Broadcast
20 January 2012
View all stories from this issue.
-
16 Jan '12
“Anyone who expected some pleasant but lazily assembled Sunday night cockle-warmer would have been surprised.” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV. -
17 Jan '12
“We got the message Wilson was making. Had got it in fact long before he had tried to pass it on.” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV. -
18 Jan '12
“He said what he saw was amazing but not in that weird, hippy, mystical way that Professor Brian Cox does.” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV. -
19 Jan '12
“Just as the volume of information was exhaustive and exhausting, so I found myself both stirred and tried by his style.” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV. -
20 Jan '12
“Less of an in-depth political documentary and more like CCTV footage from the court of Ivan the Terrible.” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV. -
2012 starts on a high
It’s early days but already 2012 is ahead of the game in terms of recording. -
4 O'Clock Club
Introduce the relationship between the two main characters of the new CBBC comedy -
A slimmer World Service will punch above its weight
Integration will drive creative renewal of BBC global news services, says Peter Horrocks. -
All publicity is good publicity, but...
It was kind of Paul Robinson to review Amazing Radio (here) and we’re delighted he likes what we do. Unfortunately, he got some facts wrong. -
AP and IMG turn to HD
Associated Press and IMG Worldwide’s joint venture Sports News TV is launching a high definition service for its international broadcaster client base. -
Atom to produce Ultimate Cops for Discovery
Bristol indie Atom Productions International is to make a major new police series for Discovery. -
Audience hail BBC4’s Kings
At school, mediaeval kings always seemed pretty two-dimensional to me, largely because that was how they were painted: flat but faintly startled. It turns out that maybe they were more rounded and colourful than that. -
Australia/India buy ITN’s Killing Fields
ITN Productions’ powerful documentary Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields has been acquired by broadcasters in India and Australia. -
Avalon wins BBC3 commission for emerging talent
Avalon has beaten BBC in-house to win the commission for a new comedy-entertainment show for BBC3. -
Bank Job extended for second series
The Bank Job, Channel 4’s latest interactive gameshow will return for a second extended series in February. -
BBC and Sky at odds over kids' channels EPG
Kids’ TV looks set to be the next front in the battle between the BBC and Sky, with the corporation urging the government to help its children’s channels land better slots on the satellite platform’s EPG. -
BBC Asian Network boss to exit
Head of BBC Asian Network Vijay Sharma is to step down after 20 years at the corporation. -
BBC staff to strike over Birmingham cull
BBC Birmingham staff will walk out on strike for 24 hours this week, in protest against plans that will turn the city into a “media ghost town”. -
BBC stands firm over Birmingham
The BBC has said it will not change plans to move all factual production from Birmingham, despite the possibility of more strikes. -
BBC tops ITV on Twitter over Xmas
The BBC trounced ITV in the social media stakes for the ten most watched TV shows over the festive period. -
BBC1 to shed light on food inspectors and pawnbrokers
BBC1 has ordered two series that take a close look at the little-known worlds of environmental health and pawnbroking. -
BBC2's Stargazing ends on 3m
WEDNESDAY: Stargazing Live came to out with a series low audience of nearly 3m, as MasterChef went off the boil slightly. -
Birdsong, BBC1
Birdsong director Philip Martin reveals how the Sebastian Faulks novel made it from page to screen. -
Broadcast launches Indie Survey 2012
Broadcast is inviting UK independent producers to take part in this year’s annual Indie Survey. -
Broadcasters swerve red tape on film
Broadcasters are attempting to swerve suggestions that the government create new red tape to encourage investment in the film industry, arguing that levels of support should be determined by commercial interests. -
BVE seminar programme revealed
Framestore founder William Sargent will deliver the opening keynote address in the 3D Revolution seminar room at BVE next month. -
C4 eyes repeats channel launch on Freeview
Channel 4 is expected to launch a new repeats channel on the Freeview platform later this year in an attempt to boost its overall portfolio share. -
C4 orders Costa Concordia film
The Costa Concordia cruise ship accident that has dominated recent headlines will be documented in a fast-turnaround film for Channel 4. -
C5 doc season to examine war and disaster
