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BBC watchdog rules in favour of Woman’s Hour after man complains of sexism

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:07:39 +0100

The BBC Trust has ruled that Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 is not sexist after it was accused of displaying unfairness to men over several years.

Ofcom investigate broadcast of graphic Lee Rigby murder footage after receiving 700 complaints

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:49:03 +0100

Ofcom has launched an investigation into the broadcasting of graphic footage from the scene of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby after receiving more than 700 complaints from viewers.

Sport on TV: Bolt from the blue turns out to be rather run-of-the-mill

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100

It was hard to say who was looking more shifty, Jonathan Edwards or Justin Gatlin. On Athletics: Diamond League – Rome (BBC3, Thursday) the former kept looking over the shoulder of his fellow presenter Colin Jackson as if he was looking for someone more interesting to talk to at a party. The former triple-jumper was stationed at the side of the track trying to attract the attention of Gatlin, who could be regarded as a supreme party-pooper, having just beaten the mighty Usain Bolt in the 100 metres.

Viewers face digital TV disruption as 4G mast switch-on begins

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:35:52 +0100

Millions of households face interference to their television signal, or could even lose it altogether, as mobile phone companies switch on thousands of 4G masts in the coming weeks.

Alan Yentob paid two salaries by the BBC

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:29:55 +0100

The BBC's arts chief Alan Yentob receives two salaries from the Corporation, only one of which is publicly declared, it has been revealed.

Radio 'top jock' award for nurse death Australian prank DJ is 'disgraceful' says Keith Vaz

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:34:22 +0100

The decision to give an award to one of the Australian DJs who made a prank call to the London hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated, which was then linked to the suicide of a nurse, has been criticised as a “disgraceful” act.

TV Advert showing Pamela Anderson covered in cream banned for being 'sexist and degrading' to women

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:13:35 +0100

A television advert featuring actress Pamela Anderson wearing a bikini and covered in cream has been banned for being sexist and degrading to women.

Sport on TV: Even the Queen is saddled with ubiquitous Clare Balding

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100

She's an asset to the nation: happy and glorious, long to reign over us, God save Clare Balding. Turn on any TV channel and the odds are you will see her mischievous eyes beneath that Diana mop. The bookies should call off all bets, for she can wear the silks of whichever stable wants her and she makes changing horses in mid-sentence seem easy.

Let’s (not) spend the night together: BBC holds 'constructive' talks with Sir Mick Jagger but TV coverage of Rolling Stones at Glastonbury still unresolved

Fri, 31 May 2013 16:06:49 +0100

“If you start me up, I’ll never stop.” But the television cameras could be switched off after The Rolling Stones banned the BBC from broadcasting their eagerly anticipated Glastonbury festival set in full.

Dan & Phil: The YouTube stars tasked with bringing new young listeners to Radio 1

Fri, 31 May 2013 14:45:47 +0100

Commercial television and radio in Britain has abandoned Britain’s youth to the internet, according to the YouTube stars signed up by the BBC to help bring new young listeners to Radio 1.

New BBC head of news James Harding has long battle ahead for more women broadcasters, warn female ex-governors

Fri, 31 May 2013 14:01:47 +0100

Former female BBC governors have warned the station’s new head of news he faces a long battle to fulfil his pledge of having more female broadcasters on screen.

Nicole? Papa? Channel 4 to screen all adverts en Français during French zombie drama The Returned

Fri, 31 May 2013 09:02:35 +0100

Channel 4 is to break new ground by screening an entire ad break in French - a debut for UK television.

Baroness Thatcher funeral sets TV record

Tue, 28 May 2013 21:40:20 +0100

The BBC's coverage of Baroness Thatcher's funeral was the third-most-requested live television programme ever on the iPlayer – with only the Olympics proving more popular.

BBC expands iPlayer radio downloads to seven days

Tue, 28 May 2013 16:19:26 +0100

Fans of BBC radio will be able to download programmes for seven days after broadcast in changes being made to the iPlayer announced today.

