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Sport on TV: Flintoff returns to Oz to snatch victory from jaws of crocodile

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

It seems entirely appropriate that Freddie Flintoff should pursue his television career on the Discovery Channel. On the cricket field he was a force of nature, an elemental being who had no need of make-up or inane chatter – although a chatshow host with a nice line in sledging is an interesting idea for a new series.

Up and away – how '7 Up' went global

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Even as the final episode of 56 Up airs tomorrow, another incarnation of Britain's first reality TV programme will hit our screens. Eight people, 10 time zones and the seven-yearly updates made famous by the UK's original 7 Up series – but with a twist: ITV's new show has been shot in the world's largest country and each participant was born under a political structure that has disappeared into history's annals.

Cameron aide’s cosy chats with News Corp

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Two of David Cameron’s most senior and trusted advisors were having back door text chats with News Corp’s chief lobbyist at the height of the Milly Dowler scandal, it emerged tonight.

Lawyers told Hunt to stay out of Sky deal

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The Government was battling to defend itself last night against new evidence detailing its close relationship with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp at the time of the £8bn bid for BSkyB.

Jeremy Hunt told me to quit, says former special adviser Adam Smith

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:36:45 +0100

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt told his special adviser to quit after highly damaging emails revealing the close relationship between his department and the Murdoch empire were released, the former aide said.

David Cameron defends Jeremy Hunt BSkyB responsibility

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:10:33 +0100

Prime Minister David Cameron has defended giving Jeremy Hunt responsibility for the decision on News Corporation's takeover of BSkyB.

Cameron knew Hunt would back BSkyB bid

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:30:01 +0100

The political scandal over Rupert Murdoch's battle to buy BSkyB moved closer to David Cameron last night after new evidence undermined the Prime Minister's claim that his Government was scrupulously even-handed in deciding on the £8bn deal.

How the 'Minister for Murdoch' made case for BSkyB deal

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Jeremy Hunt's appeal to PM

What 1,000 text messages tell us about a special relationship

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

We learn today the rather sordid reality concealed behind Jeremy Hunt's solemn statement to Parliament last month that "I have strictly followed due process". More than 1,000 text messages were exchanged between his office and the News Corp team pursuing the most controversial British media acquisition in modern times – some of them sent by the Culture Secretary himself.

BBC chief Caroline Thomson spent £1,194 on taxis in three months

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:31:47 +0100

One of the favourites to become the next BBC director general claimed more than £1,000 in taxi fares in three months.

Ofcom raises prospect of auctioning off ITV and Channel 5 public service licences

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:18:05 +0100

Communications watchdog Ofcom has raised the prospect of auctioning off the public service licences currently held by ITV and Channel 5.

Rise of Netflix means Competition Commission reprieve for BSkyB

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:31:32 +0100

BSkyB was handed a reprieve by the competition watchdog today after a ruling over the broadcaster's stranglehold on pay-TV movies was reversed.

Jonathan Dimbleby to quit Any Answers? show

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:12:34 +0100

Jonathan Dimbleby is to step down from his Radio 4 phone-in show Any Answers? after nearly a quarter of a century.

Talks avert Jubilee strike at BBC

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:54:42 +0100

The threat of a strike by BBC journalists and technicians over the Diamond Jubilee weekend has been removed after talks over pay.

Mercury Music Prize moves to Channel 4

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:42:55 +0100

The Mercury Prize is to move to Channel 4 after many years on the BBC in a revamp of the music award.

Sport on TV: Early summer gloom leads to careful study of the Hotspots

Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The Lord's Test is one of the social events of the summer, a spectacle in itself even without the cricket – which may be good, given the weather. Lunch in the Harris Garden, old men dribbling on their lurid ties as they doze off, stewards manhandling a docile public; it's all part of the magic and mystique.

Former Jeremy Hunt adviser Adam Smith to appear at Leveson Inquiry

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:17:19 +0100

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's former special adviser Adam Smith will give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry next week, it was announced today.

A-ha! Steve Coogan confirms Alan Partridge will return in pair of new shows

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:30:14 +0100

Alan Partridge is to give fans a glimpse into his native Norfolk after comic Steve Coogan signed a new deal to bring the character back to TV.

BBC, ITN, BSkyB and Channel 5 win Dale Farm ruling

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:00:01 +0100

The police were blocked from seizing television footage yesterday, in a landmark High Court ruling to protect "the neutrality of the press".

