Tiktok inks licensing deal as it gears up for music streaming launch January 23, 2020 Tiktok has secured a licensing deal with a major music rights agency, marking a key step forward in the social media firm’s plans to launch a new rival to Spotify. The Chinese video app today said it has entered into a multi-territory partnership with Merlin, which represents tens of thousands of independent record labels. The [...]
Comcast hikes dividend as broadband boost pushes up revenue January 23, 2020 Comcast today said it had ramped up its dividend after reporting a rise in both revenue and profit in the fourth quarter. The US media titan posted revenue of $28.4bn (£21.6bn), up two per cent on the same period last year, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose three per cent to $8.4bn. [...]
Tax system gives tech giants ‘unfair advantage’, says Publicis boss January 22, 2020 Tech giants have an “unfair advantage” and a clampdown on the amount of tax they pay will help to level the playing field, the boss of Publicis has said. Maurice Levy, chairman of the French media giant, today said he did not believe it was fair that digital firms could benefit from infrastructure and consumers [...]
BBC ‘set to slash jobs’ as it revamps news output in cost-cutting plan January 22, 2020 The BBC is said to be on the brink of announcing a wave of job cuts in its news division as it looks to revamp its output before the next director general takes the reins. The cuts are likely to affect popular news programmes such as Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Two and Radio 4’s Word [...]
Government confirms probe into Daily Mail takeover of i newspaper January 22, 2020 The government today confirmed that it will launch an investigation into the Daily Mail’s £50m takeover of the i newspaper amid public interest concerns. Culture secretary Nicky Morgan has issued a public interest intervention notice over fears the tie-up will impact the “sufficient plurality of viewpoints” in UK newspapers. The notice will spark a report [...]
Netflix beats fourth-quarter revenue estimates as subscribers jump January 21, 2020 Netflix added more subscribers than analysts had expected at the end of last year, despite the debuts of several rival streaming services. The streaming giant added 8.76m paid subscribers globally in the three months to December, compared with analysts’ average estimate of 7.63m, thanks to hits such as the Irishman and the third season of [...]
Disney Plus to launch in the UK on 24 March January 21, 2020 Disney Plus, the entertainment giant’s subscription service, will launch in the UK on 24 March, it was confirmed this morning. The platform, which is set to take on competitors such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, will come with two payment models: £5.99 a month or £59.99 for a year. Subscribers will be able to access [...]
The BBC’s new boss must win back British audiences January 20, 2020 Tony Hall’s decision to step down as BBC director general has created a vacancy for one of the most prestigious and influential jobs in UK media — if, that is, anyone is brave enough to take it. Speculation is already mounting about who will take up the mantle (there’s a good chance the corporation will [...]
Tony Hall to step down as BBC director general January 20, 2020 The BBC has announced that Tony Hall will stand down as director general this summer after seven years in the role. In a email to staff, Hall said it had been “such a hard decision”, adding: “If I followed my heart I would genuinely never want to leave.” “However, I believe that an important part [...]
Podcast firm Audioboom boosts revenue on advertising rush January 20, 2020 Podcast company Audioboom has posted a sharp rise in revenue for the year after ramping up its share of advertising spend in the rapidly growing audio market. The Aim-listed firm reported a 91 per cent increase in revenue to $22.2m (£16.9m) in the year to the end of December, while its loss before interest, tax, [...]