'Charming dinosaur' David Dimbleby calls for cultural shift at BBC over age discrimination of women

Tue, 28 May 2013 08:46:25 +0100

TV veteran David Dimbleby has criticised the BBC and other broadcasters for demeaning older women.

Sport on TV: Not-so-fast Eddie sets a blistering pace in the Cape

Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Eddie Izzard may be a brilliant stand-up comedian but he would have required extra powers of fortitude to stay on his feet after his latest endurance test. Three years ago he ran 43 marathons in 43 days around the UK in aid of Sport Relief, despite having no pedigree at long-distance running. It was an astonishing undertaking, but no undertaker was required.

'Too expensive and too corporate' – ITV presenter Adrian Chiles says of English football as he praises the German Bundesliga ahead of Bayern Munich facing Borussia Dortmund

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:40:11 +0100

The football presenter Adrian Chiles has expressed his concern at the lack of atmosphere inside big English grounds, and appealed to clubs to consider lowering ticket prices.

BBC suspends chief technology officer and ends digital plan – after a £100m bill

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:23:45 +0100

The BBC has scrapped an ambitious attempt to create a digital production system and archive after admitting it had wasted almost £100m, adding that to continue the project would be “throwing good money after bad”.

Incoming BBC news director promises action for more on-air female journalists

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:25:57 +0100

James Harding, the incoming Director of News at the BBC, has admitted his discomfort at the lack of women broadcasters on the BBC's bulletins and has promised to address the issue as a priority.

Company behind Bid and Price Drop shopping channels found to have made misleading price claims and product descriptions

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:16:13 +0100

The company behind the shopping channels Bid and Price Drop could have its broadcast licence revoked after being found to have consistently made misleading price claims and product descriptions.

Troubled BBC Newsnight making another apology - over accusations against Help for Heroes charity

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:09:10 +0100

The BBC is apologising for another bungled report on its flagship current affairs programme Newsnight, mistakenly accusing the charity Help for Heroes of misspending cash.

Older women are disappearing from TV due to combination of ageism and sexism, warns Harriet Harman

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:41:32 +0100

Women on television are affected by a “combination of ageism and sexism” that does not apply to men, new figures show.

BBC offers staff £24m 'bribes' for move to Salford

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:28:32 +0100

The BBC paid more than £100,000 each to 11 members of staff to induce them to move to the organisation’s new broadcasting centre in Salford.

ITV win rights to all England qualifying matches

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:53:32 +0100

ITV has won the right to show all England's matches at home and away for the Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup qualifying competitions.

Song Awards 2013: Record-breaking tenth gold for radio DJ Christian O’Connell

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:17:06 +0100

Christian O’Connell has become the first radio presenter to win 10 gold Sony awards, the sector’s most prestigious accolade.

Bankwatch: Bill Oddie evicted from HSBC headquarters after protest over bank's links to logging companies blamed for destruction of the rainforest in Malaysia

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:01:23 +0100

Bill Oddie, the naturalist and BBC television presenter, has made a provocative protest film intended to embarrass the global bank HSBC over its links to logging companies blamed for the destruction of the rainforest in Malaysia.

Sir David Frost calls upon Tony Hall to take a knife to BBC's management structure

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:06:35 +0100

Having worked for the BBC for more than 50 years, Sir David Frost has advised the new Director-General Tony Hall that he must take a knife to the organisation’s debilitating management structure.

C4 switches off profits and makes a loss

Sun, 12 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Channel 4 is set to announce its first annual loss in a decade after the state-owned corporation used some of its cash reserves to fund new programming such as the Paralympics.