Dawn French and Jason Donovan search for the new Jesus Christ Superstar

Fri, 18 May 2012 07:07:08 +0100

Dawn French and Jason Donovan have been signed up as judges for Andrew Lloyd Webber's search for the lead in his musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Media wins High Court battle over Dale Farm footage

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:22 +0100

A landmark High Court ruling has blocked an attempt by the police to seize large quantities of TV film footage shot during high-profile evictions at a travellers' site.

The Wiggles to hand over to next generation

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:42:15 +0100

Greg, Jeff and Murray - who along with Anthony are better known by millions of children around the world as The Wiggles - will hand over their colourful tops to younger replacements, including a woman, the group announced today.

Blue Peter sets sail from its prime BBC1 berth of 54 years

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

After more than 50 years as a children's teatime fixture, Blue Peter will set sail from its flagship BBC1 home to a digital channel that the BBC made earlier.

Blue Peter cut from BBC1 as Children's television programmes move to digital channels

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:48:06 +0100

Children's television programmes including Blue Peter and Newsround will be moved off BBC1 and BBC2 as part of the corporation's cost-cutting measures.

Older female newsreaders forced to become 'Stepford Wives' if they want to keep their jobs

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:30:33 +0100

Female newsreaders are forced to become like “Stepford Wives” as the grow older if they want to keep their jobs, according to research published yesterday.

And the prize for sorest loser goes to... Huey Morgan

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:30:01 +0100

Muhammad Ali once said "No one knows what to say in the loser's locker room," but Huey Morgan, BBC 6 Music host and former Fun Lovin' Criminals frontman, had plenty to say when he lost out in the Music Radio Personality of the Year category at the Sony Awards.

Jeremy Hunt's aide Adam Smith told to testify to Leveson over Sky bid

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:30:01 +0100

Jeremy Hunt's hopes of holding on to his post in the Cabinet were weakened yesterday when the Leveson Inquiry announced it has called both his former special adviser and News Corp's chief lobbyist to give evidence on how the Culture Secretary's office fed inside information to Murdoch executives during the £8bn attempted takeover of BSkyB.

Andrew Lloyd Webber casts radio's bad boy Chris Moyles as Bible's worst villain King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:30:01 +0100

Would you pay £65 to hear Chris Moyles sing? Andrew Lloyd Webber is gambling that the answer is "yes" after announcing the shock casting of breakfast radio's "bad boy" as the villainous King Herod in a revival of Jesus Christ Superstar.

From 6am to 1am, daily: BBC1 runs into Olympic overload

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

In every conceivable sense, Stratford is a long way from the foot of South Africa's Table Mountain. But when Gary Lineker tucks his famous toes under the coffee table at the BBC's Olympics studio on the east London site in a few months time, he might experience more than a little déjà vu.

BBC reveals digital Olympics plans

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:50:33 +0100

The BBC has unveiled plans for its digital coverage of the London Olympics, which will allow fans to watch events on the move - and in the office.

Britney Spears and Demi Lovato join X Factor USA as new judges

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:34:55 +0100

Britney Spears and Demi Lovato are joining the judging panel on the American The X Factor this autumn, as part of Fox's effort to boost its underperforming music competition shows.

Next BBC boss must be a Tory, says Boris Johnson

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:14:29 +0100

The next boss of the “statist, corporatist, defeatist” BBC must be a Tory, according to Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Jeff Salmon: 'Someone who doesn't gamble hasn't lived'

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Jeff Salmon isn't prone to modesty. So when the maverick arts dealer and star of Channel 4's blind auction show Four Rooms is asked about newspaper comparisons to Simon Cowell, it seems odd that he even has to think about it. "I admire Simon Cowell for sure, so I suppose I quite like the comparison," he admits, for once hiding his light under a bushel. It doesn't last long. "But it's slightly unfair, because I am older than him and have been at it longer. So I'd say it's more like Simon Cowell is the Jeff Salmon of the showbiz world!"

I'll have a P, please Bob! Blockbusters is back

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

To a generation, it is best remembered for the smirking students who revelled in being on television while asking: "Can I have a P, please Bob?" Tomorrow, Blockbusters returns to television screens nearly 30 years after it was first broadcast in Britain and after an absence of 11 years.

