ITV chief Carolyn McCall takes 20 per cent pandemic pay cut March 24, 2021 The chief executive of ITV took a 20 per cent pay cut to her basic salary for seven months during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to documents. Dame Carolyn McCall’s voluntary decision emerged as the broadcaster revealed the gender pay gap at the organisation grew during 2020 although its ethnic diversity pay gap shrank. The boss [...]
Bloomsbury hikes profit forecasts again as Brits binge on books March 24, 2021 Bloomsbury today lifted its revenue and profit forecasts for the second time in as many months as it hailed “exceptional” sales as a result of the pandemic. The publishing house, best known for the Harry Potter series, said it expected revenue of £171m in the year to the end of February, while pre-tax profit is [...]
UK record label revenue grows as streaming offsets pandemic hit March 23, 2021 UK record label revenues ticked up last year as the booming popularity of streaming services helped to offset the impact of the pandemic. Recorded music revenue grew to £1.1bn in 2020, up 3.8 per cent on the previous 12 months and the highest level since 2006. It is also the fifth consecutive year of growth, [...]
Time Out ditches plans for London Waterloo market due to pandemic March 23, 2021 Time Out today said it has abandoned its plans to build a food market at London Waterloo due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The media and hospitality group had been planning to open a new market under the former Eurostar platforms at the central London train station. The project was originally scheduled to [...]
Cineworld confirms May reopening plans as it lines up film deal March 23, 2021 Cineworld today confirmed plans to reopen its 127 venues in the UK in May in line with the government’s roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions. Under current guidelines, indoor socialising and hospitality will resume from 17 May, while the government aims to lift all limits on social contact in June. Cineworld today also said it will [...]
CMA set to approve Viagogo’s £3.2bn takeover of StubHub March 22, 2021 The mega-deal between ticket reselling giants Viagogo and StubHub is heading for approval, after the companies reached a preliminary deal with the Competition and Markets Authority. The watchdog said earlier today it “proposes to accept” a series of promises from the companies, which would include selling off StubHub’s international arm. Viagogo’s £3.2bn deal to take [...]
CMA investigates publisher Penguin’s $2.2bn takeover of Simon & Schuster March 22, 2021 The competition watchdog is investigating if the $2.18bn takeover of Simon & Schuster by publisher Penguin Random House may hurt competition. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has until 19 May to decide whether to refer the merger to a more in-depth ‘phase two’ investigation, A spokesperson for Penguin Random House said: “We announced last November that Penguin Random [...]
Boris Johnson’s director of comms to join The Sun as deputy editor-in-chief March 19, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s director of communications will move to The Sun as the newspaper’s new deputy editor-in-chief, just a few months after he took on the top job at Number 10. James Slack took over as Johnson’s director of communications at the end of last year. The former political editor of the Daily Mail [...]
Exclusive: Daily Mirror publisher Reach to close a London office and make most staff permanent home workers March 19, 2021 Newspaper publisher Reach, which owns the Mirror and Express as well as a number of regional titles, is planning to close offices and make most of its employees permanent home workers. The company will close its Lower Thames Street office in central London and reduce its office space in Canary Wharf from two floors to [...]
Screenshot: Who’s invited to the UK’s summer of fun? March 19, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: No 10’s power vacuum **Who’s invited to the UK’s summer of fun? **BT gets a broadband boost Media Moment of the Week: No 10’s power vacuum There are two main things to remember when unveiling your grand £2.6m briefing room to the world: make sure it doesn’t look [...]