Sport on TV: Spectre of Thatcher hangs over the governor of Govan

Sun, 12 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

So Sir Alex Ferguson finally stopped all the clocks. Jon Snow took himself up to Chester racecourse, where the old nag was supposed to be, to cover the biggest story of the day for Channel 4 News. He was accused of downgrading the Queen's Speech and vilified with as much venom as the Prince of Darkness himself might have unleashed. Meanwhile Fergie had done a neat side-step, Cristiano-style, and was nowhere to be seen. From the other end of the sofa came the comment: "Bloody hell, it's not like the Queen's abdicated" – although as she tuned into the news, she might have considered it. Except that the one person who could run the country instead of her had just headed for the Highlands himself.

Apprentice 2013 gets straight to the finger point: Hundreds of the thousands tune in just to see Lord Sugar say 'You're Fired!'

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:15:49 +0100

Forget the preamble, let's get straight to the pointed finger. This appears to be the consensus among viewers of the new series of The Apprentice. This week hundreds of thousands tuned in only to watch the bit when Lord Sugar fires someone, rather than sit through the preceding 55 minutes.

TV wars: Former New International boss Tom Mockridge moves to Virgin Media as John Malone takes on Rupert Murdoch

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:18:25 +0100

Virgin Media's new owner John Malone today pulled off a coup by recruiting a boss who used to work for his arch-rival Rupert Murdoch in a sign that the war between Britain's pay-TV and telecom providers is hotting up.

Channel 4 rapped by watchdog for broadcasting 'sexual' ad directly after 'disturbing rape scene'

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:18:20 +0100

Channel 4 has been criticised for showing a light-hearted advert featuring a couple having sex immediately after a rape scene in a film.

BBC will not hold separate inquiry on Hall

Mon, 06 May 2013 02:03:37 +0100

There will not be a separate inquiry into how the disgraced broadcaster Stuart Hall was able to abuse his victims while working at the BBC, the chairman of the Corporation's trust has said. Lord Patten said instead a review into the Jimmy Savile scandal by Dame Janet Smith would also investigate how Hall – who has admitted indecently assaulting 13 girls during the 1960s, 70s and 80s – gained access to his victims.

BBC serves up recipe for ratings success as MasterChef final peaks with 5.5m viewers

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:39:22 +0100

Last night’s MasterChef final was watched by 5.5 million people as Hackney DJ Natalie Coleman took the trophy.

BBC issues anti-harassment guidelines to combat a 'strong undercurrent of fear' and bullying

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:18:38 +0100

The BBC today moved to address a culture of bullying and fear within the organisation by issuing new anti-harassment guidelines to staff and removing “gagging clauses” from contracts.

BBC rebuked on rugby sponsorship after 'editorial integrity' was compromised by use of Accenture logo

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:22:06 +0100

BBC Sport has been rebuked by the corporation’s governing body for showing a technology company’s animated logo during its coverage of the Six Nations rugby tournament.

BBC One commissions second series of acclaimed Sunday night drama The Village

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:43:30 +0100

Its plotlines might go from bad to worse, veering from animal mutilation and suicide to medical manipulation, familial strife and the ravages of The Great War, but BBC One is set to return Peter Moffat’s acclaimed Sunday night drama to our screens.

Savile 'to cost BBC insurers millions'

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Aviva and RSA are among the insurers facing a multi-million pound hit following the BBC's Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

Sport on TV: Unjust deserts as the wheels of fortune stop turning

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

You've heard of rallying the troops but this was something else. Dakar Rally: Frontline to Finish Line (ITV4, Wednesday) told the story of a team of servicemen with amputated limbs trying to complete the most difficult motor race on the planet. The Race2Recovery team were co-drivers and had dreamt up the challenge two years ago while undergoing rehabilitation. Surely someone must have piped up in the early stages and said: "Not the bloody desert again?" And maybe suggested that they cut their teeth in, say, Wales instead.

Watch out, Paxman: Manchester’s quiz-show guru reveals his secrets

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:59:04 +0100

"He's got a degree in economics, maths, physics and bionics. He thinks that I'm a cabbage, coz I hate University Challenge," sang The Undertones on My Perfect Cousin, their disaffected paean to inter-familial jealousy and failure back in 1980.

