British commercial radio revenue breaks record for third consecutive year February 7, 2019 Advertising revenue on commercial radio in the UK hit £713.3m last year, as corporate investment in the media stream continued to rise. Ad sales topped the previous record of £679.2m set in 2017, according to figures released today by industry body Radiocentre. The news marked the third consecutive year of record growth in the sector. [...]
Snap shares rise almost 30 per cent as strong results convince investors February 6, 2019 Shares in Snap have risen almost 30 per cent today, after a bumper set of results acted as a boon to investors looking for signs the tech firm could be revived. The parent of photo-sharing app Snapchat trounced consensus estimates in its fourth quarter, reporting a revenue rise of 36 per cent to $389.8m (£300.9m), [...]
Spotify posts its first quarterly profit as paid subscriptions near 100m February 6, 2019 Spotify has made its first ever quarterly profit, it said today, as it revealed results for the three months to the end of December. The figures The Stockholm-based firm posted an operating profit of €94m (£82.5m), as well as a 29 per cent rise in revenue in the fourth quarter thanks to an increased number of paid [...]
Fine social media sites that fail to protect children, Labour says February 6, 2019 Social media companies could face hefty fines if they fail to protect children and young people on their platforms under strict new rules proposed by Labour. The party’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, will today give a speech saying the digital market has been “distorted” and outlining plans to ensure sites have a legal duty of [...]
Sir Nick Clegg summoned in front of MPs over social media abuse February 5, 2019 Sir Nick Clegg has been asked to appear in front of a parliamentary committee to answer questions about the harassment of MPs on social media. The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has written to Clegg, who is head of global affairs and communications at Facebook, asking him to give evidence as part of its inquiry [...]
Facebook must face the same regulation as other media outlets, says former Tory digital minister February 4, 2019 Facebook is not capable of regulating itself and should be subjected to strict government oversight, the former minister for digital and culture has said. Tory MP Ed Vaizey today waded into the debate around regulation of big tech companies, saying Facebook must take responsibility for the content published on its platform. Read more: Social media sites should [...]
Fyre Festival, influencers, and the CMA – why are regulators finally getting involved in the world of social media sponsorship? February 4, 2019 Social media influencers are back in the headlines, and as usual, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Late last month, the government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it had told 16 high-profile celebrities – including models Alexa Chung and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, musician Rita Ora, and YouTube star Zoe Sugg (better known as Zoella) [...]
Broadcast TV advertising ‘at the tipping point’ as viewers switch to streaming, report finds January 31, 2019 Traditional TV advertising is approaching a tipping point as sliding viewing figures cast doubt on the cost-efficiency of TV campaigns, a new report has found. A report by media consultancy Ebiquity has forecast a decline in TV ad viewing among adults of 15 to 20 per cent by 2022. These figures increase to 30 per [...]
Social media sites must take legal responsibility for child safety, states tech committee January 31, 2019 Social media sites must take on legal responsibility for the health and wellbeing of children of their platforms, a parliamentary committee has found. The Science and Technology Committee (STC) today said tech giants such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat must be subject to a formal legal duty of care for their users. Read more: Social media [...]
Gary Neville scores with sale of 50 per cent stake in production company Buzz 16 January 30, 2019 Gary Neville today proved he still has his eye on the ball after selling a 50 per cent stake in his production company Buzz 16 to a London-based marketing firm. The former England and Manchester United footballer has agreed to sell half his company for an undisclosed amount to AIM-listed marketing group Reach 4 Entertainment [...]