Daily Summary
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 21 2006…
ON TODAY'S AGENDA…
FTSE 100 opens at 5866.2; All-Share opens at 2999.89… Trading update: DM> … 0930-1300 Westminster eForum seminar on mobile sports rights, Local Government House, Smith Square, SW1… Final day Liberal Democrats Conference, Brighton…Plaid Cymru Conference, Swansea (24/9)… 1930 Classic FM Live Concert, Royal Albert Hall… 1930 Campaign Digital Awards, Royal Lancaster…
AND IN TODAY'S PAPERS…
PANORAMA: The Football Association is to investigate allegations made by the BBC that some managers and club officials in the Premier League and player agents were involved in illegal payments and approaches. The governing body was stung into action by Tuesday night's Panorama, which has been asked by the FA to provide all the information it compiled. The allegations prompted sports minister Richard Caborn to call for an overhaul of the rules governing football. Bolton manager Sam Allardyce, in a statement through his solicitors, said: "I am very angry at the lies told about me. The individuals who appeared in the programme making accusations against me have already confirmed in writing to my lawyers that they lied to the BBC," FT 4; Times 85-88; Tel Sport 1-3; Ind 70-72; Mail 86-88; Exp 78-80; Mir 68, 69; Sun 9, 68-72; Star 15, 62-64. A solicitor for Kevin Bond, also featured in the programme, said he would sue the BBC, Gdn 1 & Sport 1. Comment: "Far from landing the knock-out blows that the pre-match publicity suggested, it [Panorama] only showed what may be the tip of an iceberg - or merely an ice cube," Gdn leader 34. Panorama "has deepened the public's sense that club football is most unsavoury at its highest levels", writes Kevin McCarra, Gdn Sport 4. "Even 12 months' secret filming by a determined Panorama programme has not categorically proved that football has a culture of bungs, but it is certainly blighted by secrecy," says David Conn, Gdn Sport 5. Matt Wells says that if all this BBC-generated hype is to be justified, the programmes had better start coming up with the goods, Gdn g2 p2. "The question now is whether it is the BBC who are left feeling the full impact of the blast," writes David Bond, Tel Sport 2. "If nothing else, Panorama will have done the game a service if it elicits an explanation from the FA about how it allows 15-year-olds to be treated as cash cows," says Jim White, Tel Sport 3. Leo McKinstry says; "If this is the best that the BBC can come up with, then football is a healthier game than I imagined," Tel 26, Exp 77. Times letters 18. John Gregory, now with QPR, says that bung stories forced him out of the game. He thought the show "was a load of rubbish… There was an incredible amount of hype and yet there were no facts", Times 82.
ULSTER TELEVISION withdrew its merger proposal from SMG, blaming weakness in the television advertising market. SMG's share price fell 7.25p to 67.25p yesterday on the news, FT 24, Gdn 28, Tel Bus 4, Exp 60, Sun 52, Star 43. UTV's shares also fell 7.25p to 357.25p, Times 51.
TOP GEAR presenter Richard Hammond was in a critical condition in Leeds Infirmary last night after being injured in an accident while filming an edition of the programme, the BBC said, FT 1. The jet-propelled car he was driving crashed at 300mph in an attempt to break the British land speed record, Gdn 1, 5; Times 1, 5; Tel 1, 4; Mail 9; Exp 9; Mir 1, 4, 5; Sun ps 1, 4, 5; Star 1, 4, 5.
SKY NEWS has secured a deal with Labour to advertise on the neck-straps of security passes worn by delegates and visitors at next week's party conference in Manchester. The move provoked hostility in the media and the union movement, Ind 29.
THE BBC has persuaded John Humphrys to venture abroad professionally for the first time in more than 25 years to host R4's Today programme from Iraq. Pencilled in for next month, the week of programming would have Humphrys conducting interviews and presenting reports about the state of the country, Gdn 7. A police chief blasted the BBC yesterday for "ambushing" him over plans for a drug needle vending machine. Richard Brunstrom claimed R2's Jeremy Vine broke an agreement by inviting opponents of the scheme to criticise him on air, Mir 22. "You can always rely on BBC programmes to be more competitive with each other than with those of rival channels," writes Celia Walden, Tel Spy 27. This Life to return, for one night only, Mail 19, Mir 7.
THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY should rethink its system of self-regulation to meet the demands of the digital age and avoid the threat of Brussels-imposed legislation. Christopher Graham, director-general of the Advertising Standards Authority, said the rules needed "future-proofing" to prevent loopholes in the regulation of new media undermining the system for broadcasting and press, FT 6.
