Protecting Journalists' Sources, American News Anchors, Football Rights, Sports Radio

Brian Williams, the most popular nightly news anchor in the USA, has been suspended for six months without pay by his employer NBC. It follows an admittance that a story he told about coming under fire on a helicopter during the Iraq war was not true. NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik talks to Steve Hewlett about the case, and the power and value of the American news anchor to the networks.The Interception of Communications Commissioner has ruled that RIPA (the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act) does not provide adequate safeguards to protect journalistic sources. Sir Anthony May has suggested police need to seek permission from a judge when obtaining information of this type. Steve Hewlett speaks to the editor of the Press Gazette Dominic Ponsford, Richard Berry, the Association of Chief Police Officer's lead on RIPA, and Sun reporter Tom Newton Dunn,whose phone records were accessed by Scotland Yard over the Plebgate row. The Premier League has announced that it's sold the British television rights for the 2016 to 2019 seasons to Sky and BT sports for just over 5 billion pounds. Sky almost doubled its investment to retain five of seven rights packages. BT Sport paid 30 per cent more at £960 million for matches including Saturday evening fixtures. Steve talks to Matthew Horsman, Director of consultancy Mediatique, about how the extra costs might impact both companies. Kelvin MacKenzie is bidding to run a new national sports radio station that would compete with Talksport, the broadcaster he founded and sold to UTV Media a decade ago for £100m. The former editor of The Sun is teaming up with his Talksport co-founder Jason Bryant to launch Sports Radio next January. Steve Hewlett asks Jason why now is the right time.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

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