Mediagazer: 'BBC should open more shows up to indies if it doesn't subsidise Channel 4' (John Plunkett/Guardian)

9:55 AM ET, November 28, 2013

Top News:

John Plunkett / Guardian:

'BBC should open more shows up to indies if it doesn't subsidise Channel 4' — Up to 75% of BBC's shows should be available to independent sector if it wants to defend licence fee, says All3Media chairman — All3Media chairman Steve Morrison has said the BBC should make up to 75% …

John Plunkett / Guardian:

BBC chief wants corporation to be ‘less British’ defending the licence fee — Tony Hall says the broadcaster must be more aggressive in promoting its cause before charter and licence fee renewal — Read Tony Hall's Voice of the Listener and Viewer speech

Discussion: bbc.co.uk

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

BT to add music service to TV offerings — Music video and karaoke offering backed by Universal Music — BT is to launch a music video and karaoke TV service backed by the world's largest music company, Universal Music. — The service will initially offer the equivalent of about 150 albums of music video promos.

Gavin J. Blair / Hollywood Reporter:

Amazon Launches Online Video Service in Japan — More than 26,000 imported and local films and TV shows are available on the Instant Video platform that will compete in the crowded Japanese Web video market. — TOKYO - Amazon Japan launched its ‘Instant Video’ online platform Tuesday …

Discussion: The Next Web, TechCrunch, The Verge, Home Media Magazine, Engadget, Electronista and Gigaom

Reuters:

Vietnam announces big fines for social media ‘propaganda’ — HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam will hand out fines of 100 million dong ($4,740) to anyone criticizing the government on social media, under a new law announced this week, the latest measure in a widening crackdown on dissent by the country's communist rulers.

Discussion: The Verge, Softpedia News, The Next Web and VentureBeat

BBC:

Japan approves new state secrecy bill to combat leaks — The lower house of the Japanese parliament has approved a state secrecy bill that imposes stiffer penalties on civil servants who leak secrets and journalists who try to obtain them. — The move had been criticised by reporters …

Discussion: ABC, Daily Maverick and Global News

Violet Blue / ZDNet:

Despite US opposition, UN approves rights to privacy in the digital age — Summary: Despite last week's US-led opposition to the United Nations' “Rights To Privacy In The Digital Age,” the resolution put forward as a reaction to US surveillance activities was passed. — Violet Blue

Discussion: United Nations, Scoop, @violetblue, english.cntv.cn, The Nation and Softpedia News

Paul Steiger / ProPublica:

Why Reporters in the U.S. Now Need Protection — Last night, ProPublica founder and executive chairman Paul Steiger received the Burton Benjamin Memorial award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. Here are his remarks. — In recent days I thought a lot about the 16 previous recipients …

Discussion: @jcstearns and @davidbarstow

BBC:

Tehelka's Shoma Chowdhury quits over sex assault controversy — The managing editor of a top Indian magazine has resigned days after her boss was accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague. — Shoma Chowdhury of Tehelka magazine said it was a “damaging time” for the publication …

Discussion: @andrewbuncombe and India Real Time

The Huffington Post:

Top-Secret Document Reveals NSA Spied On Porn Habits As Part Of Plan To Discredit ‘Radicalizers’ — WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency has been gathering records of online sexual activity and evidence of visits to pornographic websites as part of a proposed plan to harm the reputations …

Megha Rajagopalan / Reuters:

China's rumor crackdown has ‘cleaned’ Internet, official says — (Reuters) - China's campaign against online rumors, which critics say is crushing free speech, has been highly successful in “cleaning” the Internet, a top official of the country's internet regulator said on Thursday.

Wall Street Journal:

Charter Arranging $25 Billion in Debt for Time Warner Cable Bid — Debt Will Allow Charter To Include Large Cash Consideration — Charter Communications Inc. is arranging about $25 billion of debt financing as it pursues an acquisition of Time Warner Cable Inc., allowing it to include …

Discussion: Deadline.com

Liana B. Baker / Reuters: Incoming Time Warner Cable CEO could exit with $50 mln-plus after deal

Roy Greenslade / Guardian:

Telegraph group shelves ‘five pillars’ restructure plan — The Telegraph Media Group's planned reorganisation, known as “five pillars”, has been put into cold storage. — News of the initiative was reported by Media Guardian in September the day after TMG announced the appointment …

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:

Norman Pearlstine Defends Lara Logan, Suggests Editor More To Blame For Benghazi Story — NEW YORK — On Tuesday night, the Committee to Protect Journalists honored four individuals with the organization's 2013 International Press Freedom Awards: Egypt's Bassem Youssef, Turkey's Nedim ener …

Discussion: TVNewser, NPR, Committee to Protect …, Poynter and Mediaite