Goodbye Piccadilly: It’s lights out for the Circus January 16, 2017 It's lights out for Piccadilly this morning, as the patchwork of billboards adorning the Circus is switched off for the last time, to be replaced with the biggest, most technically advanced, screen in western Europe. In its century long life, the advertising space has rarely been switched off during peacetime, bar a handful of notable [...]
Newspaper industry steps up fight against official press regulator Impress January 13, 2017 The newspaper industry has moved a step forward in its bid to challenge the status of the UK’s officially-recognised press regulator, Impress. The News Media Association (NMA) is in the process of applying for a judicial review of the Press Recognition Panel’s (PRP) decision to recognise Impress. The NMA said today that it had issued [...]
Under Press-ure: Activist takes 19 per cent stake in regional press group January 12, 2017 Regional newspaper group Johnston Press could come under pressure after an activist investor took a 19 per cent stake in the company. Crystal Amber today increased its stake from 6.7 per cent to 18.6 per cent. Read more: Johnston Press reduces debt woes by flogging papers for £17m Johnston Press was among many newspaper companies [...]
Germany’s Hubert Burda Media buys Radio Times and other UK magazines for £270m January 12, 2017 A German media company has announced a deal to buy Radio Times and more than 70 other magazines. Munich-based Hubert Burda Media is understood to have acquired Immediate Media from its private equity owner Exponent and Management for £270m. Announcing the deal this morning, Burda noted that Immediate has more than 19m consumers each month, [...]
Vinyl resurgence to power through into 2017 with $1bn of sales expected January 11, 2017 Vinyl’s resurgence is expected to continue this year, with a new report today forecasting 2017 sales of $1bn (£0.8bn). Deloitte believes vinyl revenues will enjoy their seventh consecutive year of double-digital growth, with 90 per cent coming from new and used discs and the rest from turntables and accessories. Read more: Vinyl comeback led by David Bowie [...]
Sky defends increases in TV prices saying coverage has been “completely transformed” since 2010 January 10, 2017 The cost of satellite television has rocketed by an average of 50 per cent since 2010, four times the rate of inflation and twice as fast as rail fares have increased over the same period. Free-to-air satellite firm Freesat has urged rail users, angry at January fare hikes, to check the cost of their Sky [...]
Newspapers warn “draconian law” Section 40 would cost industry £100m a year January 10, 2017 The newspaper industry has estimated that a new “draconian law”, Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, would cost the industry £100m a year. The News Media Association (NMA) said passing the act would represent an “unfair and undemocratic attack on free speech which would have a chilling effect on newspapers’ ability to report [...]
Veteran newspaper exec leads takeover plot for Richard Desmond titles January 10, 2017 A former News of the World editor is spearheading a takeover plot for Richard Desmond’s newspapers and magazines. David Montgomery, also a former Mirror Group chief executive, is seeking to drum up funds for a new media investment vehicle. Read more: Daily Express owner mulling sale of tabloids to rival Trinity Mirror Montgomery, who City [...]
Tough EU privacy rules could soon apply to WhatsApp, Facebook and Google January 10, 2017 Privacy laws which only apply to telecoms companies could soon be extended to cover newer digital services such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Google and Skype, in new proposals by the European Parliament. The e-privacy directive governs things such as the handling of data and making sure users consent to sharing information. Now Brussels wants to update the [...]
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 [...]