Like much of the world, Britain is in high season for government intervention. The past two years have witnessed a number of banks, strained beyond their usual limits by a fierce economic crisis, urgently seek public assistance. Having waded in to shoulder much of the brunt of the crisis so far, the government is now contemplating ways in which to protect the banks and, more significantly, the country’s finances, from future upheavals, by involving itself more robustly than before in the financial system and the course of its post-recession reincarnation.

As an example of government intervention in national affairs, the case of the banks stands alone, but only in terms of magnitude. Intervention, in addition to the usual wrangling of laws and deployment of certain services, is customary, if not always obvious, and at that a necessary function of government in times of need. During a recession, need is rife, with more to protect than vulnerable banks. In the private sector, small companies, their larger relatives and even whole industries must be propped up or even saved from collapse outright, while the public sector will likely be painfully cut to reduce public deficit created by a slew of economic rescue efforts. If, as many expect, the reins of government do change hands at the next ballot in 2010, intervention could be even more widespread, as new leaders attempt to reshape things in their ideological image.

Yet intervention can be unwelcome, even within the government’s traditional jurisdiction of law and policy. Fresh news this week on the progress of the controversial ID cards scheme pioneered by Labour follows years of resistance to what was, and is, heavily opposed by many as an affront to civil liberties. Similarly, the government attracted stinging controversy recently over its reassessment of drug policy when it clashed with an adviser over the classification of certain narcotics, with the altercation leading to his dismissal. And following this summer’s explosive MP’s expenses scandal , the ongoing process of recriminating offenders and navigating systemic reforms, arguably a vital step towards rehabilitating the reputation of British democracy and its politicians amongst the public, has faced intense criticism from disgruntled MP’s.

Government intervention can be arduous, time-consuming and unpopular, but also necessary and worth a struggle. Bailing out banks may cause pain financially, but the alternatives could be catastrophic. And politicians may resent their colleagues being cast into the darkness as their privileges are dismantled, but a parliament lacking credibility, something these measures hope to restore, could prove impotent. Not all intervention, however, is wise or for the greater good. Some is superfluous, overly politicised or simply ill-conceived. Distinguishing good from bad here is useful, but tricky.

In the midst of its own crisis, one candidate that David Cameron, potentially the leader of the next government, has marked for reform is the British media. This industry, sabotaged by tumbling newspaper sales and a slump in advertising revenue, an important form of subsidisation for publishers and broadcasters, is in dire need of intervention, be it from public or private bodies. Though initially in the form of miscellaneous proposals, Cameron’s party, the Conservatives, have presented a wide ranging portfolio for British media reform over the past few months. This in itself is encouraging, but the deployment and wisdom of some of these ideas may deserve scrutiny.

A number of the measures proposed appear bold but not impractical. The call for restructuring of the British media landscape, expected in Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt’s (pictured) speech tomorrow at the Manchester Media Festival sets a promising tone; as Hunt correctly argues, current rules preventing any single media group owning newspapers, radio stations and television channels in the same geographical area are counter productive in the internet age; media groups need to consolidate their resources and produce multimedia output in order to attract a more technocratic audience and stay competitive. As Hunt notes, media operators need greater flexibility to survive. Granting this flexibility would be sensible and justified.

Other suggestions for reform, at least broadly speaking, seem somewhat level-headed, if also divisive. Cameron may be right in both attacking communications regulator Ofcom’s role as a policy-maker and calling for big change at the “bloated” BBC, including a rolling back of unnecessary commercial expansion, something the BBC Trust appeared to favour just this week. His critique of the top tier salaries paid by these two bodies is sound, at least on first inspection. In principal, these reforms would be wise.

Yet any media intervention by an admittedly hypothetical Conservative government would require greater thought, as a number of flaws lurk in the current strategy. Stars and top earners at the BBC, some of whom, as a handful of newspapers were keen to point out, in fact manage to dwarf the prime minister’s salary with their own, do serve as evidence that the corporation’s inflated pay system could be in need of downsizing. Nevertheless, without establishing a better perspective of the situation by first analysing top pay levels at other broadcasters and media groups, who influence existing salary norms as much as their public-funded rival, preemptively neutering the BBC’s salary power would be misguided. Similarly Ofcom is not chosen by an electorate and may have too much influence on policy in view of this fact, but many argue that it is otherwise an effective replacement of a former regulatory system consisting of five different bodies, and furthermore costs the taxpayer little directly, making Cameron’s plans to slash it down a few sizes seem almost unfounded. Though none of the arguments surrounding such reforms are definitive or indisputable, they do highlight the care that must be taken when planning major reform, and that reform is by no means a perfected art.

