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Virgin1
Series For Gethin Jones
Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones is to look at obsessive
thrill seekers in a new series for Virgin1.
The six-part series, with the working title Deadly Weather:
Fear Junkies, will see Jones exploring the unseen world of thrill seekers
who risk their lives chasing dangerous and extreme natural phenomenon - from
volcanoes in Hawaii to deadly waves in South Africa.
Jones, who officially leaves Blue Peter at the end of this month, will spend
time with each group of enthusiasts, joining in with their expeditions and
attempting to uncover what gives them such an appetite for chasing the
violent forces of the planet.
Daniela Neumann, acting director of programmes for Virgin1,
said: "It's going to feel epic yet personal, mixed with a huge dose of
danger, fearlessness and adventure to give it exactly the kind of mainstream
appeal we're looking for from a Virgin1 commission."
18:50
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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UKTV Rebrand
The BBC and Virgin Media's pay-TV joint venture UKTV is to
introduce a major rebrand of channels including UKTV Gold and launch an
entertainment service in October that will be the new home for Richard
Madeley and Judy Finnigan's new show.
When the couple leave Channel 4 later this year, their new home will be a
new UKTV subscription channel, launching in October and positioned as a
"linear catch-up service for modern classics".
In addition, the UKTV service will combine "high quality contemporary BBC
shows", such as Torchwood, Mistresses and Larkrise to Candleford, with
films.
To create this new channel UKTV will replace one of its time-shifted "plus
one" services from one of its other stations.
The broadcaster is to phase out UKTV as an on-screen presence and focus more
on individual channel brands, with UKTV Gold, one of the UK's longest
established multichannel services, becoming just Gold.
UKTV is also expected to be dropped from the channel branding of the
company's six factual and lifestyle services - UKTV History, UKTV
Documentaries, UKTV People, UKTV Style, UKTV Food and UKTV Gardens.
17:30
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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Jill Dando Murder
Trial
The man accused of murdering the BBC presenter Jill Dando had
shown interest in two James Bond actors, the Old Bailey heard today.
Barry George had written in a notebook the names of Britt Ekland, the star
of The Man With the Golden Gun, and Suzanne Dando, the former Olympic
gymnast who appeared in Octopussy.
They were the only two names in a column he had prepared for television and
film stars, said Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting.
In the same book were listed the names of models, with another column for
home addresses, and references to the television presenters Fiona Foster and
Caron Keating.
The latter two had been among the female presenters whom George had
photographed appearing on his television, the court heard.
Laidlaw said the notebook was found amid a "mass of material" at George's
flat in Fulham, west London.
Among thousands of pictures on rolls of undeveloped film were images of
women in BBC clothing and of television crews with a female assistant or
presenter at work, he said.
George, 48, denies murdering Dando, who was shot on her doorstep in Fulham
in April 1999. George was first tried in 2001.
14:20
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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Fern Britton Is Back
This Morning host Fern Britton returned today to the ITV1
daytime show following a short break.
Britton, 50, had some time off after admitting she had had stomach surgery.
Some reports speculated she was due to have "talks" with ITV chiefs on
Wednesday, but she took her place next to co-host Phillip Schofield.
Though not commenting on last week's gastric band row which
was followed by a week off, emotions got the better of her as the show
began.
Tears welled as co-host Phillip Schofield introduced, revealing his barbecue
exploits during the recent hot spell.
Britton, whose dramatic weight-loss had been widely attributed to diet and
exercise, admitted she had gastric banding in 2006.
Since then Britton, who is married to celebrity chef Phil Vickery, has shed
three stone.
It had previously been reported that cycling, walking a family dog and
eating less were the driving factors behind the weight loss.
Britton faced criticism in the press and from some fans after admitting to
the surgery.
13:16
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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Shake-Up At
ITV's PR Department
There is a major shake-up taking place in ITV's 75-strong
programme publicity department.
Each staff member has been told to apply for 50 jobs that
will be available.
It has been reported that ITV is undertaking the restructure to better focus
on flagship programmes such as Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor
following a "benchmarking" process looking at PR practises across the
British TV industry.
Staff in London, Manchester and Leeds were informed of the restructure,
instigated by ITV group director of corporate affairs Mark Gallagher, at a
series of meetings yesterday.
