| 2001 |
 Chronomedia index
Numbers after entries link to the list of references. |
links and notes |
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Cultural highlights | Predictions made this year |
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| January 1 |
Australia begins digital terrestrial television (DTT) transmissions. |
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| February 22 |
In the Netherlands the Film Censorship Act is repealed to be replaced by self-regulation by NICAM and Kijkwijzer. |
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| March 14 |
In his Budget speech, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, announces that the tax breaks for British film production will be extended for three more years. |
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| March 16 |
Pure and Simple, a record made by Hear'Say, a vocal group 'manufactured' for the UK television series Popstars, sells 600,000 copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling debut single of all time. |
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| April 1 |
UK colour television annual licence fee increases from £101 to £109. The monochrome licence fee goes up to £36.50. |
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| June 22 |
Kelsey Grammer, star of Paramount's sitcom Frasier, becomes the highest paid actor on television with a four-year contract for 48 episodes for which he will be paid $1.6m each, compared with his previous reported fee of $250,000, plus royalties from syndication. The previous record was held by the six stars of the sitcom Friends, who are reported to be paid $20m a year each. |
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| June |
Video rental company Blockbuster settles a class action about fees for late return of rental videos by agreeing not to charge above the normal daily rate, calling it 'an extended rental fee'. [0081] |
> 2004 December |
| August 27 |
Finland begins digital terrestrial television (DTT) transmissions. |
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| September 1 |
Audience participation quiz show channel 9Live is launched in GErmany by ProSiebenSat.1 as a spin-off from TM3. It mainly features phone-in competitions. |
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| autumn |
Icelandic local television channel Sjónvarp Hafnarfjarðar ceases transmissions. [0066]. |
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| November 5 |
Nintendo launches its GameCube games console in the USA. |
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| November 8 |
Microsoft launches its Xbox games console in the USA. |
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| • |
Croatia, Switzerland and South Korea begin digital terrestrial television (DTT) transmissions. |
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| • |
DVD discs are included by the UK's Office of National Statistics (ONS) in the basket of items used to calculate the inflation rate. |
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