The story of how the Nazis tried to spin the sinking of the Titanic as a tale of German courage is among Channel 5’s March season of four hour-long Revealed docs. -
C5 set for landmark move into in-house production
Channel 5 is on the brink of launching an in-house production division. -
Calverley joins Oasys
Playout technology firm Oasys has appointed Ed Calverley (pictured) as solutions design manager. -
Casualty takes Saturday honours
SATURDAY: Casualty was the highest rated show of the day as ITV1 suffered a wretched evening. -
Catch-up if you can in 2012
VoD battle will intensify with arrival of Netflix, says Kate Bulkley. -
Celebrity Pointless heads to BBC primetime
Eight celebrity specials of daytime quiz Pointless will be shown in Saturday primetime during its next run on BBC1. -
Cel-Soft adds QC suite
Cel-Soft has added to its suite of quality-control and monitoring software with Reel-Check Solo- QC, which allows QC tests to be performed on live or file-based video and audio. -
Coppers
Complete full post on the second series of the eight-part documentary -
Crime Scene Forensics, BBC1
Raw Cut’s Steve Warr takes Broadcast behind the police tape of BBC1’s Crime Scene Forensics and reveals that this was not a production for the faint-hearted. -
Crimson Petal planted in US
BBC2 drama The Crimson Petal and the White has been sold into the US by FremantleMedia Enterprises. -
Daybreak appoints deputy editor
Daybreak’s night editor Abi Donald has been promoted to deputy editor. -
Demographic Focus
Explore the ratings breakdown demographically across the main terrestrial and multichannel broadcasters for 9-15 January. -
Deverell leaving BBC for Ofcom
Richard Deverell is to leave the BBC less than a year after he was charged with overseeing the corporation’s exit from W12. -
Don’t go west when you can head Down Under
UK shows sell well in Australia so consider targeting there first, says Jay Kandola. -
Downton, Luther and Episodes win Golden Globes
British talent scored at the Golden Globe awards in Los Angeles, with dramas Downton Abbey and Luther picking up prizes. -
E! apologises for Golden Globes gaffes
E! Entertainment Television has issued an apology to viewers following disruptions in its Golden Globes coverage. -
Endemol shareholders agree to debt restructure
Two thirds of Endemol’s shareholders have reached an agreement to restructure the production company’s significant debt following months of discussions. -
Force isn’t the answer for film
Government must not railroad broadcasters into lending support. -
Genre Overview
Browse the top ten children’s, factual, drama, entertainment, sport and current affairs programmes from 9-15 January. -
GoPro releases new production software
GoPro has released new versions of its 2D and 3D production software. -
Government blocks Pinewood's development plans
Pinewood’s proposed development of standing sets and 1,500 homes has been scuppered by the secretary of state for communities and local government. -
Grass Valley ups support
Grass Valley has launched a new support agreement portfolio in addition to the company’s standard warranty. -
Gypsy Blood draws 2m
THURSDAY: Channel 4’s latest gypsy doc, looking at the more visceral side of traveller life, picked up more than 2m viewers. -
Gypsy Blood, Channel 4
Photographer Leo Maguire discovered that film was the only way to unlock the emotional truth of male gypsies’ life - and in their own words. -
HD to break the news agenda
HD news will come of age in the next 12 months, according to AP vice-president for international video Sandy MacIntyre. -
High Point targets US after signing rights deal
Distributor/producer High Point Media Group has expanded its ambitions in North America by entering into a reciprocal rights agreement with BFS Entertainment & Multimedia. -
Hustle
Complete picture post on the eighth and final series of the drama -
Hustle returns with 5m
FRIDAY: The final series of Hustle got underway with more than 5m viewers, but it was the lowest debut audience in the drama’s eight-series history. -
Input Media and Gearhouse serve Australian Open
Input Media and Gearhouse Broadcast have teamed up to provide a media hub for the Australian Open, which started this week. -
iPlayer tops 1.9bn views; Sherlock breaks record
The first episode of Sherlock was the most-requested show ever in a 24 hour period on the BBC iPlayer as the VoD service posted its highest-ever month in December with a total of 187m requests. -
ITV commissions second Perspectives run
Comedian David Walliams is to divulge his passion for Roald Dahl and actor David Suchet will provide a snapshot of the world of photography for the second run of ITV1’s arts strand Perspectives. -
ITV News boosts specialist reporting
ITV News has promoted senior journalists James Mates and Penny Marshall to editors as part of efforts to bolster its specialist reporting. -
