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Boris Johnson

Dowden: ‘C4 could be privatised by 2024’

UK culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee that privatisation of Channel 4 was “on the table”  as an option to “provide a sustainable future for the broadcaster”. He said that th “rapidly changing broadcasting landscape”, and the growth of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, meant sweeping changes were […]

May 14, 2021

BT calls on government to support cheaper broadband

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division, has published a blog post on the topic of support for vulnerable consumers in response to the Ofcom Fairness for Customers review, and follows the launch of BT’s Home Essentials at-cost social tariff. BT is calling on all fixed broadband operators to implement a social tariff costing no […]

May 12, 2021

Prime Focus Technologies launches hybrid-cloud media centre in Leeds

Prime Focus Technologies (PFT) has announced the launch of a new hybrid-cloud media centre in Leeds employing over 70 professionals. In September 2019, PFT signed a strategic deal with UK’s public service broadcaster, Channel 4, for managing media processing, centralized content operations including live simulcast and VOD services using their flagship product, CLEAR™ Media ERP. […]

May 4, 2021

UK ministers welcome broadband jobs boom

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden have met with broadband industry leaders and praised the sector for creating more than 22,000 jobs over the last year as forecasts for gigabit rollout are revised further upwards. They welcomed the firms’ work to help the nation build back better from the pandemic with […]

April 6, 2021By Colin Mann

OneWeb success; 146 satellites now orbiting

An Arianespace rocket used the Russian Vostochny Cosmodrome to successfully place 36 OneWeb satellites into orbit on March 25th at 2.47pm GMT. The satellites were released in groups of 4 which took over four hours and deployed the craft in their near-polar orbits at 450 kms above ground. The launch brings the number of OneWeb […]

March 25, 2021By Chris Forrester

UK launches £5bn ‘Project Gigabit’

More than one million hard to reach homes and businesses in the UK will have next generation gigabit broadband built to them in the first phase of a £5 billion (€5.84bn) government infrastructure project. Up to 510,000 homes and businesses in Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset, Durham, Essex, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Tees Valley will be […]

March 19, 2021By Colin Mann

EE Mobile Network sees 5G usage soar

EE has released its latest Mobile Network Index report, revealing new insights on how and where 5G is being used, and trends from the festive and new year period. Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division, said: “As

February 2, 2021

TV & film removed from UK Covid travel exemptions

The UK government has removed TV and film production from its list of jobs that qualify for exemptions from overseas travel restrictions. Previously, cast and production talent were exempt from self-isolating upon arrival from a different country as long as they stayed within a bubble. Now,  all talent will not be able to begin work […]

January 19, 2021

Lockdown 2: TV production & elite sport can continue

The UK government announced over the weekend that England will go into a ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown for at least four weeks starting November 4th. However, Premier League football and other elite sports have been granted permission to continue during the lockdown due to the testing measures in place. Amateur sports will be put on hold. As […]

November 2, 2020By Nik Roseveare

MP criticises UK’s OneWeb purchase

A UK opposition MP has savaged the UK government’s involvement in satellite company OneWeb, currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganisation. The UK is putting at least £400 million into the company (with India’s Bharti matching the investment). OneWeb is likely to emerge from bankruptcy before the end of this year. Chi Onwurah, a Labour party […]

October 16, 2020By Chris Forrester