The most worrying kind of reform, and one that a Conservative government would be wise to avoid, is one based purely on political maneuvering. Some already point suspiciously to the correspondence between Conservative proposals regarding Ofcom and BBC, and James Murdoch’s less than favourable, even hostile, views on the two, claiming the existence of some pact between Cameron and James’ father Rupert, the media mogul. This argument, though supported in the eyes of some by Murdoch-owned, News International newspaper The Sun’s recent disavowal of Labour after 12 years of (at times unenthusiastic) loyalty, is riddled with discrepancies, such as Cameron’s apparent failure to convincingly woo the older Murdoch on his own. Though if real, reforms led by political strategy could be a danger.

General political tinkering seems a more tangible concern, however, following Jeremy Hunt’s claim that the left-leaning bias of the BBC, a phenomenon partly verified by reports and journalists’ anecdotal evidence, should be remedied by actively hunting Conservatives to join the corporation’s news team. This is both ill-advised and worrying; the innate political bias of the BBC, though detrimental to objectivity, seems predominantly, as Andrew Marr commented, “cultural and not party political.”, and seemingly so pervasive as to render political balancing acts useless. More importantly, were Hunt to place Conservatives at the BBC for the sake of party politics, such a political coup in the media could set a dangerous precedent.

For a struggling industry, intervention is a pressing issue, but not one to be rushed. Any intervention must be measured, considered, and unpolitical, be it by a government or the media itself.

In the News

European Commission sends Statement of Objections to Standard & Poor, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. in the USA for enforcing the payment of licence fees for using the International Securities Identification Numbers in their own databases. To read the press release, click here.

European Commission carries out dawn raids in Czech electricity sector. To read the press release, click here.

The Digital Economy Bill has been published following its first reading in the House of Lords on 19 November 2009. To read the BIS press release, click here. To read the Bill, click here.

European Notifications and Publications

Mergers Invitation to Comment

• COMP/M.5638: Huntsman/Tronox Assets – supplier of speciality and intermediate chemicals, production and supply of titanium dioxide pigment. Interested parties should submit their comments by 4 December 2009. To read the notification, click here.
• COMP/M.5672: Canon/Océ – manufacture and sale of consumer and professional imaging products, digital printing systems. Interested parties should submit their comments by 4 December 2009. To read the notification, click here.
• COMP/M.5705: Marfrig Alimentos/Seara – food production, rearing of chickens and pigs. Interested parties should submit their comments by 1 December 2009. To read the notification, click here.

Mergers Cleared

• COMP/M.5512: Electrabel/E.ON – generation, supply and distribution of electricity, natural gas, water and waste management services. To read the decision, click here.
• COMP/M.5607: Avaya/Nortel Enterprise Solutions – private equity, enterprise communications systems, services and solutions. To read the press release, click here.

Public Procurement

• The European Commission has formally requested that Greece review its urban planning contracts in order to comply with a Court ruling on medical devices. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has referred Germany to the ECJ over waste disposal service contracts awarded in the city of Rostock. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has referred Spain to the ECJ over the modifying of contracts after they have been awarded. To read the press release, click here.

State Aid

• The European Commission has approved the UK restructuring plan of Lloyds Banking Group. To read the press release, click here and here.
• The European Commission has formally requested Spain to comply with a Court judgment for the recovery of incompatible aid under company tax schemes. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has found after an in depth investigation that the Italian aid for electricity price subsidies for Alcoa is incompatible with State Aid rules and has ordered the partial recovery of aid already granted. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has opened an in depth investigation into Portuguese aid granted in the form of regional investment to Petrogal. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has opened and in depth investigation into Romanian aid of €49.6 million by way of state guarantee to the chemical producer Oltchim. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has sent a formal request to Spain for information regarding the recovery of incompatible aid from Magefesa group (Indosa-CMD). To read the press release, click here.

Speeches

• Meglena Kuneva speech: “Ringtone sweep wrap up”. To read the speech, click here.
• Neelie Kroes speech: “Commission outlines conditions for state aid to KBC, ING and Lloyds”. To read the speech, click here.
• Viviane Reding speech: “Convergence in the electronic communications markets: challenges for the EU regulatory policies”. To read the speech, click here.

Miscellaneous

• The European Commission has closed its formal proceedings against Qualcomm Incorporated for alleged breach of abuse of a dominant market position following the withdrawal of complaints. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has requested that the Lithuanian telecoms regulator impose the appropriate measures in relation to fixed termination rates. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has welcomed the EU Ministers’ approval of a broad reform which will result in a competitive single telecoms market. To read the press release, click here and here.

