Voice of the Listener & Viewer

Working for Quality and DiversityBulletin in Broadcasting Winter 2007/2008 Issue 91

The Future for Broadcast News Broadcasting, Scotland in a Broadband/Digital Environment and the Future? The Scottish Storytelling Centre, VLV’s 25th Annual Spring Conference 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh Wednesday, 23 April 10.15am – 4.00pm Thursday 1 May 2008, 2pm

The Royal Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London SW1 The Scottish Broadcasting investigative reporting are under SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Commission is threat. Staff and resources have examining the current Helen Boaden, Director of BBC News been cut at BBC News. ITV has state of television Dorothy Byrne, Head of Channel 4 News and reduced its coverage of the production and Current Affairs nations and regions. Channel 4 has broadcasting in Simon Bucks, Assistant Editor, Sky News bravely increased its output of Scotland with the aim Simon Bucks Clive Edwards, Executive Editor, BBC Television current affairs in the past two of defining a strategic Ceri Thomas, Editor of Radio 4’s Today years but will it be able to maintain its quality and way forward for the Kevin Sutcliffe, Editor of Channel 4’s Dispatches range in the face of a predicted future funding industry. The Roger Graef, Chief Executive, Films of Record deficit? Sky provides a highly respected news service Commission is looking at the economic, Nigel Chapman, Director, BBC World Service but bears no obligation either Dorothy Byrne cultural and democratic importance of Hosam El Sokkari, Head of Arabic Services, to continue it or to maintain its broadcasting to contemporary Scotland and is BBC World Service present broad agenda. So what due to present its final report in Summer ITV News & Tonight, tbc does the future hold for news and 2008. But what do viewers and listeners want are among leading commissioners and editors current affairs? This conference from broadcasting in and for Scotland? How who will speak at VLV’s 25th annual spring will provide a unique opportunity might news and current affairs contribute to a conference in London on 23rd April. to explore the options better informed and engaged Scottish Ceri Thomas • Conference starts at 10.30am electorate, especially among young adults. Among the issues they will consider will be the (coffee and registration from Voice of the Listener & Viewer – impact on the quality, range, traditional 10.15am). Young and Old- asks what the future holds. scheduling and delivery of news and current • Session one will look at Keynote speaker Blair Jenkins (photo above), affairs programmes in the post-switchover Reporting the Nations & Chair, Scottish Broadcasting Commission broadband/digital environment. Regions, the UK and World VLV believes that free Events. For more information and tickets, please access to impartial, high • Session two at 11.45am, contact the VLV office or Dr Matthew Hibberd, quality news is essential for at the Role and Future for Department of Film, Media & Journalism, an informed and active Current Affairs. University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA. Helen citizenship; a central plank of Boaden • Session three at 3pm at British democracy. Now, the World Service and STOP PRESS as rolling news services Reporting the World and new forms of Nigel to the World. Chapman delivery make it VLV Evening Seminar possible for people to For more information please contact with the Culture Secretary access a variety of [email protected] news sources at times Postponed from 4 March Call: 01474 352835 of their own choosing, VLV members will be aware that we had arranged or visit: www.vlv.org.uk traditional bulletins and with the former Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, The Right Hon James Purnell MP to speak at a VLV evening seminar at Inside The Palace of Westminster on 4 March. The invitation has been transferred to the Changes at the Top Future of Radio Letters new Secretary of State the Right Hon Andy Burnham MP. New Secretary of State Editor’s Message Competition However as we go to press we are unable to VLV 2007 Awards Public consultations Diary Dates confirm the new date. Please watch the VLV website or telephone Student Essay Competition Freesat Leonard Bernstein Evening the office for details: 01474 352835.

