BBC One airs the first episode of Casualty filmed at its purpose-built studios in Roath Lock, Cardiff, the series having been previously filmed in Bristol.[4] The episode, "Duty of Care", is also the first to be broadcast in HD.[5]
9
Nick Hewer takes over as presenter of Countdown as the game show returns for a new series.[6]
Producers of Coronation Street defend a storyline in which the character Faye Butler is slapped for misbehaving by her adoptive mother's boyfriend after the episode (aired on 16 January) attracts a number of complaints from viewers to ITV and Ofcom.[9]
20
Press TV, an English language news channel owned by the Iranian Government is forced off air in the United Kingdom after Ofcom revokes its broadcasting licence for breaching the terms of the Communications Act.[10]
21
Under new guidelines to come into force from 30 April clinics which charge for pregnancy services including abortions will be able to advertise on radio and television after the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice ruled there was no justification for barring such clinics from advertising their services.[11]
The live televised France versus Ireland match in the 2012 Six Nations Championship is abandoned minutes prior to kick-off, prompting boos to ring out among disgruntled spectators inside a packed Stade de France. It is the first time such an event has happened since 1985.[13][14][15]
13
ITV screens the first ever British advert aimed specifically at dogs. The 60-second commercial for the Bakers dog food brand features high-pitched sounds that cannot be heard by humans, and is a send up of the 1969 film The Italian Job.[16]
20
Media regulator Ofcom states that remarks made on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff on 6 December last year in relation to the murder of Liam Aitchison were "clearly capable of causing offence", but that the issue has been "resolved".[17]
The ITN produced 5 News bulletins are relaunched, with newscasters Matt Barbet and Emma Crosby retaining their presenting roles.
21
The BBC defends its coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral on the BBC News Channel following a number of complaints from viewers about its duration. The four-hour service was aired on Saturday 18 February following the singer's death the previous weekend.[18]
Singer Adele apologises for making a middle finger gesture after her Brit Awards acceptance speech is cut short due to broadcasting time constraints.[19] ITV in turn issues an apology to the singer the following day.[20]
24
At the conference of St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson defends a recent storyline involving the rape of Carla Connor by her business partner, but admits mistakes were made in developing the plot.[21]
ITV and STV sign a deal which (if approved by Ofcom) could see more networked programmes appearing on television in Scotland. The agreement would end a three-year hiatus which has seen many major ITV programmes absent from schedules in Scotland.[23]
The BBC broadcast their first Sports bulletins from the new BBC Sport Centre at MediaCityUK in Salford.[24]
7 – 21
Analogue is switched off in the Rowridge and Whitehawk Hill areas.
9
BBC newsreader Simon McCoy is caught apparently sleeping at the newsdesk as the daily BBC News Channel programming begins at 8:30 am, although he later denied he was asleep.[25]
12
BBC Two airs a programme in its This World strand concerning the Chinese television programme Interviews Before Execution in which death row inmates are interviewed by a reporter shortly before they are executed. Chinese authorities cancel the show following international interest generated by the documentary.[26][27]
Channel 4 confirms it has secured a four-year deal to broadcast horse racing from 2013, including coverage of the Grand National, the Derby and Royal Ascot which have previously been aired by the BBC.[30]
The BBC's Panorama alleges that a company owned by News Corporation recruited a pay-TV "pirate" to hack a rival's secret codes then post the details online.[37]
27
The BBC announces plans to axe 140 news posts in 2013 as part of cost-cutting measures.[38]
Munich-based media regulator BLM announces it is removing Press TV from the SESAstra satellite as they do not have a licence to broadcast in Europe.[41]
4 – 18
Analogue is switched off in London.