Robin van Persie joins Gareth Bale in ad campaign for BT Sport

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:51:10 +0100

Robin van Persie is the latest star from the Premier League to join BT Sport's ad campaign.

BBC Three bomb unit drama Bluestone 42 recommissioned for second series

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:48:20 +0100

A BBC comedy about a bomb disposal unit in Afghanistan has been recommissioned for a second series.

BBC One boss Danny Cohen appointed BBC's director of television

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:54:47 +0100

BBC One boss Danny Cohen has taken one of the corporation's top jobs, being appointed director of television.

Rowan Atkinson's Archbishop Comic Relief sketch prompts Ofcom investigation after 3,000 complaints

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:19:47 +0100

Rowan Atkinson’s Archbishop of Canterbury sketch for Comic Relief is to be formally investigated by Ofcom after it drew more than 3,000 complaints.

The Review Show loses 80% of its audience following move to BBC Four

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:32:33 +0100

The BBC’s flagship arts programme The Review Show, which was controversially moved from its weekly slot on BBC Two to BBC Four, has lost 80 per cent of its audience following the move.

Alan Titchmarsh ITV show rapped by Ofcom for allowing Patsy Kensit's Weight Watchers plug

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:20:35 +0100

An interview with Patsy Kensit on the ITV Alan Titchmarsh chat show was turned into a gratuitous plug for Weight Watchers, the broadcasting watchdog has ruled.

Sport on TV: Sir Chris Hoy's achievements were literally out of this world

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Tributes have poured in this week to an inspirational leader who changed the way people think and left the country on the brink of countless revolutions. It was the arch-Thatcherite Norman Tebbit who told us to get on our bikes but it was Sir Chris Hoy who made us do it. We're all cyclists now.

BC chiefs face grilling by MPs over 'Panorama'

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

BBC chiefs will be quizzed by MPs this week over their decision to allow one of their journalists to use a university field trip as cover to enter one of the most repressive states in the world.

The role of modern media in the liberation of Paris 1944

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:36:50 +0100

It’s hard to countenance in an era when political uprisings – such as those in Syria and Libya - are immediately documented by tweets, blog posts and the uploading of videos but the first multimedia insurrection took place nearly 70 years ago, in Paris.

ITV news crew forced out of Bahrain as it reported on anti-F1 clashes

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:05:13 +0100

A British TV crew has been forced to leave Bahrain by the country's authorities as they reported on the violent clashes taking place in the build-up to the Grand Prix.

'Honoured' to join the BBC: James Harding - the man who tore it to bits

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:52:31 +0100

After being confirmed as the BBC’s new director of News & Current Affairs, James Harding told his new colleagues that he was “honoured to join a newsroom such as this”.

Former Times editor James Harding appointed as new Director of BBC News

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:00:02 +0100

James Harding, who recently resigned as editor of The Times, has been announced as the new Director of BBC News.

Panorama was worth risking lives for, says BBC chief: Programme by John Sweeney based on secret footage taken on university field trip to North Korea

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

A senior BBC executive tonight claimed the corporation was justified in putting the lives of students at risk by sending an undercover reporting team with them on a trip to North Korea.

Simon Cowell: BBC 'to blame' for The Voice and Britain's Got Talent schedule clash

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:30:41 +0100

Britain's Got Talent (BGT) boss Simon Cowell said the BBC has no one to blame but itself for its Saturday night schedule problems.

BBC's Asian Network, which was saved from closure but saw budget slashed, stands on verge of major award

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:39:58 +0100

The Asian Network digital station, which the BBC had earmarked for closure as part of a cost-cutting exercise, has been nominated for Station of the Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.

Britain's Got Talent judges walk out after row with Simon Cowell

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:42:37 +0100

Britain's Got Talent judges Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden fell out with Simon Cowell and David Walliams so badly during filming they walked out of an audition.

Olympic Opening Ceremony in line for TV Baftas

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:38:38 +0100

Danny Boyle's impressive Olympic opening ceremony and the spoof sitcom inspired by the Games are both in the running for TV Bafta Awards.