ITV orders 'journalism idol'
ITV2 is to give six budding reporters the chance to work for consumer magazine giant Bauer Media in a journalism idol-style show. -
ITV scores cut-price FA Cup deal
ITV has penned a £90m deal to secure free-to-air broadcast rights to the FA Cup and England internationals for the next two years. -
ITV series to mark Diamond Jubilee
ITV is to broadcast a three-part series about the Queen’s reign to mark the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee. -
ITV2 acquires NBC’s Love in the Wild
ITV2 has picked up NBC’s jungle dating series Love In The Wild. -
Japan: opportunities for UK indies
The Japanese TV market is set to grow rapidly following last year’s digital switchover. Lisa Campbell visited Tokyo with Pact and a group of UK indies to discover more. -
JCA strike US deal
JCA has struck a deal to provide digital media services to US clients via LA-based media management company SMV Complete Media. -
Keith Lemon to be nation's agony aunt for ITV1
ITV1 has found a primetime entertainment vehicle for Keith Lemon in its second attempt to create a format for the Celebrity Juice host. -
Light Illusion adds Jeti
Digital film consultancy Light Illusion has added a new interface to colour-management system LightSpace. -
Lionsgate UK hires HBO exec
Lionsgate UK has appointed a HBO distribution exec as head of TV for the UK and Eastern Europe. -
Liquidator puts Wurmsers assets up for sale
Two outside broadcast trucks are among the assets of defunct broadcast graphics company Wurmsers that are to be sold next month. -
Lloyd Webber to front ITV1 musical talent hunt
ITV has confirmed it is to embark on an X Factor-like search for the star of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new arena musical Jesus Christ Superstar. -
Lovefilm partners with Disney on ABC TV
Lovefilm has partnered with Disney to offer US shows including Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy on demand. -
Mad Dogs returns with 857k
THURSDAY: Sky1 drama Mad Dogs returned with more than double the channel’s usual audience and won the 9pm multichannel slot. -
MasterChef return serves up 4.8m
TUESDAY: The eighth series of MasterChef failed to cook up a storm on its launch night. -
Max Clifford hires Rumsey to form indie
PR guru Max Clifford is launching a production company that will be headed up by former Daybreak chief Ian Rumsey. -
Mentorn emails C4 over Dispatches shortlist
Mentorn executive Steve Anderson has written to Channel 4 to express disappointment about the way the recently awarded Dispatches contracts were handled, Broadcast has learned. -
Moffat: Sherlock will return
Steven Moffat has confirmed that a third series of BBC1 drama Sherlock has been commissioned. -
More 4 rebrand set for launch
More 4’s new branding will go live on 23 January ahead of a more prominent push in April. -
Mystery of the lost viewers
Edwin Drood lost some of his mystery this week as BBC2 had a stab at guessing the end of the unfinished classic. Elsewhere, the channel proved that sport and baking need not be odd bedfellows. -
Nina Conti seeks enlightenment in BBC4 travelogue
British actress, ventriloquist and comedian Nina Conti will front an Alaska TV travelogue looking at alternative lifestyles around the world for BBC4. -
North One staff hit by CSI collapse
North One Television has been forced to make 25 production staff redundant following the collapse of World Rally Championship rights holder Convers Sports Initiatives (CSI). -
Ofcom revokes Press TV licence
Iranian news channel Press TV has had its licence revoked by Ofcom after failing to comply with regulator’s guidelines on editorial control. -
Off Cuts: Mangan's hell on earth
Seems Stephen Mangan was taking the Golden Globes as seriously as his Brit comic counterpart Ricky Gervais. -
Olympic year will be pivotal for 3D TV sector
The coming year will be pivotal for 3D TV, according to leading figures from the sector. -
Parthenon sells Sport Science into Lat Am
Parthenon Entertainment has sold 40 hours of programming into Latin America. -
Peter Fincham, ITV
The Downton Abbey v EastEnders Christmas Day clash was a turning point in ITV’s navigation of the commercial/editorial divide, its programming chief tells Lisa Campbell. -
Prime Focus in Trinnov UK first
Prime Focus has become the first UK post house to install Trinnov’s MC Processor, a loudspeaker system that tailors the acoustics of a mixing room to imitate a range of environments. -
Prospect restructures London office
DCD Media indie Prospect Pictures is cutting back its production and back-office teams as it restructures its London office. -
R1 producer joins Folded Wing
Radio indie Folded Wing has appointed BBC Radio 1 producer Paul Thomas to oversee its content output. -
Real King’s Speech delivered in Asia
DRG has secured new sales for a three Royal documentaries, including The Real King’s Speech. -