5
Sky News admits illegally hacking emails belonging to members of the public on two separate occasions.[42]
6
The EastEnders Omnibus edition is moved to a late night Friday/early Saturday morning slot from Sunday afternoons.[43][44]
7
The 158thUniversity Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge is stopped mid-race due to a swimmer in the water. Cambridge go on to win when a clash of oars at the restart leaves Oxford with a broken paddle.[45]
10
BBC Breakfast makes its first broadcast from the BBC's new media complex at Salford Quays in Manchester, having moved there from London.[46]
12
BSkyB signs a deal with MGM for exclusive rights to air the James Bond films in the United Kingdom, beginning from October to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the film franchise. The agreement means the end of ITV's unbroken run as sole holder of the screen rights which began in 1975.[47]
The ETP-1test card makes one final appearance on Channel 4 to announce the loss of analogue television services in the London region. The card is shown from the Crystal Palace transmitter only, and is the last thing broadcast by analogue Channel 4 before the signal is switched off.
Tetley announce a deal to sponsor family movies on Channel 5.[51]
23
Ofcom launches an investigation into the hacking of private email accounts by Sky News.[52] The announcement comes on the same day that the news channel's boss John Ryley appears before the Leveson Inquiry where he says the company broke the law by hacking emails.[53]
The ITV HD channel is beset by a glitch when ITV accidentally cuts away from footage of extra time play during a Champions League match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to show news presenter Mark Austin doing up his jacket as he waits to present the delayed News at Ten. It is the broadcaster's third glitch during live football in recent months.[55]
30
The BBC defends its decision to pre-record the Sunday evening results edition of The Voice after receiving 30 complaints because the show had been billed as a live broadcast. The BBC says the programme is too expensive to record live on Sundays and airing it on Saturday evening would mean it clashed with Britain's Got Talent.[citation needed]
The Channel 5 daytime show The Wright Stuff is being investigated by Ofcom over a survey on 26 April edition of the programme that asked viewers what the most offensive word is to describe someone with learning difficulties.[57]
Absent Friends, a fourth series episode of comedy Dad's Army, is repeated on BBC Two for the first time since its original broadcast in 1970. Before this, the episode was left out of repeat runs because of the controversial appearance of the IRA.
Analogue is switched off in the Hastings, Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells areas.
June
Date
Event
2 – 5
The BBC airs footage of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. Events include the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June and the Diamond Jubilee Concert on 4 June.[62] An interlude featuring a performance of Two Little Boys by Rolf Harris elicits a report to the police from a woman who claims to have been sexually abused by him from adolescence to early adulthood. This prompts a number of other women with similar experiences at the hands of the entertainer to come forward and share their stories, thus labeling him a convicted sex offender and ultimately putting an end to his career.
Ricky Martin, a former professional wrestler, wins the eighth series of The Apprentice along with a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar, who will become his partner in a new business venture.[64]
6
The BBC has received over 2,000 complaints from viewers about its Jubilee coverage. The broadcaster is also criticised by other media for its Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant coverage, which is branded as "inane" and "tedious".[65]
BSkyB signs a £3bn three-year deal to screen Premier League football from 2013 to 2016. BT Vision also secures the rights to show 38 games per season over the same period.[67]
13 – 27
Analogue is switched off in the Bluebell Hill and Dover areas thus completing the switchover for the Meridian area.
BBC Director General Mark Thompson tells the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that the corporation has "lessons to learn" from its coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee after it received several thousand viewer complaints and heavy media criticism.[69]
24
20.34 million watch the quarter-final match of Euro 2012 between England and Italy on BBC One, the highest number since the equivalent quarter final of Euro 2004. It briefly receives British television's highest audience for any programme for eight years until being overtaken the following month.
July
Date
Event
1
The BBC unveil their title sequence and marketing campaign for their coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics.[70]
Global Radio announce plans to branch into television with the launch of two non-stop music channels; Heart TV and Capital TV, which will go on air from September.[71]
Rogue Traders presenter Dan Penteado is sacked from the programme after being jailed for 12 weeks for benefit fraud.[74]
19
Former England footballer Lee Dixon is leaving the BBC's Match of the Day after eight years, it is reported. Sources such as Digital Spy report he will join ITV to provide football coverage in place of Gareth Southgate, who is leaving the channel to become the Football Association's technical director.[75] ITV confirms the following day that Dixon will be part of its football presenter lineup, providing coverage of the Tuesday night Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, and England's campaign to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.[76]
The events of the 2012 Summer Olympics begin airing with the opening ceremony in London. At its peak the event is watched by 26.9 million viewers,[79] and with an average of 24.24 million[80] it is the highest rating for anything on British television since 1997.
