Media Brief

Post categories: mediabrief

Torin Douglas|11:40 UK time, Monday, 29 March 2010

I'm the BBC's media correspondent and this is my brief selection of what's going on.

The Government could face a public backlash over its plans to switch national radio stations over to digital transmission, peers have warned. The Communications Committee of the House of Lords says there is "public confusion and industry uncertainty" and the Government must explain its policy urgently reports the BBC and the Telegraph. The founding director of Digital Radio UK, Andrew Harrison, and Guardian technology editor Jack Schofield debated the issue on Radio 4's Today Programme:

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The Times reports that Ofcom is expected to review the TV advertising sales system under which commercial broadcasters are forced to sell all their airtime. It could mean increased income for ITV, Channel 4, five and S4C.

The first Conservative posters since the party rehired Maurice and Charles Saatchi go up today. They attack Gordon Brown, after the ones promoting David Cameron seemed to backfire report the Independent and the Times.

There's a boom in Mills & Boon books being downloaded onto electronic readers such as the Kindle or Sony Reader. Sales are up 57% in Tesco. The publisher says online readers prefer the raunchier titles according to the Daily Mail.

Emily Bell, who runs the Guardian's digital operations, questions The Times paywall strategy.

Also in the Guardian, new-media guru Jeff Jarvis says Rupert Murdoch has "surrendered" by erecting paywalls around The Times and Sunday Times.

Conservative plans to reverse - in part - a rise in national insurance have attracted much opinion in the newspapers as reflected in the BBC newspaper review.

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