ISSN 1475-2948 Changes at the Top

Some 50 members attended the 5th Annual documents such as Building Public Value, and the Voice of the Listener & Viewer General Meeting of Voice of the Listener & 2006 broadcast Manchester Passion. His thesis is Working for Quality and Diversity in British Broadcasting Viewer Ltd at the Royal National Hotel, Bedford the culmination of a long-standing interest in the VLV Patrons Way, London WC1, on Thursday, 29th November relationship between the media and evolving ideas Lord Barnet PC JP 2007 at 4.00pm, following the autumn of citizenship and democracy, a focus of his work Archbishop Lord Eames of Armagh conference. for the past few years. His other research interests Sir Francis Graham-Smith FRS The chairman’s and treasurer’s reports were include democratic theory, media regulation, and Lord Inglewood MEP accepted and there were no special resolutions. the politics of popular music. Sir Charles Mackerras, KT, CBE ELECTION OF OFFICERS Laurence worked with VLV as an intern in 2006 and 2007, and has contributed to several recent Dame Mary Peters DBE Graeme Colin Thompson, Lord Phillips of Sudbury OBE VLV documents and responses. These include VLV’s who had served as Honorary Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE responses to Ofcom’s consultation document Treasurer since 2002, was due Lady Solti ‘The Future of Radio’, the House of Lords Select to retire, having completed two Lord Thomson of Monifieth KT PC Committee inquiry into media ownership and terms in office, and wished to Sir John Tusa news, and the BBC Trust’s consultation on the do so. A warm vote of thanks BBC’s public purposes and public service remits. Directors was passed for the help he had He holds a BA in The Politics and Sociology of Jocelyn Hay CBE (Hon Chairman) given VLV during his tenure. Contemporary Culture, and an MA in Cultural Hugh Peltor CBE (Hon Treas.) Hugh Peltor was appointed Dr Matthew HIbberd Politics. He lives in Essex. Robert Clark Honorary Treasurer in his place. Professor Ivor Gaber Jocelyn Hay, Honorary Chairman, having been Hugh Peltor CBE Norman Green elected in 2006 for two years, was not due to Hugh Peltor served for 35 Professor Brian Groombridge stand down but gave notice that she wished to years in the Royal Navy, Professor Sonia Livingstone do so during the coming year. much of his early time in Professor Máire Messenger Davies, PhD, FRSA, There were three vacancies on the Board to submarines when he Laurence Pawley which Laurence Pawley and Lewis Rudd were commanded the diesel Lewis Rudd MBE unanimously appointed. At their subsequent meeting submarine HMS ACHERON Warren Newman in January the Board co-opted Dr Matthew Hibberd and the Polaris submarine Company Secretary (above) as VLV’s representative in Scotland, replacing HMS RESOLUTION. Waterlow Registrars Ltd Robert Beveridge. Later he commanded the Lewis Rudd Guided Missile Destroyer The Voice of the Listener Trust HMS GLAMORGAN. Lewis Rudd MBE (reg charity 296207) On his retirement in worked in ITV for more VLV’s sister charity 1991 Hugh was appointed CBE and became than 40 Years. He joined which supports VLV’s educational work Director of the British Radio and Electronic Acting Chairman: Professor Sylvia Harvey Granada as a graduate Equipment Manufacturers Association (BREMA), Hon Secretary: Jocelyn Hay CBE trainee after leaving a London based trade association representing the Trustees: Oxford, and then spent consumer electronics industry. The promotion and Michael Barton five years as a researcher development of digital technology for radio and John Clark and producer in Current television were the main priorities working with Lady Solti Affairs (including This Government, the broadcasters, retail industry Dr Andrew Taussig Week) at Rediffusion. and the CBI. He spent much time in Brussels He subsequently was in charge of children's VLV office hours: addressing trade policy and consumer protection programmes at various companies, including 9.30am - 5.00pm Mon-Thurs issues. He retired in 2004. Central Television and Carlton Television. His Hugh is a Fellow of the Royal Television programmes included Magpie, Rainbow, Worzel Voice of the Listener & Viewer Ltd (VLV) Society, a Younger Brother of Trinity House and Gummidge, and Wise Up. Lewis was also Executive represents the citizen and consumer President of the local Sea Cadet Unit. Doreen Producer of the Glyndebourne operas and a interests in broadcasting and works for and he have been married 42 years, have three number of peak-time dramas, including quality and diversity in British broadcasting. sons and three grandchildren and live in North Goodnight, Mr Tom. He is a Fellow of the Royal VLV is free from political, sectarian and West London. commercial affiliations. VLV is concerned Television Society, and has received lifetime with the issues, structures, institutions achievement awards from the RTS and BAFTA. He Executive Director and regulation that underpin the British and his wife Joan live in Wiltshire. Peter Blackman, who joined VLV as Executive broadcasting system and in particular Laurence Pawley Director in June 2006, left at the end of October to maintain the principles of public Laurence Pawley is currently 2007. His time with VLV covered the final stages service in broadcasting. of the granting of the new BBC Charter and the VLV does not handle complaints. a doctoral candidate and undergraduate tutor at licence fee settlement, as well as VLV’s campaign Goldsmiths College, University on the crisis in children’s television. Design & Production He continues to support the aims of VLV. High Profile Ltd, Tel: 01474 533077 of London. His thesis (which Published by Voice of the Listener & Viewer Ltd, is supported by the Economic We thank Peter for all he did for VLV and wish A private company limited by guarantee and Social Research Council) him well for the future. (Registered in England number 4407712) seeks to perform an analysis VLV is advertising for a new Executive Registered address: of contemporary interventions Director; applications should be sent to the 101 Kings' Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BQ. in citizenship theory, and operates through a case Chairman, marked confidential, at the VLV Tel: 01474 352835 Fax: 01474 351112. E-mail: [email protected] study of policy and programming within the BBC. Gravesend office in Gravesend. See page 5 Website: www.vlv.org.uk More specifically, this focuses on policy for full details.

