All News articles – Page 4098

  • News

    Nat Geo embarks on pilgrimage

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Director and producer Anisa Mehdi has made a documentary about the Islamic city of Mecca for National Geographic. Inside Mecca is a one-hour show which airs on 26 October. It follows three pilgrims, including Irish-born mother of two Fidlma O'Leary, as they complete the pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the ...

  • News

    XFM next in queue for Eire

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    XFM has become the latest UK radio company to set its sights on the Irish market with plans to launch an FM station in Dublin, writes Michael Rosser.

  • News

    Docherty puts forward switch-off solution

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Former telewest new media chief David Docherty is seeking government backing for a new set-top box service that he claimed will help the government achieve analogue switch-off by 2010, writes Colin Robertson.

  • News

    Doc nominations tie

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    BBC4 has tied with Channel 4 for the most nominations in this year's Grierson British documentary awards. Both channels picked up 11 nods, while BBC2 received six. Among the highlighted programmes are BBC4's The Game of Their Lives, C4's The ...

  • News

    Five develops property range

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Five is building on the primetime success of its House Doctorshow with a trio of new property programmes - one of which will be fronted by former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, writes Michael Rosser.

  • News

    Furnace develops

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Software developer The Foundry, which specialises in plug-in visual effects, has announced that its Furnace software is now available on Discreet editing and compositing products. 'We have re-engineered it to make more sense in the Discreet environment but, for the most part, have not needed to modify the core technology ...

  • News

    Thumbs up for Pact/Bectu freelance deal

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Members of broadcasting union Bectu have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a package of changes to the Pact/Bectu Freelance Production Agreement, which will mean employers contributing to freelance pensions for the first time since the 1980s, writes Will Strauss.

  • News

    Davies: we were right to trust Gilligan

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    BBC chairman Gavyn Davies defended the BBC governors' role in the Dr David Kelly affair again this week, saying it was right that they should not have investigated the accuracy of Andrew Gilligan's original report, writes Leigh Holmwood.

  • News

    Dacre in indie move

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Former ITV News editor Nigel Dacre has resigned from the London College of Printing, where he was dean of the media school, and has taken up a development role at indie Brook Lapping Productions. He is working on a number of projects and will take a more substantial role at ...

  • News

    Grade joins TV corp

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Former Channel 4 chief executive Michael Grade has joined the board of Robot Wars producer Television Corporation. The appointment is Grade's second directorship in a television company - two months ago he joined the board of SMG, the owner of Scottish TV, Grampian TV and Virgin radio.

  • News

    Superpowers in clash over Tetris

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    A ricochet digital production for BBC4, The History of Tetris looks at the history of the highly compelling computer game that ended up on Game-boys everywhere during the 1980s. Originally thought up by a Russian mathematician, the game spread via disk until a war broke out between the Russians, Robert ...

  • News

    Two more US giants circle ITV network

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    The number of US firms looking to pounce on ITV grew to three last week after Viacom president and chief operating officer Mel Karmazin and US-based Israeli billionaire Haim Saban signalled they would be interested in the commercial network, writes Colin Robertson.

  • News

    Search for new sky chief widens

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    BSkyB has instructed corporate head-hunters to find it a new chief executive in a bid to calm fears from City investors that chairman Rupert Murdoch is trying to shoo-in his youngest son, James, writes Rosemary Gallagher.

  • News

    Terrestrials plan new Solus card

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Terrestrial broadcasters are devising a plan to resurrect the free viewing cards that allow viewers to watch ITV, Channel 4 and Five on satellite without subscribing to Sky, writes Michael Rosser.

  • News

    Raft of sales for the Koala Brothers

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Spellbound Entertainment has made several new sales of its debut pre-school series The Koala Brothers. The 52 x 10-minute series, made by UK animation studio Famous Flying Films, will be shown on kids channel TiJi in France, TVP in Poland, TV3 in New Zealand and ...

  • News

    Boost for Chrysalis as NZ plans Idol series

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Chrsalis Television's New Zealand production company, South Pacific Pictures, has been commissioned to make a local version of hit TV format Pop Idol, writes Paul Revoir.

  • News

    CBeebies show teaches toddlers to boogie

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Children will be encouraged to dance in a new CBeebies series, Boogie Beebies. Commissioned by CBBC controller Dorothy Prior, the 13 x 15-minute show will be filmed across the country using different settings to allow children to explore movement. It will be made in-house and ...

  • News

    Bolt quits BSC in favour of Olympics role

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC) director Paul Bolt is leaving the watchdog two months before it is officially absorbed into Ofcom, to spearhead the government unit responsible for the 2012 Olympic Games bid, writes Michael Rosser

  • News

    Peter Stothard joins board at September

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    Sir Peter Stothard, the former editor of The Times, is to enter the indie sector with a board-level role at September Films, writes Colin Robertson.

  • News

    BBC governance 'out of control'

    2003-09-25T08:30:00Z

    The BBC, still reeling from the Hutton inquiry, came under attack from fellow broadcasting executives at the Royal Television Society Cambridge Convention last week, when it was accused of being 'out of control', writes Leigh Holmwood.