Ofcom clears Channel 4 News over Jon Snow’s ‘white people’ comment August 5, 2019 Ofcom has cleared Channel 4 News of wrongdoing after presenter Jon Snow remarked he had “never seen so many white people in one place” during a Brexit rally. The regulator received 2,600 complaints that Snow’s comment, made at the end of the programme, was racist and offensive. Read more: BBC gets Ofcom approval to stream [...]
BBC accused of ‘pulling a fast one’ on producers over Britbox plans August 4, 2019 The BBC has been accused of “pulling a fast one” on independent production companies over new rules that could give Britbox an advantage over streaming rivals. The broadcaster has proposed new regulations meaning producers can sell their rights to streaming services after 12 months, but only subject to conditions that would be tougher for competitors [...]
With Boris onside, we can boost connectivity across the country August 2, 2019 The successful economies of the future will be those that effectively seize the potential of digital technology. It is particularly important that we in the UK take heed of this message, as businesses face ongoing uncertainty in the approach to the government’s Halloween Brexit deadline. So what progress is being made to realise this potential? [...]
BBC gets Ofcom approval to stream shows on iPlayer for a year August 1, 2019 BBC TV programmes will now be available on iPlayer for a year, after Ofcom approved proposals to expand the on-demand platform. The broadcaster submitted a request to extend the availability of catch-up series from 30 days after broadcast to 12 months, with some programmes available for even longer. Read more: Britbox: BBC and ITV strike [...]
Commercial radio listening hits record level as online audience grows August 1, 2019 Commercial radio stations secured record audience numbers in the second quarter, thanks to a surge in online listening. More than 36.1m people tuned in to commercial radio in the UK over the three-month period, with share of listening hours rising to 48 per cent. Read more: UK ad spend defies economic gloom to hit £6bn [...]
ITV used Facebook to find Jeremy Kyle Show contestants July 31, 2019 ITV used Facebook to find guests who wanted to take a lie detector test on its axed reality series The Jeremy Kyle Show, according to new evidence published today. In a letter to MPs, ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall said the show’s producers used the social media platform to attract contestants, admitting that “some did [...]
Giffgaff fined £1.4m by Ofcom for overcharging mobile customers July 30, 2019 Mobile phone company Giffgaff was fined £1.4m by watchdog Ofcom today for overcharging customers. An Ofcom investigation found that an error in Giffgaff’s billing system led to around 2.6m customers being overcharged a total of almost £2.9m. Read more: Russia threatens retaliation against British media after RT fine Giffgaff is owned by Telefonica UK which [...]
Ofcom sets out new rules for reality TV after Jeremy Kyle Show death July 29, 2019 Ofcom has proposed new rules to protect participants in TV and radio shows, weeks after ITV bosses were slammed over the death of a guest on The Jeremy Kyle Show. The regulator today unveiled plans for new rules requiring broadcasters to protect the welfare and dignity of participants in shows, and to ensure participants are [...]
From energy to insurance: How Open Banking could fix the loyalty penalty headache July 29, 2019 You don’t get to be Prime Minister without having a few political gifts. One of Theresa May’s was her ability to spot the issues that people cared about – even if she found it harder to come up with effective ways of improving them. That was why her maiden speech outside Downing Street was so [...]
Russia threatens retaliation against British media after RT fine July 26, 2019 Russia has warned UK media working in Russia that they will face consequences after Ofcom handed down a £200,000 fine to broadcaster RT. In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it viewed the penalty as “part of an anti-Russian campaign designed to restrict the activities of Russian media in Britain”. Read more: RT [...]