The concept itself is, without a doubt, a very good idea. It is an excellent way of using our BBC to vent our frustrations at the politics and everyday monotony that exists on our little island. The show even has a feature in which the bewildered residents of a city are approached and told to do a piece-to-camera about what they’d like to see more of on the news.

But, upon first look it is very clear who the target audience of Your News is. The presenter shots are ridiculously over-played. The dialogue itself is fine; there’s little sensationalism, which you’d expect in this style of programming. However, the camera work is beyond slick. It is beyond modern. It is simply awful.

The camera zooms in and out quickly in response to every comment made by the presenter. It rotates around said presenter in some sort of Matrix style clockwork. It pans around trees and lamp posts which block the presenter’s face over and over again and it slips in and out of this sloppy, wannabe-modern style of filming as it so pleases.

So after being held on the edge of your seat at the suspense, being bombarded with the opinions about the state of the news by people chosen ‘at random’, and finally feeling very sick at the sheer volume of camera movement and rotation, you don’t even have enough time to take it all in; the programme is just too short.

I did try and find a YouTube clip, but those Copyright Police have been out in force across the network so you’ll just have to make do with the BBC’s online version. Click here to watch the latest episode. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good show. But be warned: you may need a bucket.

UPDATE: As of today (9th December 2007) the YourNews video on bbc.co.uk hasn’t been updated since 3rd November so you may not be watching the most recent edition.

Torchwood had its series two press premiere yesterday and some details have been revealed about the plot of the first episode.

In case you were wondering, Torchwood is a fictional institution first mentioned in the revived Doctor Who television series. ‘Torchwood’ is in fact an anagram of ‘Doctor Who’.

Torchwood is also a spin-off show, starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness who also first appeared in the newly-revived Doctor Who as a rogue Time Agent.

It has been revealed that former Buffy star James Marsters will star in the first episode of Torchwood series two as Captain John Hart and that he has had a relationship with Captain Jack in the past.Gwen gets engaged to her slightly less-than-perfect boyfriend Rhys. Digital Spy reports that during the ceremony (penned for mid-series) ‘Vampires may be among the uninvited guests”.

Apparently during the press screening, the humour was noted as comparably greater and the characters seem to have grown in the TV-absence of the show.

Captain Jack wants to get back together with Ianto. That story will apparently “do a Hollyoaks” and develop across the entire series. Neil Wilkes (DS) reports that Captain Jack will enjoy many a snog during series two!

You may also be pleased to learn that the official Torchwood site was re-launched at midnight, with a new look and promising exclusive content and games, much like this Spooks site.

The first episode is called ‘Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” and is rumoured to be broadcast on the 16th of January, or at least thereabouts. Rumours that there will be a specially-edited ‘family-friendly’ version of Torchwood were also confirmed the other day, meaning that a cut version will be broadcast at a pre-watershed time on BBC Two (the new home of Torchwood).

There now follows an official press release from the BBC: (after the jump)

Torchwood, the award-winning drama created by Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies, bursts back on our screens in mid-January 2008, this time premièring on BBC Two.And this time it’s bigger and bolder with more fun, adventure and excitement for the alien-fighting team…

Captain Jack Harness (John Barrowman), Gwen (Eve Myles), Owen (Burn Gorman), Toshiko (Naoko Mori) and Ianto (Gareth Lloyd-Davies) return as the investigators delving into the alien underworld of modern day Cardiff.

In response to audience demand, younger fans will now have the opportunity of watching a specially edited pre-watershed repeat.

Roly Keating, Controller BBC Two, says: “We’re delighted that Torchwood is joining BBC Two.

“We know from the success and popularity of Heroes that there’s a growing appetite for smart, high-quality, sci-fi drama on the channel so Torchwood is a perfect fit.

“I’m also pleased to announce that, due to popular demand from families and younger viewers, we will be showing a special pre-watershed repeat so everyone can enjoy the new series.”

Making a special guest appearance in the first episode is James Marsters as Captain John. He starred as Spike, the punk-goth vampire in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel.

Captain John and Captain Jack go way back and have “history”.

