New TV Boss creates early controversy

New ITV CEO

Adam Cozier has had a high profile career to date with FA and Royal Mail leadership catapaulting him into the news.
Like so many in the media firmament he's from an advertising background and knows the value of a brand, he's also got the inside track on UK soccer which can only help.
Not sure if he'll carry through the plan to make some ITV channels pay fayre
Many in the public consider he's not the guy for the job but perhaps it's a little early to say and perhaps he's really there to oversee its sale or split into two?


VoLAV seeking new Chairman.

The public service broadcasting lobby group VLV (Voice of the Listener and Viewer) is looking for a new chairman as Richard Lindley stands down, it's a role that needs the right person young enough to keep up with a challenging schedule but beyond the ambitions that many in the broadcast world harbour into their dotage - be great to see someone suitable installed quickly.

Fools and Horses keeps its West London Links
Although set in Peckham only Fools and Horses much of its filming was done inn and around Ealing, with Acton supplying the Nelson Mandela flats the recent prequel Rock and Chips Chiswick Town hall had a cameo role as Peckham town hall and filled the role admirably.
There's a load of Fools and Horses locations at this flickr site. It doesn't include the Ealing restaurant ' Noughts and Crosses (now sadly closed) that I remember discussing with the patron some time after he'd seen the programme on a airplane journey though.

Cadbury, ITV ,C4 Boss and my resource page

Cadbury's

Not sure how bad this is - should a US conglomerate own an iconic brand?
Has Kraft overpaid and will it mean a loss of jobs in UK and a deterioration in the marvelous confectionery that has been their hallmark for more than180 years.
Why is it that Quakers made all that stuff?
My answers
Perhaps, perhaps,
and departing from the Doris Day Stylee
Because ( according to this site) the god fearing people of that particular sect saw it as alternative to booze.


ITV
Another UK company that could be purchased by a foreign giant is ITV. Since Sky has lost its appeal (I'm talking about the ruling on the 19% holding in ITV not the feeble schedules) the commercial TV network looks to be once again in play. Expect a biggish outcry if it goes to a non-UK bidder.

C4 Boss
The new C4 boss is the little known (outside the industry) David Abraham who has been running the UK channels that include Dave and Blighty - seems he's got the commercial part sorted time will tell regarding C4's unique remit. Once there's a new ITV boss in place then thoughts will start moving to a Mark Thompson replacement at the BBC.

My Resource Page

I've started putting up some of the things I've worked on over the last 10 years or so as well as my branding stuff there'll be some gardening bits and business assignments too - if anyone can suggest simple HTML editor and add-ons to make it look nice please let me know.

BBC iPlayer arrives on Freesat viewers screens (some anyway)

I was interested to learn this week that Beta trials have started on delivery of iPlayer content to Freesat boxes (so far only the Humax variety).
Now it seems that this is really just about using the IP connection specified for Freesat boxes - but it is significant as it means free delivery of the sort of 'value add' that's only available through BT or Virgin at the moment.


Now it seems to me that this is the sort of news that leads me to believe we're close to the start of the next wave of change in how we (in the UK) consume our TV once viewers can easily tap into the world of video on the web TV will never be the same - the question is around how long it takes for it become critical.

Not all the world's TV markets are at the same state of maturity and Britain could put a claim in as the leader in terms of choice and technology.

Any way I've ordered my Homeplug adaptors and will be ready for trialling when the application becomes available on the Panasonic integrated Freesat TVs.

(it seems ITV won't be far behind either even if it's all running a bit behind schedule!)

Educating Archie - the ITV recovery?

There have been some positive things coming out of ITV of late - and the arrival of new broom Archie Norman as ITV chairman may yet herald a fight back.

Some of the things being spoken about could be good news but Archie is not a television man and surrounding himself with similarly minded bean counters does not answer all the structural problems ITV has.

Size - ITV is not big enough to have the momentum it needs to continue to create big scale entertainment and drama

Pay Platform - with ITV and its advertising paymasters it's been feast or famine of late the danger is that another feast could arrive before it addresses the issue of creating another viable revenue stream, it may alienate some of its older viewers but top notch programmes cost and some of its viewers could be lost without damaging the business.

Pension - ITV like so many UK businesses has a pension black hole - to attract partners/suitors its gong to have to deal with it.

and Brand..

Now once I've sorted it out I'm gong to add a broadcast brand page which will include links to my two Masters Dissertations (yes I've done two) which are around this theme - so you can see that branding is a subject close to my heart (as far as broadcasting goes) - in short without a brand proposition all broadcasters have is negotiated set of rights around some content. But and as J-Lo would say it's a big butt - the brand proposition needs a solid grounding and customers who buy into it. Even the best snake-oil salesman needs snake oil - ITV needs to provide a smorgasbord of telly, which is the dogs B*****s and as well as content that's the deal where the company gets out and shows it cares- so this is where Archie needs to deliver (he's a leader and a people person I've heard it said) - we'll see in a year's time.

Welcome to 2010

So to anyone chancing on this blog I would like to take this opportunity of wishing them and theirs a happy new year.

Three things that will be of particular interest this year.

1. There will be UK elections and a new government formed this is like to be a Conservative led administration and although this would not be my choice; for the sake or semblance of democracy it is necessary for power to change hands (or appear to) once in a while.

What is going to be historic in this election is the fact that the two main party leaders and Nick Clegg will have a TV forum to debate their vision - will this inform voters or change the outcome, time will tell? Much as TV in the House of Commons is now accepted I think such debates will become part of the firmament of our election process in the UK its so hard to get the genie back in the bottle!

2. The party that wins power will have the chance to reshape UK broadcasting - if the Tories win an overall majority SKY remains fairly safe to efforts to constrain it, this being an likely through the lessening of the power (or reform) of OFCOM, if the election is less clear cut there could be further restraints placed on SKY - soon the SKY appeal with respect to its ITV shareholding will release its judgment. So ITV and C4 will (secretly) be hoping that the Tories win is not too overwhelming- perhaps.

3. The UK economy will be 're-balanced' - over the last 10 years the UK experienced a period of unprecedented growth, this is over and the 'real' economy is expected to take up the load as tax revenues drop and the public service sector shrinks this will be both painful and have a revolutionary impact on our society, how this is handled will be key to the protection of those who are sadly within the most vulnerable groups.