Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch to step down January 6, 2021 Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch is stepping down after 13 years at the helm of the media giant. Darroch, who is one of the UK’s longest-serving bosses, will retire as chief executive and take up the role of executive chairman. He will be replaced by Dana Strong, who is currently president of consumer services at [...]
Former City banker Richard Sharp ‘to be appointed’ as new BBC chair January 6, 2021 The government is reportedly poised to name former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp as the new chair of the BBC. Ministers will this week announce that Sharp has been appointed to succeed Sir David Clementi at the helm of the broadcaster, Sky News reported. The appointment, which is made by the government rather than the [...]
Striking a chord: Hipgnosis buys half of Neil Young’s song catalogue January 6, 2021 Hipgnosis has snapped up the rights to Neil Young’s catalogue of songs as it ploughs ahead with its musical acquisition spree. The London-listed firm has taken a 50 per cent stake in the Canadian rock ‘n roll star’s portfolio of 1,180 tracks. Hipgnosis did not disclose the value of the deal, but industry experts have [...]
Richard Sharp: Who is the surprise new frontrunner for the BBC top job? January 6, 2021 Speculation over the top contenders for the BBC chairmanship has been rife in recent weeks, with a string of well-known names entering (and exiting) the fray. But the race was this week thrown wide open after it emerged a relatively unknown candidate had emerged as the new frontrunner Richard Sharp, a multi-millionaire former Tory party [...]
Informa profit plunges as pandemic shutters events January 6, 2021 Events group Informa forecast a plunge in profit in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic brought the events industry to its knees. The FTSE 100 firm, which is the world’s largest exhibitions group, said it expected adjusted operating profit in the range of £250 and £270m. This is down from £933m in 2019. Revenue is set [...]
Exclusive: Former Portland boss launches new City comms firm January 4, 2021 The former head of Portland’s financial PR division has launched a new communications firm aimed at providing bespoke advice for City businesses. Steffan Williams, who left Portland at the end of 2020, has teamed up with fellow public relations guru Louise Nicolson to start a boutique consultancy based in London. Williams Nicolson has so far [...]
UK court blocks Julian Assange US extradition on espionage charges January 4, 2021 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the US to face espionage charges, a UK court has ruled. Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and computer fraud in the US and could be sentenced to as many as 175 years behind bars. In a landmark decision at the Old Bailey this morning, district judge [...]
UK court to rule on Julian Assange extradition case January 4, 2021 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will today find out whether he will be extradited to the US to face espionage charges in a landmark press freedom case. Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and computer fraud in the US and could be sentenced to as many as 175 years behind bars. His fate will be decided [...]
Love Island woos viewers as reality show tops ITV streaming charts December 28, 2020 Love Island topped the rankings for ITV’s most streamed shows this year as the pandemic helped drive up the broadcasters’ viewing figures. The most recent series of the wildly popular reality TV show, which was filmed in South Africa, racked up 130m requests on the channel’s on-demand platform ITV Hub. This topped the list and [...]
What the UK watched in 2020 December 24, 2020 Terrible, wonderful, and every shade in between: 2020 is not a year any of us will ever forget. But as marketers with eyes firmly on the future, we must take what we’ve learned into 2021 — a year that is certainly full of hope, but not of certainty. The dramatic shifts in consumer behaviour are [...]