Media: Talk of the Trade - How Grade's speech made the headlines

STUDENTS of the intricacies of cross-ownership should look at the reporting of Michael Grade's forceful speech on television violence last week. The head of Channel 4 attacked Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB satellite television and its 'endless succession of violent and sexually exploitative films'. The Independent's headline was 'Grade attacks BSkyB over sex and violence'. The Guardian's was 'Sky TV 'sets a new low in taste' '. The Daily Telegraph, in a front-page cross- reference to the speech, summarised it as 'Grade versus Murdoch'. Mr Murdoch's papers were unimpressed with the news judgement of their rivals. The Times headlined its report 'Grade defends TV standards' and only mentioned the reference to satellite television (without naming BSkyB) in the last two paragraphs. The Sun, which has been campaigning against TV violence, did not find room for the story at all. But then it was probably a busy day.