Black market in personal data is booming

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

An undercover investigation into the illicit trade in personal information in Britain has revealed how easy it is for private investigators to obtain personal data illegally.

Pudsey waltzes away with the BGT crown

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Singers, dancers and synchronised swimmers bowed to a pet called Pudsey last night as Britain decided it found nothing more entertaining than seeing a teenage girl and her dog dancing on its hind legs to the sound of the Mission Impossible theme tune.

Civil unrest, corrupt police and porn: Why the 1970s were no different from today

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Unseen footage of military plans for crushing left-wing subversion in the 1970s are included in a BBC documentary that draws remarkable comparisons between that unsettled decade and modern-day Britain.

Prince Charles' forecast: 'There'll be high heir pressure across Scotland...'

Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:01 +0100

When the gentle winds of banter meet the cold front of royalty the resulting shower is usually enough to bring on a shiver and a curling of the toes. But Prince Charles was, dare we say it, quite funny yesterday when he paused a tour of BBC Scotland's Glasgow headquarters to deliver the weather forecast.

BBC to air allegations of UK firms avoiding tax

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Several major UK firms cut secret tax deals with Luxembourg authorities to avoid paying corporation tax in Britain, it will be alleged next week.

BBC savings outweighed by Salford move, says report

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:12:38 +0100

Savings in the cost of backroom functions at the BBC over the past five years have been outweighed by an increase in spending on buildings, largely due to the move of many programmes and staff to Salford, according to a report.

Steve Coogan faces driving ban threat

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:56:55 +0100

Comedian Steve Coogan is facing trial over a speeding offence which could see him banned from the road.

Studio boost for ITV's revenues

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

ITV got a boost yesterday as it reported a 61 per cent jump in first-quarter revenues at its programme-making arm ITV Studios, which is responsible for shows such as I'm A Celebrity and drama series Titanic.

A TV show about a Secretary of State with a philandering husband? Wonder who they mean...

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

It's the new political drama which has Washington buzzing, with a storyline that is set to make uncomfortable viewing within the Clinton household: Sigourney Weaver in the role of a former first lady to a philandering President who accepts the post of Secretary of State when her own leadership ambitions are foiled.

Melvyn Bragg to interview Dizzee Rascal in South Bank Show special

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:25:54 +0100

Melvyn Bragg is resurrecting The South Bank Show with an interview of Dizzee Rascal in a new documentary on the rise of the grime scene.

Al-Jazeera TV reporter Melissa Chan is expelled from China in media crackdown

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Al-Jazeera's sole English-language reporter in China has been expelled, the pan-Arab news network said yesterday, marking the first time since 1998 that Beijing has kicked out an accredited foreign journalist.

Kylie Minogue and Cheryl Cole boost for The Voice

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:01:03 +0100

Kylie Minogue and Cheryl Cole are among the stars lined up for guest appearances on BBC1's The Voice as the show battles a ratings slide.

China expels sole English-language reporter Melissa Chan, claims Al-Jazeera

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:23:38 +0100

Al-Jazeera's sole English-language reporter in China has been expelled, the pan-Arab news network said today. It's the first time since 1998 that Beijing has kicked out an accredited foreign journalist.

Vince Cable: I feel vindicated for declaring war on Rupert Murdoch over BSkyB

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Business Secretary Vince Cable feels "vindicated" over his dealings with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, as links between the global media giant and the Conservative Party come under more intense scrutiny.

Australian comic Minchin makes a risqué castaway with sex doll suggestion

Sun, 06 May 2012 08:30:01 +0100

Listeners to BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs could be left spluttering into their cornflakes this morning after castaway Tim Minchin suggested a robotic sex doll could be a good choice of luxury.

Stand by for Taffy Shore

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The traditional Welsh song famously promises to "keep a welcome in the hillside", but the makers of a controversial new TV series are finding the welcome mats have all been taken indoors.

No laughing matter: BBC faces comedy crisis as rivals lure talent with big budgets

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

As the nation's favourite channel, BBC1 ought to have the wittiest laughter merchants beating a path to its door. But the corporation has warned of a comedy crisis because the funniest writers are choosing to take their shows elsewhere.

The ascent of Superman

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Is Superman the most prolific character in fiction? The Man of Steel has appeared in at least 1,500 different comic books, several TV series – from Adventures of Superman to Smallville – and five (soon to be six) films. He's not an easy man to keep tabs on.