UK Notifications and Publications

Consultations

• Ofcom has opened a consultation into “Digital Dividend: Geolocation for Cognitive Access”. Interested parties should submit their comments by 9 February 2010. To read the consultation, click here.

Mergers Cleared

• Carpetright plc/15 stores previously operated by the Allied Carpets Group – carpet retail. To read the decision, click here.
• Infinis Energy Limited/Novera Energy plc – electricity generation. To read the decision, click here.
• Go-Ahead plc/Arriva plc’s (West Sussex) business – local buses. To read the decision, click here.

Competition Commission

• Peter Freeman speech: ““We are here in a very melancholy situation”: Financial crisis and competition policy” . To read the speech, click here.

Miscellaneous

• Ofcom has published a discussion document which explores the potential for a new technology to wirelessly link up different devices and offer enhanced broadband access in rural areas. To read the press release, click here.
• Ofcom has published its report to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on its recommended changes to the media ownership rules. To read the document, click here.
• Postcomm has published the “Royal Mail’s price control 2010”. To read the document, click here.

In the middle of nowhere and can’t use your mobile phone?

Well, finally, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries - Ofcom – has published a discussion document to explore the potential of a new technology that could wirelessly link up different devices and offer enhanced broadband access in rural areas.

The technology works by searching for unoccupied radio waves – called white spaces – between television channels to transmit and receive wireless signals. Compared with other forms of wireless technology, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, white space devices are being designed to use lower frequencies that have traditionally been reserved for tv.

Signals at these frequencies travel further and more easily through walls.

This will potentially allow a new wave of technological innovation in wireless communications. Although at least three years away from commercial production, possible applications include:

• Improved mobile broadband access in rural areas
• Digital cameras that can automatically transmit photos back to your computer as soon as you click the shutter
• The ability to control appliances in your home – such as the oven and central heating – hundreds of miles away.

However, white space devices must first prove they can operate without interfering with tv broadcasts and other wireless technologies that share these frequencies, such as wireless microphones. A promising solution is for devices to do this is by consulting a geolocation database that contains live information about which frequencies are free to use at their current location.

Ofcom’s discussion document focuses on the issues that need to be addressed for this solution to work. If there is strong evidence to show that white space devices can coexist with neighbouring tv signals and wireless microphones without causing interference, then Ofcom would allow them to use the frequencies without the need for individual licences.

However, this technology remains largely unproven and a significant amount of work needs to be done before these claims can be tested.

The purpose of Ofcom’s discussion document is to further the thinking that is taking place around the world on geolocation and speed the development of possible solutions.

OFCOM today published its report into complaints made against Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor. The complaints concerned the treatment of Hollie Steel and Susan Boyle on BGT, and Danyl Johnson on The X Factor, and to cut a long story short, the regulator said that there was no case to answer in any of the complaints. In particular, Dannii Minogue’s comments on Danyl Johnson’s sexuality were not malicious, and were reasonable since Johnson himself had brought it up in the press. Johnson had already said he wasn’t offended by Minogue’s comments.

British Parliament - image courtesy of Flickr.com

Britain is taking the newest crack at Internet regulation, making a swipe at video games and human rights in the process. Cheers!

And Here……We…Go, Again

It’s no secret that the US has struggled to regulate both Internet content and usage. Without giving too much of a law history lesson, all previous attempts have failed. You can check out examples such as the CDA or COPA, but just take my word for it. So how is the rest of the world faring?

The UK just outlined its plans to deal with illegal file-sharers (those damn pirates!) as part of its Digital Economy Bill. According to the government the bill will:

“ensure ensure communications infrastructure that is fit for the digital age, supports future economic growth, delivers competitive communications and enhances public service broadcasting.”

Sounds awesome, right? As a future communication professional, it’s like a dream mission statement – so it probably won’t surprise you that the bill is a fail.

Digital Economy Bill – An Outline

For starters, you can read the entirety of the bill on Parliament’s website – here. Unless you’re accustomed to reading legal documents, I’d stay away.

According to the BBC the main points of the bill are:

• Legal framework for tackling copyright infringement by education and technical measurement
• New duties and powers granted to Ofcom (Office of Communication)
• Increased investment in mobile broadband and switch to digital radio by 2015
• Updating Channel 4 functions on TV and online
• Age ratings for all video games aimed at children 12+

Basically, the UK wants to protect creative content by punishing pirates and provide measures to introduce a thriving digital entertainment industry. I’d get more into it but for purposes of the blog, I’m only concerned with the bill’s problems.

