The Office Of Fair Trading has said it will not investigate Project Canvas, the previously reported collaboration between the BBC, ITV and BT, and others, to develop a standard platform for providing video-on-demand services to Freeview and Freesat viewers. The project has been criticised by some, most notably Sky and Virgin, who offer rival VoD platforms, who say that for so many broadcasters and net firms to collaborate is anti-competitive.

However, while the OFT did step in when the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 tried to actually go into business together and launch a jointly owned VoD service (what eventually became SeeSaw, but without direct BBC, ITV or C4 involvement because of OFT and Competition Commission concerns), they seem to have no problem with those companies and others collaborating on VoD standards, which means that tech companies can more easily make set-top boxes that will work with all network's on-demand services.  

The difference, the OFT says, is that Project Canvas is just a technology-based collaboration, and not an actual VoD service that will utilise BBC, ITV and C4 content archives. It was the market dominance those broadcaster's archives could deliver that raised competition concerns with SeeSaw.

Virgin Media have already criticised the ruling, and Sky presumably will follow suit anytime now.

Chris Evans will take over from Adrian Chiles on the BBC's nightly magazine show 'The One Show' on Friday nights, it has been confirmed. The move is part of a plan to make the only slightly tedious nightly waffle show more entertainment focused on a Friday night.

Whether than will mean the Beeb will be introducing some new prime-time slots for music people looking to plug their records isn't clear, but TV plugger types will presumably be hoping so.

Possibly aware that since announcing he was leaving the BBC those tabloid journalists who have always despised him have had less to rant about, Jonathan Ross has given an interview to The Guardian seemingly designed to get those tabloid hacks all angry all over again.

In the interview, he made light of the Sachsgate scandal, despite originally claiming to be sincerely sorry for leaving lewd messages on Andrew Sachs' answer phone when he was suspended over the whole thing back in 2008. He told the broadsheet: "In a way, the whole experience has been quite fun. Because it's been really odd. And interesting. And fun. Life can sometimes potter along in the same direction and then something comes along over which you have no control".

He continued: "It was literally within about four days of it all kicking off that I just thought: 'You know what, there's no way I can control this, there's no way I can change this. So I've just got to not let it bother me'. And then it became almost like I was watching it happen to somebody else. And it was quite entertaining. It was weird watching people get themselves into a lather over something so intrinsically unimportant as that. It was just silly. Silly people writing silly things".

With Ross promising to one day give a full account of the Sachsgate scandal in all its "hilarious" detail, the tabloids obviously ran to Sachs to get his comment on Ross's latest remarks. He told The People: "My wife and I shared an empty laugh about it. It's a strange thing to say. It makes me wonder what the world is coming to. Yet it takes a lot more than that to upset me".

Ross also took time in the interview to diss the BBC, though given it's widely assumed it was they who let him go rather than the other way round once the controversial presenter's multi-million contract was up for renewal, that's probably not a surprise.

Ross told the Guardian: "I can't begin to tell you the relief I feel. I don't want to speak ill of people at the BBC because I've loved working there, and I still love working with them. But at the same time, oh man, I can't wait to get out. I think it's a shame that the people running it are always trying to second-guess what the newspapers will say about them - and whatever the next government we wind up with will say about them. The experience of being there isn't quite the place it was. And it's a terrible, terrible shame".

ITV's digital channel Men & Motors goes off the air tomorrow. I'm not sure that's really relevant to you CMU readers, but it's the end of an era, Men & Motors being one of the classic cable channels from back in the early days of multi-channel TV, almost a TV version of Loaded.

The channel has been in decline for sometime, possibly because it slowly moved away from its original simple format of cars by day, girls by night. Arguably the launch of Dave in 2007 didn't help, with its mix of Top Gear repeats by day and BBC panel shows by night. Who'd have thought men liked other men being funny as much as girls being suggestive.

Men & Motors, originally part of Granada's digital portfolio, but part of the ITV network since Granada merged with Carlton to create ITVplc, is being canned to make way for an HD ITV channel.

Such is the hoo haa around the Digital Economy Bill and the BBC's proposed cut backs that many media commentators are only just getting round to reading the report published by parliament's Media Select Committee last week regarding the running of Channel 4, in which the state-owned commercially-funded broadcaster got quite a slating.

MPs had a lot of criticism for C4's former CEO Andy Duncan, which might explain his sudden departure late last year.

