Live music industry warns of 170,000 job losses by end of year October 21, 2020 The UK’s live music industry has warned it will suffer 170,000 job losses before the end of the year if the government fails to offer further support. LIVE, which represents the sector, said the country’s live music workforce was facing a “cliff edge” as the furlough scheme comes to an end at the end of [...]
Netflix earnings: Is the streamer’s pandemic party coming to an end? October 20, 2020 Netflix will be in the spotlight after the bell this evening as it publishes its earnings for the third quarter. The streaming giant has had a bumper 2020 so far as millions of people have turned to home entertainment during the coronavirus pandemic. But as competition from rivals heats up and the impact of halted [...]
ITV to launch streaming unit and cut London office space in restructuring plan October 20, 2020 ITV is set to launch a new business division focused on streaming and reduce its London office space as part of a restructuring plan aimed at overhauling its business for the on-demand age. The public service broadcaster will establish a new on-demand unit dedicated to ITV Hub and Britbox, its joint streaming service with the [...]
Kantar appoints former Heineken bigwig as new chief executive October 19, 2020 Market research giant Kantar has tapped a former Heineken boss as its new chief executive, marking the first major appointment by new owner Bain Capital. Alexis Nasard, who currently leads Swiss shoemaker Bata, will take over as chief executive on 30 December. He previously served as global chief marketing officer at Heineken and worked for [...]
Murdoch’s TV plans mature as News UK searches for more big names October 16, 2020 Rupert Murdoch’s plans to regain a footing in the British TV market have stepped up a gear as his media empire circles some of the biggest names in broadcasting to front its new channel. Alan Sugar and Piers Morgan are among the stars that have been approached by News UK over the new venture, the [...]
Learning the hard way: Why do things keep going wrong for Pearson? October 14, 2020 John Fallon, longstanding chief executive of Pearson, will step down next week after nearly eight years at the helm. The education boss today signed off with a mixed set of results for the first nine months of the year, as a surge in demand for online learning helped to offset sliding sales. The figures summed [...]
Pearson sales slump amid Covid-19 closures of schools and test centres October 14, 2020 Educational publisher Pearson (PSON) has suffered a drop in sales since the beginning of the year after the coronavirus pandemic forced test centres and schools to close. Group sales in the nine months to 30 September fell 14 per cent, reflecting the continued impact of the Covid-19 crisis. The company said its online learning sales [...]
Press freedom is under fire in Hong Kong — it’s time for Britain to take a stand October 14, 2020 Freedom of expression is a crucial and universal human right, recognised by international organisations around the world, including the United Nations. And rightly so. It is the job of journalists to shine a light on the authorities that govern us in order to hold them to account for their actions. A free press is an [...]
Music royalties firm Round Hill plots London listing October 13, 2020 Music royalties firm Round Hill today said it is planning to raise $375m (£288m) through a listing on the London Stock Exchange. Guernsey-based Round Hill Music Royalty Fund said it was targeting annual returns of between nine and 11 per cent through its investment in music intellectual property. Founded in 2010, Round Hill is an [...]
Cultural bailout: Which London arts venues will get a share of the £275m rescue fund? October 12, 2020 The government this morning announced a fresh tranche of funding for England’s troubled cultural sector. Over 1,300 arts venues and organisations will share an emergency £257m fund to help get them back on their feet. Mark Dayvd, chief executive of the Music Venue Trust, welcomed the cash injection, which he said would help the sector [...]