Media Brief

I'm the BBC's media correspondent and this is my summary of what's going on.

There's close scrutiny of Samantha Cameron's first TV interview in ITV's profile of the Conservative leader reports the BBC. In the battle of the leaders' wives, Quentin Letts says in the Daily Mail that Sarah Brown must wonder what she has unleashed. Eleanor Mills assesses in the Times the two women's strengths.

The BBC faces criticism over a "lavish" glass studio it is building for the World Cup in Cape Town with a view of Table Mountain according to the Times and the Daily Mail.

The Guardian adds that the BBC says it will take 295 staff to cover the World Cup, 15% fewer than in Germany four years ago.

The BBC is also under fire for sending staff on a Facebook course, says the Telegraph.

The Sunday Telegraph says sports bodies have written to Ofcom supporting BSkyB over the pay-TV review, due to be published later this month. They say sports income would be hit hard if Sky has to cut its prices.

And the English Cricket Board will tell the Government it could lose £130m if the Ashes are put back on "free to air" list of sports events as recommended by the Davies committee says the Daily Mail.

Emily Bell in the Guardian says it would make "perfect sense" for News Corporation to buy the 61% of BSkyB it doesn't own already. BSkyB shares rose to a seven-year high on Friday on the rumour.

All national newspapers lost circulation year-on-year, with the Observer down 20% as it prepared to relaunch reports the Guardian.

Newspapers criticise the Children's Commissioner for saying James Bulger's killers were too young to understand the consequences of their actions as reflected in the BBC newspaper review.

Links in full

BBC | Samantha Cameron tells of life with Tory leader
Quentin Letts | Daily Mail | Sarah Brown must've watched Samantha Cameron and gone 'gulp'
Eleanor Mills | Times | Samantha Cameron takes on Sarah Brown
Chris Gourlay | Times | BBC's World Cup backdrop to cost £1m
Arthur Martin | Daily Mail | BBC lavished £1m on a World Cup studio
Owen Gibson | Guardian | BBC unveils slimmed-down World Cup squad of 295
Telegraph | BBC | sends staff on 'Facebook course'
Lawrie Holmes | Telegraph | Sky to challenge Ofcom findings
Peter Hayter | Daily Mail | ECB fear £130m loss if free-to-air TV coverage goes ahead
Emily Bell | Guardian | It may be time to pin down some blue Sky thinking
Stephen Brook | Guardian | ABCs: Observer hit by overseas cut in relaunch month
BBC | Newspaper review

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