Adverts, mainly.

Does Channel Four need to be publicly funded? I think the beauty of something like Channel 4 is that it doesn't have any government input, so it can be, potentially free. Then again, advertisers probably define what it does more than we'll ever fully know. I know one thing for sure, it wouldn't be right for Channel 4 to go along the same route as Channel 5 and ITV - i.e. producing rubbish and relying solely on American imports (respectively). Perhaps if Channel Four could come up with something a bit better than the now extraordinarily stale Big Brother to be this summer's breakout hit, then it might stand a better chance of a brighter future.

The ASA has banned some of the gambling adverts which are prolific on many of the lesser quality channels nowadays, given the vulnerable nature of the brains watching these channels (bit of a generalisation I know - but oh well). I'm a bit surprised they were allowed at all in the first place. Even I, a (resonably) sensible person has often wondered if I could end all my problems by winning big on a gambling site. And don't even get me started on that one where that stupid bint wins 20p and goes running round the house in excitement. I'd rather stick with a safer form of gambling - eBay.

The new Oxfam ad is pretty good as charity adverts go. We all know my ambivalence to the Donkey ad (see my main blog) but this one is a real departure for Oxfam. Away are the images of malnourised Africans, a sight which we are all too used to seeing (unfortunately). Awash with such images on television, we become blaze and forget the real cause. So good on them for employing Tim Burton-esque graphics to shed some light on the matter. This charity is much more deserving than any donkey charity anyway!

ITV's "finally" launched it's own on demand service. I can't quite figure out if ITV genuinely believe it when they say that "quality entertainment" is "finally" available, or if they are for once acknowledging the fact that they are incredibly slow and miles behind their competitiors, 4OD and BBC's iPlayer.

And finally, the Daily Sport has rebranded itself. I hope I'm not the only one who is sick to death of the "be a bloke, read the sport" advert that is being paraded around. I have long-been cradling the naive hope that this kind of bloke had become extinct, then again, praise indeed that they have in fact managed to learn to read anything that resembles a newspaper, even if it is the Sport.

That's all for now on this Media Ramble.
I hope you have enjoyed today's blogging extravaganza - next week this blog will be rebranded just like everything else out there.
Keep media savvy.