2 Bulletin Winter 07/08 Working for Quality and Diversity in Broadcasting Letters to the Editor Letters do not necessarily represent the views of the Association and may be shortened for publication. THE BBC Editor’s note: Unfortunately the satellite channels rather than being the ‘voice of the customers’ – Richard Lindley in an article about Panorama (7 Jan) are commercially funded and depend on advertising by whose licence they all exist. made important points: not only did he reassure us for their viability. UK History was replaced by Dave Leonard White, Sussex that there is still hope for a creative and responsible after 6pm, a channel aimed at young male viewers. future with this programme; he also cited a After one month it became the 10th most popular AN EASY GUIDE TO DIGITAL measurement – the AI or Appreciation Index – more channel in the UK with an audience of more than Can I recommend that readers who want to know more usually kept secret, whose result in this case was three million. If you wish to complain about the about digital take advantage of a free offer by ‘Which’? extremely favourable. An average score he reports, of change, however, you should contact: UK TV, Viewer Their ‘Easy Guide to Digital TV’ will answer many of our 79 for Panorama, is well above the average of other Liaison, 160 Great Portland Street, London W1W members’ questions about current digital technology programme genres. This deserves particular 5QA. Or telephone: 0845 734 4355. and what equipment to buy. It is free. You just need to congratulation given that the programme has call ‘Which’ on 0800 432 0022 attracted younger viewers, who have always been BBC iPLAYER Bob Fletcher, Ashford, Kent It is a problem that the PC version of the BBC iPlayer parsimonious in their Appreciation marking. Editor’s note: We agree and recommend this uses ‘peer-to-peer’ file sharing technology. The feature most useful guide. The BBC must of course look at “the ratings” (the can be turned off, but I do think the BBC ought to come audience sizes, by which the advertising marketers completely clean about this, state what they are doing evaluate commercially broadcast programmes) but OFCOM AND LOCAL RADIO CONTENT up front, and let the user decide. Frankly, there is no it must maximise “reach” and above all strive for Following Ofcom’s recent consultation on the future of benefit to the user that I can understand for allowing Appreciation averages. What is more, this radio, I would like to know what activities Ofcom has such bandwidth sharing. It is a very attractive undertaken to understand citizen views on what information should systematically be made available mechanism for hackers to exploit and, should this be constitutes ‘fakery’ in radio broadcasting, in terms of co- to the public and should thus influence how achieved, it could cost the BBC hugely in regards to loss locating stations or broadcasting ‘local’ news from a broadcasting is assessed across the board. of public trust. The BBC is running a big risk doing this. remote news hub (without making this clear to listeners) Mallory Wober PhD, London Adrian Pickering, Southampton networking programmes which are presented as though How sad to read in your bulletin of the sale of the BBC they are being locally produced, and automating Resources division – how can they possibly manage VLV AUTUMN CONFERENCE programmes whilst giving the appearance that these are without it and does this mean buying in their needs I’m so sorry I missed the Autumn Conference but good being presented live – and often at the same time inviting which will entail more expense? Surely an organisation luck with all your current and future projects. Public listener input which has no chance of being incorporated as large as the BBC would require this back-up and Service broadcasting certainly needs as much support into the current broadcast. Ofcom’s recent ruling on local won’t this now mean a watering down of the excellent as we can give it. content seems to have weakened rather than programmes we have enjoyed? Economise at all costs Dr Paula Knight, London SE9 strengthening the previous rules. but this seems to be a regressive cutback. Clive Johnson, by email. Freda Tomlin, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands I am sorry I have not been able to attend meetings recently. I would very much have liked to hear what Sir Deadline for next issue: HOW TO COMPLAIN Michael Lyons has to say and in particular to know why Roger Bolton on the Sunday 27th January ‘Feedback’ he and the Trust have been so weak in going along with 1 April, 2008 programme invited comments on the BBC Information the excuses the BBC have been making for long Write, fax or e-mail your letters to the Editor at: Programme Team, including how to complain to the contracts and over-paying certain free-lance ‘talent’. [email protected] Management Board. Web and e-mail addresses were The Trust appear to be doing a PR job for the BBC given and a telephone number should anyone wish to phone. The deadline for comment was 31st January. I am amongst the over 50% of the UK population that is not computer literate. I have telephoned this number Vacancy for Executive Director eight times over two days at various times. Each time I have heard: ‘The number you called is busy’. Part-time, short term contract with potential for renewal Maybe you will let me know how I can complain to the BBC Management Board? (Editors note - See panel below). A small but highly influential campaigning body which represents The successful candidate D V Wilson, Edinburgh the citizen and consumer interests in broadcasting and new media will require: is seeking an experienced Executive Director to work with the COMPLAINING TO THE BBC • Experience of managing Honorary Chairman and Board to develop the organisation and Telephone: 08700 010 0222 volunteers and of working in expand its services. Textphone: 08700 010 0212 the voluntary sector or for a Write to: BBC Complaints, PO Box 1922, Glasgow Voice of the Listener & Viewer (VLV) is a non-charitable, private membership organisation; G2 3WT. company limited by guarantee (registered no. 4407712). Some of • Proven leadership, COMPLAINING TO OFCOM VLV’s charitable activities are supported by its sister charity, Telephone: 020 7981 3000 or 030 123 3000 The Voice of the Listener Trust (registered no. 296207). management, financial and Textphone: 020 7981 3043 or 030 123 2024 administrative skills; VLV holds up to a dozen public events on topical subjects each year in Write to: Ofcom, Riverside House, 2a Southwark • Good communication skills, Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA. London, Wales and Scotland. It lobbies and campaigns on broadcasting issues, produces regular briefings and a quarterly news bulletin, and is including excellent verbal and If you do not get satisfaction, we suggest you write written English; directly to Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of the in frequent touch with Government, MPs, broadcasters, regulators, BBC Trust, 35 Marylebone High Street, London W1U academics and other consumer bodies. • The ability to mix easily with 4AA. Or to Lord Currie, Chairman of Ofcom, Riverside The position is for three months in the first instance. a wide variety of people from House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA. different backgrounds; The Executive Director will be required to: FREEVIEW • An all-round knowledge of Do you think that Freeview Digital subscribers such as me Support the Honorary Chairman and Board of Directors in the strategic and developmental management of the organisation; co-ordinate the broadcasting would be an are gradually to receive fewer and fewer programmes? A advantage but not essential. few months ago ‘Bright Ideas’ disappeared from Freeview company’s external relationship programme and develop and execute strategies for fund-raising and membership recruitment across the UK. and then ‘UK TV History’ was reduced to the hours of 7am Salary and hours negotiable. to 6pm for free viewers. Who are we to protest to? Please send a CV to: The position is supported by the Could you please let us have a telephone number as Esmée Fairbairn Foundation many of us do not have computers? Thank you for all The Chairman, Voice of the Listener and Viewer Ltd, 101 Kings’ that you do. Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BQ and mark all applications confidential. VLV is an equal opportunities employer Daniel J. Knight, Middlesex

