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December 21, 1999: In an article in the UK Independent entitled " Is the BBC its own worst enemy", the chairman of the UK Parliament Select Committee into the corporation's funding, says the BBC's own witnesses persuaded committee members to turn against their pleas for extra money.
Gerald Kaufman , the chairman, says he's an admirer of the BBC and the concept of public service broadcasting created by Lord Reith but he opposes extra funding because the BBC management accepted a 1996 licence fee arrangement which was set higher in the earlier years to allow precisely for the costs of digital broadcasting. The BBC chairman said at the time, says Kaufman, that they had a "financial framework" in which they could plan five years ahead. Instead of doing so, he adds, they asked for an extra £700 million but could not explain what it wanted $400 million of that for. Almost all the BBC's figures were unclear says Kaufman and even more telling it did not have a clear strategy or even any strategy for its role in the future. Where it was a pioneer in the early days of radio and television, after satellite television came along it became a laggard with commercial channels supplying dedicated sports and movie channels and 24 hour news. He concludes that the BBC should not give up and withdraw to core channels but should develop in the one area the committee sees them as providing a world class service, BBC Online. This is attracting millions says Kaufman yet only half as much is spent on this as on the News 24 TV Channel. If it takes advertisements, he suggests, it could make a profit to help fund other services although because of EU regulations this should be done my incorporationg it into the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.
Independent News Report
Kaufman article
Daily Telegraph Story
Previous BBC Funding

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December 20. 1999: As reported yesterday (RNW Dec 19), the BBC has been severely criticised in a report by British MPs.
Their report calls for a scrapping of the proposed 'digital levy' and attacks what it calls waste within the BBC.
There was one dissenting voice, from John Maxton, the Labour MP for Glasgow Cathcart, who published a minority report.
The BBC greeted the report with disappointment but it was welcomed by commercial broadcasters.
Granada Media Group chief executive Steve Morrison said that the digital fee should now be thrown out.
ITV chief executive Richard Eyre said the BBC had not begun to persuade the public of a need for extra funding. The BBC's corporate affairs director, Colin Browne, said that the committee seemed to be guided by a market-driven approach not the public service broadcasting vision put forward by the BBC.
Parliamentary Report
Conclusions & summary
BBC response
BBC Online report re digital fee
Previous BBC funding

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December 20th, 1999: Most British broadsheet newspapers carry obituaries of former BBC broadcaster Robert Dougall who has died at the age of 86.
Although mainly remembered for his TV presenting days, Dougall began his career as a BBC accountant, then became an announcer on the BBC's Empire News service in 1934. Whilst with them he announced the outbreak of the second world war in 1939
UK Guardian obituary
UK Telegraph obituary

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December 19, 1999: In its leader column the UK Observer follows its sister paper the Guardian in defence of the BBC (RNW Dec 16th).
In its news pages the paper, with other broadsheets, carries a report on problems looming for the corporation over its licence funding.
The news report says that the UK Parliament Select Committe on Culture will launch a withering attack on BBC bosses accusing them of wastefulness and greed.
Particularly under attack is the BBC TV News 24 round-the-clock news channel which is accused of being a £50 million a year waste of money.
Also criticised is TV channel Digital choice which, like News 24, attracts minimal audiences and managerial costs which the committee would like to see reduced.
BBC funding has been under intense scrutiny since economist Gavyn Davies, aoppointed by the government to examine BBC funding, recommended a £24 per annum 'digital' levy which has been bitterly opposed by commercial broadcasters.
The leader takes up the points, agrees that some of them are telling, but concludes that in the overall picture, it is more important to retain a BBC which remains a successful public enterprise playing a major role in British cultural, social and political life.
Observer news story:
Observer leader :
Sunday Telegraph story
Previous BBC funding

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December 19th, 1999: The BBC Radio 4 show, "The |Sunday Format" has won the Best Radio Comedy Award in the British Comedy Awards. The BBC also did well in TV comedy awards.

