Netflix poaches ITN boss Anna Mallett to lead UK production November 10, 2020 Netflix has swooped on the chief executive of TV production giant ITN as the streaming giant bolsters its credentials in the UK. Anna Mallett will oversee Netflix’s production in Britain as well as local language productions across much of the rest of the world outside the US. Mallet currently leads ITN, which produces news programming [...]
Acast and Patreon team up to launch subscriber-only podcast service November 10, 2020 Acast and Patreon have joined forces to launch a new service that will allow podcast creators to make exclusive content available to subscribers across all major platforms. The tie-up will allow creators on the Patreon membership service to distribute private, patron-only podcast episodes to listeners on apps including Apple and Amazon Music. “At Patreon, we’re [...]
Premier League confirms plans to scrap controversial pay-per-view model November 10, 2020 The Premier League has confirmed it will scrap its controversial pay-per-view model after a fierce backlash from fans. The new model, which was introduced following the international break in October, means fans have to cough up £14.95 to watch games not selected for regular broadcast. The move sparked anger among supporter groups, who raised hundreds [...]
BBC licence fee negotiations kick off as ministers ramp up pressure over funding November 10, 2020 The government today kicked off negotiations with the BBC over how much the TV licence will cost in the future, dialling up the pressure on the embattled public service broadcaster. The talks will determine the level of the licence fee, which is currently set at £157.50, for at least five years from 2022. Culture secretary [...]
TMT providers can unlock customer value through credible sustainability actions November 9, 2020 | City Talk The environmental and sustainability credentials of companies across all sectors are becoming increasingly important to discerning consumers, and this is none more apparent than in the TMT sector. EY’s survey which canvassed the views of 2,000 consumers in the UK, reveals that over half (56%) of UK consumers are willing to pay slightly more for [...]
Love at first sight? Kylie takes stake in UK music streamer Roxi November 9, 2020 Kylie Minogue has taken a stake in Roxi as the music streaming service plots an initial public offering in London. The Australian pop legend joins Robbie Williams, Alesha Dixon and Sheryl Crow as a major shareholder in the company, and will front its new TV advertising campaign. Roxi, which offers a fully-licensed music catalogue through [...]
Screenshot: Ant Group, Jack Ma and China’s power paradox November 6, 2020 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week: **Media Moment of the Week: Margaret Thatcher takes to Twitter **Ant Group, Jack Ma and China’s power paradox **Three’s a crowd: Why a telecoms mast deal could spark more mergers Media Moment of the [...]
Facebook and Twitter start removing violent rhetoric as US election tensions rise November 6, 2020 Facebook removed last night a fast-growing group in which supporters of US President Donald Trump posted violent rhetoric, as the social media giant, as well as Twitter, step up efforts to take down baseless claims and avoid potential violence after a contentious election. The “Stop the Steal” group, which called for “boots on the ground to [...]
Tiktok to allow MPs to review algorithm over Uyghur censorship concerns November 5, 2020 Social media giant Tiktok will allow UK politicians to review its algorithm, after MPs challenged the firm over censorship concerns and ties to the Chinese government. Tiktok’s UK director of government relations and public policy Elizabeth Kanter said members of the Business Select Committee were welcome to visit its “transparency centre”, to review its algorithm [...]
The polls failed again, and blindsided businesses are crying out for better corporate intelligence November 5, 2020 So Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States. Or Donald Trump will squeeze home (though, at the time of writing, that seems less likely). It has been a nerve-wracking 48 hours for anyone who watches US politics — and one of the reasons for that is that commentators and pollsters got [...]