Protecting Your Rights By Taking Them Away

For starters, the bill allows an entire household to be cut off from the internet if a single member is accused of copyright infringement. I say “accused”, because apparently there is no need for proof, evidence and/or trials. Although I doubt that is entirely the case, punishing everyone for the actions of a single person is unacceptable.

Additionally, the bill is intended to stimulate the digital economy yet doesn’t outline improvements to broadband infrastructure. Simply stated – many areas in the UK are without internet access, and this bill has no plan to fix it.

It also appears officials will be monitoring what users do on the internet. Shielded by the law, officials will be allowed to spy on a network and impose penalties wherever inappropriate actions are perceived.

Wrong Direction, Please Turn Around

I don’t have a problem with the video game rating system, because it’s already been established. I’m not going to debate why government deems one form of creative content appropriate over another – maybe another day.

The problem here is the wrongful application of law. You cannot promote a healthy online environment by stripping law-abiding citizens of basic rights. Piracy is an issue facing many industries, and governments are still failing to solve it.

As the video game industry moves deeper into the online and digital spaces, laws like this will continue to affect both professionals and their audiences. With globalization happening at an unprecedented rate, laws in one country will affect us all. As a PR professional, stay updated on legislature that stands to change your communication landscape. You can track the progress of this bill – here.

Source

Article that talks about the bill and its effects – here.

Today Ofcom has published a video setting out steps consumers can take and stuff they need to look out for when shopping online this Christmas (part of Get Safe Online week).

This will be a very useful video for many people.  There’s just one thing, the guy in the video is using a Mac.  Correct me if I’m wrong here but surely Windows users need anti-virus and firewalls more than Mac users!  I think a Windows PC would have been more relevant to most people watching the video.

As part of Get Safe Online week, Ofcom has today published a video setting out steps consumers can take and things they should look out for when shopping online this Christmas.

If you know of other similar resources please feel free to share.

In the News

European Commission fines 24 plastic additives producers €173 million for participation in price fixing and market sharing cartels. To read the press release, click here, here and here.

European Commission initiates formal trust proceedings against Thomson Reuters concerning potential infringement of abuse of a dominant market position. To read the press release, click here.

European Notifications and Publications

Mergers Invitation to Comment

• COMP/M.5644: Kraft Foods/Cadbury – manufacture of packaged food and drinks, confectionary. Interested parties should submit their comments by 23 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.
• COMP/M.5691: Mubadala/Veolia Eau/Azaliya – private direct principal investments, water supply and waste water management and treatment. Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should submit their comments by 22 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.
• COMP/M.5679: Boreas Holdings/Centrica Renewable Energy Limited/Glid Wind Farms – financial services, electricity, wind farms. Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should submit their comments by 23 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.
• COMP/M.5629: Normeston/MOL/MET JV – crude oil, gas oil, natural gas, trading. Interested parties should submit their comments by 24 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.

Mergers Cleared

• COMP/M.5589: Sony/Seiko Epson – electronic consumer products, LCDs. To read the decision, click here.
• COMP/M.5555: Novartis/Ebewe Spezial-Pharma Holding – development, production, distribution of medical products, pharmaceutical products. To read the decision, click here.
• COMP/M.5549: EDF/Segebel – electricity and gas. To read the press release, click here.
• COMP/M.5519: E.ON/Electrabel Acquired Assets – generation and supply of electricity, natural gas, energy services, water and waste management. To read the decision, click here.

Mergers – Withdrawal of Notification

• COMP/M.5654: Brookfield/BBI – asset management, infrastructure fund management. To read the withdrawal, click here.

State Aid

• The European Commission has published the overview of national measures adopted as a response to the financial/economic crisis. To read the document, click here.
• The European Commission has opened an in depth investigation into the Portuguese aid to Banco Privado Português. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has extended its in depth investigation into the German restructuring aid to Hypo Real Estate. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has approved the Romanian state aid in the form of a guarantee to Ford Romania. To read the press release, click here.

Speeches

• José Manuel Durão Barroso speech: “Assessing the Results of the October European Council”. To read the speech, click here.
• Meglena Kuneva speech: “Consumer Privacy and Online Market”. To read the speech, click here.
• Neelie Kroes speech: “Market behaviour: the rules of the game”. To read the speech, click here.
• Neelie Kroes speech: “Why we need competitive markets”. To read the speech, click here.
• Viviane Reding speech: “Why the Internet must be open, global and multilingual”. To read the speech, click here.
• Viviane Reding speech: “A European Digital Agenda for the New Digital Consumer”. To read the speech, click here.
• Viviane Reding speech: “Bringing down walls and barriers in the digital world – priorities for the European Digital Agenda”. To read the speech, click here.

