James Naughtie: Veteran BBC radio presenter to leave Radio 4’s Today programme after 21 years July 7, 2015 BBC radio presenter James Naughtie will leave Radio 4's Today programme after 21 years. The veteran broadcaster will instead become the station's special correspondent. The BBC says that he will follow key political and constitutional debates such as the EU referendum and elections, present documentaries, and act as a roving reporter for the station. Naughtie, [...]
BBC Trust fires shot over the bows of government over licence fees for over 75s July 7, 2015 BBC director general Tony Hall insisted that the broadcaster had achieved “the right deal” yesterday, after it was confirmed that the broadcaster would start paying the licence fee for Brits over 75 from 2018. However, Rona Fairhead, the chairman of the BBC Trust, which represents licence fee payers, appeared to be less happy about the [...]
July Budget 2015: From benefits caps and child tax credits cuts to pension and inheritance tax changes, here’s what to expect July 7, 2015 Tomorrow, George Osborne takes to the despatch box for his first truly Conservative Budget – indeed, the first majority Conservative Budget since 1996. The chancellor is notoriously good at trailing the contents of his Budgets before he stands up – so what do we know so far? Read more: Budget live – all the key announcements [...]
John Whittingdale confirms the BBC will pay for over-75s license fees from 2018 July 6, 2015 The culture, media, and sport secretary John Whittingdale has confirmed that the BBC will pay for free television licences for those aged over 75 from 2018. Whittingdale confirmed the move in response to an urgent question posed in parliament by his Labour shadow, Chris Bryant, following widespread reports over the weekend that the costs would be passed on to [...]
Is Chris Moyles coming back to breakfast radio? XFM job would put ex-BBC presenter up against Radio One’s Nick Grimshaw July 5, 2015 Former Radio One superstar DJ Chris Moyles is rumoured to be returning to breakfast radio where he made his name – this time with XFM. According to reports in the Sun on Sunday, the new show is going to start in September, after Moyles spends a couple of months putting together some ideas. If confirmed, [...]
July Budget 2015: BBC must “make a contribution” to welfare cuts, says George Osborne on Andrew Marr Show July 5, 2015 The BBC “can make a contribution” to the costs of free television licences for the over-75s, George Osborne has said, responding to reports that the broadcaster would be required to stump up millions of pounds to keep the pensioner benefit going. The fee is currently paid by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) but under [...]
Younger viewers are turning away from traditional television viewing and watching Netflix and iPlayer instead July 2, 2015 Only half of young people are watching broadcasts through live television. The figures are from media watchdog Ofcom’s latest research into the state of Public Service Broadcasters, released today. It found that viewers aged 16 to 24 years old are increasingly using online, on demand, streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and the [...]
BBC to cut more than 1,000 jobs to cover £150m licence fee losses July 2, 2015 The BBC will cut over 1,000 jobs due to a £150m shortfall in its licence fee income, director Lord Tony Hall has confirmed. Read more: BBC loses Olympic broadcast rights as Eurosport signs £922m deal With the number of households owning television sets falling as audience's consumption practices change, the broadcaster's income from license fee subscriptions [...]
BBC loses Olympic broadcast rights as Eurosport signs £922m deal June 29, 2015 The BBC has lost the rights to televise the Olympic Games after US broadcasting firm Discovery Communications signed an exclusive £920m deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Read more: Paris and Budapest to bid for 2024 Olympic Games Discovery, the parent company of Eurosport, has won pan-European broadcast rights for the Olympics in the 2018-2024 [...]
BBC boss Tony Hall says licence fee has 10 more years left June 21, 2015 BBC boss Lord Hall has fired his opening salvo in what is likely to be a tense debate over the future of the BBC. The BBC's director general said that he agreed with the argument put forward by the culture, media and sport select committee in the last parliament that the licence fee would be [...]