Viewers watching Andy Murray and David Ferrer's Wimbledon quarter final clash lost their picture today as BBC One HD went off the air.

Viewers said the signal was lost for up to 10 minutes at 17:25, as the players fought a tie-break.

But the match was still available on the BBC's standard definition channel.

Dozens of people complained about the loss of picture on social media sites.

Some viewers reported that when the picture did return, it was a standard definition picture, not HD.

But, by 18:00, normal service appeared to have been restored.

July 04 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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Eric Sykes Dies

Comic actor Eric Sykes has died at the age of 89 after a short illness.

In wide-ranging career, he will be remembered best for the long-running and widely acclaimed Sykes And A... TV series with Hattie Jacques.

He also wrote scripts for stars such as Peter Sellers, Frankie Howerd and Stanley Unwin.

His manager, Norma Farnes, said: "Eric Sykes, 89, star of TV, stage and films died peacefully this morning after a short illness. His family were with him."

July 04 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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New BBC Director General

The BBC has named George Entwistle as its new director general.

Entwistle, who is currently director of BBC Vision, will take over from outgoing director general Mark Thompson on  September 17.

Announcing the appointment outside BBC Broadcasting House, BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten said: "George is a creative leader for a creative organisation."

The BBC Trust said Entwistle would be paid an annual salary of £450,000.

It is a smaller figure than the £671,000 earned by Mark Thompson, bearing out Lord Patten's assertion that the next head of the BBC would have a smaller salary than their predecessor.

Entwhistle said: "I'm delighted that the chairman and Trustees have decided I'm the right person for the job and I'm very excited about all that lies ahead."

July 04 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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Wogan Show Breached BBC Guidelines

Broadcasting guidelines were broken when Sir Terry Wogan appeared to make light of the Costa Concordia tragedy on his radio show, the BBC Trust has said.

The presenter made a joke after disco track Rock the Boat was played on his live Sunday morning show, nine days after the ship ran aground in January.

Seven listeners complained to the BBC over the comments.

The BBC Trust said that there was a "real risk of causing offence",  and the guidelines had been breached.

After beginning the January 22 broadcast with the 1974 track, Sir Terry mused on whether it had been an appropriate song to play.

"Frankly if I had my time over again, and given the boating tragedy in Italy, I mightn't have picked that as an opening song," he said.

"Rock the Boat, argh, Captain Coward," he added.

Later, in an conversation with newsreader Alan Dedicoat, the veteran presenter said: "I don't know about you... but I'll be the last to leave the BBC.

"Not sinking is it? Me first, never mind the women and children, I'm not even Italian."

At the time, it had been reported at least 11 people had died in the Concordia disaster and the search for survivors was still ongoing.

In its ruling, the BBC Trust's editorial standards committee said Sir Terry's remarks were "characteristically self-deprecating".

The 73-year-old, it went on, had been "joking about his own lack of bravery rather than the victims of the tragedy itself".

"In this context the committee did not believe there had been any intention to cause offence.

"The committee, however, did conclude that there was a real risk of causing offence and in this context the guidelines had been breached."

The Trust said it was "surprised" the BBC did not broadcast an apology at the time.

It concluded the breach had "not been so great as to warrant a public apology taking into account various factors" and that no further action was necessary.

July 04 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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