Mark Zuckerberg can no longer claim that Facebook is free January 23, 2017 For a business that began as a dorm-room start-up, no one can doubt Facebook’s dominance within the digital world. Valid or not – claims that the US presidential election result was swayed by fake news circulated on the platform illustrate the network’s extraordinary degree of perceived influence. It’s been an interesting time for the social [...]
Shareholders move in on Johnston Press CEO January 22, 2017 Investors in the publisher behind the i newspaper, The Scotsman and The Yorkshire Post are expected to call for Ashley Highfield to step down from the firm in a meeting this week. The company’s biggest single shareholder, activist fund Crystal Amber, is believed to be meeting with Johnston’s interim chair, Camilla Rhodes to discuss ways [...]
Competition for football rights set to eat into Sky’s profits January 22, 2017 Sky is set to report a 10 per cent drop in profits on Thursday, according to a forecast by investment firm UBS. The broadcaster is expected to announce a fall in pre-tax profits to £673m in the six months to December, due to the increased costs of its Premier League coverage. However, the UBS report also predicted [...]
Nigel Farage lands Fox News punditry role January 20, 2017 Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage has been signed up as a contributor to Fox News. The broadcaster said it would be using Farage, who recently made friends with incoming President Donald Trump, for political analysis. Read more: What's that coming over the hill? It's a Westmonster The Fox gig comes after Farage landed his own [...]
Forget the City – Peppa Pig should be at the heart of Theresa May’s Brexit negotiations, says Lib Dem peer January 20, 2017 Whether it’s bankers, Scots or farmers, everybody seems to want to be at, or near, the heart of Theresa May’s Brexit negotiations. And the Prime Minister has now been urged to include children’s TV star Peppa Pig in her thoughts. Floella Benjamin, a children’s TV presenter turned Liberal Democrat peer, spoke out for the animated [...]
Here comes the Son-y/ATV legal action: Paul McCartney steps up bid for Beatles rights January 19, 2017 All you need is love. Unless you’re Sir Paul McCartney, who also wants to get back the rights to some of his most famous songs. Yesterday, the Beatle filed a lawsuit in New York against Sony/ATV to regain the copyrights to songs including Hey Jude and the Long and Winding Road. Read more: Ron Howard [...]
Trinity Mirror is cutting dozens of jobs as it restructures its regional newsrooms January 19, 2017 Trinity Mirror has announced plans to cut dozens of jobs as part of a massive revamp of its regional newsrooms. In a statement today it said after a review it had decided to cut 78 existing roles, but create 44 new jobs, including 17 focusing on video creation and production. However, none of its regional [...]
Media firm Ascential expects more sales soon after discharging health service magazine for £19m January 19, 2017 Ascential, the media company formerly known as Emap, has announced the sale of one of its most high-profile titles for £19m. Publisher Wilmington has pounced to snap up the Health Service Journal (HSJ) just two weeks after Ascential put the magazine title, along with 12 others, up for sale. Overall, FTSE 250-listed Ascential is expected [...]
Ukip and Leave donor Arron Banks launches “pro-Brexit, pro-Farage, pro-Trump” news website January 19, 2017 Arron Banks, the tycoon who bankrolled a campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, has founded a new “pro-Brexit, pro-Farage, pro-Trump” news website. The “anti-establishment, anti-open borders, anti-corporatism” site launched last night and is co-owned and run by Nigel Farage’s former press adviser Michael Heaver. Read more: It may be all over for Ukip, according [...]
Pearson fails to make the grade as shares fall 30 per cent after firm cuts forecast January 18, 2017 Pearson's shares tumbled up to 30 per cent this morning, after the education company withdrew its profit goal for 2018. It has also announced plans to sell its stake in publisher Penguin House, after an "unprecedented period of change and volatility". A textbook perfect storm. Read more: These companies could start offering low-cost degrees The [...]