Advanced Television

Ofcom

Ofcom hits Islam Channel with £20k fine

UK media regulator Ofcom has imposed a £20,000 fine on Islam Channel Ltd in relation to its service, the Islam Channel, for failing to comply with broadcasting rules. Ofcom had previously censured the channel on October 7th last year having found that the programme contained antisemitic hate speech. Ofcom reported in its findings that the […]

November 4, 2020By Chris Forrester

Ofcom publishes video-sharing platform guidance

UK comms regulator Ofcom has published a guide to the new regulatory requirements for UK-based video-sharing platforms (VSPs) – online video service where users can upload and share videos. They allow users to engage with a wide range of content and social features. Under the new regulations, VSPs must have appropriate measures in place to […]

October 21, 2020By Colin Mann

DCMS ‘clarifies’ post Brexit rules

In a coordinated move with PM Boris Johnson’s statement on the state of Brexit negotiations on his ‘deal deadline’, DCMS has issued a clarification of where British broadcasters and VoD services will stand on January 1st 2021. As is traditional with Brexit, the deadline has now been moved. DCMS says the Audiovisual Media Services Directive […]

October 16, 2020

Ofcom consults on BBC Sounds

UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom is inviting evidence on the market position and impact of BBC Sounds, the Corporation’s streaming media and audio download service that includes live radio, audio-on-demand, and podcasts. Ofcom notes that the audio and radio sector is undergoing a period of rapid change, driven in part by streaming services including global players […]

October 14, 2020By Colin Mann

Research: UK talks for longer during lockdown

UK comms regulator Ofcom’s second Mobile Matters report analyses how around 200,000 people used their Android mobile phones between January and April this year, shedding light on how people make calls and get online on the move. The report reveals marked differences in how people used their phones before and during the initial Covid-19 lockdown […]

October 8, 2020

MPs call for broadcasting appointments transparency

The UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is urging the Government to ensure that the process to appoint the next Chair of the BBC and Chair of Ofcom is “fair and seen to be fair”. It follows media speculation that potential names for the roles had been promoted by senior members […]

October 1, 2020By Colin Mann

Tory ‘cronies’ tipped for Ofcom, BBC roles

UK Prime Minister’s Boris Johnson Conservative administration is reported to have offered two of the top jobs in media to outspoken critics of the BBC, and known supporters of the government’s Brexit stance. The Sunday Times says that Paul Dacre, the former editor of the Daily Mail, is Johnson’s choice to become chairman of broadcasting […]

September 28, 2020By Colin Mann

Survey: Broadband providers support common platform

Nearly nine out of ten (88.7 per cent) of the UK’s challenger broadband network providers support the creation of a common platform through which they could provide wholesale services to third-party content providers, according to a survey by Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA). The creation of a common wholesale platform is an important step forward […]

September 16, 2020

UK: Full-fibre broadband now available to 4m+ homes

New figures published by UK comms regulator Ofcom suggest that full-fibre broadband is now available to over 4.2 million UK homes. The figures are included in Ofcom’s Connected Nations summer update, which provides a summary of broadband and mobile availability across the UK and its nations, as of May 2020. Key findings from the report […]

September 10, 2020By Colin Mann

UK completes 700 MHz clearance

UK Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman has confirmed the milestone completion of the four-year, £350 million major infrastructure programme to clear the 700 MHz spectrum band, allowing new data capacity to be released for mobile operators. The 700MHz spectrum band had mainly been used for digital terrestrial TV broadcast as well as professional radio microphones […]

September 3, 2020By Colin Mann