The Committee warns of a major public reaction against radio digital switchover, scheduled for 2015, unless the Government make the case for switchover and keep the public informed about its impact. There is 'public confusion and industry uncertainty' over radio switchover and concern that due to the lack of public information people are still buying analogue radios which will be out of date in a few years time. Retailers gave evidence stating that they are not getting adequate information on switchover plans so are unable to offer consumers accurate guidance when making purchases. The report also points out that car manufacturers are still fitting analogue radios in new cars and digital radios will not be fitted as standard in all cars until 2013.The radio switchover is contrasted with the television switchover programme, finding that the benefits of TV switchover were well understood, in contrast surveys show that the public are generally happy with the present FM radio system and with the range of programmes that are provided.The Committee recommends urgent steps on a range of actions including: providing a detailed plan for universal digital radio coverage including how it is to be funded; developing a policy for the long term use of FM; devising a help scheme for radio switchover financed by general taxation rather than the BBC licence fee; ensuring new digital car radios are fitted with a multi-standard chip to enable their use overseas; encouraging radio manufacturers and retailers to devise a sensible scrappage scheme for redundant analogue radios. It is also noted that the BBC and Government disagree over whether the cost of universal digital coverage of their national stations can be met under the current licence fee. The report says that it is essential that a 'firm and unambiguous' plan for funding the completion of build-out of the digital radio service is put in place as soon as possible. The report concludes reversing current policy would be unproductive given the amount of investment in digital radio already and while the switchover in 2015 is ambitious a change of target date is not favoured at this stage.

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this analysis of media law in the United Kingdom surveys the massively altered and enlarged legal landscape traditionally encompassed in laws pertaining to freedom of expression and regulation of communications. Everywhere, a shift from mass media to mass self-communication has put enormous pressure on traditional law models. An introduction describing the main actors and salient aspects of media markets is followed by in-depth analyses of print media, radio and television broadcasting, the Internet, commercial communications, political advertising, concentration in media markets, and media regulation. Among the topics that arise for discussion are privacy, cultural policy, protection of minors, competition policy, access to digital gateways, protection of journalists’ sources, standardization and interoperability, and liability of intermediaries. Relevant case law is considered throughout, as are various ethical codes. A clear, comprehensive overview of media legislation, case law, and doctrine, presented from the practitioner’s point of view, this book is a valuable time-saving resource for all concerned with media and communication freedom. Lawyers representing parties with interests in the United Kingdom will welcome this very useful guide, and academics and researchers will appreciate its value in the study of comparative media law.

A critical introduction to the key processes and contexts of social change in contemporary society, combining a thorough grounding of key theorists with hot topics such the media, the environment and new technologies - ideal for students across the social sciences.

. . . the authors succeed in presenting an excellent overview of the evolution of most of the general issues and challenges currently facing policymakers and regulators in virtually every area of the media industries. . . This volume will definitely be on my own required reading list the next time I teach a course in media policy and strategy. Richard Hawkins, Communications and Strategies This volume offers broad coverage of the economic and commercial issues involved in digital television in major regions and countries around the world. Regulators, executives and consultants in the broadcasting and communities sectors will find much of interest in the volume. It can also be useful additional reading for students in media or business studies. The bibliographies appearing at the end of each chapter will stimulate academic debate. Madely du Preez, Online Information Review Digital television is transforming both broadcasting and, as a result of convergence, the larger world of communications. The impending analogue switch-off will have a major impact on households all over the developed world. Digital Broadcasting considers the effects of digital television on the availability, price and nature of broadcast services in the Americas, Europe and Japan. It shows how this depends upon what platforms cable, satellite, fixed or wireless broadband countries have available for use and also upon government policies and regulatory interventions. The authors show how policies towards digital television are also closely linked with spectrum for example, whether to use spectrum released from analogue broadcasting for mobile communications or for broadcasting, including the newly developed mobile broadcasting. This is one of the key technological changes of the early 21st century and its development will affect many countries economies and societies. The book has an invaluably broad coverage of the economic and commercial issues involved in digital television in major regions and countries around the world. Regulators, executives and consultants in the broadcasting and communications sector will find much to engage them within the book. Researchers and academics of industrial and public sector economics will also find the book of great interest. Students in media studies or business courses can also use the book as additional reading.