So where were you when you heard Lady Thatcher had died? Lady who?

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:51 +0100

“Her shadow is very long,” someone said on the Huw Edwards special which took over the afternoon schedules – and if you’d been watching the rolling news coverage since the announcement of Baroness Thatcher’s death, you would have felt every inch of it.

Sport on TV: Hillsborough - the path to truth still strewn with tears

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

"The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous." So wrote Joseph Goebbels, but the Nazi propagandist was only half-right when it came to the behaviour of many of the South Yorkshire police after the tragedy that unfolded at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989. Certainly they lied big, and kept up their lies, yet they have ended up finally looking not ridiculous, but cynically culpable and emotionally bankrupt.

Jeremy Kyle: Judge, jury and exploiter?

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:39:25 +0100

Don’t expect Jeremy Kyle to be making any apologies over the Philpott tragedy. The television presenter who gave national notoriety to a man who would go on to kill six of his own children is in the business of mending families, not destroying them.

The Jeremy Kyle show 'turned Mick Philpott into a celebrity'

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:31 +0100

ITV is not known for its science programming these days, though it does have one show that features polygraphy, DNA genetic testing and psychotherapy. The Jeremy Kyle Show is popular television’s idea of a laboratory experiment for the examination of the underclass, a social sector otherwise given scant attention by the British media.

'I won't take a pay-off': New BBC Director-General Tony Hall says he won't accept massive redundancy payment if he fails

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:12:46 +0100

Tony Hall, the new BBC Director-General, has pledged to end a culture of excessive redundancy payments for executives and promised that he will not accept a pay-off if he fails in the post.

His predecessor lasted 54 days. But new BBC Director General has plans for 2022

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:22:37 +0100

By way of correcting anyone who thought he was arriving as an interim Director General of the BBC, Tony Hall told the organisation's staff that he was setting his sights on its centenary – nine years away in 2022.

'I've been sat at home watching TV for weeks': New BBC Director General Tony Hall takes helm

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:01:24 +0100

Tony Hall took the helm of the BBC today and spoke of the “enormous responsibility” he faces as Director General.

The Voice loses out to Ant and Dec in Saturday night ratings war

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:54:28 +0100

Singing show The Voice lost out in the Saturday night ratings war when it returned for a second series at the weekend.

Video piracy on a truly epic scale... Adventure series 'Game of Thrones' is the most illegally downloaded ever

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

It has gone from the realm of geeky fandom to a worldwide cult TV hit in the time it takes to swing a mighty broadsword. Yet when the latest instalment of Game of Thrones, the acclaimed sword and sorcery adventure series, hits British screens tomorrow night there is a good chance that the keenest fans will have already seen the first episode.

Sport on TV: Monty gets home but Roy's boys are caught short

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Monty's dive for the crease to regain his ground on the final afternoon of the Test series in New Zealand (Sky) was one of the highlights of a long winter's sport. But while Panesar provided a panacea to the endless deep freeze and warmed our hearts, England's nosedive in Montenegro saw Roy's boys catch a cold again. If Danny Welbeck's tumble in the penalty area hadn't been deemed a dive, it could have been so different. Anyway, you don't deliberately fall over if, as the hosts' coach had described England's footballers, you are not "running scared".

BBC staff go on strike over job cuts

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:35:38 +0000

BBC journalists and technical staff went on strike today in a row over jobs, workload and claims of bullying, threatening disruption to TV and radio programmes.

BBC apologises to family after sexual harassment 'suicide'

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:02 +0000

The BBC has apologised “unreservedly” to the family of one of its journalists, who is believed to have taken his own life after his complaints of sexual harassment were ignored.

Melvyn Bragg calls on new BBC boss to reverse 'shrinking arts coverage'

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:48:34 +0000

The broadcaster Melvyn Bragg has urged Tony Hall, the new BBC Director-General, to restore arts programming to the heart of the corporation’s schedules.

