M&C Saatchi in informal talks with M+A adviser Clarity November 3, 2019 Tory advertising agency M&C Saatchi is reportedly in talks with external advisers about a potential strategic overhaul, prompting speculation the company may be looking for a buyer. The ad agency – notorious for its involvement with Conservative party election campaigns – has lost more than half of its stock market value since the discovery of [...]
Ex-Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon considers Daily Telegraph purchase November 3, 2019 Controversial former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon is organising a bid for The Telegraph to turn it into a vehicle for his brand of economic nationalism. It was reported last week that the title’s owners – tycoon twins Sir David Barclay and Sir Frederick Barclay – were looking to sell the national newspaper. Read more: [...]
BBC leak reveals names of 120 women in equal pay dispute November 1, 2019 The BBC has been accused of a potentially major data breach after the names of 120 female employees who had pursued equal pay complaints against the broadcaster were inadvertently revealed during presenter Samira Ahmed’s employment tribunal case. The document names BBC women who had put their names to a letter issued by the National Union [...]
Thomson Reuters reports surge in operating profit October 31, 2019 Media conglomerate Thomson Reuters has reported a surge in operating profit for the third quarter, ahead of analysts’ estimates. Operating profit at the Canada-based company jumped 51 per cent to $262m (£202m) for the three months to September, ahead of $173m for the same period a year ago. Read more: Thomson Reuters defends boss following [...]
Profit jumps at Facebook despite regulatory pressure October 30, 2019 Facebook has beaten third-quarter earnings forecasts despite the social media giant facing intense scrutiny from US lawmakers, sending shares up over five per cent in after-hours trading. Read more: Facebook abandons appeal against £500,000 Cambridge Analytica fine Profit at the world’s largest social media firm grew 19 per cent to $6.1bn (£4.7bn) in the three [...]
Private equity firm Epiris to sell TI Media for £140m October 30, 2019 British private equity firm Epiris will sell Country Life magazine owner TI Media to Bath-based media company Future for £140m, it announced today. Epiris bought TI Media, then called Time Inc UK, from US media group Meredith in February 2018 in a deal thought to be worth around £130m. Under Epiris, TI Media undertook a [...]
Financial Times owner Nikkei loses $29m in apparent fraud October 30, 2019 Nikkei, the Japanese media giant behind the Financial Times, has lost roughly $29m (£22.5m) in an apparent wire transfer fraud. In a statement issued today, the company said an employee of its US subsidiary had transferred the funds after receiving “fraudulent instructions by a malicious third party who purported to be a management executive of [...]
British film board rolls out new age ratings for Netflix films and TV shows October 29, 2019 The UK film regulator will this week roll out a series of new age rating symbols designed for online streaming platforms. The digital classification symbols, which will launch on Netflix from Thursday, are designed to help young people make more conscious choices about what they watch online. Read more: Netflix to set its own age [...]
Media veteran David Montgomery weighing up Telegraph bid October 28, 2019 Press executive and former News of the World editor David Mongtomery has expressed an interest to the owners of the Telegraph about buying the ailing newspaper business, which is reportedly up for sale. Read more: ‘Structural decline’: Telegraph group suffers profit slump Montgomery is also a former chief executive of the Mirror Group. He last [...]
AT&T strikes deal with activist investor as TV challenges hit revenue October 28, 2019 US telecoms giant AT&T has unveiled a three-year plan to revamp its strategy as it bowed to pressure from an activist investor amid tough conditions in its TV business. Elliott Management, which holds a $3.2bn (£2.5bn) stake in AT&T, has been pressuring the board to overhaul senior management, cut costs and scale back expansion plans. [...]