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December 18, 1999: The Los Angeles Times reports on the future of commercial radio shock jocks as seen through the eyes of two National Public Radio veterans, "Morning Edition" host Bob Edwards and correspondent Susan Stamberg .
Ewards, says the paper's report , thinks that things are at the bottom of the cycle and there's now nowhere to go but up whilst Stamberg things will still get worse.
However they have one point of agreement -- that this could be a plus for NPR as people turn to them.
On television in Greecethings have gone pretty far already as reported on TVNewsweb.
There no commercial TV stations seem to be bothering much about international news but Alpha TV - formerly Skai TV - boosted its ratings with amateur video of a pop singer, Stephanos Korkolis, having sex with a teenage girl half his age.
The concensus seemed to be that viewers were far more interested in scandal and gossip than news.
Los Angeles Times report
TVNewsweb

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December 18, 1999: Australian broadcaster John Laws is to stand trial for contacting a juror about a controversial murder case verdict (RNW Nov 23) reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
The trial was ordered after a committal hearing which Laws was ordered to attend despite protests from his legal team. Magistrate Mr Hugh Dillon told Laws that after weighing up prosecution evidence he felt there was a 'reasonable prospect' a jury would convict him.
Laws has pleaded not guilty ; He could face up to seven years in jail if convicted. Morning Herald story (Link expires Jan 18)
Previous Laws

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December 18, 1999:The UK Guardian carries an obituary of BBC veteran, Marjorie Anderson, who has died at the age of 86.
She worked for the BBC during the second World War as an announcer, newsreader and on the armed services request programme Forces Favourite".
Later she was one of the founder presenters of BBC radio's "Woman's Hour". Guardian obituary

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December 17, 1999: "Letter from America", the world's longest running radio programme missed a beat on BBC Radio 4 tonight(GMT) because 91-years-old presenter Alistair Cooke was ill in hospital.
In its place the BBC broadcast an episode of the programme from Christmas Eve 1967.
The BBC say they do not know when Cooke will be back on air.

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December 17, 1999: British Radio has beaten television to the punch with a £1million prize (approx USD 1.65 million) for a quiz show.
The prize was won by 35 years old training consultant Clare Barwick on Chris Evans's breakfast show for Virgin Radio.
The prize beats TV show 'Who wants to be a millionaire?" to the punch although the TV show's US version has already had a million dollar winner.

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December 17, 1999:The Australian Broadcasting Authority has confirmed plans to grant new radio licences for the Sydney area.
They include two new FM Commercial stations for Sydney, three new Sydney community radio licences and three narrowcast licences for such services as tourist radio.

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December 17, 1999: The UK Guardian obituaries column carries an obit of George Elrick, who was an early disc jockey and set the pattern for many current middle-of the-road DJs.
Elrick, who was 95, presented BBC's Housewives Choice for 21 years from 1946-67.
Guardian obit

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December 17, 1999: Canadian broadcasting authorities are taking a more liberal view of what is allowable on air than those in Britain (see RNW below and December 15th) .
The Toronto Globe and Mail reports that the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has said that comments in the Jerry Springer TV show in which a man talked of his pleasure in vomiting during sexual intercourse did not violate its codes.
The council did not support them but said that in the conflict between "bad taste" and free speech, it had to come down in favour of the latter.

December 16, 1999: Britain's Broadcasting Standards Commission has criticised the BBC and U2 pop star and third-world debt relief activist Bono over his use of a four-letter expletive during an interview in September. After the show a listener had complained over the language used in an interview about the state of the world with BBC Radio disc jockey Simon Mayo

December 16, 1999: The Australian reports that John Singleton, owner through Macquarie Radio Network, of Sydney radio stations 2GB and 2CH, now wants to sue rival station 2UE which was at the heart of the cash-for-comment Australian talk radio enquiry.
Singleton says that the actions of 2UE presenters John Laws and Alan Jones deprived other broadcasting companies of their fair share of advertising revenues.
Macquarie is also involved in action against 2UE over its intention to broadcast the National Rugby League Competition games despite having lost the rights to 2GB and in addition wants copies of 2UE's Olympic rights contract so it can challenge the deal.
'Australian' story
Previous Laws ; Previous Jones : Previous Singleton
Previous cash for comment

