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BBC World
Service - Creole
BBC World Service will launch a special “lifeline” programme
in the Haitian Creole language from tomorrow.
This will be the first time the BBC has broadcast in the Haitian national
language. This follows other special BBC programming for listeners affected
by the Haitian disaster in the French, Spanish and English languages.
The new 20-minute daily programme in Creole will contain the latest
information about aid and rescue operations, plus messages from people
trying to locate family members and other useful, practical information for
the survivors of the earthquake.
The new programme will be broadcast from 14:10 to 14:300 GMT.
BBC World Service Director, Peter Horrocks, said: “We believe our new
service in the Creole language will be a vital source of trusted information
to Haitians at this time of crisis, as well as to the rescue and aid teams
who are working so hard on the ground.
“We have had lots of positive feedback that our broadcasts in English,
French and Spanish have been appreciated on the ground.”
17:00
January 22
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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Sky Loses Its
Appeal
BSkyB has lost its challenge over the government's decision
to force it to reduce its 17.9 per cent stake in ITV.
The Court of Appeal has rejected BSkyB's appeal over a Competition
Commission ruling that it must sell the majority of its shareholding in
rival broadcaster ITV.
The judgment could finally mark the end of a legal battle that has lasted
more than three years.
In November 2006 BSkyB purchased a controlling 17.9 per cent stake in ITV,
effectively blocking a takeover approach by Virgin Media (then called NTL).
Sky claimed that the 17.9 per cent it purchased for £940m was the maximum
level allowed under competition law, but becoming the largest shareholder in
a rival broadcaster immediately came under the regulatory spotlight.
The case was referred to the Office of Fair Trading, who referred it to the
then trade and industry secretary, who then referred it to the Competition
Commission, who ruled that Sky must sell its stake.
Rupert Murdoch's company appealed to the competitions appeals tribunal,
which upheld the original decision that Sky's stake gave it too much
influence over UK media.
They ruled that it must reduce its stake to 7.5 per cent. Sky then appealed
to the Court of Appeal.
Having lost this case, Sky's only other option is to appeal to the supreme
court, although many consider that the court will refuse to hear the case.
It must appeal within 28 days.
Sky has lost hundreds of millions of pounds as a result of the purchase. It
paid £940m for the shares, which are today worth less than £410m as ITV's
share price has fallen from £1.35 a share to just under 59p.
If they sold their stake today they would have lost £530m.
The firm has, though, benefited from delaying the order to sell its stake
through the appeals process. ITV's shares have dipped as low as 17p at times
– selling then would have lost Sky more than £822m.
Sky will have to sell all of their shares at once. It is likely to be given
six months to do so, something that will be decided by Business Secretary
Lord Mandelson.
Rumours in the city are that Sky may sell its stake to Channel Five's owner
RTL. Something that I first suggested in 2007, although now unlike then,
there are not rumours that it would be a straight forward swap.
15:13
January 22
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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BBC Gay
Research Project
The BBC has today launched a major research project into what
its audiences think about its portrayal of gay, lesbian and bisexual people
on TV and radio.
The research will also include asking people who are know to
hold homophobic views that they think.
Licence-fee payers will be asked what they think of on-screen talent,
humour, language, tone and stereotyping relating to the portrayal of gay,
lesbian and bisexual people.
The three-part research project will canvas the gay, lesbian and bisexual
communities but also those from religious and ethnic minorities who are
anti-homosexual.
The issues raised by the research will help to determine the questions for a
follow up survey in a few months.
Along with the two research projects, the BBC wants members of the public to
contribute via a public consultation website.
The BBC has hired a specialist market research group to reach members of the
gay, lesbian and bisexual communities.
"We're doing it because, as a public service broadcaster, we have a
responsibility to serve all of our audiences and it's vital that we reflect
the differences among all of the UK's diverse communities, nations and
regions," said Tim Davie, the BBC head of audio and music, who is heading
the project as part of his role on the corporation's diversity board.
The research will be published in summer and be made available to other
broadcasters.
15:02
January 22
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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New Channel 4
Chief Channel 4
has appointed David Abraham, who has previously worked at UKTV,
Discovery Networks and advertising groups, to be its new chief
executive.
Abraham has been chief
executive at the multi-channel digital broadcaster UKTV since 2007,
during which time the group rebranded its channels under the name
'Dave' and won millions of new viewers.
He has also worked for Discovery Networks USA and
founded the independent advertising agency St Luke's, which was
named the agency of the year after just two years of operating.
"David is a rare commodity as a broadcaster in
that he has an exceptional track record as an innovative leader,
both creatively and commercially," Lord Burns, Channel 4's chairman,
said in a statement.
"At all stages of his career he's led creative
teams and commissioned creative output of the highest quality in a
commercial
environment. It is that experience, we believe, that so well
qualifies him for the challenge of running a commercially funded,
public service broadcaster like Channel 4."
14:00
January 22
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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