BBC charter review panel: Meet the eight people deciding the broadcaster’s future July 12, 2015 The government has selected a panel of independent advisors to lead a review of the BBC's royal charter, which will shape the future of the public broadcaster. An eight-person team of media professionals and experts, with backgrounds in broadcasting, production, technology and media regulation, have been chosen by the culture secretary John Whittingdale to conduct [...]
ITV and BBC to share Six Nations coverage in £300m deal July 9, 2015 The BBC will share Six Nations coverage with ITV from 2016, keeping the European rugby tournament on free-to-air television until 2021. Read more: BBC loses Olympic broadcast rights as Eurosport signs £922m deal The deal, thought to be worth around £50m a year, will mean England's home matches are broadcast on ITV and their away fixtures [...]
ViralNova bought by ITV-backed Zealot Networks in $100m deal July 9, 2015 ViralNova, a website which publishes shareable content with titles such as "You probably didn't know that raccoons getting baths would be this cute", has been bought up by the US publishing startup which picked up $5m (£3.2m) backing from ITV last year. Zealot Networks has bought the website in a deal understood to be worth around [...]
German media merger still has many challenges to overcome July 7, 2015 Shares in Axel Springer, the German media giant, ended today up over 2 per cent, on the back of escalating rumours of a media mega merger. The publisher of Europe’s best selling tabloid newspaper, Bild, had yesterday failed to quash rumours that are swirling that it is in merger talks with Germany’s top broadcaster [...]
James Naughtie: Veteran BBC radio presenter to leave Radio 4’s Today programme after 21 years July 7, 2015 BBC radio presenter James Naughtie will leave Radio 4's Today programme after 21 years. The veteran broadcaster will instead become the station's special correspondent. The BBC says that he will follow key political and constitutional debates such as the EU referendum and elections, present documentaries, and act as a roving reporter for the station. Naughtie, [...]
BBC Trust fires shot over the bows of government over licence fees for over 75s July 7, 2015 BBC director general Tony Hall insisted that the broadcaster had achieved “the right deal” yesterday, after it was confirmed that the broadcaster would start paying the licence fee for Brits over 75 from 2018. However, Rona Fairhead, the chairman of the BBC Trust, which represents licence fee payers, appeared to be less happy about the [...]
John Whittingdale confirms the BBC will pay for over-75s license fees from 2018 July 6, 2015 The culture, media, and sport secretary John Whittingdale has confirmed that the BBC will pay for free television licences for those aged over 75 from 2018. Whittingdale confirmed the move in response to an urgent question posed in parliament by his Labour shadow, Chris Bryant, following widespread reports over the weekend that the costs would be passed on to [...]
NME to go free as Time Inc attempts to boost circulation to 300,000 July 6, 2015 Time Inc. will make NME free from September and increase its circulation to 300,000 in a bid to reverse the iconic music magazine's flagging fortunes. Read more: Metal Hammer and Classic Rock magazines sold off by Future The 63-year-old magazine will be given away nationally at train stations, university campuses and selected retailers in a similar [...]
Advertising tech giant AppNexus preparing to go public next year July 6, 2015 Pioneering advertising technology firm AppNexus is preparing to float on the stock market, in a move worth around $2bn (£1.27bn). Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP advertising empire is a major shareholder in the firm, with a 15 per cent stake and a board seat. AppNexus is thought to be updating its practices to pave the way [...]
Is Chris Moyles coming back to breakfast radio? XFM job would put ex-BBC presenter up against Radio One’s Nick Grimshaw July 5, 2015 Former Radio One superstar DJ Chris Moyles is rumoured to be returning to breakfast radio where he made his name – this time with XFM. According to reports in the Sun on Sunday, the new show is going to start in September, after Moyles spends a couple of months putting together some ideas. If confirmed, [...]