The European Union is on the backfoot, but few seem to notice April 2, 2019 There is a very bad habit that many of our broadcasters have of focusing on what might befall us. It reminds me of Frankie Howerd in Up Pompeii bemoaning “woe is me, woe is me” – as if he might warn his master against leaving the Empire without a deal. It would be refreshing were there [...]
Digital advertising firm Teads posts revenue rise as it looks to fend off tech giants April 2, 2019 Digital advertising firm Teads has posted a 30 per cent jump in revenues for the full-year as it looks to win back market share from Facebook and Google. The media platform pulled in revenues of €365m (£314m) last year after extending its reach to 1.4bn global monthly users and more than 90 per cent of [...]
UK risks ‘trashing relationship with Europe’ over Brexit, says Siemens boss April 2, 2019 Britain is at risk of ruining its “fabulous” relationship with Europe due to the crisis over its failure to secure a Brexit deal, the Siemens chief executive has said. Jurgen Maier, the UK boss of the German manufacturing giant, urged MPs to reach an agreement, warning of the impact on business if the UK crashes [...]
Tory Brexiter hints he will vote against government in no confidence motion April 1, 2019 A former Brexit minister has hinted he could resign from the Tories and back a no-confidence motion in the government. Steve Baker, one of the die-hard band of Brexiters who voted against Theresa May’s withdrawal plan on Friday, has warned the possibility of a general election was now “coming on to the table.” Baker, who [...]
‘Let history decide’: Downing Street coy on claim cabinet is most ill-disciplined ever April 1, 2019 Downing Street has refused to slap down a leading member of the government who claimed Theresa May’s top team are “the worst example of ill-discipline in cabinet in British political history.” Chief Whip Julian Smith made the remarks in an interview with the BBC, set to be broadcast on Monday evening, as he hit out [...]
BBC takes control of UKTV channels as Discovery lines up new streaming service April 1, 2019 The BBC will take control of UKTV channels as part of a deal with Discovery that will also see the launch of a new on-demand video service for BBC nature programmes. BBC Studios – the broadcaster’s commercial arm – jointly owns UKTV with US media giant Discovery. Read more: BBC removes podcasts from rival Google [...]
Rhod Sharp: 25 years of Up All Night March 27, 2019 As presenter of the Media Masters podcast, I have met some extraordinary journalists from print, television and radio. But one windswept day in Marblehead, Massachusetts, I met one man who every one of these people would refer to as a legend: Rhod Sharp. Tomorrow, Rhod will celebrate 25 years at the helm of Up All Night. [...]
BBC pulls podcast content from Google’s rival service March 26, 2019 The BBC has blocked its podcasts from appearing on Google's own rival services, including Google Assistant. New episodes for BBC podcasts stopped appearing on the Google Podcast app sometime on 19 March, according to Pod News, with podcasts now being removed entirely from the platform. BBC distribution and business development director Kieran Clifton confirmed that the [...]
No-deal Brexit could cause another chicken shortage, warns KFC boss March 22, 2019 KFC could suffer another chicken shortage if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, the fast food chain’s boss has warned. KFC UK and Ireland managing director Paula MacKenzie told the BBC the supply chain is the “lifeblood of the business” and warned a no-deal Brexit could lead to further shortages. Read [...]
TV advertising revenue stalls as viewers switch to streaming March 21, 2019 TV advertising revenue growth stalled last year as traditional broadcasters continue to lose ground to streaming services. Overall revenue totalled £5.11bn in 2018, equal to the amount invested during the previous year, according to figures from industry body Thinkbox. Read more: Advertising outlook clouds picture at ITV The stagnating figures highlight the challenge faced by [...]