The report slagged off the TV firm for failing to fulfil its promise to invest £10 million in programmes for older children, for investing so much in the Project Kangaroo TV-on-demand venture given said project was likely to fall foul of the Competition Commission (which it did), and for covering up just how much was wasted on the broadcaster's doomed efforts to launch a digital radio network (described by C4 bosses as "modest", but running up to £10 million when more heavily scrutinised). C4 management were also insufficiently transparent, the MPs said, when it came to declaring the costs of their digital-only channels.

MPs also questioned the way Channel 4 is regulated, and suggested firstly that a BBC Trust type set up should perhaps be considered for C4 rather than just leaving the regulation to OfCom (despite the BBC Trust being much criticised itself), and secondly that the impact of C4's operations on the commercial market should be given more consideration, again in line with BBC regulation.

All round radio legend Kenny Everett is to be featured in a new BBC 4 biopic. The programme will follow the late comedian and DJ's early life, starting with his childhood in Merseyside.

It's not clear how much of his professional career, which included stints on the early pirate radio stations and later Radio 1 and Capital Radio, not to mention a popular TV show, will be included in the drama. Along the way, of course, Everett befriended many of the British rock elite of the sixties and seventies. He died in 1995 of an AIDS related illness.

The BBC confirmed the biopic was in development yesterday, and that it would be an in-house production. The screenplay will be written by Tim Whitnall who won acclaim at last year's Edinburgh Fringe with his one man play about the life of Eric Morecambe.

The BBC's Chief Operating Officer Caroline Thomson has apparently told a media conference that 6music should close because the average age of its audience is 37 and that is at the heart of the demographic targeted by commercial radio.

According to the Guardian, Thomson defended the Beeb's controversial proposal that the digital radio service be shut at the Westminster Media Forum, and said: "The average age of its listeners - 37 - is at the heart of the demographic targeted by commercial radio".

Of course, it's possible Thomson has been misquoted or taken out of context there, and wasn't really suggesting that the 6music audience somehow crosses over with that of Magic and Heart and Absolute.

But if that is what she was saying, then that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, and demonstrates Thomson is so out of her depth she drowned long ago and is now just a zombie, and should be fired forthwith and placed somewhere where she can't bother the BBC ever again. That is all.

MTV Networks International has announced that Philip Bourchier O'Ferrall has been promoted to the role of Senior Vice President Digital Media, which will see him overseeing all of the music channel's non-US multi-media and online whatnots. He has previously headed up the firm's digital teams in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, and will continue to do so.

He will report to MTV International President Robert Bakish, who told CMU: "Our digital ambition is to be on all of the platforms that are relevant to our audience. I am confident that Philip will drive robust growth for MTV International's digital business as he has for MTV UK".

The producers of Sony Ericsson's quirky YouTube-based pop show Pocket TV, hosted by Radio 1 gossip man Matt Edmondson, are looking for an aspiring telly person interested in being a runner for the next series of the programme, which will be filmed between 5 Apr and 9 Jul.

It is a paid London-based position, and will basically involve helping the production team as they interview all sorts of bands and music types. It will no doubt involve a lot of lifting flight cases and making coffees, but it will be a great opportunity to learn how TV is made, and to make all sorts of great contacts. The successful candidate will also be asked to keep a video blog of their experience that will be posted on YouTube.

Any aspiring telly type over the age of 18 and available in London from April should upload a sixty second clip demonstrating why they'd be a great runner to their own YouTube account, and then send a message to PocketTVshow via the video site with the words RUNNER COMPETITION in the subject line and the vid attached. The deadline to enter is 15 Mar. Three people will be selected to compete for the final job by taking part in a challenge set by the aforementioned Matt Edmondson.

To find out what Pocket TV is all about go to www.youtube.com/pockettvshow

So, 6music might close after all, if The Times is to be believed. Well, at least the guys who set up that 'save 6music' Facebook Group (which, actually, was the RATM Xmas number one duo, the Morters) weren't wasting their time.

As previously reported, rumours circulated earlier this month that the popular (within the music community) digital music service was facing the axe. But it seemed those rumours were based on the simple fact the service was being reviewed by the BBC Trust, the body which oversees the running of the Corporation on behalf of the licence fee payer.

But, as we pointed out at the time, that was just a routine review, and 6music ticks lots of boxes that will please the Trust. And, indeed, when the Trustees reported back on its review they said they were happy for 6music to continue to operate in its current form, but urged the station to better market itself, after research showed the majority of licence fee payers didn't even know it exists.