August
Date
Event
9
The BBC commissions a one-off drama to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. The film, An Adventure in Space and Time will tell the story of the team behind Doctor Who's creation and will air on BBC Two in 2013.[81]
12
The 2012 Summer Olympics end with the closing ceremony receiving even more viewers than the opening ceremony, an average of 24.46 million. It becomes one of the most watched events in British television history.[82]
The BBC's Gabby Logan is forced to apologise after mistakenly telling viewers of the previous evening's edition of BBC One's Olympics Tonight that the mother and sister of British boxing gold medallist Luke Campbell were dead. She had confused him with another boxer whose relatives were deceased.[83]
It is reported that Work and Pensions SecretaryIain Duncan Smith's department has made a formal complaint to the BBC over claims of anti-Government bias, as Duncan Smith himself attacks the Corporation in a Mail on Sunday article for what he perceives to be its negative stance towards the coalition. Economics editor Stephanie Flanders is singled out for particular criticism, with the Minister accusing her of "peeing all over British industry".[86]
28
UTV Media, which owns the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland and the UK-based sports-orientated radio station talkSPORT, reports a summer of mixed fortunes in terms of advertising revenue. Coverage of UEFA Euro 2012 proved lucrative for talkSPORT, but television advertising was hit by the 2012 Summer Olympics.[87]
The BBC has received 185 complaints about its new sitcom, Citizen Khan since the first episode aired two days earlier; with many claiming the series, about a Pakistani businessman stereotypes British Muslims.[90]
September
Date
Event
1
Doctor Who returns for its seventh series with the surprise appearance of Jenna-Louise Coleman in the first episode, Asylum of the Daleks, four months before she is scheduled to make her debut.[91]
3
ITV's breakfast stand Daybreak is relaunched with Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly as its main presenters. Overnight figures the following day show it was watched by 600,000 viewers, viewer than the one million who tuned in to watch its debut in 2010.
4
Maria Miller is appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, replacing Jeremy Hunt.[92]
A£30m Scottish Government campaign to raise cancer awareness will include the first ads in the UK to show real pictures of women's breasts that have been affected by cancer.[93]
5
The updated version of the US soap opera Dallas makes its British television debut on Channel 5.[94]
Coronation Street is moved from its Thursday slot to its original Wednesday slot.
BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid apologises to viewers after a microphone which had been accidentally left on picked up business reporter Steph McGovern swearing shortly after she had finished presenting the programme's business news.[102]
BBC Four pulls two planned repeats of Top of the Pops from its schedule following recent allegations made against Jimmy Savile. The shows, which featured Savile as presenter, are part of the channel's weekly rerun of archive editions, which have been airing since last year.[105]
5
Sky News presenter Kay Burley is criticised for insensitivity after she broke the news of the probable death of April Jones, a missing five-year-old girl live on air to volunteers who had been assisting in the search for her, and were unaware that the case had become a murder inquiry.[106][107][108]
The last of the UK analogue signals are switched off in Northern Ireland, completing the digital switchover.