Winter 07/08 Bulletin 5 Working for Quality and Diversity in Broadcasting New Secretary of State VLV’s 2007 Awards for Culture, Media and Sport for Excellence in The Rt Hon Andy Burnham was appointed Culture Mr Burnham was appointed the Chief Secretary following the Cabinet re-shuffle in Secretary to the Treasury in June 2007 after Broadcasting January. He replaced the Rt Hon James Purnell serving as Minister of State for Delivery and who became Secretary of State for Work and Reform at the Department of Health. He was Howard Goodall will Pensions following the resignation of Peter Hain. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for present VLV’s 2007 Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality at the Awards for Home Office from 2005 to 2006. Excellence in He was elected to Parliament in June 2001 Broadcasting at as the MP for Leigh and has served as 1.45pm during the Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Spring Conference Blunkett at the Home Office, and to Ruth Kelly on 23 April. The at the Department for Education and Skills. entries have been He was also a member of the Health Select short-listed and the Committee from 2001 to 2003. final voting forms Earlier in his career, Mr Burnham was enclosed with this Special Adviser to Chris (now Lord) Smith at Bulletin provide a unique opportunity for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in members to reward those broadcasters and 1998, and later worked as a researcher for Lord programme makers they value most. Make Smith’s successor Tessa Jowell MP. He was also sure you use it! Administrator for the Football Task Force. Howard was the winner of VLV’s Special Mr Burnham was educated in Merseyside Award for Educational Broadcasting introduced and later gained an MA in English at Fitzwilliam last year in memory of Naomi Sargant. He was College, Cambridge. He is 38, married to Marie- also appointed Ambassador for Singing in 2007 France van Heel and they have three children. to lead a £40 million programme to improve He is an avid supporter of Leigh Centurions singing in primary schools. Rugby League Club and Everton Football Club. Howard is a prolific composer, conductor The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP and broadcaster whose music will be familiar to many through the theme tunes he has written for television shows such as Blackadder, Mr Bean, the Catherine Tate Show and the Vicar of Dibley, and from several series he VLV Student Essay Competition 2008 presented on Channel including, most recently, How Music Works. His composition O Lord God, in association with Channel 4 Time and Eternity was performed at the Service of Remembrance for the Iraq War at St Paul’s Subject: Do citizens and consumers need different things Cathedral in 2003 and his Eternal Light: a from their communications environment, Requiem will receive its world premiere at Sadlers’ Wells Theatre later this year. or is this a meaningless distinction?

