Inventive Business Entrepreneurs Apply Within

Sky One and Vodafone today announced THE BIG IDEA - the UK's largest-ever search to discover the next great British invention or business idea. Voted on by the viewers, budding entrepreneurs will compete for a £100,000 investment in launching their idea or venture.

Channel 4 Viewers Could Get £3m Refund

Premium rate phone watchdog Ictis has announced it is launching an official investigation into the Big Brother controversy. Icstis said it had received 2,700 complaints about the stunt, which gives evicted contestants the chance to win the Channel 4 reality show.

The broadcaster provoked a furore when it decided to allow an ex-housemate, already booted out by paid-for public votes, the possibility of scooping the £100,000 final prize. Now Channel 4 could end up refunding an estimated £3 million to viewers who voted by phone or text message.

Four Unknowns Get Broadcast Writing Credit

Four films written by teenagers are now in post- production, preparing for peak-time broadcast on Channel 4 this autumn. Over 1,500 film ideas were submitted for Raw Cuts, a joint writing initiative set up between the National Society for the Protection of Children and Channel 4.

Charles Allen, chief executive of ITV is stepping down after two and a half years at the helm. Allen has been at Granada and lately ITV plc for 15 years - ten of which were as chairman or chief executive. He was a key player in the merger of Granada and Carlton to create a single ITV plc in early 2004.

The Big Brother sexual assault scandal deepened last night as a past housemate on the Australian show claimed she had also been victim to similar abuse while in the house. Meanwhile, Cox and Bric, who were accused in the original sexual assault allegation and had to leave the house, said in an interview they were "mucking around."

Subscription Goes - Advertising Breaks Come In During Films

Channel 4 has today confirmed that it is to relaunch FilmFour as the UK's only major free-to-air film channel, available at no cost to every digital TV home in the country from July 23rd.

The channel will launch on Freeview for the first time, but will also be on offer to all cable and satellite viewers without the need to pay a monthly subscription. On digital satellite, the FilmFour channel will be available to freesat viewers as well as Sky digital customers.

Endemol is embroiled in another Big Brother scandal after an alleged sexual assault took place in the Australian house, resulting in police questioning and calls from senior MPs for the show to be axed.

 Reality TV?  - or Real Life TV? 

The Guardian newspaper's Media Monkey has given out a warning to wannabee producers, tempted to dive in at the deep end via a new TV reality strand. In fact, reading the small print of the contract it looks as if the show could be more like real life TV than reality TV!