The New European bought by consortium of media veterans February 1, 2021 A consortium of media executives including former BBC director general Mark Thompson and ex-Financial Times editor Lionel Barber have led a buyout of weekly magazine the New European. The anti-Brexit title, founded in the aftermath of the referendum in 2016 on an initial four-week print run, was owned by regional publisher Archant. The takeover is [...]
Takeover talk mounts as Chinese tycoon ups stake in Cineworld January 29, 2021 A secretive Chinese tycoon has increased his stake in Cineworld, fuelling speculation of a possible takeover offer for the UK’s largest cinema chain. Liu Zaiwang’s Jangho Group has built its holding in Cineworld to 13.3 per cent, according to stock market filings published yesterday. The Chinese magnate, whose net worth is valued at $760m (£556m) [...]
Screenshot: How Reddit shone a light on the madness of markets January 29, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Das ist Numberwang! **How Redditors beat the market at its own game **Do influencers need a rebrand? Media Moment of the Week: Das ist Numberwang! This week’s media moment is one that journalists the world over would probably rather forget but, being the intrepid media reporter that I [...]
Theatres warn of ‘devastating’ Brexit impact as pressure grows over touring visas January 28, 2021 UK theatres have called for urgent clarification over post-Brexit touring provisions, warning that a failure to resolve visa rules would have “devastating consequences” for the sector. In a letter to ministers today the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for theatre warned that a current lack of clarity over touring rules posed a major threat to the [...]
Sky owner Comcast beats revenue forecasts on broadband and streaming boost January 28, 2021 The US owner of Sky, Comcast, has posted better-than-expected revenues as broadband sales offset its losses from closed themeparks and empty cinemas
Facebook revenue beats analyst expectations and rises to £28bn in fourth quarter January 27, 2021 Revenue at Facebook rose to $26.44bn in the fourth quarter of 2020, up some $7bn on the same time last year. Facebook beat analysts’ estimates for quarterly revenue on today, powered by increased ad spending by businesses to capitalise on a holiday shopping season driven online by the pandemic. Total revenue, which comprised primarily of [...]
Under the influence: How reality stars’ Dubai trips could sink social media marketing January 27, 2021 While online fitness guru Sheridan Mordew has undoubtedly succeeded at influencing people, she may be struggling to make friends. When the social media influencer, who posts workout videos for her thousands of online followers, insisted that her much-documented trip to Dubai was essential business travel, she was met with little sympathy. In fact, Mordew is [...]
Covid-19 drives growth at Microsoft as cloud business benefits from home working January 26, 2021 Revenue was up at Microsoft in its second quarter, with the pandemic accelerating the company’s switch to cloud-based computing. Microsoft beat Wall Street estimates for revenue growth from Azure, it’s cloud computing service, as the software giant continued to benefit from a global shift to working and learning from home. The company’s shares, which gained about [...]
Facebook launches UK news service in boost for publishers January 26, 2021 Facebook will today start rolling out its dedicated news feed, marking a major boost for publishers in a long-running tussle over online advertising revenue. Facebook News will offer users a selection of curated stories alongside news personalised to their interests from hundreds of national, local and lifestyle outlets. The social media site today said it [...]
Larry King: US talk show host dies after testing positive for Covid-19 January 23, 2021 Larry King, the US talk show legend who quizzed world leaders, politicians and celebrities during a career spanning more than six decades, has died aged 87. The TV star had been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in December. In a statement on social media Ora Media, the production company [...]