Digital Britain – Lord Carter LIVE
Listen Live to Lord Carter on Rhubarb Radio as he launches his ‘Digital Britain’ report at the ICC in Birmingham this Wednesday the 17th of June…
Lord Carter’s ‘Digital Britain’ report is expected to set out the government’s policies on a range of media, technology and telecoms issues including universal broadband, internet piracy, the future of Channel 4 and UK public service broadcasting, and possible assistance for struggling local and regional newspaper publishers.
Exclusive interviews and highlights will be broadcast live throughout the day on www.rhubarbradio.com . Mp3 podcasts will also be available to download from the site.
Lord Carter is due to speak at 11 a.m. and his keynote talk will be followed at around 12.15, by Iain Gray, Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Strategy Board, who will outline how the detail of the report will be delivered.
Roundtable debate and workshops that explore the report’s key themes will continue throughout the afternoon and listeners will have the opportunity to participate in the live-debate by posting their comments on the station’s blog.
17th June Schedule
Outline Programme
10.15 Arrival and coffee
10.45 Chairman’s Welcome, Adrian Goldberg
10.50 Official welcome, Deputy Leader, Cllr Paul Tilsley, Birmingham City
Council
11.05 Keynote speech, Stephen A. Carter, Minister for Communications,
Technology and Broadcasting
11.35 Q&A session
12.15 ‘Delivering a Digital Britain’ , Iain Gray, CEO, Technology Strategy
Board,
12.35 Lunch
DEBATES
Round table panel debates – parallel sessions will give you a choice
of 2 of 4 debates to attend
13.35 – 14.30 Session 1:
A. Content is king – focuses on public service broadcasting,
encouraging content protection, IPR and managing the shift in control
from producers and distributors to consumers.
B.Infrastructure for a digital britain – focuses on the Infrastructure
(bandwidth, spectrum, broadband, switchover;) – its about shaping
broadband policies and addressing its future, its economics, its
technological development and its impact on telecommunications, media,
business and society at large.
14.40 – 15.30 Session 2:
C. Empowering people for a digital age – focuses on people, media
literacy, skills and inclusion – it’s about developing the skills and
take-up; ensuring fairness and access for all – universal availability
coupled with the skills and digital literacy to enable near-universal
participation in the digital economy and digital society;
D. Staying ahead of the game – focuses on research and innovation that
will create the climate for investment and enable us to compete in a
global economy – it’s about addressing how Birmingham and the region
can secure its digital future and influence how Britain can stay ahead
of the game.
#dbuc09 for all you twitterers by the way is the tag to follow.
Here’s the link that will take you to the #dbuc09 event itself, organised by Aquila TV (@gabysslave): http://dbuc09.eventbrite.com/
Ok, now here’s your chance to ask questions in advance, courtesy of the fine folk at Aquila TV and Digital Birmingham : http://www.yoosk.com/digitalbirmingham/
Please don’t pass by the chance to have your voice heard.
The website with the live video stream from the ICC is up now- go here to watch live from the event: http://events.digitalbirmingham.co.uk/digitalbritain/video/
Suspected highlights of Lord Carter’s report to include:
— a plan to take millions of pounds from the BBC licence fee to subsidise other media activities, including ITV’s regional news and local newspapers;
— the merger of BBC Worldwide and Channel 4;
— who will pay for fibre-optic connections across the country;
— the release of mobile radio spectrum by Vodafone and O2 for new national wireless broadband.
Gordon Brown writes in The Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6506136.ece
Lord Carter gives a preview here: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/38756bbc-59dc-11de-b687-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1
Here’s some local business comments from Chris Price in the Birmingham Post: http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/business-comment/more-business-comment/2009/06/15/chris-price-digital-investment-vital-to-birmingham-s-prosperity-65233-23876968/