CHRYSALIS rode out a tough advertising market in the year to August but still warned of a subdued outlook for radio revenues. Chrysalis Radio held like-for-like revenues flat at £61.7m, against an estimated 4% decline in radio advertising revenues across the country. Shares in Chrysalis closed down 1.5p at 121.5p, FT 24, Times 44, Ind 52, Exp 61, Mir 49, Sun 52.
MOBO AWARDS: Jazz artists staged a musical protest outside the Albert Hall last night about their exclusion from the Music of Black Origin Awards. The organisers said that they had to cut categories to make the ceremony the correct length for live broadcast on BBC3, Times 25, Tel 2, Ind 25, Gdn 9, Mail 34, Exp 34, Sun 22, Star 18.
ITV has made its latest move to accelerate its distribution over new platforms, appointing Melissa Goodwin to the new position of head of mobile. She joins from FremantleMedia, FT 26.
COMPANIES: Growing requests to monitor corporate reputations on blogs and other new media helped PR group Huntsworth land £30m of net new billings during the first half, FT 24, Mail 75. McCann Erickson is shifting its Chinese strategy to focus more on assisting local companies to develop brand recognition overseas, FT 30. New York: Hewlett-Packard considered planting moles posing as office workers in the Wall Street Journal and technology website CNET as part of its inquiry into boardroom leaks, news reports suggest, Gdn 26; Times 45, 53.
TELECOMS: Vodafone said it would continue to fight UK government efforts to impose a £2.5bn tax bill for its Luxembourg subsidiary, FT 22. Telecom Italia was yesterday thrust uncomfortably into the spotlight again when police arrested 20 people in several Italian cities in connection with a probe into illegal wiretapping, FT 28, Gdn 29. The spectacular row over Telecom Italia, Times 54; Tel Bus 5.
INTERNET: The winners and losers in the shake-up of the broadband market were becoming clear last night as bidders began circling Tiscali's UK division and BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse went head-to-head in the bidding for AOL's UK arm, Times 44. Media execs are embracing user-generated sites, encouraging amateur talent to upload photos and video. But, asks Kate Bulkley, who should own the copyright? Technology Gdn 1. The way broadband services are marketed will have to change following a judgment by the Advertising Standards Authority yesterday that promising high speeds is unacceptable if a large proportion of customers actually experience slower connections, Gdn 25. Reed Elsevier is hoping to tap into the fast-growing specialist search market, with the launch of a search engine capable of filtering out irrelevant responses to business queries, FT 24. Napster has been put up for sale in its new incarnation as a paid-for service, Times 44.
PRESS: The Noth West Enquirer appears to have printed its last issue, says Clay Harris, FT 24. Journalists rebel over LA Times cuts, FT 29.
FILM: 20TH Century Fox has launched a division to pump religious films out to the vast Christian audience that turned The Passion of Christ into a global blockbuster, Tel 23. The Queen has reached the top of the British box office charts, Ind 19. George Clooney, Hollywood's most powerful liberal voice, Ind Extra 1-5. Robbie Coltrane thinks Hollywood is only interested in making hi-tech rubbish for kids, Mir 22..
MARKETS: ITV up .25p at 97p as Charles Allen warns senior managers to "stay focused", Mail 75. Pearson put on 11p to 742p, Times 61. Cable & Wireless improved 3% to 129.75p, FT 44; Ind 55, 56.
PEOPLE: The editor of Lorraine Kelly's GMTV breakfast show, Benedetta Pinelli, has resigned after a row with the presenter, Mail 31, Exp 15. Muslim women wearing hijab, or headscarves, should be employed in front-line roles in the media, said a report published yesterday by minister for women Ruth Kelly, Tel 6. C4 News presenter Jon Snow cuts to Kylie Morris with the words, "and now to Kylie Minogue in Bangkok, Gdn 31, Exp 19. A statue of Basil Fawlty is planned for a prominent seafront spot in Torquay, Times 11. Steve Irwin's memorial service, Gdn 23, Times 17, Tel 12, Ind 35, Mail 33, Exp 16, Mir 19, Sun 9 & leader 6, Star 9 & leader 6. Sir Peter Blake's portrait of John Peel, Ind 16. Janet Street-Porter is a closet Archers fan, Ind 44. Neighbours star Anne Charleston - who played Madge Bishop Ð is joining Emmerdale, Mir 21, Sun 27. Helen Mirren set to quit tv, Sun 27. A soccer-mad couple will be able to watch their team play on tv at their wedding reception Ð after Sky granted a special one-off licence for the venue, Sun 29.
OBITUARIES: James Hawthorne (76), BBC Northern Ireland controller, Gdn 37. BBC producer Patricia Foy (83), Times 64. Television scriptwriter Peter Ling (80), Times 64. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist (83), Tel 29.
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Editor Alan Monahan 01923 774191, 07710 437 789,
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