Latest news with #broadcasting
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Don't carry on regardless! Ofcom are accused of censorship in free speech row over old TV comedies
Ofcom has been accused of censorship by TV bosses amid a row over the airing of old TV comedies. Smaller TV channels have said the regulator's powers can disproportionately affect them as the prospect of even a single fine for a breach of rules could put them out of business. Campaigners have slammed the 'lottery' of rules for old classics including Carry On films such as Carry On Regardless! Ofcom does not have a list of banned words or phrases, but those in the industry have criticised its guidelines for changing frequently with little rhyme or reason. Responding to criticism, Ofcom this month released a statement denying any censorship, and insisting broadcasters had editorial independence to decide what they air. Jonathan Moore, chief executive of RewindTV, told the Telegraph the response 'blatantly ignores' the reality of broadcasting, and is calling for old TV favourites to have special protections under the code. Mr Moore said: 'Many broadcasters live in permanent fear of falling foul of Ofcom guidelines – small companies could fold if they're hit with a fine and so, inevitably, they are forced to take a 'safety-first' approach when it comes to censorship. 'That means more and more content ends up cut, damaging the authenticity of classic shows needlessly.' He would like to see a 'presumption of innocence' implemented which would protect companies if something offensive was broadcast in an isolated incident, but would punish repeat offenders. RewindTV is among a number of channels including Talking Pictures TV and That's TV that have built up modest but loyal audiences through their slate of nostalgic hits. But it means much of their content contains offensive or outdated views and language. In an example of the type of minefield broadcasters face, a recent showing of the 1983 comedy Brass starring Timothy West saw the word 'queer' cut from the edit, but 'nancy boys' and 'pansies' were left in. Mr Moore has argued that viewers of his RewindTV are far more likely to know exactly the type of content they will be viewing that if it was broadcast in primetime slots on major channels. He told the paper: 'The chances of our viewers being upset by shows such as Doctor in the House or Carry On Laughing are small – they are far more likely to take umbrage at the sort of adult language that is now the norm on mainstream broadcasters. 'But it's not appropriate for us to dictate to those broadcasters' audiences any more than it is appropriate for others to dictate to our audience.' A spokesman for Ofcom said: 'Ofcom is not a censor. Freedom of expression is at the heart of our broadcasting rules – and these rules do not prevent the broadcast of content that may be offensive or controversial to some audiences. 'Each broadcaster has editorial freedom to decide the type of programmes or films it airs.'
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lester Holt Ends 10-Year Run as ‘NBC Nightly News' Anchor With Hopeful Sign-Off: ‘Facts Matter, Words Matter, Journalism Matters and You Matter'
Lester Holt delivered his final report as 'NBC Nightly News' anchor Friday after 10 years at the desk, leaving viewers with words of gratitude and optimism. Holt, 66, earlier this year announced that he would be leaving 'Nightly' this summer. But he's not leaving the network: Going forward, he plans to devote himself full time to NBC News' 'Dateline,' which he has anchored since 2011. More from Variety Lester Holt Will Exit NBC's 'Nightly,' but Not News: 'I Still Had Gas in the Tank' NBC News Uses Kentucky Derby for New Swing at Sports Coverage NBC News Changes Washington Bureau Chief: Chloe Arensberg Succeeds Ken Strickland 'As anchor, it has been an honor to lead this program and an honor to be welcomed into your homes,' Holt told viewers on his last broadcast. 'I'm so grateful for your trust around here. Around here, facts matter, words matter, journalism matters and you matter.' He continued, 'Over the last decade, we have shared some dark and harrowing days and nights from our country — the pandemic, mass shootings, natural disasters — each testing our resilience and our compassion. It's why I often like to leave you with something to smile about, moments that reassure and connect us. I'll miss our evenings together, and I will miss the team that puts it all together, my dear friends and my colleagues. But for now, I just want to say thank you to my incredibly supportive and patient family and all of you.' On a programming note, Holt said Tom Llamas will make his debut as 'NBC Nightly News' anchor on Monday, June 2. 'I wish Tom great success,' he said. SEE ALSO: At the end of the broadcast, surrounded by the show's staffers, Holt again delivered his signature parting words: 'For all of us at 'NBC Nightly News,' goodnight, so long. Please take care of yourself and each other.' Amid raucous applause from his colleagues, Holt then got a bit choked up, saying, 'Oh my goodness. It has been quite a ride. Thanks, everybody.' (Watch his full sign-off below.) Holt was named anchor of 'NBC Nightly News' in June 2015, taking over duties after the controversial exit of his predecessor, Brian Williams. Previously, Holt anchored the weekend editions of 'NBC Nightly News' for eight years and co-anchored 'Weekend Today' for 12 years. Prior to becoming co-anchor of 'Weekend Today' in 2003, Holt anchored 'Lester Holt Live,' a daily news show on MSNBC and served as a primary anchor for the cable network's coverage of major news events. Holt came to MSNBC after 14 years at CBS's Chicago station WBBM, where he served as the afternoon and evening news anchor. After studying government at California State University in Sacramento, he began his television journalism career as a reporter at WCBS in New York in 1981. The following year he moved to Los Angeles to report for KCBS (then KNXT) before returning to WCBS in 1984. Watch Holt's parting message to 'Nightly News' viewers and a supercut of his coverage over the years: Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is ITV the best FTSE bargain stock about today?
