City Moves: Who is switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? March 31, 2021 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Covatic appoints ex-BBC strategy head London-based start-up tech company Covatic has hired an ex-BBC veteran as its chief product officer. Daniel Pike joins the company, which aims to improve in-app consumer engagement, at [...]
BBC journalist flees China amid Beijing’s criticism of ‘fabricated’ reporting March 31, 2021 BBC News has said this morning that one of its journalists based in China has relocated to Taiwan, as he revealed information China ‘did not want the world to know’. The move comes amid growing criticism from Beijing about the broadcaster’s reports on alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which led to BBC World News [...]
Explainer: How will the BBC change in the next five years? March 30, 2021 The BBC this week published its annual plan, outlining its strategy and financial targets as it looks to adapt to major shifts in the media landscape. It comes at a tough time for the public service broadcaster, which is facing declining viewer numbers and a political row over its licence fee funding model, as well [...]
BBC to slash BBC Four shows but stops short of axing channel March 29, 2021 The BBC today said it will slash original programming on BBC Four as part of a wider effort to cut costs, though it stopped short of axing the channel altogether. In its annual plan published today, the broadcaster said it would shift away from commissioning a high volume of lower cost shows for the channel. [...]
ITN warns of UK ‘news desert’ without broadcasting revamp March 26, 2021 The UK could be at risk of a digital “new desert” where audiences are unable to access high-quality news online unless effective regulation is brought in by Ofcom, ITN has warned. The production giant, which produces news programmes for ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, warned against a situation where “significant numbers of people can [...]
Screenshot: Will workers’ rights put a puncture in Deliveroo’s IPO? March 26, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Farewell to the real McCoy **Will workers’ rights put a puncture in Deliveroo’s IPO? **A watchdog bares its teeth Media Moment of the Week: Farewell to the real McCoy In a shock bit of transfer news this week, BBC presenter Simon McCoy announced he was leaving the Beeb [...]
Ministers ‘missed the boat’ over BBC licence fee reform, MPs warn March 25, 2021 The government has no choice but to maintain the BBC’s licence fee funding model for the foreseeable future due to its failure to find an alternative, MPs have warned. In an in-depth report published today, the DCMS committee said that while the £157.50 annual charge has a “limited shelf life” in the modern media landscape, [...]
BBC to shift news jobs out of London in bid to win over regions March 18, 2021 The BBC will shift major parts of its news operation out of London as the broadcaster looks to stave off criticism of metropolitan bias. A number of major programmes and scores of journalists will be relocated from the capital to regional bases across the country over the next six years. “Our mission must be to [...]
BBC to cash in on children’s shows amid commercial push March 10, 2021 The BBC has unveiled plans to cash in on the success of its children’s TV shows as the embattled broadcaster looks to ramp up its income from commercial ventures. The corporation today said it will move BBC Children’s Productions, which makes shows such as Blue Peter and My Mum Tracey Beaker, into its commercial arm [...]
ITV hoping to replicate CBS’s ratings success with Harry and Meghan interview March 8, 2021 ITV hoping to replicate CBS’s ratings success with Harry and Meghan interview