Broadcasting is changing rapidly: digital switchover is already under way, different forms of delivery are converging, a more competitive environment is threatening all the terrestrial The Future of Radio broadcasters and more and more people are creating their own content through podcasts, Digital radio (DAB) was first launched in webcasts, vlogs and blogs. How are these changes affecting the needs of citizens and consumers? the UK by the BBC in 1995. When the first Voice of the Listener & Viewer (VLV) invites entries for its commercial licences were later advertised 2008 Student Essay Competition, held in association with some companies invested heavily at local Channel 4, from students studying for a UK registered and national level. The take-up was undergraduate or postgraduate degree or similar professional/ relatively slow and many readers will have academic qualifications. seen that GCap, one of the major investors, Winning entrants at undergraduate and postgraduate levels is now withdrawing from digital because it will each receive a cash prize of £500. The two winners and the feels there is no future for DAB. More than two runners-up will also each have the opportunity for two weeks’ 6 million people use DAB, however, and both work experience with a leading television production company. the BBC and Channel 4 have said they will Entries can be submitted either as a written essay of up to continue to support their DAB stations. 2,000 words or as a short video or radio feature of no more One of the problems is that Britain, which than 10 minutes in length. was a pioneer in DAB, continues to use the original technology. Other counties have Full details and an entry form, which must be completed, moved on and the early sets will not work with are available at www.vlv.org.uk or in writing, enclosing the new systems. an sae, from VLV, 101 King’s Drive, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 If you are buying a DAB radio, therefore, 5BQ. The closing date for entries is Friday, 30 May 2007. be careful to check that it is future proof There is no entry fee. and can receive the new DAB2.