But, it's possible the original rumours stemmed not from the Trust's review, but from insider knowledge of radical proposals being developed by BBC management to dramatically cut costs.

The proposals, which The Times claims to have seen, are clearly designed in part to satisfy commercial media owners and Conservative MPs who say the Corporation has over-expanded in recent years, and is now far too willing to compete with commercial broadcasters and publishers, capitalising on the unfair advantage of an unrivalled content archive, media brand portfolio and financial security, all made possible because of the unique way in which the BBC is funded. The secret proposals also presumably prepare the Corporation for the fact a Tory government is likely to block any licence fee increase.

According to The Times, a BBC report will propose shutting down the Corporation's youth strands Switch and Blast, letting the likes of ITV and Channel 4 target the potentially lucrative teenage market (lucrative as long as regulations regarding what can be advertised to the under 18s don't get any tighter, of course). BBC's online operations would be cut down to size, potentially reducing the size of the Corporation's website by half, and budgets available for buying up foreign imports would be cut by £100 million.

And commercial division BBC Worldwide would be told to concentrate on selling BBC programmes and rights to international broadcasters - originally its core purpose - rather than dabbling in other areas of the media business, a move which would necessitate Worldwide to sell off its publishing assets, and maybe even its music rights business and CD/DVD distribution arm 2entertain.

But the real news for music people will be the report's recommendations regarding BBC radio. Radio 2 would be told to increase the amount of comedy and documentaries it airs in prime time, reducing the amount of music and celebrity content (actually a recommendation of the aforementioned BBC Trust Review), while the Asian Network and 6music would be canned altogether.

The Times says the proposals have been drawn up by the BBC's Director Of Policy & Strategy John Tate, who previously worked for the Conservatives and presumably has an insight into what kind of measures would placate BBC critics within the Tory top guard, who most assume will be in government by June.

Tate's ideas would accommodate a licence fee freeze in 2013, and make available another £600 million to be pumped into "higher-quality content" - the mantra being "quality over quantity", to overcome criticisms that the BBC has used its safe licence fee income and booming BBC Worldwide revenues to grossly over expand in the last two decades.

Of course, even if The Times' report is accurate, it is not known how much credence these proposals will be given by BBC chief Mark Thompson and his closest allies at the top of the Corporation, especially given Tory culture spokesman Jeremy Hunt seemed to be softening his resolve to radically reform the BBC at a Q&A with key media people in London this week, going as far as to admit the Corporation in its current form "sort of worked".

Tate's proposals for 6music and the Asian Network are likely to be most controversial. The proposals to cut back the Beeb's commercial operations, their website and their more mainstream youth output are all things that would directly satisfy the Corporation's commercial critics, not least The Times owner Rupert Murdoch. And an overhaul of Radio 2 would placate, to an extent, the UK commercial radio sector, who see that BBC station as their biggest rival these days.

But 6music and the Asian Network are very much public service-based operations that no commercial player would really have any interest in competing with. The fact only 20% of the people the BBC Trust surveyed had even heard of 6music is sort of the point, it's a niche service, and that's why no one in the commercial sector would ever go there.

However, while niche, 6music plays an important role in British music, given that ('Later' aside) BBC TV has basically shunned music programming completely, and prime time on Radios 1 and 2 is all about the mainstream. And, relatively speaking, 6music performs this role on a relatively modest budget. Plus, on a higher level, the station ensures the BBC has connections into the wider music community, and helps the station build up early-career archive content of tomorrow's big talent, something the Corporation is yet to capitalise on.

It's possible that proposals to axe public service operations like 6music and the Asian Network, in order to fulfil the Tory's cost cutting demands on the BBC, is really a bid to rally opposition against any government-forced downsizing. Though, I suspect that isn't Tate's aim. Rather, he feels there is a need to show the BBC is seriously considering cutting back its radio empire, and shutting the doors completely on two services is easier than downsizing the others.

Though, given the widely acknowledged excesses at both Radios 1 and 2 (who together employ more people to work on their breakfast shows than the entire workforce at a commercial station like Xfm), it would be very easy to free up the kind of money needed to run niche services like 6music and the Asian Network simply by bringing the two big BBC stations into the 21st century staffing-wise.

The BBC are yet to comment on the Times article, so it remains to been how serious these proposals are. I might go and sign up to the aforementioned save 6music Facebook page in the meantime. Just in case.

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=278123313911&v=info

Scotland's third channel operator STV is threatening a new batch of legal action against ITV, this time over the plugging of programmes aired on ITV2 during ITV1 shows which STV airs North of the border. If that makes sense.