Report: Film needs greater support from TV
The UK’s main broadcasters should increase their investment in British films and programming around the subject, a major review of the industry has said today. -
Room 101 / The Exit List / Gadget Geeks
Windfall’s Rob Hartel and Pop Monkey’s Chuck Thomas on pet hates, evil twists and gizmo geeks. -
Shed Media launches indie to take on Objective
Shed Media Group has launched a new indie, Yalli, focused on comedy and entertainment and led by the former showrunner of The Paul O’Grady Show, Robert Gray. -
Sherlock arrests 7.9m but Call the Midwife delivers more viewers
SUNDAY: BBC1’s smash hit Sherlock bowed out with its lowest overnight audience of the series, as Call the Midwife made a storming debut on the same channel. -
Sherlock detects further 2m
CONSOLIDATED: Sherlock’s investigation into the Hounds of Baskerville was recorded by more than 2m viewers – taking its audience over the 10m mark. -
Signiant releases iPhone app
Signiant has released apps for iPhone and iPad users to share content using the company’s file transfer system Media Exchange. -
Simon Cowell takes aim at BBC
Simon Cowell has accused the BBC of trying to undermine his juggernaut ITV1 entertainment shows by acquiring The Voice. -
Sky and Tiger to revisit Kathy Burke’s schooldays
Kathy Burke will make her writing debut and star in a Sky Atlantic comedy series produced by Tiger Aspect. -
Sky Atlantic gears up motoring series
Sky Atlantic has ordered a new series about the history of British motoring to support the launch of the broadcaster’s Formula 1 channel. -
Sky Atlantic pilots Jack Dee show
Sky Atlantic is developing a comedy panel show with Lead Balloon star Jack Dee. -
Sky orders Apprentice-style fact ent show
Former The Apprentice executive producer Michele Kurland is to manage a business-based fact ent commission for her new employer Sky 1. -
SMPTE announces line-up
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) will be joined by presenters from BSkyB, Warner Bros and Zeebox at its Forum on Emerging Media Technologies in Geneva in May. -
Sony acquires Dolphin TV
Sony Pictures Television has strengthened its foothold in the UK with the acquisition of five channels from Dolphin TV. -
Sorenson Squeeze 8
Video encoding software -
Stargazing Live sparkles with 3.8m
MONDAY: The second series of Stargazing Live rocketed into the BBC2 schedule with a stellar performance of nearly 4m viewers. -
Stella
Provide a complete post-production solution including daily access to rushes for Ruth Jones’ 10-part drama -
Stella doubles ratings
CONSOLIDATED: Ruth Jones’ new comedy Stella nearly doubled its audience through catch-up, with consolidated ratings of almost 1.5m viewers. -
STV appoints Pearson exec to board
STV has appointed former Penguin books’ digital chief Genevieve Shore as a non-executive director and restructured its bank loans. -
Suits debuts on Dave with 566k
TUESDAY: New US legal drama Suits made its opening statement on Dave with a 75% boost to the channel’s usual audience figures. -
Tedial appoints Gallen
Media asset management firm Tedial has appointed Peter Gallen (pictured) as solution architect. -
The Foundry launches Hiero beta
The Foundry has launched an open beta for Hiero, its latest VFX tool. -
Tinopolis forced to cut jobs on S4C shows
Up to 30 staff on S4C’s flagship magazine shows Wedi 3 and Wedi 7 could lose their jobs after falling foul of the Welsh-language broadcaster’s budget cuts. -
TMS team commentates via iPad
The BBC Test Match Special team commentated live from the UAE via Skype on an iPad this morning following a fault with the local internet connection. -
Top 100 network programmes
Find out who topped the ratings league table for network programming from 9-15 January and browse the top 100 -
Top 30 BBC2, Channel 4, Channel 5
Find out the top 30 programmes on BBC2, Channel 4 and Channel 5 from 9-15 January as well as the performance of all the terrestrials across week 2. -
Top 30 multichannel programmes
Find out the top 30 multichannel programmes for 9-15 January as well as the share of viewing across digital homes. -
Top consolidated programmes
Find out which programmes gained the biggest audience through recording from 2-8 January and browse the top titles. -
Virgin Media green lights Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports has secured carriage for its dedicated Formula 1 channel on Virgin Media from its launch in March. -
Week of big falls on BBC1
Ratings plummet for The Royal Bodyguard but Sherlock finale hooks viewers. -
Zeebox trial receives lukewarm response
Two-screen TV service Zeebox, which launched its first broadcaster partner trial with E4 show Desperate Scousewives, was used for only 100 Twitter updates out of the 80,000 sent during the series.