Analogue Switch-off : A signal change in television, second report of session 2005-06, Vol. 2: Oral and written Evidence

TV White Space Communications and Networks summarizes the current state-of-the-art in this important aspect of wireless communication. Part One covers related technologies, while Part Two looks at policy, regulation and standardization issues. Part Three discusses the commercialization and potential applications of white space networks, rounding out a comprehensive book that provides a standard reference for those researching and commercializing white space networks. - Presents broad-ranging coverage of all the key issues in white space networks, including regulation, standards, technologies and commercial applications - Brings together an international group of experts to summarize the state-of-the-art - Builds on the results of the first trials of white space networks

It has become apparent that Northern Ireland feels left behind in UK broadcasting terms. Levels of production are comparatively low. Northern Ireland producers find it difficult to win commissions from the UK's major broadcast organisations. Digital switchover, already under way in some parts of the UK will not occur in Northern Ireland until 2012. Nor, since UTV remains strong enough to provide news in competition with the BBC, will Northern Ireland benefit from public money proposed for new independently funded news consortia. The evidence the Committee received confirms and demonstrates that Northern Ireland is the least well served of the UK's four nations in terms of network production that reflects and portrays its life and in the amount of network programming produced there. The Committee makes a number of recommendations to remedy this.

The landscape of the media is changing - and at an ever-increasing pace. New technologies are fast transforming the way we consume information, and the way we live our lives. New Technologies and the Media by Proffessor Gerard Goggin (University of Sydney) is an authoritative exploration of the impact of the internet, the iPad, and Wikileaks on contemporary news, journalism and broadcasting. Steering clear of technological jargon, this is a short, sharp, simple guide through this complex subject. This book is essential reading for all media students and researchers - and for anyone interested in getting to grips with the ways in which media is becoming a progressively more pervasive, intimate and powerful part of life in the 2010s. It engagingly examines the the issues raised by the presence of new technologies across news, television, internet and mobiles. Under discusson are: new audiences forming around user-generated content; the future of news and journalism; the rapid shape-shifting of broadcasting in the face of the internet; an explosion of devices; the viewer as "couch-commander"; blogging, social media and citizen journalism and public-service media; the cultural politics of digital cultures and technologies. Featuring fascinating case studies of modern phenomena such as the iPhone, this book examines current cutting-edge technologies by situating them within the broader context of communications and media history. Written by an expert in the field, it cuts through the controversial and confusing debate surrounding the use of new technologies in the media and gives a clear, considered account of the major issues involved. By accessibly introducing the key theories of technology, this book will equip its readers with a solid critical approach that they can use across their studies, invesitigations and work in media. It provides the tools needed by students and researchers to accurately analyse and effectively evaluate how new technologies shape, and are shaped by, media. New Technology and the Media offers an excellent insight into an important, exciting, expanding area of interest.

This book examines the economic, political, and technological forces that are shaping the future of broadcasting in advanced industrialized nations by comparing the transition from analog to digital TV in the US and Britain. Digital TV involves a major reordering of the broadcast sector that requires governments to rethink governance tools for the digital media era. By looking at how the transition is unfolding in these nations, the book uncovers the political underpinnings of the emerging governance regime for digital communications and explores the implications of the transition for the development of the Information Society in the US and Europe. The findings challenge much conventional wisdom about media deregulation and the globalization of communications. The transition to digital TV has not weakened but rather reinforced government control over broadcasting. Moreover, contrary to what many globalization theories would predict, it has reinforced preexisting differences in the organization of media across nations.

Have you ever looked at your latest personal computing device and wondered what comes next? Imagine a world where your next personal computing device is the last one that you would ever need to buy. Where you would never need to worry about operating systems, software patches, or viruses. Where you always had enough processing power, memory, storage, and top-of-the-line graphics. Where you could access all of the very best software applications, regardless of their platform. Where you had a constant connection to all your favourite digital services, and your battery lasted for days, perhaps even weeks, of full-on use. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, this is the world of the Stream Tone. A world that does not exist in some far off future; this could be, figuratively speaking, our world a mere five minutes from now. All that is needed to make it a reality is the creative convergence of certain technologies that are already available and in use today. Personal computing is changing from an old world of local services provided by local devices to a new world of remote Web-based services provided by cloud computing-based data centres. The STREAM TONE: The Future of Personal Computing? explores, in some detail, what might be required to make a comprehensive move to this exciting new world, and the many benefits that move could bring. This book not only attempts to make a thorough evaluation of the technology ecosystem that will be required to realise this future but also considers many of the implications of such a move. Along the way, it also discusses hundreds of currently-available technologies and how they could be used to help build this future. This book has an easy-going style that does not assume that the reader is some sort of egg head or rocket scientist. It should, therefore, be suitable for almost anyone that has an interest in what might come next in the world of personal computing. Most of the subject matter is explained in enough detail that even a technical novice should be able to understand what is being discussed. Website: www.TheStreamTone.com