UK Notifications and Publications

Consultations

• The OFT has opened a consultation on its draft Annual Plan for 2010-11. Interested parties should submit their comments by 5 February 2010. To read the consultation, click here.
• The Competition Commission has opened a consultation into the a further draft of the Groceries Controlled Land Order. Interested parties should submit their comments by 23 November 2009. To read the consultation, click here, here and here.

Mergers – Invitation to Comment

• Arriva Northumbria/Go North East – local bus services. Interested parties should submit their comments by 25 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.
• Ambassador Theatres Group/Former Live Nation Theatres – theatres. The comment date is yet to be confirmed. To read the notification, click here.
• Carpetright/Allied Carpets – carpets and floor coverings. Interested parties should submit their comments by 18 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.

Mergers Cleared

• Go-Ahead plc/Arriva plc’s (West Sussex) business – local bus services. To read the decision, click here.

Competition Commission – Mergers Blocked

• Stagecoach Group plc/Preston Bus Limited – local bus services. The Competition Commission has concluded its investigation. Preston Bus must be sold to a competitor. To read the press release, click here.

Miscellaneous

• The OFT has published is non-confidential Decision into the alleged collective boycott and alleged price fixing by certain recruitment agencies. To read the decision, click here.
• Ofcom has published an update note with regard to the disputes between BT and each of T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2 and Orange about BT’s termination charges for 080 calls. To read the update, click here.

By Yvette Martyn

An Ofcom type agency is required to regulate cosmetic surgery according to the journal, Clinical Risk

The president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Nigel Mercer, combines a consumer market who believe “new is better.” With the expectation that there are no adverse outcomes from cosmetic surgery in his editorial in the journal.

Cosmetic surgery is incorporated into modern society. It’s almost impossible to think of a celebrity who hasn’t had surgery, and there are many horror stories out there:

• Jordan, who needed physiotherapy to bring back the sensation in her paralysed arm, following breast surgery.
• Pete Burns, who reacted badly to injected lip fillers.
• Kayne West’s Mother, who died of complications following cosmetic surgery.

So when the rich and famous, who hire the most experienced surgeons, see the side effects of operations, why do the public believe they are protected?

The problem with cosmetic surgery is that it goes against the philosophy doctors live by, the principal rule of medicine is:

“First, do no harm”

Doctors became a profession because they are above commercialism, they are not out to make money, for example, no doctor would advise an inappropriate c-section to make money. They have control over the market and the dominance to state what counts as illness. Doctors also possess specialist knowledge and exist in a community with tests and rules.

But cosmetic surgery goes against all these factors and this can leave the public with the problem. The public must judge if they need cosmetic surgery whilst being wary of the surgeon, and whether they are advising on the basis of making money.

The journal suggests an Ofcom type regulator is required. This would ensure the words of Nigel Mercer:

“If we have to sell anything, we should sell out advice, not procedure”

Image: Aleksandr Kutsayev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

HonestReporting Media BackSpin, 16. November 2009

Heute (Montagabend) werden Großbritanniens Fernsehzuschauer darauf eingestimmt, was Dispatches von Channel 4 als Inside Britain’s Israel Lobby anpreist.

Hier drei Gründe dafür, warum HonestReporting das Schlimmste befürchtet.

1. Auch HonestReporting befand sich im Fadenkreuz von Channel 4 (C4).

C4 schrieb HonestReporting-Chefredakteur Simon Plosker wegen eines Interviewwunsches an.

Noch bevor Plosker auf die Mail reagierte, kreuzten Reporter Peter Oborne und ein Filmteam in den Büroräumen von MediaCentral mit laufenden Kameras auf und suchten nach Plosker für ein Exposé.

(MediaCentral ist eine in Jerusalem ansässige Initiative von HonestReporting, die ausländische Journalisten betreut und unterstützt. Die Verbindung zu HonestReporting wird für jedermann sichtbar auf ihrer Webseite angezeigt).

Plosker befand sich jedoch auf Vortragsreise in Großbritannien, was zwischen Oborne und MediaCentral-Direktor Aryeh Grün zu einem heftigen Disput führte. Während die Kamera lief, bat Grün Oborne einfach nur, sich zu auszuweisen, während Oborne Grün gegenüber aufdringlich wurde.

