Shona Ghosh


Charles among the commoners
May 6, 2009, 2:50 pm
Filed under: Internet, News | Tags: , , ,

Prince Charles has put away the Smythson and instead chosen to push his latest environmental message on YouTube, which seems to have become the new political equivalent of writing an open letter to the Times. Robin Williams, William n’ Harry, Daniel Craig and the Dalai Lama star among others in this plea to save the rainforests but, as the Times reports, the show is undoubtedly stolen by a certain amphibian extra.

1 Comment


T-mobile sing-off…with Pink
April 30, 2009, 8:10 pm
Filed under: News | Tags: , , , , ,

Hundreds of people gathered to sing in Trafalgar Square today as part of T-Mobile’s latest advertisement.

Microphones were handed out to the crowd as compere Vernon Kay announced that the latest stunt would be a sing-along with audience participation.

Surprise guest Pink appeared in the midst of the audience as they sang Erma Franklin’s Piece of My Heart.

The crowd warmed up with Hey Jude, before working their way through Grease’s Summer Nights, Build Me Up Buttercup and Is This the Way to Amarillo. The stunt finished with a reprise of Hey Jude. The footage will be aired after 9pm on Saturday during an advert break for ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

Pink at Trafalgar Square (copyright Shona Ghosh)
Footage and images copyright Shona Ghosh. Oh alright, you can have it. But please ask/credit.

UPDATE: And here it is. Naaaaaaaaaa, na na, nanananaaaa…

Courtesy of T-Mobile.

Leave a Comment


T-Mobile dance…part deux
April 29, 2009, 3:57 pm
Filed under: Internet, News | Tags: , , , ,

Breaking news for you right here. T-Mobile will be filming another flash mob stunt (rumoured to be another dance) between 6-7pm tomorrow at Trafalgar Square, no doubt in the hope it will go viral. Can’t get any more specific than that because my dad deleted the text from T-Mobile before I got a good look at it. Yes, I will go and film it for you. Sheesh. The things I do.

UPDATE: Actually, after wading through the magnificent beaurospeak of the bye-laws I discover I can’t film without permission from Boris. Should’ve just asked when I met him really. I also spotted this little gem, to give you an idea of how much T-Mobile might be paying to pull this little stunt:

Anyone using Trafalgar Square must obtain Public Liability Insurance with a minimum of £5 million cover for each act or occurrence or series of acts or occurrences. A higher level of insurance cover may be required depending on the event content.

Ouch! Still, you can enjoy the first flash mob dance at Liverpool Street Station:

Video by T-Mobile.

Leave a Comment


Simon Amstell leaves Buzzcocks
April 25, 2009, 1:41 am
Filed under: Media, News | Tags: , , ,

Comedian Simon Amstell announced in his newsletter last night that he will be stepping down from hosting BBC TV pop quiz Never Mind the Buzzcocks to concentrate on his live work. Here’s the statement in full, sent at 10pm last night to fans signed up to his website

Hello.

I am Simon Amstell. Here is some news, should you be interested in this sort of thing. I will not be hosting another series of the fun pop quiz, ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’.

When I first took on the role of hosting ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’, my only hope was to bring joy and laughter to the world and if I was lucky, put an end to war, disease and poverty. Now that I have achieved that, I plan to concentrate on my live work.

Thank you.

Please now continue to enjoy your life as best you can.

Leave a Comment


Boris the turtle and me
April 19, 2009, 11:02 pm
Filed under: News, Politics | Tags: , , , , , ,

Press Association coverage of Boris Johnson adopting Boris the turtle at the London Aquarium. With monkey putting forth some hard-hitting questions, as always.

I will give a cookie to anyone who can spot the grammatical mistake in all three seconds of my ferocious grilling. Video by Shona Ghosh/PA.

1 Comment


Miliband’s banana republic
January 22, 2009, 7:47 pm
Filed under: News, Politics | Tags: , , ,

I didn’t think diplomats had a sense of humour. Why else would they send this man to India?

And there David Miliband has received a battering from the press. Indians have been generally stymied by his behaviour, which has included spending a night in a mud hut to show, um, solidarity with ye peasants. Unlike ye peasants though, Miliband also got to visit luxury hotel the Taj. Really getting a feel for how the other three quarters live, eh David? Meanwhile the British press has delighted in resurrecting the banana incident to liken the hapless Foreign Secretary to Mr Bean in the wake of his ignorance on Kashmir in the Guardian:

Although I understand the current difficulties, resolution of the dispute over Kashmir would help deny extremists in the region one of their main calls to arms, and allow Pakistani authorities to focus more effectively on tackling the threat on their western borders.

It is simplistic to think that disputed territory is the entire impetus behind terrorist attacks, as the Times of India explains. If only jihad was as simple as peeling a banana, David.
(more…)

3 Comments


Punish downloaders, say UK film directors
December 17, 2008, 11:04 pm
Filed under: Internet, News | Tags: , , , , , , ,

British film and TV producers, writers and directors have written to the Times to voice concerns that the creative industry is dying at the hands of illegal film downloaders.

The list includes prominent figures such as Kenneth Branagh, Sir Alan Parker, Ken Loach and Terry Jones among many others.

Their concerns are real enough. The added financial pressure of losing valuable advertising has driven state-owned broadcaster Channel 4 to the brink. Currently the UK Government is considering privatisation, a merge with BBC World Service or further public funding for the service.
(more…)

Leave a Comment


UK 23rd in Press Freedom Index
October 26, 2008, 11:11 pm
Filed under: Media, News | Tags: , ,

The UK has come 23rd in the latest press freedom analysis from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ranking behind Jamaica, Costa Rica and New Zealand in a top 30 which otherwise chiefly consists of European democracies.

The report notes this dominance but adds that ‘leading democracies’ have become ‘destabilised’ and are slowly encroaching on press freedoms. It attributes the slide of France (35th), Spain (36th) and Italy (44th) to increasing political and mafia violence.

The US also ranks 36th, a significant improvement from last year’s place of 48th, but has received criticism for arresting journalists during the Democratic and Republican conventions. The index has sparked internal criticism, comparing unfavourably with the Euro-dominated top 30.

RSF reserves its most potent venom for the lowest ranking countries, North Korea, Turkmenistan and Eritrea – the ‘unchanging hells’ of media and political oppression.

Leave a Comment


A little manipulation…
October 24, 2008, 1:42 pm
Filed under: Internet, News | Tags: , , , ,

Nothing major, but a little snippet that I found amusing. Newspaper website stats are becoming increasingly important as web users from the US and Asia rely on UK news websites for fast, accurate news. Telegraph.co.uk and Guardian.co.uk have upped the game in terms of multimedia content and usability, and there’s particular rivalry between the two.

Anyone reading today’s Telegraph will have noticed the smug little statement on p2’s News Bulletin:

TCUK’s global audience increased by 116 per cent in the 12 months to September this year, with the site outperforming Times Online, Mail Online and Guardian.co.uk

It’s accompanied by an equally smug bar graph putting Telegraph with its 116% unique user growth well ahead of the Times, Mail and Guardian (trailing a mere fourth at 45% user growth).

It’s not a lie, but there’s a sneaky avoidance tactic – the newspaper website still miles ahead of the competition is, according to Press Gazette….

Leave a Comment