When he appears through the Rift under Cardiff looking for Captain Jack not only does he disrupt Captain Jack’s homecoming but the whole team, city and world are suddenly placed in danger.

The new series promises an exhilarating mixture of adventure, heartbreak, humour and surprise and pushes the team’s resolve and friendships as never before.

Firmly rooted in urban life of 21st century Cardiff, Torchwood’s investigations into alien activity give the team glimpses of the 51st Century and the First World War.

They encounter alien sleeper cells; save a stranded creature from human exploitation; meet a tragic soldier from the First World War; and encounter a memory thief who exposes long-forgotten secrets among the entire team.

During the run Alan Dale (Ugly Betty, The O.C, Lost and The West Wing) makes a star appearance.

Another familiar face among the special guest stars is Doctor Who’s companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) who appears half way through the series.

Richard Briers, Nerys Hughes and Ruth Jones (Gavin And Stacey) also appear in various roles.

Russell T Davies says: “This series pushes the Torchwood team further than ever before. They are joined by some incredible guest stars who are really going to cause waves. It’s adventurous, thrilling and packed full of surprises.”

Torchwood, which was shot in HD and will also be shown on the BBC HD channel, is filmed in and around Cardiff by BBC Wales.

BBC Wales Controller Menna Richards says: “The first series of Torchwood was a huge hit with audiences. We’re extremely proud that it’s produced in Wales.

“And its success is a reflection of the huge wealth of talent and creativity that exists here.

“We’re delighted that it’s returning to our screens for another series full of action, humour and excitement.”

The 13-part series is written by Chris Chibnall, Phil Ford, Peter J Hammond, Matt Jones, Joseph Lidster, James Moran, Helen Raynor, Catherine Tregenna and JC Wilsher.

Created by Davies, with Chris Chibnall as co-producer and lead writer, the first series which aired on BBC Three last year achieved the channel’s highest ratings in 2006, with an audience of 2.5 million for the first episode, and peaking at 2.8 million.

There will be a new exciting online reality game and exclusive behind the scenes footage on bbc.co.uk/torchwood.

Torchwood is executive produced by Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner, Head of Drama, BBC Wales. The producer is Richard Stokes.

Most people are aware that a rule exists for UK news broadcasters regarding impartiality. Broadcast news must remain so, meaning political bias is a big no-no in the United Kingdom. So Rupert Murdoch’s idea for a more ‘American’ Sky News seems to imply that a change in the law is required.

Sky News is owned in full by BSkyB (Sky), a 39% owned subsidiary of Murdoch’s News Corporation. Sky News’ chairman also happens to be James Murdoch, Rupert’s son.

Recently, Rupert Murdoch also told the Committee that he takes editorial control over his tabloid papers in the UK, The Sun and the News of the World. He decides what political party to support and what the papers’ stances are on Europe.

It’s against the law for him to operate the same control over his two other papers, The Times and the Sunday Times.

But in a country that is already heading further and further in to a wholly-owned and operated media conglomerate of political bias and cheesy entertainment being pushed out as ‘news’, can Murdoch’s comments really be taken with such a pinch of salt as they usually are?

There’s no denying that the Murdochs have massive power over the entire media world what with news broadcast, print and films all long-established with News Corp. but, who is Rupert, an Australian with his loyalties to his American business, to decide what the UK’s favourite papers and news broadcasters support politically? It’s comparable to a Yank telling a Brit how best to run their country.

Okay, that’s an exaggerated analogy, but they both equate to a blow to national pride, something that Americans and Australians feel just as strongly about, I’m sure. Or maybe we’re all just too stupid to take notice of the state of the country’s news media. Perhaps we’re just used to the ever-changing face of the news. Perhaps it’s just the way the cookie crumbles, as our cousins across the Pond would say. Or maybe, just maybe…we don’t care enough?

P2P networks have often been lambasted by the world’s big media companies as being detrimental to the health of the music industry, due to the fact that users are able to share songs easily by using free, downloadable applications such as Limewire or Kazaa. Firms like Sony and Naxos have long protested against the supposed lack of control over such internet activity, but for so long (at least in the UK) media usage and copyright laws have been deemed sufficient to regulate file sharing to an acceptable level.