Nach den Ofcom-Richtlinien ist Channel 4 – als Öffentlich Rechtlicher – dazu verpflichtet, HonestReporting vor allen denkbaren Behauptungen, die ausgestrahlt werden, in Kenntnis zu setzen; ein Punkt, auf den Plosker in einer Antwortmail hingewiesen hatte.
2. Channel 4’s Titelung der Sendung setzt die Existenz einer mächtigen “Israel Lobby“ als selbstverständlich voraus.

Und so erklärt Channel 4 seine „Nachforschungen“:

Die Berichte stellen Untersuchungen über eine der mächtigsten und einflussreichsten politischen Lobbygruppen in Großbritannien an, die sich für die Interessen des Staates Israel einsetzen.

Trotz ihres großen Einflusses in höchsten Positionen der britischen Politiken und der Medien weiß man wenig über Einzelpersonen und Gruppierungen, die zusammen als Pro-Israel-Lobby bekannt sind.

Der politische Kommentator Peter Oborne zeigt, wer diese Menschen sind, wie sie sich organisierten, wie sie arbeiten und welchen Einfluss sie ausüben – von Schlüsselgruppen bis hin zu reichen Einzelpersonen, die das Lobbygeschäft finanzieren.

Er geht der Frage nach, wie verantwortlich, transparent und offen für genaue Nachforschungen die Lobby ist, besonders was ihre  finanziellen Zuwendungen und Unterstützungen an Parlamentsabgeordneten betrifft.

Die Pro-Israel-Lobby hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die Debatte über Großbritanniens Beziehung zu Israel und die zukünftige daran ausgerichtete Außenpolitik zu dominieren.

Oborne untersucht, wie die Lobby aus dem Innern des Parlaments heraus operiert und welche Taktiken sie hinter den Kulissen einsetzt, wenn sie es mit Print- und Rundfunkmedien zu tun hat.

Channel 4 impliziert also mit eigenen Worten beim organisierten Judentum in Großbritannien Folgendes:

• Es habe übermäßig viel Einfluss auf Politik und Medien.

• Zeige eine problematische Doppelloyalität zu Israel und Großbritannien.

• Sei weder transparent oder irgendjemand gegenüber verantwortlich.

• Dürfe taktisch in unangemessener Weise „hinter den Kulissen“  „innerhalb des Parlaments„ arbeiten, und das auch noch „im Umgang mit Print- und Rundfunkmedien“

3. Ist hier Antisemitismus am Werk?

In der Tat könnte dieses erklären, weshalb der Community Security Trust (CST) von C4 eine ähnliche Mail erhalten hatte, auch wenn der CST Antisemitismus bekämpft und dennoch nicht mit der Verteidigung Israels beschäftigt ist. Mir hat gefallen, wie CST blog Stellung bezogen hat:

….auch wenn wir nicht davon ausgehen, dass Berichte oder für schnelles Geld gemachte Produktionen per se als antisemitische Beiträge beabsichtigt sind, so finden sich doch auf dieser Webseite alle Standards antisemitischer Metaphern über Verschwörungstheorien: unmäßig viel Macht und Einfluss, Riesengeldsummen, Manipulation von Politikern und Medien – und all das im Geheimen. Selbst die Art und Weise, wie man auf die „die Pro-Israel-Lobby“ als allein handelnden Akteur verweist , als Einzelperson vorgehend und handelnd, suggeriert eine geheimnisvolle Verschwörung, innerhalb derer die unterschiedlichen Organisationen und Individuen in Wahrheit Handlanger ein und derselben einzigen Maschine sind.

“Dispatches” hat einiges an heftigem Investigationsjournalismus auf Lager, darunter Undercover Mosque, das erstmals einen tieferen Einblick in islamischen Extremismus britischer Prägung geliefert hatte. Channel 4-Offizielle versicherten dem Jewish Chronicle gegenüber, dass Inside Britain’s Israel Lobby „nicht das synagogale Äquivalent zu Undercover Mosque darstellen“.

Bleiben Sie dran….

UPDATE 16. November: Die Jerusalem Post mit weiteren Details zur gärenden Kontroverse.

…and some really interesting things happen!

The Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare reports and OFCOM doesn’t. APGAW is lengthy so that needs to be read with (at least) two mugs of tea. OFCOM should have reported last Monday but didn’t as the BBC threw a giant flounce and got it stopped. Exactly, how come???? Just why is the BBC so desperate to object to a little programme about dogs? It is no secret now that OFCOM found that three of the Complaints were justified so why the histrionics from the Beeb? Just why is so much tax payer money being used to object again and again? IT gets more fascinating by the hour!! Reports of the non report can be read here and here

Relax, it’s only a show.
3000 complaints is an utter waste of time.

At the end of the day Lucie received lowest number of votes. End of story. Full stop.

