timidity that it was set up to challenge." "Its remit was not to succeed but to try, in interesting ways. And for a long time C4 fulfilled that remit brilliantly - even if, by its very nature, patchily." Mr Smith, who is president of Magdalen College Oxford, said Channel 4's role was to invest in undiscovered talent and use it to "amuse, shock, gratify, confirm, undermine". |
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| November 2004 |
| BBC Prime to launch in Asia 01-11-04 |
| The BBC is launching its entertainment channel, BBC Prime, across Asia from December 1. The channel, which will be a rival to Rupert Murdoch's Star World TV channel, will sit alongside the BBC's news channel, BBC World, which is already available in the region. |
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| Second wrestling TV channel begins on Sky 01-11-04 |
| The Wrestling Channel has launched a second TV channel, named TWC Reloaded, on Sky Digital channel 428. The new free-to-air channel features a range of grappling action from the broadcaster's large archive of wrestling programming. |
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| Great British TV Channel starts in December 01-11-04 |
| Endorsed by some top names in British entertainment, a new UK channel is to launch on Sky Digital this Christmas, vowing to take on BBC1 and ITV on Saturday nights. The Great British Television Channel will launch on Christmas Eve, airing daily from 4pm thereafter. Chris Tarrant and Joe Pasquale are on the channel's board, while comedian Richard Digance is the managing director. Other celebrities backing the channel include Carol Voderman, Vinnie Jones, Bill Wyman, Jimmy Tarbuck, Julian Clary, Tommy Walsh, Ronnie Corbett, Shane Ritchie and Jim Davidson. The channel's schedule includes Live From London Town, a new version of Sunday Night at the Palladium, which will be hosted by Brian Conley, and It's Your Call, based on a Capital Radio show. |
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| ITV4 Next Year 01-11-04 |
| A new ITV channel, will start sometime next year and will be more women orientated than the other channels in the ITV family. ITV's director of digital channels, Jonathan Lewis, told Broadcast: "We are spending a lot of time looking at new channels and we may launch a new channel sometime next year. It could be called ITV4 because that would make sense." |
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| BBC & ITV to form new satellite platform? 01-11-04 |
ITV is considering joining the BBC in a new non-subscription venture which will seek to break BSkyB's monopoly on satellite broadcasting and could lead to the end of ITV's payments for having its services included on the Sky platform, according to a report in the Independent.
In what could amount to a double blow for James Murdoch, the CEO of Sky, the development of FreeSat comes at a time when ITV is renegotiating the £17 million (E25.5 million) annual payment to have its satellite broadcasts encrypted by Sky. Encryption gives Sky the ability to stop the ITV signal bleeding over into other countries and ensures the right rThe BBC went unencrypted two years ago and it believes other public service broadcasters should follow. The channels are still available to Sky users. It is understood that ITV is carefully examining this possibility, attracted by the prospect of a £17 million saving which would boost profits by 5 per cent.egional programmes reach the right homes. Encryption is currently used to prevent the ITV signal being received in other countries (overspill) and ensures that viewers receive the right regional variation. The BBC-backed satellite offer would seek to undercut Sky on price as it would back cheaper STBs that don't include a card slot for upgrading to pay-TV. |
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| ITV3 Launches 01-11-04 |
| ITV3, the new entertainment channel from ITV, launches on Monday November 1 at 9pm (UK). The free-to-air channel will initially only be available on Freeview and cable TV, and will show a mixture of first-run dramas, popular archive shows and movies. Satellite viewers may want to keep an eye on Transponder 54 10.906 Vertical, an ITV3 ident has been seen here over the past week on channel 3-7, which is only available through the Other Channels option on Sky receivers. Symbol Rate (SR) 22000, Forward Error Correction (FEC) 5/6. |
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| ITV3 on Sky Digital EPG 119 02-11-04 |
ITV's new digital channel ITV3 will now be available to Sky Digital viewers, following a deal between ITV and BSkyB that will cost the broadcaster £10m. ITV, has paid £10m for BSkyB's 49.5% stake in the two companies' multichannel joint venture, Granada Sky Broadcasting.