December 16, 1996: In its main leader, on the future of the BBC, the UK Guardian calls for Chris Smith, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to make a bold decision of support for the Corporation.
Arguing that the BBC's demands are in effect justified, it calls for him to resist the calls of its commercial opponents and public opinion against the licence fee and fund the organisation properly.
Otherwise, says the Guardian, the next decade could see the BBC reduced from being a big player and setter of standards into a minority niche like the American Public Broadcasting Service.
Guardian leader ; Previous BBC funding

December 16, 1999: UK mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse has bought into Kelvin MacKenzie's Switchdigital which is amongs the bidders for the digital radio licence for greater London
Previous MacKenzie

December 15, 1999: Britain's Radio Authority has imposed maximum fines of £50,000 each on two local radio stations for broadcasts which 'demeaned' the radio medium.
London station XFM, owned by Capital Radio, was penalised over a discussion about bestiality during a breakfast show and warned it risked losing its licence if it did not take firm measures to prevent further offences.
The other station, Hallam FM in Yorkshire was fined over two late night programmes which the authority felt condoned and encouraged rape and which contained descriptions of paedophilia.
Radio Hallam was criticised by Radio Authority chairman Sir Peter Gibbings as being irresponsible in its treatment of the topics which he considered 'wholly unacceptable'.
Both stations said offences would not be repeated.
Previous Gibbings

December 15th, 1999: The FCC is to allow WQED, Pittsburght, to sell of its second channel to get out of debt. Under the deal, delayed because the FCC would not allow the outright sale of the reserved channel three years ago, there will be a sales chain. WQED will sell reserved channel 16 to religious broadcasters Cornerstone TV which will sell its unreserved channel to Paxson Communications. WQED and Cornerstone will split the proceeds.
Current org report and links to WQED woes background

December 14, 1999: Britain's radio regulator has given Kelvin MacKenzie's Wireless Group a tentative go-ahead to buy Independent Radio Group stations in the north west of England and central Scotland. The deal is subject to conditions imposed by the Radio Authority in terms of the local emphasis programming of 1548 Lite Am in Manchester and Signal FM in Stockport as well as maintaining separate newsrooms at the two stations. In central Scotland, the authority said the deal to take over Scotland FM and 96.3 QFM based in Paisley.
Previous McKenzie

December 14, 1999: Sydney 2GB owner John Singleton has confirmed that Stan Zemanek (RNW Nov 27) is to join 2 GB from 2UE where he had the late spot. Now the plan is for him to compete against John Laws who is staying at 2UE.
Singleton also went on his own station to bait 2UE over rights to the Sydney Olympics, causing a potential conflict of interests for breakfast announcer Graham Richardson
Richardson is a SOCOG board member and opted to let someone else interview his boss.
Australian report
SMH report (link expires Jan 14)
Previous Laws ; Previous Singleton

December 13, 1999: As forcast earlier ( RNW Dec 12th ; RNW Dec 11th) , Australian broadcaster John Laws has told listeners to the John Laws Morning Show that he'll stay with radio 2UE.
He added that the period of enquiry into his sponsorship deals was the loneliest time of his life with 'vicious' media coverage but he'd stay on, mainly because of the loyalty of his listeners.
In a statement reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, 2UE's chairman, John Conde said the decision was"terrific news for John's loyal listeners, and all of us here at 2UE 2UE, being Australia's number-one talk station, is John Laws's natural home ."
Laws staying (link expires Jan 13th)
Previous Conde ; Previous Laws
Previous cash for comment

December 12, 1999: The Sunday Telegraph reports that Radio 2UE star John Laws, one of two broadcasters at the heart of the cash-for-comment talk radio enquiry in Australia, has told his friends he intends to stay at the station until at least 2002. It adds that he will announce this on Monday's John Laws Morning Show. Laws is also reported as telling friends that, apart from his binding contract, he has been motivated to stay by the support of his listeners, his sponsors and 2UE management. Laws, who would then be in his 50th year in radio, and his lawyers met 2UE chairman John Conde on Thursday to work out a deal and the paper reports that it will not prohibit outside sponsorships so long as they are declared.
Laws to stick with 2UE
Previous Conde: Previous Laws
Previous cash for comment

