Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

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

Radio 4 needs to expand its appeal beyond white middle-class people in London and the South East, while Radio 3 tends to be "slightly heavy and inaccessible", according to %3Ca%20href="%3Ca%20href="/bbctrust/our_work/service_reviews/service_licences/reviews_radio_347.shtml">">a report by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Trust. The %3Ca%20href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8279381/Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ-Radio-4-too-middle-class-and-London-centric.html">Telegraph says the report, put together by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ trustee David Liddiment, acknowledges that both stations have "passionate and loyal audiences", but says both need to widen their appeal.

%3Ca%20href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1355017/Radio-4-Dont-let-Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ-trust-ruin-bastion-civilised-broadcasting.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">In the Daily Mail Quentin Letts comments on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Trust report:

"No, no, no! Let the dumb-downΒ­brigade smash and level and grottify other parts of the Beeb. Let them despoil Radio 1, do their worst to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Online and have their wicked way with the Radio Times. But please, please leave Radio 4 alone."

The %3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/08/bbc-cuts-childrens-radio-shows">Guardian says the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will axe more than 1,000 hours of children's radio programmes on digital station Radio 7, after it emerged that the average age of their listeners is 48. They will be replaced by more "family-friendly" content aimed at older children and their parents, and a daily 20-minute CBeebies radio show online. Radio 7 is being rebranded as a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 spin-off station, Radio 4 Extra.

The %3Ca%20href="/news/technology-12393893">Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reports material published on Twitter should be considered public and can be published, the Press Complaints Commission has ruled. It follows a complaint by a Department of Transport official that the use of her tweets by newspapers constituted an invasion of privacy. The messages included remarks about being hung-over at work. She complained that this information was private and was only meant to be seen by her 700 followers. The PCC said Twitter was publicly accessible; the complainant had not taken steps to restrict access to her messages; and she was not publishing material anonymously.

The %3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/08/richard-keys-andy-gray-talksport">Guardian says disgraced former Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray have been signed up by the talk radio station TalkSport. The pair will present a three-hour weekday show between 10am and 1pm, beginning next Monday. It is understood they have been hired on six-figure salaries.

Buckingham Palace has dashed Sky's hopes that it might broadcast the royal wedding in 3D, despite it filming a mock wedding, and a 3D demonstration at the Guards Chapel in Windsor. The %3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/08/royal-wedding-3d-sky">Guardian says the royals have not ruled out future royal events being filmed in 3D.

The first still from the film The Iron Lady, starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, is on the front pages of the %3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/08/meryl-streep-margaret-thatcher">Guardian and the %3Ca%20href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8311793/Meryl-Streeps-sensational-Margaret-Thatcher.html">Daily Telegraph. The Guardian says the film, directed by Phyllida Lloyd who made Mamma Mia, will deal with the 17 days before the Falklands war at a time when Thatcher was deeply unpopular.

The %3Ca%20href="/news/business-12379623">Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reports US internet firm AOL has agreed to buy the Huffington Post online newspaper. The $315m (Β£196m) deal will create an internet media group with 270 million users, including 117 million in the US. Ms Huffington - currently editor of her namesake news service - will head the combined firm's content division.

Apple is being warned against trying to squeeze cash out of the newspaper industry by controlling subscriptions for iPads and iPhones. The %3Ca%20href="/news/technology-12391899">Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reports the European Newspaper Publishers' Association (ENPA) says it is concerned by the company's plans to direct online sales through iTunes. The technology giant insists it wants to give customers choice. But several papers claim Apple has banned them from offering free electronic editions to their print customers.

The %3Ca%20href="/news/uk-12401092">Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's newspaper review says the Financial Times' verdict on the government's increased banking levy is that "nothing good will come from ministers instructing private companies how to run their business". The Times also thinks the levy "may be good politics, but it is poor policy". But the Sun feels George Osborne "would have been entitled to give [bankers] an even bigger kick in the pants".

Links in full

• %3Ca%20href="/bbctrust/our_work/service_reviews/service_licences/reviews_radio_347.shtml">Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Trust | Review of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3, Radio 4 and Radio 7
%3Ca%20href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8279381/Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ-Radio-4-too-middle-class-and-London-centric.html">Telegraph | Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 'too middle class and London-centric'
• %3Ca%20href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1355017/Radio-4-Dont-let-Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ-trust-ruin-bastion-civilised-broadcasting.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">Daily Mail | Oh no! Don't let the dumb-down brigade ruin Radio 4. It's the last bastion of civilised, aspirational broadcasting
• %3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/08/bbc-cuts-childrens-radio-shows">Guardian | Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ to axe more than 1,000 hours of kids' radio shows
%3Ca%20href="/news/technology-12393893">Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ | 'Twitter messages not private' rules PCC
• %3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/08/bbc-cuts-childrens-radio-shows">Guardian | 3D royal wedding ruled out by Palace
• %3Ca%20href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8311793/Meryl-Streeps-sensational-Margaret-Thatcher.html">Telegraph | Meryl Streep's 'sensational' Margaret Thatcher
• %3Ca%20href="/news/technology-12391899">Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ | Newspaper publishers warn Apple over iTunes sales
• %3Ca%20href="/news/uk-12401092">Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ | Newspaper review

• Read %3Ca%20href="https://twitter.com/Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔTorinD">my updates on Twitter

• Read %3Ca%20href="https://delicious.com/bbctorindouglas">my archive of media stories on Delicious

• Read %3Ca%20href="/blogs/seealso/2011/02/media_brief_158.html">Friday's Media Brief