STV operates the two third channel 'ITV licences' in Scotland, though buys a lot of programming off ITV plc, the company which operates the same channel in England and Wales. That said, in recent years STV has been trying build a stronger identity as a broadcaster in its own, so it isn't just "the Scottish version of England's ITV".

As part of that bid they have started putting Scotland-made programming into prime time slots where previously they would have always simply syndicated whatever shows were airing on ITV1 in England. The decision led to the first batch of legal wrangling between STV and ITVplc, because the former announced it was pulling various English shows, and therefore wouldn't be contributing to the cost of their production, with relatively short notice. Too short notice as far as ITVplc was concerned.

The latest squabble is caused by the fact that while ITVplc's ITV1 channel does not air North of the broader, its other channels - ITVs 2, 3 and 4 - do (an attempt by STV to operate a second Scotland-only channel in place of ITV2 failed). Obviously ITV1 shows with a spin off programme on ITV2 - STV specifically mention 'X-Factor' and its spin off 'Xtra Factor' - use the main show to heavily plug the spin off. STV's objection is that that, because they air 'X-Factor' in Scotland, all the in-programme plugging takes viewers away from the STV channel, where they earn advertising revenue, to ITV2, where they earn nothing. So ITVplc are getting free advertising for their second channel on STV.

Or in the words of an STV statement: "As a shareholder in the Network, STV invests in building network brands such as 'The X Factor', from which ITV develops spinoff programmes, such as 'The Xtra Factor'. These spinoff programmes, which target key premium audiences, are prejudicially and aggressively scheduled on other ITV channels in which STV has no economic interest".

STV bosses say they have written to ITV about this issue and if they don't receive a "satisfactory response" will be consulting their lawyers. Which is all good fun.

The BBC's commercial division Worldwide has confirmed a long-term deal with Universal Music to distribute video content owned by major music company. The same bit of BBC Worldwide that sells the Beeb's own music archives to international broadcasters will now represent a stack of Universal content too.

Worldwide music man Stephen Davies says this: "We are proud to become distribution partner with the world's biggest record label and are delighted to be representing such a great roster of artists. This deal further strengthens our relationship with Universal and, with its promise of more great programming, will take BBC Worldwide Music to a new level as a major music distributor".

Channel Five, or Five as they insist on being known, have secured a number of big names from the US TV shows they air to appear in a new ad campaign for the network.

Taking a leaf of Channel 4's book – who have also incorporated actors from the US shows they air in their channel-wide marketing – the likes of Joseph Fiennes, Gary Sinise, Laurence Fishburne, Simon Baker, Mark Harmon and Marg Helgenberger will all appear in the new LA-filmed adverts. Between them those actors represent Five aired shows like 'The Mentalist', 'Flash Forward', 'NCIS' and various versions of the 'CSI' franchise.

The trailer is called The Drama Continues and will premiere on Five itself tonight. The network says it is the first time that rival US TV studios Warner Bros, CBS and ABC have all agreed to allow their stars to appear in the same trailer in this way.

With the General Election looming ever closer it seems increasingly doubtful the Digital Economy Bill, with its controversial three-strike provisions for combating online piracy, will become law before parliament is dissolved for the big vote. Nevertheless, those lobbying in favour of the legislation seem optimistic it can be pushed through the House Of Commons in time.

But doing so will probably need the cooperation of opposition parties, and the Tories, while basically supporting most of the Bill's copyright provisions, have issues with other aspects of the proposed legislation, which, as a real mish mash of a proposals, covers all sorts of things relating to the media, internet and telecommunications.

Nevertheless, the debate about the Bill's copyright section, in and around parliament, continues. Yesterday a letter signed by an eclectic bunch of creative industry men, including Simon Cowell, was sent to MPs and peers urging the political types to ensure the legislation gets through parliament before the election. Alongside Cowell, other signatories of the letter included author Terry Pratchett, Working Title Film chief Tim Bevan, film director Paul Greengrass and TV producer Stephen Garrett.

For a very brief moment yesterday it seemed that perhaps the efforts of that five, and a multitude of lobbyists from across the content industries, had been unsuccessful when 10 Downing Street responded to a petition on its website against the disconnection of file-sharers by saying the government would not allow those who access music off the internet illegally to have their internet connections disconnected.

Though that was a rather political statement allowing the prime minister's office to seem like it was responding to the petition but without having to change any policy. Unlike in France (and, for a time, Hull), full-on disconnections of internet access have never been part of the three-strikes proposals in the UK, where the ultimate sanction would be the suspension of a file-sharer's net access, not disconnection.