Sex in dressing rooms and Play School presenters 'stoned out of their minds' - inside BBC Television Centre

Thu, 03 May 2012 20:00:37 +0100

Tales of stars having sex on work premises, strong 'herbal smells' wafting down corridors and presenters appearing in front of the camera 'stoned out of their minds', are all set to feature in a revealing documentary about BBC Television Centre.

BBC to investigate news censorship claims

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The BBC has ordered "urgent inquiries" into how its news coverage is being apparently censored when broadcast abroad, with scenes about anti-government protests removed.

Sky is a 'fit and proper' broadcaster, chief insists

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

BSkyB's chief executive, Jeremy Darroch, has insisted that the pay-TV giant is a "fit and proper" broadcaster despite a Commons committee ruling that its leading shareholder, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, had exhibited "wilful blindness" over phone-hacking.

I don't get any auditions because I'm black, claims star of Homeland

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

David Harewood, a star of the hit American series Homeland, has spoken of his disappointment at not having "a single audition" since returning to the UK six months ago – despite the success of the conspiracy thriller.

BSkyB is 'a fit and proper company'

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:05:01 +0100

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB today insisted it "remains a fit and proper licence holder" as it remains under the glare of media regulator Ofcom.

BBC portfolio cut as ITV takes French Open

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

It never rains but it pours for poor old Auntie. Just a month after the Royal & Ancient Golf Club warned the BBC that its dwindling interest in golf could threaten its hold on future television coverage of The Open, ITV will rip another plank from the corporation's platform as a holder of major sports rights with more than 150 hours of coverage of the French Open tennis tournament.

Dr Who's music workshop to get a digital makeover

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The haunting sounds conjured by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop evoked the ambience of alien worlds and influenced contemporary artists from Orbital to Radiohead.

How I got my arias kicked on TV

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Imagine finding yourself standing at the Royal Opera House in front of a full orchestra, with the eyes of more than 100 world-class musicians staring intently at you, looking for some – any – kind of direction. Dressed in a penguin suit and holding a thin white baton, it's clear you're supposed to be conducting. There's just one problem: you don't know your arse from your arias.

Sport on TV: Unbearable tension at the pole as cracks fail to appear

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Mark Beaumont is a man of our time. We are all having to put up with hardship and the adventurer's feats of endurance – cycling around the world and from one end of the Americas to the other – should inspire us to learn to survive with no heating and a limited supply of food. But the Scot is also an eco-warrior, as he showed in Rowing the Arctic (BBC1, Wednesday) when he tried to become the first man to reach the North Magnetic Pole by sea as the ice cap receded with global warming. For all this, it's still hard to warm to him.

Jeremy Hunt probe could follow Leveson

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:05:11 +0100

David Cameron is prepared to consider ordering an investigation into Jeremy Hunt's dealings with News Corporation but not until the Culture Secretary has appeared at the Leveson Inquiry.

Michael Apted: Lifetime achievement

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:00:01 +0100

Sissy Spacek won an Academy Award for her part in the Michael Apted film Coal Miner's Daughter. And Sigourney Weaver and Jodie Foster have both been nominated for Oscars after appearing in movies made by the Essex-raised director, whose work for Hollywood has been notable for its women protagonists. Apted only wishes he had taken a more female-friendly approach when going about the project which, for all his success in Tinseltown, has defined his career – the remarkable documentary series Seven Up, which returns to television next month.

Jeremy Hunt to hand over private texts and emails to Leveson Inquiry

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:15:17 +0100

Beleaguered Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt today pledged to hand over all his private texts and emails to his special adviser, to the Leveson Inquiry.

Change is in the airwaves in rural India

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Beside a clump of sugarcane, brown and brittle, Mohamed Arif slipped out his electronic recorder and gently raised it towards the crouching farmer. What had gone wrong, he asked.

Hunt on borrowed time as Whitehall digs in

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Jeremy Hunt was under mounting pressure last night after his most senior civil servant appeared to undermine the Culture Secretary's version of events surrounding the secret briefing of News Corp during its attempted £8 billion takeover of the satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

New evidence emerges that Osborne was lobbied by Murdoch

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The Chancellor, George Osborne, is facing questions over whether he played a role in supporting News Corp's attempted £8bn takeover of BSkyB.