London Irish: C4 comedy about Ireland's binge-drinking diaspora accused of 'racism'

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:08:18 +0000

A new Channel 4 comedy series which depicts London’s Irish population as binge-drinking, English-haters suffering from a permanent hangover has been accused of “racism” by members of the community.

BBC commissions original dramas specifically for digital platform iPlayer

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:50:01 +0000

BBC bosses have commissioned their first original dramas specifically for catch-up service iPlayer.

UTV revenues fall but Talksport thrives

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:04:45 +0000

A sharp 26 per cent rise in sales at its radio station Talksport failed to prevent a 10 per cent slide in annual profits at UTV Media as television advertising revenues fell.

American-style televised courts move a step closer: Channel 4 to show a British murder trial for first time

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:33:06 +0000

The prospect of American-style televised courts has moved a step closer after Channel 4 announced that it is to show a British murder trial in its entirety for the first time.

BBC under fire as it loses £80m on Lonely Planet sale

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:58:44 +0000

The BBC came under heavy criticism from its own trustees today after selling the Lonely Planet travel guides business to an American billionaire and making a loss of £80 million.

Sport on TV: David Lloyd's curiouser ramblings killed the duck, not the cat

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

There seems to be an acknowledgement that England's Test series in New Zealand isn't particularly interesting. In a double Ashes year this might be understandable. The highlights on Sky Sports are only an hour long instead of two, and in the live transmission David Lloyd is on a campaign to keep viewers awake: "What time is it now? Twenty past 11? Have some discipline. Make a cup of coffee!" He's as manic as the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, but when he pops down the hole again to go Down Under next winter he won't need to keep reminding us to keep our eyes open for the Ashes.

John Humphrys to receive Harvey Lee Award for George Entwistle grilling on Today programme

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:30 +0000

John Humphrys will today receive a prestigious broadcasting award following the Today programme interview in which his ruthless grilling of George Entwistle prompted the resignation of the BBC Director-General.

Dave Lee Travis arrested again over further sex claims

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:37:07 +0000

Dave Lee Travis, the former Radio 1 DJ, has been questioned for a second time by officers after new allegations of sex offences came to light following his original arrest in November.

Comedian Ross Noble's 'elephant man' impression ruled 'acceptable' by BBC

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:34:58 +0000

Comedian Ross Noble's impression of "elephant man" John Merrick in an edition of Have I Got News For You has been ruled to be "at the margins of acceptability" by the BBC Trust.

Lord Sugar says Apprentice winner Stella English is effectively blackmailing him

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:54:20 +0000

Lord Sugar has told an employment tribunal that he feels wronged by former Apprentice winner Stella English suing him for constructive dismissal, and says he believes she is trying to ruin his reputation.

BBC impartiality under fire for correspondent's role in security summit

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:23:45 +0000

The BBC’s closeness to the Home Office has come under fire after the corporation’s security correspondent Gordon Corera accepted a formal role at a behind-closed-doors counter-terrorism event.

Sandi Toksvig ruffles feathers by suggesting Duchess of Cambridge has no opinions and is 'very Jane Austen'

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:26:53 +0000

Brace yourself for another wave of moral indignation in defence of “Our Kate” – TV and radio presenter Sandi Toksvig has ruffled feathers by suggesting the Duchess of Cambridge has no opinions and is “very Jane Austen”.

Sport on TV: Laurie had a lot on his plate and it still leaves a nasty taste

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Laurie Cunningham was a pioneer for one obvious reason: he was the first black man to play football for England at any level. Of course that meant he was at the frontier of the fight against racism, weaving around the bigoted barbs of the crowd just as he had to jump over the tackles of brutish Seventies defenders. But that should not put his other groundbreaking feats in the shade: First Among Equals: The Laurie Cunningham Story (ITV, Wednesday) revealed that he taught Mark Bright what cutlery to use and introduced Peter Reid to garlic tiger prawns. He had to peel it for Reid, though; he may have been at the cutting edge, but to bring English football out of the dark ages you had to go one step at a time. At least he wasn't selfish with his knowledge of shellfish.

