What time do the polls close, when do constituencies declare their results and how many seats does a party need to win a majority? All your General Election 2015 questions answered May 7, 2015 Planning on pulling an all-nighter? Here's every question you'll have during coverage, answered. What time do the polls close? Polls close at 10pm, very shortly after which the first exit poll, conducted by the BBC, will come out. In the past, they've been pretty accurate – predicted the outcomes of the 2005 and 2010 General [...]
Broadcasters told by Ofcom to make phone-in charges simpler April 28, 2015 Telecoms regulator Ofcom has forced TV companies to change how they advertise phone-in and mobile voting competitions – because, it says, they're currently too confusing. The watchdog has changed the broadcasting code – the rules which govern TV and radio in the UK – to reflect how they can make pricing clearer. Viewers [...]
Voters back up Nigel Farage and say media are most biased against Ukip April 23, 2015 A plurality of British voters think the media is much more likely to be biased against Ukip than any other major political party. The media has often made great play of gaffes and inappropriate remarks made by Ukip politicians and members. However, Ukip consistently points out that the media rarely reports similar offences committed by [...]
Premier League clubs agree £1bn for good causes if TV rights deal remains after Ofcom investigation March 26, 2015 The Premier League yesterday conditioned a £1bn grant for a variety of good causes, including grassroots football, on its new bumper £5bn TV rights deal not being overturned by a regulatory investigation. The body that oversees England’s 20 elite football clubs says its offer will not stand if an investigation by Ofcom, instigated after a [...]
Jeremy Clarkson is an accident waiting to happen says former BBC director general Greg Dyke March 23, 2015 While tanks and protesters form ranks around Jeremy Clarkson, the detractors are growing in force too. Greg Dyke, a former director general of the BBC, has branded besieged Top Gear presenter Clarkson an accident waiting to happen. The BBC, said Dyke, is in a tough spot and cannot really win either way when its official [...]
CityFibre asks watchdog to level playing field after BT-EE merger March 23, 2015 High speed fibre optic firm CityFibre has attacked BT, saying its planned acquisition of EE would “stifle innovation” and “deliver little tangible benefit for consumers”. CityFibre revealed the objection this morning, saying that it submitted a formal complaint to the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) on Friday. The company demanded Ofcom be allowed to enforce extra [...]
BT hits back at Ofcom over new broadband rule March 19, 2015 Telecoms giant BT slammed its industry regulator for taking a “lopsided” approach to the UK market. Industry watchdog Ofcom yesterday confirmed it was going ahead with a new pricing rule, coming into effect on 1 April. The rule means BT must maintain a sufficient margin between its wholesale and retail superfast broadband fees, in order [...]
BT fined £800,000 by Ofcom for deaf service failure March 17, 2015 British Telecom (BT) has been handed an £800,000 fine from media regulator Ofcom for failing to offer adequate services for hearing-impaired customers for five months. The fine relates to BT’s failure to bring in its Next Generation text relay system from between April and September 2014. The system translates voice-to-text on various devices, including PCs, [...]
Digital probe sparks row over broadband as Sky and Talk-Talk press Ofcom to break up BT and Openreach March 12, 2015 A battle between the UK’s largest telecommunications businesses intensified yesterday, as Sky and Talk-Talk pounced on a decision by the regulator to launch a wide-ranging probe into the sector. Both firms ramped up pressure on Ofcom to break up BT from the part of its business – called BT Openreach – that runs the UK’s broadband [...]
Ofcom review of UK digital communications market will look to maintain competition March 12, 2015 Media regulator Ofcom will review the UK’s digital communications market for the first time in a decade in order to ensure competition remains in a sector increasingly dominated by telecom giants. Ofcom said its review will look to identify if there is scope for deregulation in “some areas” of the market and find [...]