Catching up from our break ...

Channel 4: Ofcom awarded the consortium led by the broadcaster the 12-year license to run a second national digital radio multiplex to 4 Digital, beating National Grid Wireless (see announcement). 4 Digital will broadcaster 10 linear stations on DAB, with a remit (much like that Channel 4 adheres to in TV) to be distinctive and will also add multimedia services including text and data, as well as podcasts. Other 4 Digital shareholders include Sky News Radio, Emap, UTV, Carphone Warehouse and UBC. 4 Digital aims to challenge the BBC’s dominance of UK radio.

ITV: ITV has extended its ITV Local web service, which had previously been trialled in the Meridian region, to other ITV regions. The service offers web-based on-demand news packages, catch-up bulletins, user-generated content gateways and more, backed by video and banner advertising.

BBC: Director of news Helen Boaden told the Future Of News conference: “We have plans – still to be approved by the Trust - to build on our prize-winning website to create a service we are provisionally calling My News Now. This will be a service which allows highly sophisticated personalization ... And of course, all of this should be available as a mobile service – as long as we do it with sensitivity to those already in the market place.” (Transcript). Meanwhile, a video surfaced purportedly showing the BBC iPlayer interface on an iPhone.

Bebo: In its first deal with a TV network, the social network has partnered to take content from Current TV, the Al Gore-backed progressive TV network that invites “pod” submissions from pro-am producers. Bebo users will get to add pods from the Current portfolio to their profile pages, while a “Your Shout” campaign will invite Bebo users to become a Current presenter for the day; they can also enter a competition to visit Current’s London studios. (Via C21). The partnership started with a recent pod “investigating” the explosive growth of Bebo in Ireland.

Call TV: Premium phone watchdog ICSTIS handed a record £150,000 ($300,000) fine to Eckoh, the backend provider to the You Say, We Pay quiz on Channel 4’s Richard & Judy show after it was discovered viewers were still entering the competition at £1 ($2) a time despite a contestant shortlist having been drawn up 20 minutes earlier (see announcement). Last month, Five was fined for a similar offense as the call-in quiz scandal now begins to bite. Channel 4 said it did not know Eckoh had made it impossible for some viewers to be considered for entry. BBC was also fined £50,000 ($100,000) today by Ofcom for allowing Blue Peter viewers to enter a phone-in competition despite a winner having already been selected. (Ofcom ruling).