Stream team: How Discovery and Warner Media plan to take on Netflix May 18, 2021 It was a plot hatched in the utmost secrecy. After striking up a rapport over their shared interest in golf, Discovery chief executive David Zaslov and AT&T boss John Stankey devised a plan to merge their media assets, shaking up the world of streaming in the process. Following a few whirlwind months of negotiations, which [...]
BT’s boss buys £2m of shares one day after major investment push May 17, 2021 The boss of BT has bought more than £2 million of shares in his own company, just a day after announcing a major new investment drive. Chief executive Philip Jansen bought 1.25 million shares at £1.63 each, according to new filings with the London Stock Exchange. The purchase on Friday came the day after Jansen [...]
Evening Read: The Great Reopening is well under way May 17, 2021 As Reopening Day is slowly maturing, Monday the 17th of May will most likely go down in pandemic history as a day full of positive post-lockdown news, and very mixed weather. From today, people in England can meet outdoors in groups of up to 30, and indoors in groups of six, or two households, with [...]
AT&T and Discovery to create $150bn media empire to take on Netflix in streaming wars May 17, 2021 AT&T and Discovery near deal to create $150bn media empire to take on Netflix in streaming wars
BBC apologises to James Dyson for labelling him a ‘prominent Tory supporter’ May 12, 2021 The BBC has issued an apology to James Dyson after the broadcaster referred to him as a “prominent Conservative supporter”. The BBC issued the apology today and admitted the inventor of the Dyson vacuum cleaner was mischaracterised in its coverage of Whatsapp messages between himself and the Prime Minister. In a statement the BBC [...]
Ellen DeGeneres to end her talk show after nearly two decades May 12, 2021 Ellen DeGeneres announced plans to wrap up her long-running US talk show in 2022 after almost two decades on the air. “When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged – and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” DeGeneres told The [...]
Social media giants could face heavy fines for failing to protect users under new draft legislation May 12, 2021 Ofcom will be given the power to fine companies up to £18m or 10 per cent of annual global turnover for failing to comply with rules published today in a new draft online safety bill. The government has published a new draft bill that will see more stringent rules put in place around social [...]
Facebook to remove anti-vaxxer groups and pages May 10, 2021 Facebook will remove groups and pages that discourage vaccines for Covid-19 and other diseases, after conspiracy theories about vaccines have boomed in recent months. Speaking on the BBC News World Service’s podcast The Anti-Vax Files, Steve Hatch, Facebook vice president for Northern Europe, they the social network had a responsibility to ensure people were seeing [...]
Record label Believe follows Universal with €2bn listing plan May 10, 2021 French record label Believe is gearing up for a €2bn (£1.7bn) stock market float as the music industry looks to cash in on a streaming-induced boom. The startup, which offers distribution services to help artists get discovered on platforms such as Spotifty and Apple Music, is hoping to raise €500m through a listing on the [...]
Town & Country UK magazine to close as publisher Hearst slashes jobs May 10, 2021 Town & Country UK magazine is set to fold as part of cost-cutting operation at publisher Hearst that will see up to a fifth of UK staff made redundant. The luxury title, the British version of which was first published in 2014, is set to be scrapped as the company adapts to a decline in [...]