This weekend saw the Irish pair survive the sing-off with Lucie Jones after judge Simon Cowell turned to the public result.

Now yes, of course, The X Factor is a singing contest and clearly Lucie has a lot more talent than the twins but along with talent, the contestants need to showcase likability and personality. This, the twins do brilliantly and even though they can’t sing the public like them. Lucie didn’t connect with the public, hence she got the lowest number of votes.

Let’s face it. Everyone is intrigued and excited to see Jedward’s performance every Saturday. Even if you hate them, you still want to see their performance. The hate campaigns now NEED to stop – quite frankly the public are bullying the young lads, who in all honesty have every right to be on the show.

As for Simon Cowell, we can come up with numerous reasons for his actions on Sunday night: get the strong singers out, Jedward attract viewers = MONEY. But like he said on The Xtra Factor: “It’s not life or death.” The contestants are recording a charity single this week – That’s what matters. It’s not all about fame, Simon realises there are more important things to do.

So you all people complaining to ITV and OFCOM ask yourself, why didn’t you vote for Lucie if you feel this strongly about her talent?

European Notifications and Publications

Mergers Invitation to Comment

• COMP/M.5535: Renesas Technology/NEC Electronics – manufacture and sale of semi conductor solutions, industrial and consumer electronics products. Interested parties should submit their comments by 15 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.
• COMP/M.5624: Nokia/SAP/JV – development and supply of mobile handsets, fixed telecom networks and associated services, software applications and supported services, anti-counterfeit services. Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should submit their comments by 17 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.

Mergers Cleared

• COMP/M.5365: IPO/EnBW/Praha/PT – generation and wholesale supply of electricity. To read the decision, click here.
• COMP/M.5476: PFIZER/WYETH – discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of biomedical, pharmaceutical, healthcare products, vaccines, biotechnology products, nutritionals and non-prescription medicines worldwide. To read the decision, click here.
• COMP/M.5565: BAE Systems/BVT – provision of systems and services for air, land and naval forces, electronics, IT services, surface warships. To read the decision, click here.
• COMP/M.5574: IPIC/OMV/NOVA – investment company, oil exploration, production and refining, distribution of gas. To read the decision, click here.
• COMP/M.5591: CEZB/JAVYS/JESS JV – generation, distribution and sale of electricity, nuclear waste and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. To read the press release, click here.
• COMP/M.5622: Infineon/LSIS/LS Power Semitech JV – development, marketing, manufacture of semiconductor and system solutions for security, automotive, consumer, industrial electric power, molded intelligent power modules and industry applications. To read the decision, click here.
• COMP/M.5649: RREEF Fund/ENDESA/UFG/SAGGAS – investment fund, supply of gas and electricity. To read the decision, click here.

Speeches

• Meglena Kuneva speech: “A Blueprint for Consumer Policy in Europe: Making Markets Work with and for People”. To read the speech, click here.

Miscellaneous

• The European Commission has announced that agreement has been reached on EU Telecoms Reform allowing for stronger consumer rights, an open internet, a single European telecoms market and high-speed internet connections for all citizens. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has requested comments from interested parties to test the proposed commitments by EDF increasing competition in the French electricity retail market. To read the press release, click here.
• The European Commission has requested that Dutch telecoms regulator, Onafhankelijke Post en Telecommunicatie Autoriteit to bring cost accounting method for calculating fixed termination rates in line with EU guidelines. To read the press release, click here.

UK Notifications and Publications

Competition Commission

• The Competition Commission has published its Notice of acceptance of purchaser undertakings in the BAA Airports supply of services investigation. To read the document, click here.

Competition Commission Mergers – Invitation to Comment

• Brightsolid Group Limited/Friends Reunited Holdings Group – genealogy services. Interested parties should submit their comments by 17 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.

Mergers – Invitation to Comment

• Stagecoach/Islwyn Borough Transport – local bus services. Interested parties should submit their comments by 17 November 2009. To read the notification, click here.

Miscellaneous

• Ofcom has announced the appointment of Lord Burns as the next Chairman of Channel 4. To read the press release, click here.
• Ofgem fines EDF Energy Networks £2m for failing to provide connection offers within timescales stipulated by its licence. To read the documents, click here and here.

On the Ofcom website it states that one of their aims is to “make sure that people in the UK get the best from their communications services and are protected from scams and sharp practices.”

And, according to The Sun, over 3,000 people have complained to Ofcom about the evil goings-on that took place on Sunday night. Lest we forget, what happened was that ITV viewers paid their money to vote in a telephone poll in a singing contest. The person who got the least votes, one Lucie Jones, was duly ejected from the competition. Where’s the scam or sharp practice in that? We paid our money, we made our choice, yes?

