The Independent claims $1bn valuation as it hails ‘unicorn’ status March 5, 2020 The Independent today posted its third consecutive year of profit thanks to a successful shift to digital, prompting its chairman to hail its “unicorn” status. The newspaper’s turnover grew nine per cent to £27m in the last financial year, while advertising revenue grew 10 per cent. Operating profit for the year was £2.3m, down from [...]
BBC must avoid ‘narrow urban outlook’, warns new culture secretary March 5, 2020 The BBC must avoid a “narrow urban outlook” if it is to survive in the modern media landscape, the new culture secretary has warned. In his first major attack on the broadcaster, Oliver Dowden took aim at the BBC’s perceived bias and its failure to reflect the whole of the UK. “If we’re all honest, [...]
Coronavirus: ITV shares fall as travel firms pull advertising March 5, 2020 Coronavirus has hurt 2020 demand for ITV advertising as travel operators stopped booking ads with the broadcaster, but it has posted better than expected earnings for 2019. MGM and Universal’s decision yesterday to delay the release of the next James Bond movie, No Time To Die, from April to November due to the coronavirus outbreak, [...]
A Flu to a Kill: James Bond film No Time To Die delayed over coronavirus March 4, 2020 The release date of the eagerly-anticipated new James Bond film has been pushed back seven months due to the coronavirus. No Time To Die, which will feature Daniel Craig in his final appearance as 007, was due to be released in the UK on 2 April. But a statement released today on the dapper spy’s [...]
Global signs outdoor advertising deal with BT March 4, 2020 Media group Global today said it has inked a deal with BT to operate outdoor advertising on the telecoms giant’s street furniture across the UK. The new three-year deal covers print and digital advertising across the network, which includes 17,500 traditional telephone boxed, 500 payphone and 500 digital street units. The agreement will also cover [...]
Spitting Image to return after 24 years following Britbox commission March 4, 2020 Spitting Image will return to UK screens 24 years after it was taken off air, as streaming service Britbox named the hit puppet show as its first original commission. The Bafta award-winning TV show, which first appeared in 1984, has earmarked a string of contemporary targets for its satire, including the Duke and Duchess of [...]
London Book Fair cancelled over fears of coronavirus contagion March 4, 2020 London Book Fair 2020’s organisers have cancelled the event today “following the escalation of Covid-19 coronavirus in Europe”. Reed Exhibitions, which is a division of FTSE 100 publishing and events business Relx, said the event scheduled for 10-12 March at the London Olympia would now not take place. “The effects, actual and projected, of coronavirus [...]
Huntsworth shares soar as private equity firm agrees £400m takeover March 3, 2020 Shares in healthcare and communications group Huntsworth skyrocketed today after a US-based private equity firm said it has agreed a takeover deal worth roughly £400m. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) today said it would pay 108p in cash per share in Huntsworth, which provides marketing services to healthcare clients. The offer represents a 50 per [...]
Murdoch’s News UK and Bauer launch digital ad platform Octave Audio March 3, 2020 Commercial radio groups Bauer and Wireless have teamed up to launch a new digital audio advertising platform in a bid to take on rival Global. Octave Audio will allow advertisers to target digital listeners across the two companies’ stations, as well as on-demand catch-up shows. Bauer owns brands including Kiss, Absolute and Magic, while Wireless, [...]
MPs to grill BBC executives amid questions over broadcaster’s future March 3, 2020 Top BBC executives are set to be hauled in front of MPs to face a grilling over their plans for the future as the broadcaster attempts to stave off a string of crises. Outgoing director general Lord Tony Hall and chairman Sir David Clementi will both give evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport [...]