However, the US Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) published a report in August this year which details results of a study conducted to investigate the impact of illegal P2P activity in America. The results were startling – according to the report, the country’s economy lost out on a cool $12.5 billion in 2006 alone. That’s half a million dollars more than the entire US media industry’s earnings per annum, and the media companies themselves suffered a loss of $2.7 billion. In fact, the job cutting associated with such a downturn in revenue across the country runs to a total of over 71,000 positions, and over 26,000 of those were in recording and production.

Understandably, the big boys of the media world aren’t happy, and have been pushing the governments of the most problematic countries to try and bring about a drastic change in the way that the law (and broadcasting companies’ policies) regulates digital media and broadcasting. And its not just confined to filesharing; webpage browsing, video streaming – even the way we receive our broadband internet connections – our media rights are under serious threat.

Several cable companies in the US are now developing geographical borders which they can apply to the internet , by regulating where certain data is allowed to be transmitted across the web. For example, if you live in California, CBS may decide that they’ll only allow you to stream certain shows or recordings. Similarly, cable television users who also have their internet provided by the same company may find that they are unable to record or download certain content, based on their location – even using their DVD or HDD recorder. They might have exactly the same programme schedule as another user watching from Nebraska, but by stealthily releasing software updates with media restriction policies included, the right to free home recording and viewing is silently being snatched away from the consumer.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom; many broadcasters in Europe – and a certain number in the US – have been jumping onto the virtual bandwagon by making as many shows available to their viewers online as possible. With the exception of public service broadcasters, many companies are realising that revenues from advertising can potentially be as high online as they can on TV, and some broadcasters are now also generating extra revenue by selling cheaply downloadable content through sites like iTunes or Amazon.

Despite this, times are changing rapidly, and what has become the general trend in the US is now (inevitably) spreading into Europe and Asia. The control of media on the internet is changing dramatically, following the explosion of broadband usage across the developed world over the last few years. Instead of being a medium for the sharing of data and files, the internet is increasingly becoming our one-stop shop for entertainment. And this gives media companies increasing power over what we can access.

If there’s one thing that will always dominate the media industry, it’s the power it has to shape our daily lives; the way we think and how we act. Whether we’re watching TV, surfing the net, or downloading music – we’re going to have to be increasingly careful in preserving the rights that we hold as internet users, to make sure that it remains how it was intended to be –
- free.

Author: Tom Loze-Thwaite
SCIENCE EDITOR

When Sky News decided to introduce their current graphics to a somewhat mixed reaction almost a year ago now, I wasn’t too impressed. But, none-the-less, they have come to grow on me.

I do, however, have one big anxiety about it… The never-ending ‘BREAKING NEWS’ banner that scrolls ominously at the bottom of the screen in bold yellows and blacks.

I recognise instantly a massive similarity between this and CNN’s own ‘BREAKING NEWS’ banners, with the bumblebee style yellow and, in fact, all the rolling news stations have started to mimic this style.

But, back to the point, BBC News 24. They’ve started to do the same thing themselves with that annoying scrolling banner which is allegedly giving us breaking news. Lets get one thing straight… News does not break over three hours.

There may be one or two developments, but that most certainly does not warrant such an obtrusive banner. This should be reserved for national or international catastrophes; not a ship that is sinking somewhere near the Shetland islands.

Warning: A comedy quote that has been completely fabricated for effect follows:

“Don’t worry, folks. Those people who were rescued from the ship two hours ago; they’re still rescued. But the bloody ship, it’s sunk another centimetre! STOP PRESS!”

The constant stream of this ‘breaking’ news on my screen which is only there because, lets face it, the newsters and journos really have nothing else to tell us, wouldn’t even bother me that much. But it covers up the ticker! So I have to sit there and wait fifteen minutes until they read out the headlines… But surprise surprise! It’s all about that holed ship again.

At this point I have my own sinking feeling. I just want to cry! All I want to know is what else is going on in the world.

Trying to keep me watching just drives me to the Internet instead. Too bad Mrs. Beeb. Until you sort out that God-awful red ticker banner… I’m just not watching. I expect this from the likes of Sky News, but honestly… My PSB?!