December 11, 1999:It's not only in Australia that Talk Radio is used by sponsors of course, as the reports from Edmonton where Alberta Premier Ralph Klein was on 630 CHED explaining his ideas about surgery in private hospitals.
The CHED announcers had their own spin on the idea as reported by the Globe and Mail : "Announcer No. 1: Good morning. It's the open house today at the Magnetic Resonance Centre of Edmonton, Suite 115, 11910 111th Avenue. I guess a touch of irony that the Premier's on today. We are just talking about the fact that, for instance, in the province of Ontario, if you want to get an MRI done, it has to be done in a hospital and the waiting lists are absolutely horrendous. "We here have a waiting list in Alberta but, of course, the Magnetic Resonance Centre of Edmonton gives you the option, if you don't want to wait in the public queue, you have this available. It's another advantage of being Albertan. "Find out more today and come down and visit the clinic; find out how the technology works, what the technology is all about. Starting Monday, it scans at $499."
And the programme sponsors. Guess which private magnetic resonance imaging clinic?
Toronto Globe and Mail story

December 11, 1999: The Sydney Morning Herald reports that broadcaster John Laws is expected to announce on Monday that he'll stay with radio station 2 UE next year, which is at he heart of the Australian talk radio cash-for-comment enquiry.
Speaking on air on Friday Laws said he would spend the weekend thinking about his future and make an announcement on Monday.
The Herald also reports that Laws' fellow 2UE broadcaster Alan Jones has put on hold plans for his autobiography, to be published by HarpurCollins Australia with whom Jones had a promotional contract . The contract, to promote HarpurCollins titles on air as part of the Alan Jones Book of the Month Club, is among seven of Jones' contracts mentioned at the enquiry. Jones has been told by 2UE to terminate six of the contracts but so far has not done so -- contracts still held include ones for Cable & Wireless Optus mobile phones ($41,000 Australian per month), Colonial State Bank ($433,000 Australian per annum) and Qantas ($100,000 Australian per annum)
Cash-for-comment latest (Link expires Jan 11)
Previous Jones ; Previous Laws
Previous cash for comment

December 11, 1999: Canadian broadcasters are again threatening legal action against IcraveTV.com, a Toronto-based company which is rebroadcasting signals on the Internet without gaining permission from the originators (RNW Dec 3), an issue which could have major importance as Internet quality improves.
The Toronto Globe and Mail reports that on its first day the organisation had 360,000 hits an hour, more than 8 million in the day. Company president William Craig says he's acting legally but he hasn't paid any copyright fees nor sought permission for his rebroadcasts, unlike www.broadcast.com. from whom he got the idea.
Broadcast com is now owned by Yahoo and is a vehicle used by nearly 500 radio stations and some 65 television stations and cable networks to reach Internet users.
The broadcasters say Craig is breaching both copyright and trademarks. They also point out that they negotiate broadcasting rights on a narrow basis for particular territories and often not for Internet use.
Craig claims that only Canadians should use his site and they have to enter an area code. He hasn't ruled out paying at some time.
Globe and Mail report
Previous Craig ; Previous ICraveTV

December 10, 1999: Pasadena City College trustees have voted unanimously to turn over operation of public radio station KPCC-FM (89.3) to Minnesota Public Radio under a 15-year deal reveiwable after 5 years, reports the Los Angles Times.
The report adds that the new operators intend to triple the station's budget and turn it into an in-depth local news outlet.Programming details are to be ironed out over a six-month transition period from January with up to ten reporters and producers being hired.
Larry Mantle, programme director for KPCC and host of the weekday afternoon show "AirTalk" welcomed the deal saying the emphasis would be on " news and 'intelligent talk'".
James Kossler, president of Pasadena City College, which will retain the licence for the station, also welcomed the agreement.
William Kling, chief executive of Minnesota Public Radio and the interim president of Southern California Public Radio, said in a statement reported by the Times: "Rarely have we seen an opportunity with the potential of this one. KPCC at 89.3 has a first-class signal heard from San Diego County to Santa Barbara County. The talent base of Los Angeles is one of the most creative in the world. The station will be able to provide the kind of depth and analysis that public radio is known for, to both local and state stories as well as national and international stories."
LA Times report

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