Winter 07/08 Bulletin 3 Editorial Comment - VLV contributing to three high level policy forums

The growing outside Switch-over, of which VLV has been a member (or of are not able to access subscription or niche recognition of the work that one of its predecessors) for more than 10 years. Leen services, will be left only with those which target VLV does in representing the Petrie of the RNIB and VLV Board member Robert the most profitable audiences. interests of listeners and Clark are outnumbered more than ten to one by VLV’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR viewers as citizens and industry representatives, yet the Group is officially That’s why, as we embark on our 25th year, I consumers is well reflected in described as ‘This industry and consumer-based body’. am so proud of what VLV has done and conscious the fact that VLV is now NEW CONVERGENCE THINK TANK of the challenges ahead. Some of our priorities in represented on three high VLV has also been invited to join the Convergence 2008 will be the future for public service level policy-making groups. Think Tank set up by the former Culture Secretary, broadcasting, continuing issues surrounding digital Almost exceptionally so, for at many of the James Purnell, just before he left the DCMS. The CTT’s switch-over (for television and radio), the meetings and conference attended by VLV, our aim is ‘to look at convergence and the possible contribution that broadcasting makes to the arts people, surrounded by predominately paid trade impacts, challenges and opportunities that and to children’s lives, and for the need for every and industry employees with more sectional convergence may have for industry, consumers and listener and viewer to be media literate if they are interests to promote, are the only volunteers citizens’. Professor Sonia Livingstone represents VLV to reap the benefits that new technology is present to speak on behalf of those who actually and attended its first meeting on 7 February. bringing. Our focus will be on all the terrestrial use the services. It takes skill, experience and time, Sometimes members ask why we bother with broadcasters, but on the BBC and Channel 4 in and we are extremely grateful for the generous these high policy activities – including at European particular. Over the next five years, the future of way our volunteers undertake this work on behalf level – when all they are interested in are the the Corporation’s licence fee funding and the of ‘ordinary’ citizens and consumers without the programmes. But we have to accept that unless status of Channel 4 are essentially at risk. We have backing of a large administrative staff. we do, the funding and regulation that govern the a duty to defend them. NEW RADIO WORKING GROUP kinds of programmes that get made and when The new Radio Working Group set up by the they are scheduled, will be dictated solely by DCMS and Ofcom is a case in point. The RWG has commercial interests. Much of the ethos of public just two consumer representatives, drawn from the service could be lost and many of those who, for CEG Ministerial Consumer Advisory Group on Digital reasons of poverty, remote location or disability,

VLV involvement in public consultations Freesat to be Launched in the Spring VLV has recently contributed to a number of • VLV is engaged in responding to Ofcom’s consultation As members will know, VLV has been consultations by Ofcom, the BBC Trust and the on its Draft Annual Plan for 2008/9. We are concerned campaigning since 2004 for a genuinely free- House of Lords Communications Committee at the paucity of input from other civic organisations to-air digital satellite service along the lines of and others. and at the lack of a clear statement from Ofcom on Freeview, the digital terrestrial television (DTT) service. We are therefore delighted to hear that • In December there was the consultation by the BBC what it considers citizens’ interests to be. VLV is Freesat, the new free-to-air digital satellite Trust into the BBC’s Online Services and Ofcom’s again surprised to note the lack of information about television service is to be launched by the BBC consultation on the Future of Children’s Television. the activities of the Content Board and recommends and ITV in the spring. It will also include VLV recommended that Ofcom should give a that it be given more power, including the power to Channel 4, Five, S4C and many other commercial designated official responsibility for children’s intervene in programme matters such as news, media and public service channels, including radio. It output and require satellite services targeting young ownership and children’s programmes. will be available to viewers across the UK but of British viewers to invest a percentage of their • VLV is currently preparing submissions on the future particular benefit to those who are outside the profits in original UK content. of broadcasting and the creative industries in Scotland present range of DTT’s Freeview. Freesat’s other to the Scottish Broadcasting Commission and to the • VLV submitted a response to the House of Lords advantage is that it will have much greater European Commission on the Application of State Communications Committee’s inquiry into Media capacity for interactivity and the bandwidth Aid Rules to Public Service Broadcasting, which could ownership and News in December and in January necessary for high definition (HD) programming, affect the future funding of he BBC via the licence fee. Jocelyn Hay, Ivor Gaber and John Clark were invited now becoming so popular. to give oral evidence. They made a second Copies of VLV responses are available on its We hope to have more details in the next submission in February. website www.vlv.org.uk Bulletin but for the latest information please visit • In January VLV responded to Ofcom’s Consultation or in return for a large SAE. the Freesat website: www.freesat.co.uk. on the Future of Digital Terrestrial TV in the UK, saying that Ofcom was planning too early and too comprehensive a sell-off of analogue frequencies and that the transmission standards it was setting If you’re buying a new TV set... for High Definition television were too low. ...make sure you get one that is able to receive digital services by looking • In February, VLV responded to the BBC Trust’s for the digital tick. Also make sure it’s High Definition (HD) ready. consultation on the future of Gaelic Television and And check that it’s energy efficient with Ricability, the Consumer Research also to one on how the BBC handles complaints. Centre, which has tested more than 100 digital appliances for energy efficiency VLV found the procedures generally acceptable but and value for money. Visit www.ricability-digitaltv.org.uk. is concerned that there no longer seems to be a The difference for stand-by power usage varies hugely on different models - way to register complaints about technical from 0.2 watts per hour to 3.86 watts on some digital TV sets and between standards and that the procedures for solving 1.53 watts and 15.2 watts on set-top boxes. complaints are inadequate.