ITV (LSE:ITV) has often looked like a dirt-cheap FTSE stock to me, and I've tried to talk myself into investing (possibly out of nostalgia for shows like Heartbeat and A Touch of Frost!). But when I check in every few months to review the share, it's gone nowhere. Not much has changed on this front. The share price is up 1% in 12 months and down 1% over five years. Not great drama then, though someone who invested four years ago would be down by 38%. Yet I can still see the appeal. There's a well-supported 6.3% dividend yield on offer, and the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 7.7 is very undemanding. Indeed, it could prove to be an outright bargain if investors start reassessing the broadcaster's prospects. Let's take a closer look. Like one of its two-part dramas, ITV is split into two businesses. There's the Media & Entertainment unit, which houses its broadcasting (traditional TV channels) and streaming (ITVX) operations. This earns money primarily through advertising. The other part is ITV Studios, which is its production business. This creates content for both itself and third-party streaming companies like Disney, Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX), and Amazon Prime Video. For example, it made Rivals (Disney), Run Away (Netflix), and The Devil's Hour (Amazon Prime Video). And it licences out popular TV formats like I'm a Celebrity... and Love Island around the world. In Q1, Studios' revenue edged up 1% as it recovered from the Hollywood strikes, but the other division reported a 2% fall in ad revenue. Group revenue was down 1% to £875m. My view is that I like the Studios operation and think there's value in it. In fact, I'm surprised a content-hungry streaming giant hasn't swooped in and acquired it — or the whole company — by now. After all, ITV's enterprise value is £3.37bn. For context, Netflix plans to spend approximately $18bn (£13.3bn) on content this year alone! For me, these figures put into sharp focus what ITV is up against. Netflix has become the global TV channel and has ambitions to become a $1trn company by 2030. In contrast, ITV's revenue is forecast to rise by less than 2% this year. It's important to understand the competitive dynamics here. While Netflix's profits and content budget march upwards, traditional UK broadcasters are having to make cuts. For example, the wonderful BBC period drama Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light had to cut loads of planned scenes set outside due to budget constraints. Cast members had to take a pay cut to get it finished. Wolf Hall's director Peter Kosminsky said there is no way the BBC or ITV could afford to make Netflix's hit series Adolescence (too many paid extras, for one). I fear this will eventually show up in programming quality, cementing Netflix's dominance further. Recently, MPs suggested taxing streaming giants to save the UK TV industry from oblivion. This presents some regulatory risk for Netflix. While I'm broadly supportive of this, I'm also not keen to invest in an industry that might need saving by the government. Of course, ITV could be acquired, potentially creating decent returns from today's 78p. But I would rather consider investing in the disruptors (Netflix, Disney, or Amazon) than the disrupted. The post Is ITV the best FTSE bargain stock about today? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Ben McPoland has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Amazon and ITV. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Sign in to access your portfolio
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson makes decision on his future
NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson will return to the show for a 17th year this fall, calling seven hours of uninterrupted football every Sunday of the regular season. Hanson hosts the popular NFL show, which shows clips from every game in one medium, jumping around to show the best action, just behind every live broadcast. The 53-year-old has also one of the most recognizable voices in football, making his retention on the show a huge plus for NFL fans.
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Football and other premium TV being pirated at 'industrial scale'
A lack of action by big tech firms is enabling the "industrial scale theft" of premium video services, especially live sport, a new report research by Enders Analysis accuses Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft of "ambivalence and inertia" over a problem it says costs broadcasters revenue and puts users at an increased risk of Sutcliffe and Ollie Meir, who authored the research, described the Amazon Fire Stick - which they argue is the device many people use to access illegal streams - as "a piracy enabler".BBC News has contacted Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft for comment. The piracy problem Sports broadcasting is big business, with the total value of media rights across the world passing the $60bn (£44bn) mark last increasing cost of rights deals results in higher prices for fans at home, especially if they choose to pay for multiple services to watch their team play. To get round this, some resort to illegal streams of big say there are often multiple streams of individual events - such as high profile football games - each of which can have tens of thousands of people watching of big rights holders, Sky and DAZN, have previously warned piracy is causing a financial crisis in the broadcast industry. There is a risk for users Enders report says fans watching football matches, for instance, via illegal streams are typically providing information such as credit card details and email addresses, leaving them vulnerable to malware and phishing scams. Fire Stick in the firing line The researchers focussed on Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft. While Meta, the owner of Facebook, was criticised for being the source of adverts for illegal streams, the technology of the other three was blamed for the increase in Amazon Fire Stick is a major cause of the problem, according to the device plugs into TVs and gives the viewer thousands of options to watch programmes from legitimate services including the BBC iPlayer and are also being used to access illegal streams, particularly of live November last year, a Liverpool man who sold Fire Stick devices he reconfigured to allow people to illegally stream Premier League football matches was jailed. After uploading the unauthorised services on the Amazon product, he advertised them on man from Liverpool was given a two-year suspended sentence last year after modifying fire sticks and selling them on Facebook and WhatsApp. According to data for the first quarter of this year, provided to Enders by Sky, 59% of people in UK who said they had watched pirated material in the last year while using a physical device said they had used a Amazon fire Enders report says the fire stick enables "billions of dollars in piracy" overall. Depreciation of tech allows piracy to flourish The researchers also pointed to the role played by the "continued depreciation" of Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems, particularly those from Google and technology enables high quality streaming of premium content to devices. Two of the big players are Microsoft's PlayReady and Google's WidevineThe authors argue the architecture of the DRM is largely unchanged, and due to a lack of maintenance by the big tech companies, PlayReady and Widevine "are now compromised across various security levels".Mr Sutcliffe and Mr Meir said this has had "a seismic impact across the industry, and ultimately given piracy the upper hand by enabling theft of the highest quality content".They added: "Over twenty years since launch, the DRM solutions provided by Google and Microsoft are in steep decline."A complete overhaul of the technology architecture, licensing, and support model is needed. Lack of engagement with content owners indicates this a low priority." Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