Team BBC to outnumber Team GB at Games

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

It would be enough for 109 handball teams, 95 rowing eights or 382-and-a-half C2-class canoe pairs. The BBC will have 765 staff at the Olympics, over 200 more than the number of athletes that will compete for Team GB.

More BBC staff than athletes for Olympics

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:18:21 +0100

The BBC has accredited 765 staff to cover the Olympics - meaning the corporation will outnumber the athletes expected to make up Team GB

Ofcom to investigate Sky News over email hacking

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:34 +0100

The broadcasting watchdog, Ofcom, is to investigate Sky News’s admission that it broke the law by hacking into the email account of the “canoe man” who faked his own death.

R&A chief says BBC at risk of losing right to show The Open

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The BBC has been warned by the Royal & Ancient that it risks losing the rights to live coverage of The Open if it does not keep pace with television's technological revolution. A contract is in place until 2016 but the corporation has reduced its golf coverage recently and it faces fierce competition from the satellite broadcaster Sky.

BBC to tackle taboo with live radio show from abortion clinic

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The BBC is to make broadcasting history by producing a two-hour show live from an abortion clinic in which it hopes to air the views of patients and staff working in a sector that has been surrounded in renewed controversy.

BBC Panorama used jailed NOTW private eye 'to trace individuals'

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The BBC's flagship investigative programme, Panorama, employed the services of a jailed private detective who hacked emails for the News of the World.

Sport on TV: To be perfectly Frank, Bruno really should have hit Morgan

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Frank Bruno first met Piers Morgan when the latter was a 19-year-old reporter on the South London News and the fighter was challenging for the world heavyweight title for the first time. Now Morgan is one of the richest presenters on television, and certainly the smuggest, and Bruno has spent the decade battling mental illness. If only Frank had lamped him that day back in the mid-Eighties, how different Britain might be. We could have avoided some of the worst excesses of tabloid journalism, culminating in headlines such as "Bonkers Bruno Locked Up".

Dracula bites back! Gothic legacy in danger from touchy-feely, fictional vampires

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The dark, gothic legacy of Dracula is in danger of being swamped by new, touchy-feely, fictional vampires, according to Dacre Stoker, great grand-nephew of author Bram Stoker.

'Mad Men' inspires a secretarial revival

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

They are the gatekeepers. Frequently shrewder than those they serve and always more knowledgeable, office secretaries are back in vogue. New evidence suggests that, spurred by powerful role models in the US TV series Mad Men, an increasing number of personal assistants, executive assistants and office managers are reviving the traditional job title.

Christian radio loses advert challenge

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:26:27 +0100

A radio station lost its challenge in the High Court today against a ban on an advertisement seeking information on Christians who feel "marginalised" at work.

Chat shows: Look who's talking

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

"The trouble with the talk show is everyone fancies their chances," Michael Parkinson wrote. As the doyen of British chat show hosts, he has seen many rivals come and go, many of whom would have probably thought: "I like to chat and have interesting conversations, how hard can it possibly be?"

'Ghost' singers can't be heard on The Voice

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Some contestants on the talent show The Voice were told they could not be picked to go through to the finals before they performed for the judges, the BBC has disclosed.

BBC staff to vote on pay strikes

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:24:36 +0100

Thousands of BBC staff are to be balloted for strikes over pay, with unions warning of disruption to coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations if action goes ahead.

BBC Ceefax: The death of a classic text

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

You would type in three digits. You would watch the ticker twirl through the pages and for some obscure reason miss the one you were after, so you'd use the remote to hide it and watch Neighbours while you waited. Then you'd put it back on and find that the article was on page 7 of 9, so you'd go back to Neighbours again, but then next time you checked in it would have jumped to 2 of 9, so you would cut your losses and start there. You would finish the three paragraphs on display and drum your fingers for ages while you waited for the next lot. Then you would accidentally hit the green button and find yourself on the weather.

TV stalwart Dick Clark dies

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

New Year's Eve master of ceremonies and American Bandstand host Dick Clark, whose long-running dance show helped rock 'n' roll seduce mainstream America, has died, aged 82.

Misleading BT broadband adverts banned

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:53:52 +0100

A BT campaign has been banned for misleading customers about the speed of its Infinity broadband service, a watchdog said.