This will allow it ITV3 to start broadcasting on Sky Digital, taking over satellite transponder space occupied by GSB drama channel, Plus. The GSB deal also allows ITV to put ITV3 together with its existing digital channel ITV2, next to each other on the Sky Digital electronic programming guide. ITV2 is moving from channel slot 171 on the EPG to 118, while ITV3 will be at 119. It remains unclear at present, whether ITV3 will be Free To Air, Free To View or part of a Sky pay package like sister channel ITV2. |
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| New wine channel launches on Sky Digital 08-11-04 |
| Wine TV has launched on Sky Digital channel 253. The free-to-air station for wine lovers is dedicated to the theme of wine, the lifestyle of wine lovers and related subjects. It is on air 24 hours a day. |
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| New time-shifted channels launch on Sky 08-11-04 |
| New time-shifted versions of UKTV G2 and Sky Travel have joined the Sky Digital line-up. UKTV G2 +1 and Sky Travel +1 provide viewers with the chance to watch programmes from the UKTV G2 and Sky Travel respective schedules one hour later. Sky Travel +1 is available on channel 140 and UKTV G2 +1 is on air nightly between 9pm and 4am on channel 256. Sky Travel Extra has moved to channel 141. |
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| New designer Sky+ boxes available for Christmas 08-11-04 |
| A new range of 'designer Sky+ boxes have been launched as part of Sky's Christmas promotional campaign. The 'Designer Collection' is a series of Sky+ boxes featuring artwork from five prints from top British designers. A spokesman claimed: "The Sky+ Designer Collection will attract both style gurus and urban trendsetters thanks to the range of designers involved in the project, providing a focal point for any living room that the style conscious among us will be proud to show off." Designs in the collection include 'Dragonfly and Kaleidoscope' by Matthew Williamson, 'French Knot' by Neisha Crosland, 'Rainbow Graffiti' by Wale Adeyemi and 'Popcorn Flower' by Eley Kisimoto. The collection is on sale in the Tekzone at Selfridges London, Selfridges Manchester Trafford Centre and Selfridges Birmingham. |
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| BBC could subsidise Ch 4's digital transmission 08-11-04 |
| The BBC could subsidise Channel 4's digital transmission costs from its licence fee revenues to ease the broadcaster's £100m funding shortfall. Under the radical proposals, understood to have been agreed in principle by the BBC, the corporation would provide funding ahead of digital switchover in 2012 and possibly beyond. The move, which would save Channel 4 up to £30m a year, is one of a number of options being considered to enable the commercially funded broadcaster to maintain its public service responsibilities. Channel 4 and Five have already embarked on a joint review of their operations, as they try to assess whether the much talked about merger of the two broadcasters would make commercial sense. |
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| BBCi to use Ceefax page numbering 08-11-04 |
| BBCi is set to add page numbers to its digital teletext and video services this month using the same page numbers as Ceefax. Consumer research suggests that page numbers are easy, memorable and an effective way to reach the content. This can be seen with viewers who have grown up with the page numbers used by Ceefax as a method of navigation - with most viewers knowing their favourite page numbers off the top of their head. The introduction of page numbers forms part of a wider plan to improve BBCi, following the introduction of a faster service earlier this year, and is a means of encouraging more digital viewers to make the leap from analogue to digital. |
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| ITV3 gets high ratings 08-11-04 |
| ITV3, has launched with nearly half a million viewers tuning in to watch a detective drama starring John Hannah. Rebus, based on the novels by crime writer Ian Rankin, attracted an average of 498,000 viewers for the new digital channel aimed at the over-35s. The unofficial overnight figures made ITV3 the second most popular non-terrestrial channel after Living TV. As part of the launch of the station, ITV2 moved from Sky channel 175 to channel 118 while ITV3 is on Sky channel 119. The channel shows contemporary British dramas and archive programmes such as Cracker, Sherlock Holmes, The Darling Buds of May, Wycliffe and PD James. |
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| Sky aiming for 8 million viewers by December 2005 16-11-04 |
| Sky has beaten city analysts' forecasts by adding an extra 62,000 customers in the quarter ending September 30, 2004, and is on track to meet its target of 8m subscribers by December 2005. Its financial results reveal an overall quarterly subscriptions growth of 66,000, higher than analysts' expectations, bringing the UK/Ireland total to 7.4m. Furthermore, the households signing up to the Sky+ personal video recorder service increased by 77,000 in the quarter to 474,000 from 397,000 in the prior quarter and revenues were up 11% to £940m in line with expectations. Average revenue per customer is now at £377, up £11 on the same period last year but down £3 from the previous quarter, while churn (the number of users cancelling their subscriptions) is at 9.8%. |
