BBC director general Mark Thompson has moved to bury once and for all criticism of the Corporation’s populist approach to programming by signalling a fundamental change of emphasis towards providing excellence and public value.In his first public speech since joining the BBC in June, Thompson revealed his intention to differentiate the Corporation from its commercial… Continue reading MGEITF 2004: Thompson Vows To Make BBC Less Commercially Focused

The way television is produced and traded needs to be fundamentally rethought as advertisers begin to question the efficiency of the medium, according to Stuart Misson, managing director of marketing agency Octagon.Speaking at this year’s Edinburgh International Television Festival, Misson called on broadcasters to reassess the way their programmes are funded, as advertisers begin to… Continue reading MGEITF 2004: Ad-Funded Programmes To Revolutionise Television

Established audience measurement surveys are in serious danger of becoming outdated unless they ditch their silo mentality and start working together to address the increasingly important issue of media convergence.This is the view of Mick Mernagh, director of consumer insight at MediaCom, who claims that media owners could turn away from existing trading currencies if… Continue reading MGEITF 2004: Audience Measurement Must Keep Up With Convergence

ITV chief executive Charles Allen has revealed ambitious plans to launch a raft of new channels over the next five years in an effort to compete more effectively against the BBC in the burgeoning multi-channel environment.The UK’s largest commercial broadcaster currently has one digital channel in the form of ITV2 and is planning to launch… Continue reading MGEITF 2004: ITV Reveals Plans To Launch Range Of New Channels

Sky Networks managing director, Dawn Airey, has categorically denied accusations that beleaguered digital music channels, The Amp, Scuzz and Flaunt, will be forced to close following a wide-ranging review of their performance.The future of the channels, which launched less than two years ago, was called into question in July following a shake-up that saw BSkyB’s… Continue reading MGEITF 2004: Airey Denies Beleagured Music Channels To Close

Channel 4 has confirmed that it is looking to forge closer links with the BBC in an attempt to strengthen its position in the face of rapidly increasing competition from the growing number of digital channels entering the market.The broadcaster’s recently appointed chief executive, Andy Duncan, told delegates at the Edinburgh International Television Festival last… Continue reading MGEITF 2004: Channel 4 Confirms Intention To Link With BBC

Five’s director of programmes Dan Chambers has poured cold water on the prospect of the broadcaster launching a digital channel in the near future, claiming it would be “phenomenally” expensive to get off the ground.The UK’s smallest commercial channel is currently looking at ways to strengthen its position in the burgeoning digital market and is… Continue reading MGEITF 2004: Five Shuns Digital Launch In Favour Of Comedy

Influential BBC broadcaster and journalist John Humphrys has delivered a scathing attack on the corrupting influence of reality television, accusing shows like Big Brother and Wife Swap of being “meretricious, seedy and cynical”.Humphrys, presenter of BBC Radio Four’s flagship Today programme, criticised some of the most senior executives in British television for producing too many… Continue reading MGEITF 2004: Mind-Numbing Reality Television Comes Under Fire

The future of BARB and the benefits of advertiser funded programming are just two of the long-running issues that will come under the spotlight at the Edinburgh International Television Festival this weekend.Hunders of television executives will decamp to Scotland for the three day event which is one of the highlights of the broadcast calendar. There… Continue reading Edinburgh Warms Up For International Television Festival

Emap has promoted FHM features editor Ross Brown to take over from departing editor David Davies at the helm of its market leading men’s lifestyle magazine.Brown takes over as editor at a difficult time for FHM, which has been hard hit by the multimillion launch of weekly rivals, Nuts and Zoo, which entered the sector… Continue reading FHM Appoints New Editor As Competition Hots Up