Battle begins over future of the press November 29, 2012 THE BATTLE lines for a parliamentary row over press freedom were drawn yesterday, after David Cameron rejected the central recommendation of the Leveson inquiry and said he had “serious concerns” about introducing legislation to support press regulation. The combative stance was welcomed by the newspaper industry but means Cameron will now be pitted in a [...]
Why David Cameron was right to stand up for free speech November 29, 2012 YESTERDAY wasn’t quite the tragic day for the freedom of the press that it could have been, for one reason only: at one minute to midnight, David Cameron came riding to the rescue of free speech. By refusing to back the Leveson report’s key demand – a new regulator underpinned by statute and ultimately policed [...]
Critics hit out at Leveson’s plans for press November 29, 2012 BUSINESS leaders and industry bodies warned against government interference in the press yesterday, and urged the newspaper industry to take the initiative in creating a new regulatory framework. Shares in paper owners News Corp, Daily Mail & General Trust, and Johnston Press also rose following Lord Justice Leveson’s report despite worries over state regulation, signalling [...]
Leveson is wrong – regulation is not the answer to every problem November 29, 2012 THE two scandals which gave rise to the Leveson Inquiry were phone hacking and bribing the police. Both are already crimes. The scandal was failure to enforce the law. Yet Leveson baldly dismisses these issues – asserting without evidence that “more rigorous application of the criminal law does not and will not provide the solution”. [...]
Ireland shows why press controls are not the solution November 29, 2012 LORD Justice Leveson met his deadline yesterday, issuing the findings of his eight month inquiry into the “culture, practices, and ethics” of the press. It came as no surprise that he concluded the state has a role to play in overseeing newspapers. Leveson decided that a statutory body, much like Ofcom, should take responsibility for [...]
Electra waits for prices to fall as it builds up war chest to £400m November 28, 2012 UK listed private equity firm Electra Partners yesterday said expensive price tags on companies being sold had stopped it buying more firms this year after revealing solid numbers in its full year results. The firm, which has holdings in motor car insurer esure and caravan park operator Park Resorts, said the chasm between buyer and [...]
BT makes plans to appeal Sky’s controversial sports pricing win November 27, 2012 BT has announced plans to appeal a controversial competition ruling over the price Sky is able to charge other broadcasters for its sports channels. The telecoms company said it had asked permission to challenge August’s decision from the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which stopped Ofcom from forcing Sky to lower the prices it can charge [...]
Ofcom announces proposals for white space mobile broadband November 22, 2012 CITY-WIDE Wi-Fi networks could be launched by the end of next year, the communications regulator said yesterday, as it published proposals to free up unused parts of the airwaves for internet signals. Ofcom said that it was opening a consultation on “white spaces” – the gaps in between bands of spectrum used to broadcast TV. [...]
ITV and Channel 5 to get new licences but must offer more November 21, 2012 VIEWERS of Downton Abbey might be used to dramatic cliffhangers, but yesterday the threat of another plot twist was removed, after the culture secretary renewed Channel 3’s broadcasting licence for another 10 years from 2014. Culture secretary Maria Miller said that the extension for Channel 3 and Channel 5 will secure around £800m in investment [...]
Three says no thanks to 4G as customers rise November 15, 2012 THE UK’S fourth-largest mobile operator, Three, signed up a million extra customers in the last year, putting a dent in its rivals’ numbers. Announcing the figures yesterday, Three outlined a plan to bolster its current network rather than focus on the 4G technology that others are pursuing. This raises the possibility that a January auction [...]