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| News Corp raises its stake in Sky to 37.2% 16-11-04 |
| Shareholders in Sky have passed 'resolution 16' which relates to the controversial share buyback plan that will allow News Corp to have greater control of the pay-TV operator. Despite reported resistance to the move from the likes of Legal & General, Insight, M&G, F&C Isis and Standard Life, the vote at last week's AGM was nearly five-to-one in favour of the 5% buyback plan, which allows News Corp to lift its stake in Sky from 35.4% to 37.2%. |
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| ABC1 gets off to a good start on Freeview 16-11-04 |
| Disney's new entertainment channel ABC1 has made a promising start in the ratings since its Freeview digital terrestrial launch in September, according to the broadcaster. An estimated 1.5 million viewers tuned in during its first four weeks on air, with an average total share of 1.5% in digital terrestrial homes. It provides a mixture of US comedy and entertainment programmes during daytime hours. |
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| ITV to go Free To Air? 16-11-04 |
| With ITV's encryption contract due to run out during November, speculation is growing as to whether the broadcaster will renew its present £17 million pound deal with Sky, or abandon Videoguard and broadcast in the clear. ITV3 launched unencrypted on the Astra 2D satellite at the begining of the month, ITV has not confirmed whether it will continue to be encrypted, or join the BBC as a Free To Air (FTA) service. |
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| ITV and Sky Digital in talks over encryption 20-11-04 |
| Negotiations between ITV and Sky Digital over conditional access arrangements have been extended for a further two months. The two sides have thus far been unable to agree new carriage terms for ITV's bouquet of channels, with the existing conditional access contract expiring on Sunday. ITV's channels will continue to be encrypted on Sky, however, while negotiations continue. "ITV and Sky have reached a temporary extension over conditional access arrangements relating to digital satellite distribution of ITV1 and ITV2," said a Sky spokesman. "As a result ITV1 and ITV2 will remain encrypted in Videoguard for the next month or two. Further discussion will take place in due course." ITV currently pays £17 million pound a year to Sky Digital for encryption of ITV1 and ITV2, ITV3 is currently broadcasting Free To Air (FTA). |
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| Top ratings for ITV1 24-11-04 |
| ITV's soap and celebrity lineup paid dividends with a peaktime share of 44% on Monday night, according to early ratings figures. 'Mad Maya Monday', so named because of the antics of Corrie's resident psychopath Maya, was the network's best Monday performance since the death of the soap's Richard Hillman in March 2003. The first episode, shown at 7.30pm, was the highest-rated, with 13.8 million viewers (59%) and a peak of 14.6 million (61%). The 8.30pm installment drew 13.3 million (51%), while its third outing averaged 12.4 million (52%) from 10pm. In between Corries two episodes at 9pm was the second episode of I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!, which managed to boost its 9 million launch audience to average 9.7 million, taking a 38% share. Emmerdale also fared well with a an audience 10.4 million, that's a 50% share of the total viewing audience. |
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| GMTV renews contract with ITV until 2010 24-11-04 |
| The current agreement between GMTV and ITV ends next February, but they have renewed the contract effective as of that time until 2010. The contract, worth almost £10m ensures continuing provision of GMTV's services. ITN will provide administrative and technical support for GMTV, which holds the licence for news on the channel between 6am and 9.25am. |
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| ITV2 Free To View on Digital satellite 24-11-04 |
| It seems that ITV2 has gone from being a subscription channel to an FTV channel. You will need a Freesat card from Sky to gain access. This has now been confirmed. |
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| RTE on Sky Digital in Northern Ireland 24-11-04 |
| RTE will be joining Sky's Northern Ireland lineup, according to a report in the Sunday Times. The paper's owner, News International, has a stake in Sky. The report says that Sky "hopes the addition of RTE will attract more subscribers" from Northern Ireland. The report indicates that RTE will become available on the platform in early 2005. No details on where it will appear on the EPG are available at present. |
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| BBC 2004 Christmas lineup 24-11-04 |
