Exclusive: STV’s boss on the BBC and conquering the world as Scotland’s peaktime leader September 27, 2022 The British broadcasting sector is hit by one challenge after the next. Following the rapid rise of the likes of Netflix in recent years, the next hurdle presented itself when the pandemic struck two years ago. As a result, the advertising market is under huge pressure and many national and regional broadcasters are struggling to [...]
Exclusive: Entertainment and media firms hold nerve against economic instability September 27, 2022 UK entertainment and media firms are holding their nerve against a backdrop of economic turmoil, opting for digital investment over cuts. While there is short-term uncertainty in the market, confidence and growth can be seen in the long-term direction of the entertainment and media (E&M) industry, according to a new report from PwC. The big [...]
TikTok could face £27m fine over children’s privacy allegations September 26, 2022 TikTok is facing a possible £27m fine over claims it may have broken UK data protection law and failed to protect children’s privacy. The Information Commissioner (ICO) handed the social media platform a ‘notice of intent’ over alleged breaches between May 2018 and 2020. The investigation discovered TikTok may have processed children’s data without the [...]
Ebiquity chief says economic turmoil hasn’t hit marketing budgets just yet September 22, 2022 The testing macroeconomic backdrop has not yet cut into marketing budgets, said Ebiquity chief Nick Waters.
Royal Mail shares slump to two-year low as union accuses it of ‘all out attack’ September 22, 2022 Royal Mail shares hit a two-year low today after it confirmed no union pay deal had been reached and that an agreement to protect jobs would be terminated. The delivery giant told the Communication Workers Union (CWU) that it would scrap a nine-year deal to protect jobs and conditions, pushing the CWU to back down [...]
Lord Rothermere to become new chief of Daily Mail publisher following privatisation push September 22, 2022 Lord Rothermere is set take over as chief executive of the Daily Mail publisher in what appears to be the crescendo of the media group’s tumultous few years. Paul Zwillenberg confirmed this morning that he would be stepping down as CEO of Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), with the great-grandson of the newspaper’s founder [...]
HMV back in the studio as High Street giant returns to making music for first time in 43 years September 22, 2022 HMV said this morning it will return to making records for the first time in more than four decades. The High Street giant is launching its own music label. The entertainment retailer, which runs 115 stores across the UK, has signed Newcastle-based singer-songwriter India Arkin to the new label, called 1921 Records. The label has [...]
Ofcom widens net for Big Tech probe September 22, 2022 Ofcom will be widening the scope of its probe into Big Tech, digging into competition concerns surrounding the cloud services space. The media regulator said this morning that it would launch a market study into the sector to ensure that markets are working well for people and businesses in the UK. Cloud services have exploded [...]
UK music biz struggles to keep up with pre-pandemic economic boom September 22, 2022 The UK music industry is still struggling to keep up with pre-pandemic levels, as the sector calls for more support. According to fresh data from industry body UK Music, the sector’s contribution to the UK economy in 2021 was £4bn – up 26 per cent on the £3.1bn figure for 2020, but still down 31 per [...]
Investors back Sorrell’s aggressive growth for S4 Capital despite heavy losses September 21, 2022 Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital felt the bite of its own aggressive hiring strategy this morning, with losses more quadrupling in the first half of the year to £75.4m. The loss included £100m of primarily combination payments, some linked to “continued employment”, and the associated expense and amortisation totalling £93.9m versus £41.6m in the first [...]