John Humphrys makes surprise return to radio with Classic FM show October 24, 2019 John Humphrys is set to make a surprise return to the airwaves, joining Classic FM as a guest presenter on its breakfast show. Read more: Commercial radio market share rises to highest level in 20 years The veteran broadcaster, who stepped down as host of the BBC’s Today programme last month, will head up the [...]
BBC ‘may not be sustainable’ in current form, media watchdog warns October 24, 2019 The BBC may not be sustainable in its current form as it struggles to win over the attention of younger audiences, the media watchdog has warned. In a damning report published today, Ofcom said the corporation was at risk of a “lost generation” as young people increasingly tune out of its services. The reach of [...]
Comcast profit beats estimates after boost from broadband and Sky deal October 24, 2019 Media and communications company Comcast has beaten Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit, which were boosted by its acquisition of Sky last year. Comcast reported an 11 per cent rise in net profit for the third quarter, ahead of analysts’ expectations, driven by a rise in broadband customer numbers. Read more: BBC ‘may not be [...]
Commercial radio market share rises to highest level in 20 years October 24, 2019 Commercial radio stations continued to attract large audiences during the third quarter, growing their share of listening hours to a 20-year high. A total of 35.9m people tuned in to commercial radio in the UK, up from 35.8m in the same period last year, according to figures released today. Read more: Global launches 24-hour rolling [...]
BBC launches dark web news site in bid to dodge censors October 23, 2019 The BBC has made its international news website available on the dark web in a bid to sidestep censorship attempts. The corporation said its website can now be accessed on Tor, an internet browser designed to hide a user’s activity and identity. Read more: Louis Theroux leaves BBC Studios to launch his own production company [...]
Louis Theroux leaves BBC Studios to launch his own production company October 23, 2019 Louis Theroux has parted ways with BBC Studios to set up his own production company, sparking speculation that the documentary maker could be eyeing deals with streaming rivals. Theroux, who has worked with the broadcaster’s commercial arm for two decades, has set up a new firm called Mindhouse Productions alongside his executive producer Arron Fellows. [...]
CBI urges government to protect UK’s booming creative industries after Brexit October 23, 2019 The CBI has called on the government to roll out new measures to protect the UK’s booming creative industries after Brexit. In a report published today, the business group hailed the creative industries as a key driver of growth, with exports of goods and services from the sector now contributing £50bn per year to the [...]
Tiktok launches safety campaign after removing IS propaganda videos October 23, 2019 Tiktok has rolled out a new safety campaign days after it emerged Islamic State (IS) militants had used the platform to spread propaganda videos. The video-sharing app has released a series of so-called awareness videos that it said will help to keep its users informed by highlighting safety features. Read more: Social media firms urged [...]
Administrators hunt Bell Pottinger partners in bid to claw back ‘excess’ pay October 23, 2019 Former partners at the disgraced PR firm Bell Pottinger have been forced to repay hundreds of thousands of pounds in salaries they earned before the business collapsed. The London-based PR company went into administration in 2017 following a scandal over its work for the billionaire Gupta family in South Africa, where it was accused of [...]
ITV Hub hits 30m registered users as Love Island charms viewers October 23, 2019 ITV today announced that its on-demand streaming service ITV Hub has more than 30m registered users as Love Island and the Rugby World Cup helped to attract new viewers. The figure, which is up from 26m at this time last year, means the broadcaster has beaten its previous target of hitting 30m users by 2021. [...]