| The BBC's christmas linup will include new episodes of The Vicar Of Dibley and the premiere of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone are at the core of the BBC's programming lineup this Christmas. The Vicar Of Dibley episodes are set to be aired in primetime on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The premiere of the first Harry Potter movie, is likely to occupy the early evening slot on Christmas Day. Other premieres over the festive season include Shrek, AI, Bend It Like Beckham and 102 Dalmations. Dramas include Sherlock Homes And The Deadly Season, the final Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and a new adaptation of PD James' Murder Rooms. Seasonal specials are also planned for What Not To Wear, Absolutely Fabulous, My Family, The Big Impression and My Dad's The Prime Minister. Shane Richie will play host for the now annual EastEnders Christmas Party and Graham Norton will make his BBC One debut in The Sound Of Music 40th Anniversary. A spinoff of Strictly Come Dancing featuring celebrity contestants on ice also features. The New Year celebrations will be hosted by Breakfast presenter Natasha Kaplinksy, anchoring the run up to midnight and on into 2005. Jana Bennett, the BBC's director of television, said: "This Christmas, BBC TV will take viewers on a magical journey to discover a world of heart-warming, funny and spine-tingling programmes featuring the home-grown talent they love. |
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| Sky wins exclusive TV rights to Oscars 29-11-04 |
| Sky has won exclusive rights to broadcast the Academy Awards telecast - grabbing them back from the BBC. It promises "the most comprehensive coverage" ever seen of the awards on UK TV with promotions set to run across Sky Movies, Sky One, Sky Travel and the Biography Channel. Sky Networks deputy managing director Sophie Turner Laing said Sky will build up the event by showing a season of Oscar-winning movies ahead of the ceremony followed by full coverage of the nominations in January as well as live, uninterrupted coverage of the awards ceremony on Sky Movies. |
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| Digital switchover could cost up to £400m 29-11-04 |
| The British Government could face a bill for up to £400 million to protect the socially disadvantaged and elderly when it switches off analogue TV signals, according to a report from an independent panel of experts. People older than 75, the disabled and those with poor English will be most likely to lose out when the government switches of the analogue signal, a process that could take place as early as 2012, according to Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell. The cost of converting existing analogue sets to digital for vulnerable groups would form the bulk of the cost, the Consumer Panel report says. |
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| Channel Five considering Flextech merger 29-11-04 |
| The owners of Channel Five are reportedly considering a merger of the terrestrial channel with Flextech. The move follows the collapse of merger talks between Five and Channel 4 last week. Five is said to be looking to launch new channels and expand its current offering in order to compete with a merged ITV as well as Sky. A deal with Flextech would bring a much needed boost in content. |
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| Digital switchover at the end of 2012 29-11-04 |
| Media regulator Ofcom has taken the latest step along the road to switching off the analogue television signal by 2012 when it issued proposals for new digital replacement licences for all of Britain's commercial terrestrial TV services. The new licences under which ITV, Channel 4, Five and Teletext will broadcast effectively set the target date for digital switchover as the end of 2012. But the regulator reserved the right to alter this date if the government changes its mind or because of other unforeseen extenuating circumstances, such as technical difficulties in converting the current 1,154 analogue transmitters to digital. "Ofcom has decided that a digital switchover backstop date of 31 December 2012 should be included in the digital replacement licences. This date will however be subject to later possible variation as a result of a decision of government or agreement between Ofcom and the licensee," Ofcom said. |
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| Top of the Pops moves from BBC One to BBC Two 29-11-04 |
| Top of the Pops is finally being removed from BBC1 after 40 years because of poor ratings, 12 months after a high profile relaunch of the show intended to turn around its fortunes. The BBC chart show is being moved to BBC2 on Sunday nights from next spring, ending an association with BBC1 that goes back to the launch of the show in January 1964. The new-look Top of the Pops on BBC2 will combine elements of the channel's existing spin-off format, Top of the Pops 2, which is presented by Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright and focuses on the show's extensive 40-year archive, appealing to an older audience. The Sunday night show on BBC2 will also be tied in to Radio 1's Chart Show, creating what the BBC is billing as "even more of a weekly, live musical event". "We want to make it bigger and better so that it becomes the ultimate pop music show for music lovers of every generation," said the BBC2 controller, Roly Keating. |
