‘Bad for competition’: Stephen King pushes back against Penguin and Simon & Schuster merger August 3, 2022 Novelist Stephen King has slammed the proposed merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, deeming it "bad for competition".
Warner Bros axes new Batgirl movie following dismal reviews August 3, 2022 Warner Bros has shelved its upcoming “Batgirl” film after the movie was met with dismal reviews from viewers. According to reports from US media, the DC Comics film had received a poor reception at test screenings, forcing the studio to backtrack on the $100m (£82m) production. Leslie Grace was set to star as Batgirl, while Michael Keaton as [...]
Coleen Rooney wins ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel trial against Rebekah Vardy: ‘An embarrassing own goal’ July 29, 2022 Rebekah Vardy has lost the “Wagatha Christie” libel battle against Coleen Rooney over a viral social media post, after a High Court judge found it was “substantially true”. In the October 2019 post, Mrs Rooney, 36, said she had carried out a months-long “sting operation” and accused Mrs Vardy, 40, of leaking “false stories” about [...]
ITV on track for streaming service launch as revenue and viewership climb July 28, 2022 Love Island broadcaster ITV said it was on track to launch its ad-funded streaming service ITVX later this year as the firm appears unfazed by the cost-of-living woes that have battered competitors. Revenue was up 16 per cent to £927m for ITV Studios, growing ahead of the wider market trends. The firm also performed well [...]
News channels to be given new freedoms to broadcast sentencing hearings July 27, 2022 Broadcasters will be given new freedoms to film and broadcast Crown Court judges’ sentencing remarks, after a new law comes into force tomorrow morning. The UK’s biggest broadcasters will be given the right to broadcast statements made by Crown Court judges during sentencing hearings, both online and on TV. Under the new rules, TV news [...]
Searches for ‘Cancel Amazon Prime’ skyrocket 537 per cent after company hikes UK price from £79 to £95 July 26, 2022 Following Amazon’s announcement that it is increasing the price of their Amazon Prime subscription, searches for ‘Cancel Amazon Prime’ increased 537 per cent today. Searches to cancel Amazon Prime subscriptions skyrocketed after it was announced Amazon are increasing the monthly cost of Prime from £7.99 to £8.99, the first price increase since 2014, cybersecurity firm [...]
Watchdog dismisses concerns that music streaming causes harm to artists and backs consumer choice July 26, 2022 The UK competition watchdog has found that music streaming delivers good outcomes for consumers and dismisses concerns that the concentrated market is causing harm or driving the issues raised by artists.
Daily Express owner Reach feels sting of surging newsprint costs and advertising disruption July 26, 2022 Shares plunged as much as 30 per cent this afternoon for Daily Express and Mirror owner Reach after it posted an inflationary battered set of results.
Amazon says inflation and operating costs force e-com giant to hike price of Prime subscription for UK customers July 26, 2022 Amazon has confirmed it plans to hike the price of its Prime delivery and streaming service due to “increased inflation and operating costs”. The technology giant offers free unlimited delivery, entertainment streaming and live sport through the Prime service. It said it will increase the price of Prime from £7.99 each month to £8.99 from [...]
TalkTV reaches only three per cent of Brits despite hefty investment July 25, 2022 TalkTV reaches only three per cent of the UK viewing population per month for an average visit length of eight seconds, according to data from Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB). As first reported by the Press Gazette, the Rupert Murdoch-backed channel has struggled to get off the ground, despite heavy investment in studio space and big [...]