Dear Colleagues,
I just wanted to share with you the updated programme for this Friday’s event on the future of free to air television that Sylvia Harvey and I have put together particularly for MeCSSA members. There are still a few places left if you are
interested and able to make it.
Free-to-air Television and the Battle for Spectrum
Programme
Friday 19 September, 2014, 14:00 – 17:15
Location: London School of Economics, 20 Kingsway, Room G.01. The entrance to the Kingsway building is on Portugal Street; the nearest tube station is Holborn.
http://www.lse.ac.uk/mapsanddirections/findingyourwayaroundlse.aspx
('KSW' is the Kingsway building).
The seminar will be divided into two sessions with plenty of time for questions and discussion. The programme is as follows:
14:00- 15:30 The prospects for terrestrial broadcasting in the UK:
Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) appears to be a successful and popular method for delivering TV signals but its use of precious spectrum is coming under closer scrutiny. Last year's sale of frequencies in the 800 MHz band enabled the roll out of the new
4G mobile services but has caused interference for some DTT users. What does the future hold? Is DTT and its Freeview technology vital for the delivery of a universal public service, free at the point of use, or should it be ushered off the airwaves and delivered
via broadband?
Speakers:
Gill Hind, Enders Analysis
Richard Wronka, Head of Regulatory Business, Ofcom
Ben Roome, Chief Executive, at800
Jonathan Thompson, Chief Executive, Digital UK
Chair: Dr Maria Michalis, University of Westminster
15:30 – 16:00 Tea Break and networking
16:00 – 17:15 Economic efficiency and public service: balancing space for broadcasters and mobile in Europe:
How are battles for spectrum playing out in other European countries? What role is the European Commission playing and who are the other actors (nation states, ITU, World Radio
Conference)? Whose interests should take priority in spectrum allocation, how economically efficient is broadcasting and what are the communicative requirements of citizenship? To what extent is there room for coordination around core principles such as universality
and free access?
Speakers:
Björn Thegeby, DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology ('DG Connect'), European Commission
Simon Fell, Director of Technology & Innovation, European Broadcasting Union
Chair: Prof Robin Mansell, London School of Economics and
Political Science
This event is free of charge but please register with Emma Goodman at
[log in to unmask]. If you have any accessibility requirements
please let us know. This event is co-ordinated by Sally Broughton Micova (LSE) and Sylvia Harvey (University of Leeds).
Dr Sally Broughton Micova
Research Officer, LSE Media Policy Project
Department of Media and Communications
London School of Economics and Political Science
@broughtonmicova
@lsemediapolicy
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mediapolicyproject/