Hipgnosis snaps up Chainsmokers catalogue as spending spree continues August 20, 2019 Music royalties specialist Hipgnosis has continued its recent run of strong form, securing the rights to the music catalogue of The Chainsmokers. Read more: Hipgnosis bags rights to music catalogue of Ed Sheeran songwriter Hipgnosis said it has acquired 32 songs by the DJ duo, who have bagged 55 number ones and rack up 41m [...]
Netflix snaps up Uxbridge production space in latest UK push August 19, 2019 Netflix has signed a deal to rent out production space in Uxbridge, just weeks after it unveiled its new UK hub at Shepperton Studios. City A.M. understands that the US streaming giant is set to take a 134,000 square feet unit called UX1 in an industrial park in west London as part of a 10-year [...]
Broadcasters push for longer ad breaks as streaming competition heats up August 19, 2019 UK broadcasters are consulting with the government on plans to extend TV advert breaks as they look to stave off growing competition from online streaming rivals. Public service broadcasters (PSB) such as ITV and Channel 4 are in talks with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) over proposals that could see the [...]
The ASA’s puritanical ban spree is a flagrant assault on free speech August 16, 2019 When the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) first announced that it would ban “gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence” in December 2017, I noted that crackdowns on adverts are often veiled attacks on free speech. The ads that the CAP and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) were flagging [...]
Fleet Street veteran David Montgomery sets newspapers in sights as he plots takeover spree August 14, 2019 Veteran Fleet Street executive David Montgomery is poised to launch a media takeover spree, with struggling publisher JPI Media slated as his first major target. Montgomery has set up a company called National World, through which he is said to be planning a series of deals to snap up struggling newspaper groups. Read more: Shares [...]
DEBATE: In light of the row over alleged bias in the Telegraph’s survey, is there any point to polls? August 14, 2019 In light of the row over alleged bias in the Telegraph’s survey, is there any point to polls? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. Since the dawn of polling, people have found imaginative ways of getting the result they want. And the ComRes team who found that a majority of people would back [...]
CBS and Viacom ‘in final stages’ of merger talks August 12, 2019 CBS and Viacom are said to be in the final stages of talks over an all-stock merger that values Viacom at a discount to its closing price on Friday. Viacom shareholders will receive just over 0.595 shares in CBS for each share they own, Reuters reported, citing two sources. Read more: Viacom launches on-demand streaming [...]
Physical entertainment sales slump amid shift to streaming August 12, 2019 The physical entertainment market declined by almost a fifth over the last quarter, as the growing popularity of streaming services continues to impact traditional formats. Sales of CDs, DVDs and video games dropped 19 per cent in the 12 weeks to the end of June, as a reduction in shopper numbers was compounded by a [...]
Facebook confirms ‘news tab’ launch in US as it offers newspapers $3m to reproduce content August 10, 2019 Facebook is set to launch a “news tab” in the US, confirming reports that it has been contacting media companies to license their stories. The social media giant has offered new executives up to $3m (£2.48m) a year to license their publications headlines and previews of articles a new tab, as reported by the Wall [...]
MNG Enterprises discloses 9.4 per cent stake in New Media August 9, 2019 MNG Enterprises has disclosed a 9.4 per cent stake in New Media Investment Group and has said it may try to block the company’s proposed takeover of rival newspaper owner Gannett. Local newspaper giant New Media announced on Monday that it was planning to buy Gannett for $1.4bn (£1.2bn) in a deal that would create [...]