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| ITV appoints NTL to oversee uplink services 29-11-04 |
| NTL's broadcast division has been awarded contracts to uplink signals to a fourth and fifth satellite transponder for ITV. Currently three transponders provide ITV's digital satellite services. The fourth multiplex is due to go live during November 2004 and the fifth is due next March. They will enable further regional versions of ITV1 and additional interactive applications to be launched. |
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| ITV4 testing started on Astra 2D 29-11-04 |
| ITV's fourth multiplex is has gone live with the activation of Transponder 44 - 10.758 Vertical, Symbol Rate (SR) 22000, Forward Error Correction (FEC) 5/6 on the Astra 2D satellite. The Ident ITV4-Test1 or 6300 can now be received. The channel is currently encrypted in Videoguard. |
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| December 2004 |
| ITV Channels unveil Christmas 2004 schedules 02-12-04 |
| ITV offers viewers a festive mix of high quality original drama, entertainment specials, classic movies and premieres across its three channels this Christmas. ITV1’s Christmas Day line-up includes a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Special, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, the first ever Christmas instalment of popular crime drama Midsomer Murders, Parkinson and the movie premieres of Finding Forrester and A Simple Wish. |
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| BBC rejects criticism of BBC3 and BBC4 06-12-04 |
| BBC chairman Michael Grade has rejected a report that says BBC3 and BBC4 should become more mainstream. A government-commissioned independent report by Professor Patrick Barwise on the BBC's digital channels has concluded that BBC3 and BBC4 are too niche in their appeal and that BBC3 is trapped in a "creative straitjacket" and is too focused towards the 25-34 year-old demo. Barwise also believes that BBC4 needs a bigger budget and should be broadened to make it "more like Radio 4 and less like Radio 3." Grade said that although the channels might be unwatched by key parts of the UK audience, "quality and innovation" are more important than reaching a wider audience. He added: "The board agrees that improved reach is a key ambition, but so too is quality, innovation and new programming that improves programming choice to licence payers. It is that more challenging route we want our new services to follow." |
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| Channel 4 plans documentary channel 06-12-04 |
| Channel 4 is planning to launch a new TV channel next spring dedicated exclusively to documentaries, featuring an archive of classic and original material that will only be available over the internet. Chief executive Andy Duncan said it planned to launch the channel as part of a move to demonstrate that the internet was becoming an increasingly important channel for public service broadcasting. |
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| Mitchell brothers returning to EastEnders 06-12-04 |
| EastEnders producers have offered to double Letitia Dean's £150,000 contract, according to the Sunday Mirror today. The soap's new executive producer Kathleen Hutchinson is apparently desperate to keep Letitia (Sharon Watts) on the show, as part of a new storyline which would see the Mitchell brothers returning. Letitia is taking six months off from the show next year, and it was originally thought that she was leaving the soap for good. However, she is now being convinced to stay, with the promise of a sensational new love triangle involving Phil and Grant Mitchell. An insider told the newspaper, "Bosses are terrified that Letitia might not come back. Sharon is one of the most popular characters and bosses fear that ratings will continue to plummet if she goes. As far as they are concerned, Sharon is the Queen of Walford and they will do anything to keep her. They are convinced that reuniting her with Phil and Grant Mitchell is sure to be a massive hit with viewers. Her salary increase would make her the highest-paid actress on Albert Square but they think she's worth it." The newspaper also claims that Barbara Windsor (Peggy Mitchell) will return to the show next summer. |
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| BBC to launch global children's television channel 13-12-04 |
| The BBC's commercial arm is working on plans to launch a global children's television channel. The putative BBC Worldwide channel will build on the success of the corporation's licence-fee funded UK digital channels, CBBC and CBeebies, and will challenge Disney's Jetix and Viacom's Nickelodeon. The channel could be operated as a joint venture. "It is still early days but there is definitely the potential to work with a partner to create a global kids' TV channel," a BBC Worldwide spokeswoman said. |