UTV gets global radio rights to Premier League

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

TalkSport's owner UTV Media has grabbed the global radio rights to English Premier League football outside Europe. UTV will provide commentary and audio on 380 Barclays Premier League games a season, in languages including English, Spanish and Mandarin.

BBC pays out £277m for redundancies

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:43:05 +0100

The BBC has spent almost £277 million on redundancy payments to nearly 6,000 staff in the past seven years.

Nicholas Hitchon: 'I feel very privileged to have been part of this, but it's come at a big cost'

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Britain's first glimpse of Nicholas Hitchon in Seven Up! was as a tiny boy in Wellington boots, striding confidently along a Yorkshire country lane. When we meet him again next month, in the eighth instalment of what has become a TV landmark, he'll be 56 and back in the Dales.

The electrifying power of game show hosts

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

It seems there's almost nothing we won't do – up to and including torturing someone – as long as a game-show host says it is all right, according to a new scientific study. TV personalities such as Davina McCall and Ant and Dec are now such powerful influences on our lives that game-show participants are prepared to inflict cruelty and pain on each other for the cameras.

Sport on TV: Vested interests from the days when we enjoyed a slice of life

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald probably wasn't thinking about the Big Society when he declared in the 1920s: "A nation of weaklings and slaggards can never uphold democratic institutions." But as we trudge off to the gym, we can't really blame the old Prime Beef Minister (no relation to Ronald). He had no idea how awful we would all look in lycra, and wasn't to know it would all come to a sticky end.

The Last Word: Auntie's fall from grace is shameful

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Was Clare Balding gagged? Were the BBC embarrassed? Maybe they even kept away Sir Peter O'Sullevan from the live coverage like a feminist being denied the microphone at a bachelor party. Yet however strenuously the corporation masked the passing of an era, this was the day they turned their back on the Grand National.

BBC journalists face strike ballot

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:41:46 +0100

Journalists and technicians working for the BBC in Wales are to be balloted for strikes in a row over the dismissal of a producer.

Fox News digs up a 'mole' and suspends him

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:12:52 +0100

Fox News yesterday suspended indefinitely an employee who had anonymously posted videos and comments about behind-the-scenes workdays at the television network, leading media website Gawker to dub him the "mole."

Simon Cowell throws in the towel as BBC wins ratings war

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:30:01 +0100

It was as cold and calculated as any of his withering put-downs of wannabe pop stars, and as cynically commercial as his hits you want to hate but can't help singing along to. Yet Simon Cowell's attempt to kill off a rival television show has ended with the kind of defeat that previously only Rage Against the Machine have managed to inflict on the perma-tanned pop impresario.

No power plant, no Krusty Burger – but this is the real home of the Simpsons

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

From Springfield, Ohio, to the city's namesakes in West Virginia, Vermont and Illinois, one familiar exclamation resounds: "Doh!" After 23 years, the creator of The Simpsons has finally broken his silence and revealed that the real-life inspiration for the animated series is Springfield in Oregon.

BBC staff in Salford offered security escorts after shooting

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Personal-security escorts are being offered to BBC staff struggling to adjust to life at their new headquarters at Salford after an air rifle was shot at an employee as he cycled home.

Film and television industry 'discriminates against women, ethnic minorities and the working class'

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:31 +0100

The British film and television production industry is dominated by the middle-classes who “hoard” opportunities and benefit from family ties, new research has found.

BBC Breakfast's new dawn is overshadowed by £850,000 bill for getting staff to Salford

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

There was a familiar computer-generated dawn skyline behind the well-known presenters who perched with trademark cheer on a new, trademark-red settee. Yet while the first BBC Breakfast broadcast from the corporation's £1bn new Salford HQ emphasised continuity rather than change, the corporation found itself fending off the same old accusations of wastefulness.

BBC Breakfast's new studio branded 'garish'

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:18:22 +0100

BBC Breakfast's first broadcast from Salford has left some of its viewers unhappy with the show's new-look "garish" studio.

Have they found the answer to Paxman?

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

For more than 20 years, politicians have sent their minions into the Newsnight bear pit to defend their honour, armed only with a few weak pieces of advice throbbing in their heads. "Stay calm"; "Stick to the point"; "Don't let him rile you". The vast majority have been dispatched, mercilessly and witheringly, by a man who does not try to hide his contempt for the grubby politicians hauled before him.