The UK government under Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reiterated its intention to scrap the television licence fee and make viewers pay a subscription. In plans revealed to the Sunday Times, the Corporation could also be made to downsize and sell off most of its radio stations. The plans would make the BBC to sell […]
“Democracy is the worst way to run a country, except all the others,’” said Winston Churchill. The same may well be true of a licence fee and a PSB national broadcaster. But that doesn’t stop every new Tory government concerning itself with scrapping it, no matter how many much more urgent things they have to […]
German regional operator NetCologne is taking legal action challenging EU approval of Vodafone’s acquisition of Unitymedia from Liberty Global. German press also reports that Deutsche Telekom and Tele Columbus have formally objected to the approval. The operators believe the deal distorted competition and threatens the German governments broadband access targets. Timo von Lepel, head of […]
Senator John Kennedy (Republican, Louisiana) is reportedly considering introducing emergency legislation which could override the FCC’s decision of $9.7 billion of inventive payments. The Politico news-site says that Kennedy has plans for his Appropriations Committee (which he chairs) to “unvote” the FCC’s proposals later in the year and ahead of the December spectrum auction. Kennedy […]
John Whittingdale MP has been appointed Minister of State at the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He previously served as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from May 2015 until July 2016, having previously chaired the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee between July 2005 and June […]
Ofcom has fined the licence holders of Talk Radio £75,000 (€90,000) and NTV Mir Baltic £20,000 for breaking broadcasting rules. Talk Radio is a national digital speech radio station. NTV Mir Baltic is a television channel broadcasting to the Russian-speaking community in Latvia. Under Ofcom rules, all broadcasters must remain duly impartial when covering matters […]
UK phone, broadband and pay-TV customers must be warned when their current contract is ending, and what they could save by signing up to a new deal, under sector regulator Ofcom rules coming into force tomorrow (February 15th). Around 20 million customers are already out of contract – including 8.8 million broadband customers – and […]
Caroline Dinenage MP and Nigel Huddleston MP have joined the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in junior ministerial roles as Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues his reshuffle of government. Dinenage becomes Minister of State, with Huddleston MP appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State. The changes see Nigel Adams MP, formerly Minister […]
The GSMA, organiser of Mobile World Congress, has cancelled the event, suggesting the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event. In a statement, John Hoffman, CEO GSMA Limited, said the decision had been taken with due regard to the safe and […]
Oliver Dowden MP has been named as the new Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He takes over from Nicky Morgan, who was appointed to the role in July 2019 by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but stood down from as an MP at the December 2019 General Election, and […]