Raymond Snoddy on what is becoming an increasingly controversial issue but something which most people barely know exists – search engine penalties. Is it time to extract from the mighty Google greater search engine transparency and fairness?

Raymond Snoddy: Rule number one in the government PR rule book – just before a recess, or during it if you think you can get away with it, is an absolutely brilliant time for releasing unpalatable news… So we can expect the BSkyB announcement in around two weeks then Mr Hunt?

“This hack of a certain age finally got it on May 21st 2009 with the help of a digitally literate son… One thousand, two hundred and twenty two tweets later…”

Raymond Snoddy: “You would think the television industry would be shouting such good news from the rooftops…. The ‘missing’ viewers aren’t missing at all. They have just wandered off to use all the flexible methods of viewing that technology has offered, as you would expect.”

Raymond Snoddy comments on yesterday’s release by News International of updated figures for The Times/Sunday Times paywall experiment, which began in July last year.

Raymond Snoddy on the BBC cuts: Blank screens late at night would not be a good idea. You have to show something. The last person who tried blank screens was Prime Minister Ted Heath during the miner’s strike and it didn’t get him very far.

Raymond Snoddy on what went wrong: When it comes to relaunches, gentle, gradual, evolutionary change is obviously best. But everyone forgets that. The excitement of the new and shiny takes over. Daybreak managed to put its finger on every mistake it was possible to make and include it in the big plan.

Raymond Snoddy remembers many a meeting with the quiet, shy and unassuming media tycoon – “The horns are difficult to see but there is no doubt he is relentless – sometimes ruthless – in pursuit of the one thing he is really interested in, the greater glory of News Corp”

Raymond Snoddy says Jeremy Hunt has chosen to take the “courageous” route and must hope that it does not come back to bite him. Ultimately Sky News could be brought to its knees within a decade if the Murdoch dynasty tire of paying to keep the loss-maker afloat…

Raymond Snoddy says Adam Crozier, the ITV chief executive, has a perfectly rational “transformational” five-year plan for the company but he will have difficulty building up ITV Studios, whichever brilliant executive is in charge. The one deal that would be truly transformational in production terms for ITV would be the acquisition of All3Media…