British music exports hit a £408m millennium-high note September 6, 2018 Sales of British music abroad have hit their highest rate since 2000 in the last year, totalling a boon of more than £408m for the UK music industry. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) will reveal later today that overseas revenue for UK music stars rose 12 per cent on the previous year, powered by demand [...]
Facebook and Twitter grilled under the Senate spotlight over social media abuse September 5, 2018 Silicon Valley heavyweights Facebook and Twitter faced a grilling from US senators in an Intelligence Committee hearing earlier today, pushing tech stocks down on Wall Street. Twitter's share price tanked more than five per cent, while Facebook's dropped 2.3 per cent. Meanwhile, Netflix and Snapchat shares both fell by more than four per cent. In [...]
Ed Sheeran promoter sued by Viagogo September 4, 2018 Ticket reselling site Viagogo has launched legal action against Ed Sheeran's promoter for allegedly ripping off thousands of fans. The company claimed in a statement today that Stuart Galbraith, founder of music promoter Kilimanjaro Live, confiscated authentic tickets bought through Viagogo and forced customers to buy new ones. The first ticket was then not refunded, according to [...]
Magazine publisher Future looks ahead as earnings tipped to beat market expectations September 3, 2018 Future said today its full-year earnings should beat market expectations, fuelled by three acquisitions as it bought up rivals and expanded into the US. The specialist media publisher credited the World Cup and larger-than-expected product launches for its performance in the 12 months to the end of September in today’s trading update. What Hi-Fi?, FourFourTwo, [...]
The media’s greatest enemy isn’t Trump, it’s the tech titans September 3, 2018 What is the biggest threat to the future of the media: President Donald Trump, or Silicon Valley? In the presidential corner, Trump’s regular attacks on the “fake news media” have provoked a robust response. This summer, newspapers coordinated a string of editorials defending the essential role of the press as a lens on power and [...]
WPP confirms Mark Read as top boss Sir Martin Sorrell’s replacement September 3, 2018 WPP has confirmed the appointment of Mark Read as chief executive of the world's largest marketing agency, replacing its founder Sir Martin Sorrell who left the role in April. Read had long been the bookies' favourite for the position, although other top names such as IBM's David Kenny and industry veteran Hamish McLennan had also [...]
Tech giants to testify before US Congress over Russian interference September 2, 2018 Top bosses from Twitter and Facebook are set to testify before US lawmakers on Wednesday, as part of a probe into how Silicon Valley polices online content. Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey will attend a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on 5 September to give evidence in a hearing on social [...]
Sky eyes Israel and Europe as it expands startup footprint September 2, 2018 Broadcaster Sky has announced plans to ramp up its startup investment and commercial partnership activity through a series of investments. The company will open a new office in Berlin to focus on companies in Germany and Scandinavia, and invest $4m (£3.1m) into Remagine Ventures, an Israeli venture capital fund based in Tel Aviv. Sky’s group [...]
Legal costs squeeze profits at Independent News and Media August 31, 2018 Shares in newspaper company Independent News and Media fell by three per cent this morning as the publisher blamed losses on costs related to an investigation by Ireland's corporate watchdog into an alleged data breach. Read more: Corbyn’s plan for the BBC would harm the press he wants to protect The figures Total revenue was down [...]
Watch out, Google: Facebook rolls out its Youtube rival in the UK August 29, 2018 Facebook's answer to Youtube is going live in the UK, after a successful year in the US broadcasting original content, entertainment and sports shows. From today, users around the world can watch videos via Facebook's Watch feature. Additionally, eligible creators in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand will join the US in making money [...]