The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that all TV and multi-platform broadcast rights in Europe for the four Olympic Games in the 2018–2024 period have been awarded to Discovery Communications, the parent company of Eurosport. Discovery chief executive, David Zaslav, told the Guardian that it would negotiate with the BBC and other broadcasters in […]
BBC Monitoring is confirming that Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to work with a number of organisations in order to set up a new free-to-air sports channel. Putin’s instructions include media giant Gazprom, All-Russia State TV & Radio (VGTRK), Sportivnoye Veshchaniye, and the Russian Olympic Committee, to establish a “mandatory sports-oriented TV […]
Reports in the UK daily press have presented differing views on whether the BBC Trust will be axed and its powers handed to the communications regulator Ofcom. The Daily Telegraph, quoting “Westminster sources” suggests this is the case, but according to The Guardian, a forthcoming Green Paper on the BBC is likely to call for […]
The BBC will air England’s quarter-final clash with Canada on BBC1 after the Women’s World Cup first round of matches proved a ratings hit on BBC3 The Lionesses’ 2-1 win over Norway on June 22nd was watched by a peak audience of 2 million viewers, BBC3’s highest ratings since the London 2012 Olympics, and triple […]
The BBC Trust has concluded that the Corporation’s current ‘Window of Creative Competition’, where in-house and independent producers compete for 25 per cent of eligible BBC TV commissions, is not sustainable in the long term and there is a strong case for increasing competition. The finding follows a review of the supply arrangements for BBC […]
The French Conseil d’Etat has cancelled TV regulatory body CSA’s decision which outlawing the transfer of news and entertainment pay TV channels LCI (TF1) and Paris Première (M6) to free DTT. The CSA argued the arrival of both channels could weaken the free DTT advertising ecosystem and lead to the closure of other channels. The […]
Following reports which emerged on June 11th, the Board of 21st Century Fox has announced a series of senior management changes, which will take effect July 1st. Rupert Murdoch, the Company’s founder and Chairman and CEO, together with Lachlan Murdoch, currently Co-Chairman, will become Executive Co-Chairmen. Chase Carey, the Company’s Deputy Chairman, President and COO […]
Italian pay-TV operator Sky Italia is planning to launch a third free-to-air channel on DTT in Italy, after Cielo and Sky TG24. According to a report published in daily “La Repubblica”, Sky Italia is in negotiations with Viacom to take over Channel 8, currently used to transmit the programmes of MTV Italia. Sources told the […]
Australian pay-TV operator Foxtel has agreed to buy 15 per cent of Australian commercial broadcasting service Network Ten in a A$77 million deal as part of a capital raising that could raise up to A$154 million. Ten has proposed issuing new shares to the subscription-TV provider at A15c (€0.10) a share in exchange for a […]
Some of the biggest names in British TV including Jack Whitehall, Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Daniel Radcliffe, Greg Davies, Noel Fielding, Andy Samberg, Imelda Staunton, Olivia Colman, James Nesbitt, Maxine Peake, Aidan Turner, Sarah Parish, Lena Headey and Richard E Grant have written to the BBC to condemn its decision to move BBC3 online. They […]