Advanced Television

BBC

Sunset Studios plots £700m UK complex

Plans to build £700 million (€820m) film and TV studios facility in the UK have been revealed by the owners of Sunset Studios in Los Angeles. An investment firm has already purchased a 91-acre site in Hertfordshire for £120 million and, subject to planning permission, the facility will be built in Broxbourne. The area is […]

August 2, 2021

BBC Sounds reports weekly audience of 3.7m

BBC Sounds attracted a weekly audience of 3.7 million users across the app, website and voice activated devices between April and June, with a peak of 3.9 million during the week of the Line Of Duty finale. The latest data shows there were 335 million plays of all audio and a total of 146 million […]

August 2, 2021

Whittaker, Chibnall to leave Doctor Who

Having been in charge of the TARDIS since filming for the Thirteenth Doctor began in 2017, Showrunner Chris Chibnall and the Thirteenth Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, have confirmed they will be moving on from the most famous police box on Earth – and the universe. With a six-part Event Serial announced for the autumn of 2021, […]

July 29, 2021

BritBox launching in South Africa

BritBox, the ITV/BBC OTT joint-venture, will launch on August 6th in South Africa with a charge of R100/month (€5.70). Customers who sign up for a one-year subscription – a Rand 999.90 commitment — will get two months free. There is also a free, seven-day trial with no obligations to subscribe. BritBox says that its output […]

July 29, 2021By Chris Forrester

Bank: “BritBox will not succeed”

A report from equity analysts at Berenberg Bank suggests an unclear future for the ITV/BBC BritBox streaming joint-venture. The bank says that Britbox is a “distraction that will not succeed”. The bank’s report makes blunt reading for the BritBox venture. “BritBox trends look weak: While the near-term picture on advertising looks clearly more positive, the […]

July 23, 2021

BritBox orders more Spitting Image

Following the successful return of the show last autumn, Spitting Image is set to return Britbox UK with a second season on September 11th, with puppets of new prominent national figures already in development. Spitting Image has delivered record subscribers for BritBox UK, the BBC and ITV created streaming platform, and a 4.4 million audience […]

July 23, 2021By Nik Roseveare

BBC orders BTS special

A new film for BBC One will explore the rise to fame of 21st century K-pop icons, BTS, as they make their debut in the Radio 1 Live Lounge. BTS @ Radio 1 will be hosted by Radio 1 presenter Adele Roberts, who will delve into the culture and industry that made one of the […]

July 22, 2021

Ofcom consults on BBC regulation

UK broadcast watchdog Ofcom is commencing a review of its regulation of the BBC. As the mid-point of the current BBC Charter period is neared, Ofcom is required to produce a ‘Periodic Review’ of the BBC. This will form the basis of its advice to government for its own mid-term Charter review. In doing so, […]

July 21, 2021By Colin Mann

Ofcom launches BBC Three competition probe

UK broadcast regulator Ofcom is launching a full competition assessment into the BBC’s proposal to launch BBC Three as a television channel. Its job, as required by the Charter and Agreement, is to ensure that any change the BBC wishes to make to its publicly-funded TV, radio and online services does not give it an […]

July 20, 2021By Colin Mann

BBC Three orders Kurupting The Industry: The People Just Do Nothing Story

As the Kurupt FM crew prepare to release their first feature film – People Just Do Nothing: Big In Japan – the team behind the cult BBC Three mockumentary series reflect on their journey from the small screen to the big screen in Kurupting The Industry: The People Just Do Nothing Story (1×45’). Created by […]

July 20, 2021