12
BBC Director-General George Entwistle asks BBC Scotland Director Ken MacQuarrie to speak to Newsnight journalists to establish why a planned documentary concerning ellegations of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile was shelved before it was due to air in December 2011.[110]
16
The BBC appoints the heads of two separate inquiries into sexual abuse allegations that have engulfed Jimmy Savile. Former High Court judge Dame Janet Smith will review the culture and practices of the BBC during the time Savile worked there, while Nick Pollard, a former Sky News executive will look at why a Newsnight investigation into Savile's activities was dropped shortly before transmission.[111]
Emmerdale celebrates 40 years on air. A live episode is aired to mark the occasion on 17 October, which is watched by 9.2 million viewers. The episode culminates in the surprise death of the character Carl King (played by Tom Lister).[113][114]
17
ITV's This Morning launches an investigation amid fears it was the victim of a hoax over a story about a celebrity sperm bank on the previous day's edition of the show.[115] The following day ITV apologises to viewers who were misled by the item.[116]
Peter Rippon, the Newsnight editor responsible for dropping an investigation into allegations against Jimmy Savile steps aside from his role with immediate effect.[118][119]
Jeff Ford, one of the few executives to stay with Channel 5 following its 2010 acquisition by Richard Desmond, is to step down from the role on 1 December, it is confirmed.[120]
23
After 32 years, Pages from Ceefax is shown for the last time during downtime on BBC Two. To mark the occasion the last broadcast is introduced by the symbol the channel was using 32 years earlier, older music is played and a final special image is shown thanking viewers for watching. The Plain English Campaign gives the service a lifetime achievement award for its "clarity" and use of "everyday words".[121]
Northern Ireland becomes the final part of the United Kingdom to complete the switchover from analogue to digital television when the analogue signal is switched off at 11.30 pm.[122]
ITV releases a new version of its ITV Player service, enabling it to charge for some online content. The traditional 30-day catch-up service remains free, but viewers can watch the same programmes without adverts for a small payment.[124]
November
Date
Event
2
The BBC confirms it will air no further episodes of Top of the Pops featuring Jimmy Savile.[125]
ITV faces an investigation by the media regulator Ofcom after This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield handed Prime Minister David Cameron an internet-generated list of suspects in a child abuse case involving a care home during a live interview on the previous day's edition of the programme, and asked him to comment.[127]
The BBC issues an apology after a key witness in a Newsnight report aired on 2 November wrongly identified a senior politician as a paedophile.[128]
George Entwistle steps down as BBC Director-General following the Newsnight child abuse broadcast controversy.[130] His reign of 54 days is the shortest in the corporation's history.[131]
11
Tim Davie, BBC head of audio and music becomes Acting Director-General following George Entwistle's resignation.[132]
12
Helen Boaden, the BBC's Director of News, and her deputy Steve Mitchell relinquish their roles in the wake of the Newsnight crisis.[133]Fran Unsworth, head of newsgathering, and Ceri Thomas, the editor of Radio 4's Today are named acting director and deputy director of News respectively.[134]
13
Ben Frow, the current Director of Content at Irish commercial broadcaster TV3, is hired by Channel 5 to replace Jeff Ford as Director of Programmes, and will take up the position in February 2013.[135]
The BBC announce plans for a screen adaptation of The Casual Vacancy, the first novel for adults by J. K. Rowling.[143] A script for a three-part series is subsequently written by Sarah Phelps, with the BBC producing the project with HBO, and filming set to begin in Summer 2014.[144]
The BBC signs a new four-year contract to air the National Lottery Draw, but will no longer screen the Wednesday and Friday night draws from January 2013. From then, programmes for the Saturday evening draw will be moved to a new purpose-built studio at Pinewood, while results updates will be given on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.[145]
4
The BBC announces a revamp of its Red Button service to make it compatible with internet-connected televisions.[146]
Anton Piotrowski and Keri Moss are both named winners of the fifth series of MasterChef: The Professionals, the first time more than one finalist has won a MasterChef title.[150]
The Pollard report into practices at the BBC is published, and finds there was a "complete inability" to deal with the Jimmy Savile crisis.[153] Despite being criticised, the BBC Director of News Helen Boaden will return to her post in the wake of the report's publication, but her Deputy, Stephen Mitchell resigns. Peter Rippon is moved aside from his Newsnight post, with the programme having a new senior editorial team. Controller of BBC Radio Five LiveAdrian Van Klaveren also resigns.[154][155]
After 27 years, CBBC airs on BBC One for the last time. All of the children's programmes would become exclusive to their dedicated channels, CBBC and CBeebies.[157]