The BBC's commercial division Worldwide has signed a deal with the Glastonbury Festival, which will enable it to sell the Beeb's extensive coverage of the uber-music fest to broadcasters around the world. And might also help the BBC justify sending 9704 people to cover Glasto each year.

Confirming the deal with Glastonbury organisers, BBC Worldwide's music man John Mansfield told The Guardian: "In this momentous year, as Glastonbury celebrates its 40th anniversary, we are proud and privileged to bring the much celebrated BBC coverage to a global stage".

Glasto legal man Ben Challis added: "We have worked with the BBC in the UK since 1997 and the award winning coverage of Glastonbury just gets better and better".

According to The Guardian, Glasto footage will be added to BBC Worldwide's expanding catalogue of music assets, which includes 'Later With Jools Holland' content and the 'Top Of The Pops' brand, plus all of the Corporation's archive footage, which Worldwide is apparently packaging into artist strands along the lines of 'Best Of Blondie' etc.

You've gotta love Mark Thomas, right? Well, not necessarily, it seems. Cross-industry trade body UK Music has filed a formal complaint with the BBC over a ten minute segment aired on the Corporation's 'Culture Show' in which the always opinionated comedian analysed the always fun Digital Economy Bill, the bit of legislation currently working its way through parliament which includes the much previously reported British take on the three-strikes system for combating online piracy.

The Feargal Sharkey-headed music business body reckons Thomas' review of the copyright provisions in the DEB were overly biased towards those who oppose the proposed new laws, and that the feature contained some misleading information, which UK Music had alerted the programme's makers of before the piece aired.

Pointing out that only one minute and forty seconds of the ten minute feature included those who disagreed with Thomas' anti-DEB viewpoint, UK Music say that most of the information which it considers "misleading" centred on the process that copyright owners will go through to suspend a file-sharer's net connection if the proposals in the bill become law. This is certainly the area where there does seem to be some confusion among both those who support and those who oppose the legislation.

UK Music say Thomas and his anti-DEB interviewees claimed that the bill will enable movie studios and record companies to get file-sharers' net access cut off "with a bare minimum of evidence being presented" and that copyright owners would have the power to submit "three false accusations and then taking bolt cutters to someone's internet".

But UK Music argues that this is simply not so. They say only "serious repeat infringers" will be targeted, that some fifty infringement notices would need to be filed against someone before they were deemed to fall into that category, and that when a suspension order was requested by a copyright owner the matter would then go to an independent ombudsman - most likely a new department within OfCom - at which stage the accused would be able to appeal.

The trade body also take issue with Thomas' description of Clause 17, the undeniably controversial DEB provision which gives the secretary of state with responsibility for IP issues the right to introduce new copyright rules in the future without consulting parliament. Thomas, and many others before him, reckon this is entirely undemocratic, and that it will enable the copyright lobby to persuade future ministers to sneak in even more draconian rules on file-sharing.

But UK Music says Clause 17 has been misrepresented also, adding that a rework of that clause in the House Of Lords means all affected groups and parliament would have to be consulted before new copyright rules could become law, the clause simply means new full legislation would not be required every time new technology results in new copyright challenges.

UK Music man Sharkey concluded: "We very much welcome an open debate on the Digital Economy Bill. But we would have expected a distinguished broadcaster like the BBC to present a balanced feature, based on facts and with all sides of the discussion being represented. On this occasion, however, we believe the BBC fell short on all accounts. Due to the seriousness of these breaches, we believe that the only appropriate and effective remedy would be an on-air retraction and apology".

The BBC says it is considering UK Music's complaint. Meanwhile, you can watch Thomas' DEB piece here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4S4siQAfY4. This unofficial video upload on YouTube possibly infringes the BBC's copyright, but don't worry, once the DEB is passed whoever uploaded it will be tracked down and have their hands cut off. Or at least that's what I heard. I think it was Mark Thomas who told me that.

Oh, the complicated rules regarding sponsorship on British television, which insist the branded idents that run before sponsored shows on commercial TV stations are clearly not part of the programme, but at the same time clearly not a conventional advert.

Sky are pissed off with media regulator OfCom, who have just ruled that idents used by Currys as part of its sponsorship of 'The Simpsons' on Sky1 are too like adverts to be inline with the rules. The problem is that the spot specifically advertised some of the electronics chain's services, rather than just saying "Currys pays cash to be associated with 'The Simpsons'" or something similar.

