The Media Show - 23/09/2009

At a time when most magazines are feeling the pinch, political weeklies like The Spectator and The Economist are bucking the trend. Political observer Anthony Howard and Fraser Nelson, the new editor of The Spectator, join Steve Hewlett to discuss why political magazines are in such rude health and the extent to which they influence the mainstream media and the political landscape. ITV's announcement that it is to sue STV over programme payments marks the culmination of a long-running battle between the two companies. As we have reported before, STV's decision to drop some of the network's most popular series, including as Doc Martin and The Bill, has received a lukewarm response from viewers and angered the bosses at ITV. So what lies behind this long-standing dispute? Sales of smartphones, including the iPhone, have led to exponential growth in the special applications industry. You can download apps which enable you to buy music, watch TV, read books and even have the news headlines delivered to your phone. We look at the impact of the app on media consumption.