At the London meeting, led by ITV's other joint head of programme publicity,
Zoe McIntyre, staff are reported to have been told that there would be about
25 redundancies across the programme PR operation, with details of the
remuneration package expected to be made available to employees later this
week.
PR staff have until June 20 to apply for the new positions, it has been
reported.
Gallagher is understood to have informed Ryle and McIntyre last week that
significant savings were needed in the press and publicity offices and that
there would be just one head of department.
12:45
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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Sir Alan
Denies Using Booster Seat
Sir Alan Sugar has denied using a booster seat to appear
taller in the boardroom.
A makeshift wooden plinth has been seen underneath Sir Alan's
boardroom chair in The Apprentice. It has been claimed that the 5ft 6ins
tycoon uses a special seat to look taller when he declares "You're fired".
But Sir Alan said: "That's a load of rubbish. The chair is fixed to stop it
moving backwards and forwards while allowing me to swing to the left and the
right."
He added: "Anyone who watches the programme will know that I stand next to
Nick (Hewer) and Margaret (Mountford) and the candidates, and I'm seen
getting out of the car thousands of times. It's a total joke. It's there to
secure the four wheels to stop it moving backwards and forwards."
Sir Alan, 61, made the comments before the final of the popular BBC One
series. Alex Wotherspoon, 25, Helene Speight, 32, Claire Young, 29, and Lee
McQueen, 30, have all made it to the last episode.
Sir Alan said of choosing the winner: "It's obviously difficult when you're
down to the last four people that have gone through the whole process of 11
weeks. The decision gets a bit difficult."
06:45
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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EastEnders
Actor In Bill Role
Former EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson is appearing in two
episodes of ITV's The Bill, to be shown in August.
The actor, who played Barry Evans in EastEnders, will play a gang leader who
comes under scrutiny during and investigation into international drug
smuggling.
Williamson said: "I had forgotten about the long days and how
hard the actors and crew work on a continuing drama, but everyone has been
fantastic to work with.
"I am really chuffed with the character and storyline I have been given and
playing a villain is something I want to do more of!"
06:40
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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Duchess Revisits
TV Family
The Duchess of York is to revisit the family she advised on
healthy eating as part of an ITV show.
The Duchess In Hull, which was shown last month, featured
Sarah Ferguson living in a £40-a-night bed-and-breakfast as she gave advice
on fighting obesity to the Sargerson family, who were living on benefits.
The programme followed her from her apartment overlooking New York's Central
Park to the deprived Hull council estate where the family live.
The Duchess helped them cut back on smoking, start exercising and budget to
feed six people healthily on £80 a week.
The Duchess will be reunited with Tonia Sargerson, 47, who is unemployed
with heart problems, and her husband Mick, 51, an ex-soldier who suffers
from diabetes and has not worked for 15 years. She will also visit Paisley
Primary School and Kingswood College of Arts, which are part of the Shape Up
healthy eating initiative.
The Duchess will be joined on the visit by Professor Derek Colquhoun, who
advised on the much-talked about Jamie's School Dinners programme and is a
pioneer of healthy eating practices.
The Duchess promised to come and see the schools when she met pupils at Hull
University in March.
She will also spend time at local councillor Mary Glew's Healthy Living
Promotion picnic for 250 children from five local schools at East Park.
The Duchess will finally visit Griffin Primary School to hear first-hand
thoughts on healthy food and exercise, her spokeswoman said.
06:27
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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BBC News Examined
The BBC Trust is to publish a report on the way news is
covered in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The review, commissioned in November, looked at the accuracy and context of
the BBC's reporting, particularly in the devolved nations.
It will consider if the nations' differing policies, and other issues, are
properly reflected in the BBC's TV, radio and online output.
BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said when Labour lost its majority in
the Welsh Assembly last year, many people in Wales felt the story and the
subsequent coalition negotiations received too little coverage on the
national news bulletins.
There have also been complaints that since devolution too many health and
education stories are relevant only to people in England, where policies
differ from those in other parts of the UK.
The Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price said if things did not improve he would be
prepared not to pay the licence fee.
But some in England say they do not need to hear about events in the
Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly that do not affect them.
The BBC appointed Anthony King, professor of government at the University of
Essex, as independent author of the review.
06:19
June
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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