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Could Absolute Radio, formerly known as Virgin Radio, be up for sale? That's the chatter in City circles.
Any sale talk would be a surprise as owners TIML Radio Ltd, backed by the giant Indian media conglomerate The Times of India Group, only bought the rock music station for £53.2 million in May 2008 — their first foray into the UK media world.
Those close to Absolute Radio say there is no truth to the rumours and The Times of India Group is “fully committed to the station”.
BBC fights its own election battle
A curious piece of scheduling by BBC1 on April 15, the day of the first party leaders' debate on ITV1 at 8.30pm, hosted by Alastair Stewart.
The historic, 90-minute show is up against Have I Got News For You, which now has a regular Thursday slot, and a new episode of hit family comedy Outnumbered.
ITV's general election coverage is also notable for the fact that Jonathan Dimbleby will be a regular presenter during the campaign — despite Stewart replacing him as ITV's main anchor on election night.
Sky and sympathy
Does BSkyB protest too much about media regulator Ofcom's report last week which demanded a cut in the wholesale prices which other broadcasters must pay to carry Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2?
Those sympathetic to Sky have focused on the fact that Ofcom wants a 23% cut to the wholesale price for a subscriber who takes either Sky Sports 1 or Sky Sports 2.
However, Sky will only have to cut prices by 10.5% for those subscribers who take both sports channels as a joint package. And how many take both Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2?
Well over 90%, according to Toby Syfret at Enders Analysis. Given Sky's dominance of pay-TV, Ofcom's call for a 10.5% cut to prices does not seem unreasonable — a point the regulator makes in its exhaustive 659-page report, knowing it would be challenged in court by Sky. This just might be a fight Sky's lawyers won't win — at least without help from a Tory Government…
Guardian swings its own Asian Network axe
Columnists on the Guardian and the Observer have complained about the BBC's cost-cutting plans to axe radio stations 6Music and Asian Network.
But what has happened to the Guardian's own radio podcast for Muslims? After posting frequent recordings on the Guardian website since January 2007, nothing new has been heard from the Islamophonic team since December 18.
Insiders say the Guardian, which has around two dozen recording booths and a large radio studio in its King's Place offices, is cutting back on podcasts and other non-essential projects.
The paper is also looking to outsource some of its creative department, which employs around 50 people and is responsible for publishing the paper's sponsored supplements.
BBC bloodletting
Upheaval at the BBC's online division where boss Erik Huggers, under pressure to halve the number of Beeb websites, has abruptly parted ways with one senior lieutenant and is having to do without another.
Online journalism chief Nic Newman went with immediate effect last week and Anthony Rose, credited as being the brains behind BBC iPlayer, is going to work on the BBC-backed internet TV operation Project Canvas.
Newman's departure came as a shock to staff as he is a long-serving staffer, ex-World Service documentary-maker and co-founded BBC News Online in 1997 — unlike Huggers who only joined from Microsoft in 2007.