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| Eurosport 2 in 2005 13-12-04 |
| The new sports channel Eurosport 2 is expected to make its debut on January 10. Designed to complement Eurosport, it will have a strong focus on live events, which will account for 25% of its 1,800 hours annual programming and be exclusive to the channel. Live events will be broadcast between 14.00-18.30 and 20.00-23.00 on weekdays, while at weekends they will have slots between 09.00-12.00, 12.30-20.00 and 21.00-23.00. News bulletins will meanwhile be offered three times daily and a magazine programme named Eurosport 2 Mag every evening between 18.30-20.00. Eurosport 2 is likely to secure extensive distribution throughout Central and Eastern Europe, with one of the first platforms to carry the (localised) service in Poland being Cyfra+. |
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| Freeview gaining ground on Sky Digital 15-12-04 |
| Nearly 4 million homes now have Freeview, the terrestrial digital TV service that is posing a real threat to Sky Digital. The BBC-backed Freeview notched up another 590,500 box sales over the quarter to the end of September, outstripping the number of new Sky subscribers by more than 10 to one. The total number of homes receiving digital channels for free amounts to 4.3 million compared with a total of 9.6. pay-TV households, 7 million of which have Sky subscriptions. The figures from Ofcom also show that Sky's share of digital TV homes has fallen by almost two percentage points to 53.6%. At the same time, Freeview's share rose by two points to 28.2%. Cable's share of the pay-TV market also nudged up slightly to 32.4%. The news will fuel further predictions that free digital TV will overtake Sky by the end of next year. |
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| Sky Sports wins cricket TV rights from C4 19-12-04 |
| Channel 4 has lost the TV rights to England's home Test matches to Sky Sports. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that Sky has won exclusive rights to the live broadcast of all home international and domestic cricket in England and Wales, while Channel Five has gained the rights to show highlights of home international cricket on prime time TV where action from every day's play, apart from day/night games, will be shown at the peak time evening slot of 7.15pm-8.00pm. BBC Radio retains its exclusive radio commentary rights to all home international cricket as well as the non-exclusive rights to cover domestic county cricket. TalkSPORT has been awarded the non-exclusive rights to provide live commentary of Twenty20 Cup matches. The deals will generate up to £220 million for cricket over four years |
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| Freeview enters digital TV top 10 19-12-04 |
| Freeview is among the world's top 10 biggest digital TV operators, according to a new survey by IMS Research. The report, based upon total subscribers, showed US digital satellite platform DirecTV is number one with 11.14 million digital subscribers, while rival EchoStar’s dish network is second with 9.785 million. Sky Digital is Europe’s leading digital operator, while Freeview is in ninth spot. |
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| E4 could become a free-to-air channel 19-12-04 |
| E4 could soon become a free-to-air channel, according to press reports. Channel 4 is considering coverting the entertainment service from a pay-TV channel into a free one next year in a bid to further increase its potential audience. Channel 4 is reportedly confident that the service would be able to survive on advertising revenue alone. If the switch went ahead, Sky would come under pressure to follow suit and make its rival flagship channel, Sky One, a free service. |
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| EastEnders wins festive TV ratings 27-12-04 |
| BBC1's EastEnders beat ITV's Coronation Street in the Christmas Day ratings battle. EastEnders, which reprised the trick that once recorded the soap's biggest ever ratings by gathering the Watts family for a festive row in the Queen Victoria pub, was watched by 12.3 million people to take the mantle of the day's most popular show. Coronation Street on ITV, which also appeared in extended hourlong format from 7.25pm and relied on a house fire for dramatic tension, was watched by 11.3 million, according to unofficial figures. |
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| Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow) to quite Corrie 29-12-04 |
| The actress, who plays superbitch Tracy Barlow, is apparently planning to leave the ITV soap in the New Year. If true, the news will be a second devastating blow following the high-profile departure of Suranne Jones over Christmas. Ford signed a new, one-year contract in October, announcing at the time that it would be her last. Her impending resignation would see her released from said contract ahead of time. |
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