Former Bank of England deputy governor chosen as new BBC chair January 10, 2017 Sir David Clementi, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England, has been named as the government’s preferred candidate for the BBC chairmanship. He is set to head up the new BBC board, which is replacing the BBC Trust under the terms of the government’s new royal charter for the corporation. Clementi will appear [...]
Daily Express owner and former porn baron Richard Desmond mulling sale of tabloids and other publications to rival Trinity Mirror January 10, 2017 Trinity Mirror shares rose in early trading after it emerged it was in talks with media mogul Richard Desmond to buy a stake in his four UK tabloids and other key publications. Shares rose 2.8 per cent to 100.23p after it confirmed it was in talks with Desmond's Northern and Shell Media Group to buy a minority interest [...]
The most rock ‘n’ roll deal of 2017: Future agrees deal to buy, and rescue, music magazines January 9, 2017 Media company Future has agreed a deal to buy, and rescue, a group of rock magazines. Future’s share price dropped by two per cent Monday morning after it announced the deal for Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, Blues and Golden Gods. The publisher sold the titles for £10.2m in 2013 to Team Rock, which went into [...]
Serial entrepreneur Luke Johnson on Channel 4 sell-off, dodging journalism and having no Brexit regrets January 9, 2017 Life could have been very different for serial entrepreneur and investor Luke Johnson. His father, Paul Johnson, is a former editor of left-wing political magazine the New Statesman. And his brother, Daniel, is the founder of political magazine Standpoint. In the tight-knit media world, it would not have been a surprise if Luke Johnson had [...]
How full service agencies have come full circle: Meet The&Partnership January 9, 2017 After a scurry following a room change I meet Nick Howarth, managing partner at The&Partnership, in one of the countless buildings it is “slowly taking over” in Fitzrovia. “I think it’s called ‘Noho’ now,” he chuckles. “If you say you work in Fitzrovia people think you’ve gone back in time about 250 years.” The&Partnership is a [...]
Laurence King, founder of the eponymous publisher, talks adult colouring books, soviets, Ezra Pound and anti-digital January 9, 2017 "We caused a shortage of felt pens in Brazil,” says Laurence King, founder of Laurence King Publishing, the creator of the original adult colouring book that sparked the recent craze. In 2013, the firm published the Secret Garden, illustrated by Johanna Basford. In the first two years, it sold 250,000 copies. “It was then we became [...]
Non-Ascential items: Events company puts 13 magazines up for sale, including Health Service Journal, Drapers and Construction News January 5, 2017 Publisher and events company Ascential has put 13 of its magazines up for sale. The Health Service Journal, Construction News, Local Government Chronicle, Drapers and other titles have been separated from the rest of the business into a separate operating entity. Ascential said it was seeking new owners for the “heritage brands”, which sit within EMAP, [...]
Sun and Times newspapers report losses as revenues are hit by advertising decline January 5, 2017 The publishers behind the Times and Sun newspapers, both owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, part of News Corporation, have reported falling revenue and losses. Times Newspapers, which publishes the daily Times newspaper and the Sunday Times, saw its revenue dip from £342.6m to £341.7m in the year to 3 July 2016. The company made [...]
That don’t impress me much, say public of Max Mosley-backed press regulator’s funding structure January 4, 2017 The newspaper industry is stepping up opposition to a government-approved press regulator, today publishing a poll seemingly illustrating public opposition to its funding model. The majority of the industry is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), which is funded by its members. Rival regulator Impress currently has a small number of, mainly hyperlocal, members. Read [...]
Newspapers step up fight against “insane” new Section 40 law January 3, 2017 The newspaper industry is stepping up efforts to avert a new law, which has been condemned as “insane” by the editor of the Sun. What is going on? Next week, a government consultation on whether to implement Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act will end. If passed, the new rules would mean that [...]