Victims of Britain's Got Talent?

Article in the Observer this Sunday highlighted worries around TV shows that seek to get cheap laughs from hapless victims- seems that there are people on TV shows who are there just to make the others look good!

Not sure if it's pure sensationalism when commentators say that there'll be a death before something is done - anyway bit of a shock to realise that the only victims aren't just those folks who are watching.

Project Canvas gets something of an all clear and the press?

Change is the one constant in media and those who stand still get left behind (and other business clichés).


But and as Mr Lopez would say to his missus that's a big butt - there is some truth in it...


UK by a series of historic coincidences and accidents is able to make something of its media industries and the primacy of English as an international language; its broadcast market has benefited from consolidation in cable and a single large satellite operator, it has too the inordinate benefit of the BBC's scale and ambitions.



Project Canvas the means of allowing simple access to a wealth of audio visual content to the humble living room telly has cleared a major obstacle in terms of the OFT - others can try other means to delay uptake and commercial production of this new Set top box.


The new gov't I would hasten to bet though has bigger battles to fight than worry about some low level whingeing from Virgin and Sky and we must hope that this moves forward at a pace that provides sufficient momentum for our European neighbours to put together similar solutions.





On the subject of this story take a look here I like the graphic and the commentary is good.

And the Press

Is the traditional newspaper moving into oblivion? Are paid professional Journo's under threat (as opposed to threatened) this topic was under discussion earlier in the week on the BBC Radio 4 The Media show - as above it could happen faster than we expect.

Hunt and Vaizey expense comedians to run Broadcasting

It seems to me that this pair are far funnier than much of the so called TV comedy we have to put up with and I can't help thinking that Cameron has an edgier sense of humour than I realised.

The hilarious DCMS team for the new coalition government is to be a Liberal free zone run by the well off Mr Hunt (worth around £4m from PR business) who as an MP claimed 1p for a mobile phone call (loads more too) and Ed Vaizey who returned the cost of furniture claimed for his second home when it was found to be delivered to his primary habitat (and the furniture cost £2,000).

It will be interesting to see what they expect of the BBC in terms of expenses, the fact that even the right leaning Daily Telegraph considers the party has a 'dog's dinner' of policy on the corporation does not bode well for broadcasting policy.

The DCMS may well also have a battle with London's Mayor BloJo over its kite flying shot at the 2012 London Olympics as a target for cuts.

I would have thought amongst the ranks of the two parties we might have found some more trustworthy politicians to handle the care of broadcasting and our world beating broadcasters!

Cleggeron anyone? And Posh power

The overall effect of the Prime-ministerial TV debates seems to have been negligible in terms of advancing any of the three major parties but has (perhaps) increased voter turnout on Thursday and debate amongst the masses on politics .

Since the inconclusive result I have been hearing on the radio that the nation has decided and their collective decision is that no party should have an overall majority - I think I missed this option on my ballot form but anyway Cameron and Clegg are working on this and might be on course to cobble together a dog's dinner that suits them but perhaps not the electorate.

Headlines for the agreement being

More spending on schools

and

Electoral reform

How this addresses the record deficit I'm not sure?


Posh excursion

On Saturday I visited, with an old school friend The Royal Court Theatre (great theatre with super sausage rolls) to enjoy the impressive ensemble piece that is Posh.





Posh was written by Laura Wade and is expertly directed by Lyndsey Turner - some have labelled it an indictment of Boris, David and George and their membership of a certain club but I think, with a little light editing it could equally have been a play written about group of left-wing radicals - it was good fun but perhaps a little less of the 'agitprop' would have increased it's effect?

The other irritiation was trying to work out the time the play was set - some things indicated 10-15 years ago others (like the smoking ban) indicated a more recent date.

End to uncertainty?

it appears that there are business decisions that are on hold waiting for the outcome of Thursdays UK election - these go from major infrastructure programmes to office moves, there is a danger (for business) that the election will not bring a clear end to the Blair years.

The site of a tired and out of sorts Brown is not going to win the Labour party votes particularly when the alternative (or alternatives) is a relatively charismatic and charming upper middle class man (or men if you include Nick Clegg),Will this sway me when I vote for my local MP on Thursday - no, I will choose the candidate I trust and the party I trust.

Will it mean that we have a clear mandate for a new government? To be honest I don't know and that is not really my job, I can not second guess what others will do but I plan to exercise my democratic prerogative and vote.

I hope that it means the major projects planned will go ahead (but not new Heathrow runway) and ITV can get the changes it wants- it's going to be quite a week.