Standards

In a rare move, Ofcom has shot across the bow of local tv services That's Manchester, That's Oxford and That's Solent over technical quality, after complaints from viewers in summer last year.

Ofcom watched news programmes recorded from all three channels over three days in June and concluded...

Having reviewed these recordings, Ofcom identified the following technical problems at times: 

 Sound problems: including inconsistent sound levels from one video clip to the next and also from one speaker to another, failures of studio sound equipment (such as microphones) and the broadcasting of video clips without accompanying sound. 

 Video problems: including video images freezing and jumping, as well as video clips that, when broadcast, did not start from the beginning (e.g. a clip starting mid-sentence). 

 Caption and graphic problems: including inaccurate Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) listings, end credits appearing during the programme (rather than at the end) and captions being inconsistent with the image on screen.

The That's Media Group says they've invested in a lot of new kit since then. Ofcom has let them off with a warning that they may be forced to watch again. Aargh. Any News Channels we know across this ?

• Meanwhile, Radio Today reports that That's Oxford is to re-broadcast BBC Radio Oxford's breakfast show, in vision, with chunky Howard Bentham, in a six month experiment.