Rhod Sharp: 25 years of Up All Night March 27, 2019 As presenter of the Media Masters podcast, I have met some extraordinary journalists from print, television and radio. But one windswept day in Marblehead, Massachusetts, I met one man who every one of these people would refer to as a legend: Rhod Sharp. Tomorrow, Rhod will celebrate 25 years at the helm of Up All Night. [...]
Advertising giant M&C Saatchi hikes profits as new business grows margins March 27, 2019 Advertising giant M&C Saatchi boosted profits last year as it signalled a confident outlook for 2019. The figures Profit before tax grew 16 per cent year on year to £32.3m as net revenue rose two per cent to £255.3m compared to 2017. Saatchi’s profit margin also ticked up one per cent to 12.3 per cent [...]
Spotify makes latest podcast acquisition as it looks to cash in on true crime March 26, 2019 Spotify has snapped up its third podcast company of the year as it looks to double down on the format amid a boom in on-demand listening. The Swedish streaming service today said it had acquired Parcast, a podcast studio specialising in true crime series. Read more: Apple hits back at Spotify in App Store war [...]
BBC pulls podcast content from Google’s rival service March 26, 2019 The BBC has blocked its podcasts from appearing on Google's own rival services, including Google Assistant. New episodes for BBC podcasts stopped appearing on the Google Podcast app sometime on 19 March, according to Pod News, with podcasts now being removed entirely from the platform. BBC distribution and business development director Kieran Clifton confirmed that the [...]
European Parliament passes controversial EU Copyright Directive March 26, 2019 The European Parliament has voted for a controversial copyright directive that critics claim could harm the future of the internet. Read more: EU agrees draft copyright reform in blow to tech giants The Copyright Directive passed today with 348 MEP votes, compared to 278 voting against it. The law includes ill-received elements such as making [...]
Apple ‘show time’ event: Tim Cook debuts Apple TV streaming service March 25, 2019 Apple has unveiled a new streaming platform to take on Netflix during an eagerly-anticipated launch event in California this evening. Oprah, Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Aniston were among the celebrities who took to the stage during a dramatic presentation to announce a revamp of Apple’s TV service. Read more: Apple reveals UK pricing for its [...]
Pinterest reveals revenue growth in first public filing as it heads toward IPO March 23, 2019 Pinterest has announced its plans for an initial public offering (IPO) and highlighted its fast revenue growth and shrinking losses as it heads towards a public listing. The image sharing platform joins a whole line of technology companies looking to move into the public market and outlined its plans to the New York Stock Exchange [...]
Comcast launches $5 streaming platform for internet-only customers March 22, 2019 US media giant Comcast has launched a new platform for its internet-only customers that will bundle together streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. The firm has unveiled plans for Xfinity Flex, a streaming box aimed at its non-cable TV customers that ties together a range of apps with its voice remote. Read more: TV advertising revenue [...]
Facebook knew about Cambridge Analytica data scandal ‘months before reports’ March 22, 2019 Facebook employees knew about Cambridge Analytica’s “improper data gathering practices” months before they were reported in the media, a court filing has stated. A filing made by the attorney general for Washington DC has cast doubts over when Facebook found out about the incident. Boss Mark Zuckerberg has stated the tech firm only learned about the data scandal [...]
Google grants €500,000 to regional UK publishers for podcast venture March 21, 2019 Local publishers Reach and JPI Media have secured €500,000 (£433,000) in funding from Google to launch a new podcast project for local news. The grant will help the two regional publishers, which have partnered with podcast platform Entale, to develop the new audio project known as Laudable. Read more: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism secures £800,000 [...]