TiVo claims its broadband and TV tie-up gives it an edge over BSkyB

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:31:14 +0000

The boss of TiVo, the American company behind Virgin Media’s search-and-recommend TV set-top box, today claimed that BSkyB is struggling to match his technology.

'Spending Our Cash Recklessly On A Totally Empty System': 6 years and £8.3m later, there's still no sign BBC's foreign monitoring technology Socrates

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:15:36 +0000

The BBC called it "Socrates" but, unlike the great Athenian philosopher, the crucial technology system at the corporation’s global nerve centre has not added much to the sum of knowledge – only an enormous bill for the public.

Lord Sugar to step down from YouView amid 'tension rumours'

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:30:12 +0000

Lord Sugar is departing as chairman of YouView, the internet set-top box company which is backed by the BBC, BT, ITV and others, amid rumours of tension with some of the shareholders.

Andrew Marr leaves hospital following stroke

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:32:04 +0000

Broadcaster and journalist Andrew Marr, 53, has left hospital two months after suffering a stroke.

Resurgent ITV quashes talk of takeover approach

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:45:40 +0000

ITV has rewarded investors with a £156m special dividend after a third year of rising profits, capping a major turnaround, but the broadcaster disappointed some in the City by saying it had received no takeover approach.

BBC apologises for 'sadistic sexual violence' in Silent Witness after 632 complaints

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:48:53 +0000

The BBC has apologised for including scenes of ‘sadistic’ sexual violence in an episode of Silent Witness which broke corporation guidelines.

The Review Show moved from BBC2 to BBC4

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:51:03 +0000

The Review Show - one of the BBC's flagship arts programmes - is being moved from its weekly slot on BBC2 to be broadcast monthly on BBC4.

Sport on TV: Triple-jumper can't help men come in from cold in Minsk

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

It is not as if the wheels have come off, it's more a cycle of death and rebirth. As Jonathan Edwards introduced "the next chapter" for Britain's cyclists at the World Track Championships (BBC2, from Wednesday) he described the footage of the golden daze of last summer as "something to make you smile and cry at the same time". The former triple-jumper wasn't referring to his own presenting style; the tears could be from all the emotion, or from mourning the passing of those halcyon days.

Newsnight editor was 'out of his depth', BBC was told

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Senior Newsnight staff, including the anchorman Jeremy Paxman and others, repeatedly asked BBC management to sack the programme's editor Peter Rippon months into his editorship, saying he "was out of his depth".

Harman demands audit of older women in broadcasting

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The BBC and other major broadcasters are accused today of making women aged over 50 "invisible" and should be "named and shamed" for not putting older female presenters on screen.

'The Jimmy Savile crisis? I don't have the time to do this': BBC report reveals chaos and paralysis in handling allegations

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 00:00:13 +0000

The chaos and paralysis that beset the BBC's most senior executives during the Jimmy Savile crisis has been laid bare in excruciating detail.

'It was common gossip Jimmy Savile liked young girls'

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:22:13 +0000

Peter Rippon

Then Newsnight Editor

BBC executives criticised for refusing to provide interviews over report transcripts

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:37:52 +0000

Broadcasters and politicians criticised senior BBC executives for refusing to give interviews in response to the evidence uncovered in the Pollard report transcripts.

BBC web moderators blocked tribute page messages detailing Savile sex allegations

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:09:37 +0000

Detailed accusations about Jimmy Savile's sex crimes were censored after viewers tried to post them on a BBC tribute web page.

BBC news chief said Newsnight had 'contemptuous' attitude towards rest of editorial operation

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:35:03 +0000

Helen Boaden, the BBC Director of News, said the corporation’s treatment of the women who came forward to accuse Sir Jimmy Savile of sexual assault was “shaming” and described the “contemptuous” attitude which Newsnight held towards the rest of the BBC’s news operation.