Sky are annoyed because they say they ran the spots by OfCom before they put them on air and initially got the all clear. But the regulator says the idents clearly breach their rules, while adding that anything they may have said about the sponsorship spots before they actually aired can only be considered "general guidance", because they will only ever formally rule on such things once something is actually on TV. Which seems a bit silly when a broadcaster specifically asks for advice, but there you go.

OfCom said in a statement: "[We do] not accept Sky's view that, in advance of transmission, Ofcom had 'confirmed that the [idents] were compliant'. Ofcom is a post-transmission regulator and has always made clear to its licensees that it does not offer pre-transmission clearance or compliance approval".

Homer Simpson was unavailable for comment.

New ad-funded online video-on-demand service SeeSaw is now live in beta form, with more than 3000 hours of telly content to choose from, coming from the BBC, Channel 4 and Five.

As previously reported, SeeSaw began life as Project Kangaroo, a joint venture between the broadcasters that will contribute content to it, but said JV was deemed anti-competitive by the UK Competition Commission. The technology and concept was subsequently bought last summer by telecoms and broadcasting services company Arqiva.

SeeSaw works a bit like the BBC's popular iPlayer, and will have seven-day catch up programmes from Channel 4 and Five, plus archive shows from the BBC (via the Beeb's commercial division BBC Worldwide) and others direct from independent producers.

Having indie producers on board will mean SeeSaw will include some ITV shows like 'Kingdom', 'Doc Martin' and 'Footballers' Wives', even though ITV isn't itself on board. ITV has been nervous about licensing its content to on-demand services that compete with its own ITV Player, though from what I can see the SeeSaw platform is vastly superior to anything ITV has ever developed, and if I was them I'd look to get involved in the new platform as soon as possible.

Commenting on the service's launch, SeeSaw Platform Controller John Keeling told reporters: "What you see today is the tip of the iceberg. Our thirst for great content will further enhance the appeal of SeeSaw to British audiences in the months ahead, ensuring viewers will come back again and again".

If a success in the online domain, it seems likely SeeSaw will look to take their on-demand service to people's TV sets utilising the much previously reported Project Canvas standard for delivering VOD services via set top boxes. As previously reported, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, TalkTalk and BT are all part of the Project Canvas venture, which would mean that any new TV-based on-demand services from any of those broadcasters would work on the same set-top boxes.

Project Canvas is more or less ready to go, but the BBC's involvement in such a commercially-orientated venture is still subject to approval by the BBC Trust.

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw last week confirmed that the government will allow product placement on British TV shows for the first time.

As previously reported, the government announced last year that it planned to allow commercial broadcasters to generate new revenues by charging brands to have a subtle presence within TV programmes. Unlike in the US and many other European countries, such paid-for brand exposure has been banned on British television until now.

Broadcasters like ITV hope the relaxation in product placement rules will provide a valuable new revenue stream to help compensate for the fall in traditional TV advertising income. Though some critics reckon that many advertisers will be cautious about embracing placement in case of a public backlash towards brand presence in programmes, while others may simply divert money originally pencilled for traditional ad spots to the new opportunities of in-programme exposure.

Confirming that product placement was being given the green light on British TV, albeit with some very specific restrictions, Bradshaw wrote in a ministerial statement earlier this month that the new system would "provide meaningful commercial benefits to commercial television companies and programme-makers while taking account of the legitimate concerns that have been expressed".

ITV welcomed the new rules, despite the broadcaster's management having a problem with some of the restrictions. A spokesman told reporters: "While we do not necessarily agree with the restrictions placed on certain categories, it is a step in the right direction as it will deliver additional revenue for investment in original content in the UK".

Perhaps I had the Winter Olympics on the brain, but when I heard that MTV Australia were putting their annual awards show "on ice" I thought to myself, "now that's an awards event I'd watch". I'd quite like to see Kanye West try to gatecrash the stage when doing so involves crossing 40 feet of ice rink.

But no, it was a different kind of "on ice". The telly network has announced there will no MTV Australia Awards this year. Instead there will be a big party to celebrate the launch of MTV Classic, an interesting new channel from the TV firm. Interesting in that it knocks the VH1 brand off the Aussie TV channel guide.

I wonder whether there are any plans to remove Video Hits One from the MTV roster of channels in any other territories also? The company's classic hits channel was originally known as MTV Classic in Poland, though that was subsequently rebranded as VH1 to bring it in line with other countries.