4 Bulletin Winter 07/08

Advertisements Diary Dates Please refer to VLV when responding to advertisements. VLV Ltd cannot accept any liability or complaint in regard to the following offers. The charge for classified advertisements is 30p per word, 20p for Tuesday, 4 March members. Please send typed copy with a cheque made payable to VLV Ltd. For display space please VLV Evening Seminar with Culture contact Linda Forbes on 01474 352835. Secretary - postponed (new date tbc) Voice of the Listener Trust invites you to enjoy Sunday, 9 March Leonard Bernstein & the Joy of VLV Gift Membership Leonard Bernstein Music, a presentation by Rodney and the Joy of Music Greenberg with the BBC Elstree Give VLV membership as a gift to a friend Just fill out the coupon Presented by Emmy Award-winning Concert Band in aid of The Voice of or relative. We will add an appropriate below and state which producer and director Rodney Greenberg the Listener Trust greetings card and a FREE copy of the publication and card BBC Maida Vale Studios, London W9 A multimedia presentation celebrating the dynamic Leonard 3 – 5pm Radio or TV User’s Guide worth £5.95. type you would prefer. Bernstein and his glittering career on Broadway. Featuring videos, recordings, piano solos and songs from ‘West Side Story’. Wednesday, 23 April With VLV 25th Spring Conference: The BBC Elstree Concert Band The Future for Broadcast News conducted by Andrew Morley in a Broadband/Digital Environment Sunday 9 March 2008 at 3pm Royal Geological Society, Piccadilly, BBC Maida Vale Studios, London SW1 Delaware Rd, London W9 2LG 10.15 – 4pm by kind permission of the BBC. Nearest tube stations Maida Vale or Thursday, 1 May Warwick Avenue Broadcasting, Scotland and the Future? Tickets £12 The Scottish Storytelling Centre (£5 under 15s) from 43 – 45 High Street, Edinburgh [email protected] or phone 01474 352835 2 - 5pm or on the door. Winter Competition

Monty Don - Around the World in 80 Gardens This book to accompany his landmark ten part BBC2 series covers visits to each continent and includes the unique floating gardens of the Amazon, modest domestic gardens in Havana and Bali, Monet's THE RADIO LISTENER'S GUIDE world-famous Giverny, the tropical planting traditions of Thailand and gardens in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan. 2008 & THE TELEVISION VIEWER'S GUIDE 2008 Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson General (Jan 2008) RRP £20.00 To win a copy of this book answer the following question: ORDERING DETAILS Which ancient garden is included in the ‘7 Wonders of the World’? The guides cost £5.95 each - Replies on a postcard to: Winter Competition, VLV, 101 King’s Drive, (plus p&p). Please make your cheques payable to Radio Listener's Gravesend, DA12 5BQ. Or by email to: [email protected] Guide, and send them to: by 1 April 2008. The Editor’s decision is final. Radio Listener's Guide, PO Box 888 The winner of the autumn competition for ‘The Story of India’ Plymouth PL8 1YJ by Michael Wood, was Mrs E M Thornton, Bury St Edmunds.

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6 Bulletin Winter 07/08 Voice of the Listener & Viewer Ltd, a private company limited by guarantee, registered no: 4407712