Coronavirus: ITV bosses take 20 per cent pay cut as bonuses scrapped April 3, 2020 ITV today scrapped director bonuses and said its entire board would take a 20 per cent pay cut in light of the coronavirus crisis. The broadcaster became the latest company to announce executive salary cuts in the face of coronavirus, after scrapping its 2019 dividend and abandoning 2020 guidance. Executive directors asked that their annual [...]
Podcast giant Acast doubles revenue as on-demand listening grows April 2, 2020 Podcast giant Acast doubled its revenue last year as it racked up almost 2bn listens on its growing portfolio of shows. The Stockholm-based firm, which helps podcast makers distribute and monetise their shows, reported revenue of 361m Swedish krona (£29m) in 2019, up from 180m krona the previous year. Acast, whose shows include the Adam [...]
BBC to reshow London 2012 Olympics as sports schedule collapses April 2, 2020 The BBC will reshow the London 2012 Olympics as the broadcaster battles to fill holes in its schedule caused by the cancellation of sporting events. The opening ceremony will air on BBC One and iPlayer this spring alongside a selection of highlights, including the so-called Super Saturday, when Team GB won six gold medals in [...]
MPs call for clarity over coronavirus support for film and TV workers April 2, 2020 MPs have urged the government to clarify what support it will offer to people in the UK’s entertainment sector who are unable to work due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee warned there was a loophole in government measures that meant many workers could be excluded from existing [...]
Warner Media names Hulu co-founder Jason Kilar as new chief executive April 1, 2020 Warner Media today said it has appointed veteran media boss Jason Kilar as its new chief executive. Kilar, a former Amazon executive and founding chief executive of streaming service Hulu, will take over the top role from 1 May. He replaces John Stankey, who in September was promoted to chief operating officer of parent company [...]
2020 Edinburgh Festivals cancelled due to coronavirus April 1, 2020 The 2020 Edinburgh Festivals have been cancelled due to the coronavirus updates, organisers confirmed today. The Edinburgh Art Festival, the Festival Fringe, Book Festival, International Festival and Military Tattoo — all set to take place in August — have become the latest cultural events to fall victim to the pandemic. The five events together comprise [...]
UK newspapers to lose £50m as advertisers ‘blacklist’ coronavirus April 1, 2020 UK newspapers are set to lose as much as £50m in online advertising revenue as brands use so-called blacklists to prevent their ads appearing next to stories about coronavirus. Advertisers use blacklists to automatically block their digital campaigns from running next to any articles that feature undesirable keywords — such as ‘bomb’ or ‘crash’ — [...]
Music rights firm One Media boosts profit after acquisition spree March 31, 2020 Music rights company One Media today posted a sharp rise in revenue and profit for the full year after snapping up a string of new catalogues. The Aim-listed firm reported revenue of £3.5m in the year to the end of October, up 30 per cent on 2018. Pre-tax profit rose 11 per cent to £547,222. [...]
Licence fee could be linked to broadband bills, says BBC March 31, 2020 The licence fee could be replaced by a levy linked to existing household bills such as broadband, the BBC said today as it hit back at the government’s consultation into decriminalising non-payment of the TV charge. While the corporation insisted the existing model was the fairest, it said it was willing to explore a household [...]
Houseparty offers $1m reward amid claims of smear campaign March 31, 2020 Video chat app Houseparty today said it was offering a $1m (£809,000) reward for any evidence the company had been targeted by a commercial smear campaign. The online rumour mill has gone into overdrive in recent days, with social media users alleging that their email, Spotify and Netflix accounts had been hacked after downloading Houseparty. [...]