Well, not so, according to the 3,000 complainants, who are irked that Simon Cowell failed to overturn this vote and get rid of the people who didn’t get the lowest vote, the terrible twins John & Edward Grimes. 11,000 people have joined a Facebook campaign to boycott the show, according to The Sun. “Some viewers claimed he only saved the twins to make the show more entertaining,” they suggest. Horrors! Making the show more entertaining? What can he be thinking?

The fact is that Lucie didn’t have a prayer of winning anyway. If she’s going to have a singing career she’ll now have it regardless (last year’s X Factor loser Laura White is in the charts now, and her co-loser Diana Vickers is performing in West End theatre, so if you’ve got the chops you’ll get there). And if she was so freakin’ popular, why did she get the lowest votes?

The winner, of course, is The X Factor, which is getting masses of publicity from all this. He ain’t no fool, that Simon Cowell.

(Footnote: Ofcom have apparently said they won’t be investigating. I expect they’re keeping their desks clear for the complaints of animal cruelty that will rush in as soon as the first wichetty grub gets eaten on I’m A Celebrity).

Securing and  protecting copyrights in our digital environment has turned into  one of the main objectives  of the European information society governors. The biggest question was HOW. In a landscape, where file sharing is regarded as a normal practice by most digital natives,  it seemed a bit unproportional to put a teenager into jail just because he downloaded the latest Lilly Allen single without paying for it.

It was French Prime Minister Nikolas Sarkozy,  who came up with a proposal to simply deprive the digital “wrongdoers” of the attribute they all take for granted: their internet connection. For this purpose, a special agency “Hadopi” was created in France, in order to disconnect illegal file sharers without a judicial decision.

Until now the adoption of this law on an European scale was legally problematic. The reason for that were the paneuropean aspirations to include internet connecitivity to the basic human rights of which no human being can be deprived of (or at least not without a court ruling).  A special Ammendment to EUs Telecom package was drafted for this purpose. A week ago however, the European Parliament dropped the amendment,  which would have made it hard for countries to cut off pirates without court authority.

So it was left to the single member states to decide whtether they can deprive illegal file sharers of their internet connection with or without a court ruling.  And now Great Britain is preparing to follow France’s example, as Peter Mandelson, UK’s business Minister and  former EU trade commissioner, intends to adopt the  British version of the Hadopi bill  by April next year. Unlike France however, the British government will not establish a separate internet police authority like HADOPI, bu plans on delegating this competence to allround media watchdog Ofcom.

British civil rights groups are already protesting against the implementation of the harsh measure.

For further information: EUobserver

UK business minister Peter Mandelson has announced that the UK intends to adopt legislation almost identical to France’s controversial three-strikes anti-internet-piracy legislation. As in France, websurfers found to be downloading content without permission of the copyright owner will first be sent a warning email. But where across the English Channel, internauts are then sent a letter in the post, in the UK, they will have their bandwidth restricted. A third offense will then, as with President Nicholas Sarkozy’s flagship legislation, result in internet cut-off. Paris’ ‘Hadopi’ law, named for the new government agency charged with hunting down the pirates, is considered draconian by online rights advocates for the powers the agency has, backed by a series of special piracy judges, to cut off internet access and even jail repeat offenders. In the UK, no new agency is to be created. Rather, the Office of Communications, or as it is more commonly known, Ofcom, the UK telecoms regulator, will be tasked with the downloading manhunt. Mr Mandelson, the former EU trade commissioner, intends to place a bill before parliament next month and hopes that the British version of the Hadopi bill will come online by April next year. The first disconnections would likely take place fifteen months from then, towards the end of 2011

http://euobserver.com/9/28931

แผนผังแสดง coverage area ของ 3G network ในอังกฤษ ประกาศโดย Ofcom (กทช. อังกฤษ)

ผู้บริโภคสามารถดูได้เลยว่า มือถือของตัวเองมันมี coverage สมราคาคุยแค่ไหน

จะเห็นว่ายักษ์ใหญ่ของวงการมือถือ ทั้ง Vodafone/O2/T-Mobile มี 3G coverage ไม่ดีนัก เพราะเป็นเครือข่าย 2G มาก่อน ส่วน 3 นั้นเป็น 3G ตั้งแต่แรก (สังเกตจากชื่อบริการได้) Orange นี่ไม่มีข้อมูลครับ (ป.ล. Orange กับ T-Mobile ในอังกฤษจะรวมตัวกันเร็วๆ นี้)

จาก CNET