Brexit ideas: Boris Johnson wants to recreate the Roman Empire to achieve UK-EU co-operation June 29, 2022 Boris Johnson wants a modern recreation of the Roman Empire as a way of achieving co-operation between Europe and its neighbours. The Prime Minister set out his vision of a partnership that included Turkey and North African states as an alternative plan to Emmanuel Macron’s idea of a European political community. Macron said the Prime [...]
Diverse Oscar noms drag 90-year-old awards into 21st century March 15, 2021 In recent years, the nominations for the Academy Awards have often drawn anger and frustration. #OscarsSoWhite became a regular trend for past ceremonies as actors of colour were ignored, while there was ongoing criticism at the absence of female behind the scenes nominees, and LGBTQ+ artists. Today, observers held their breath as this year’s nominations [...]
Eurovision winner denies taking drugs during event after online speculation May 23, 2021 The lead singer of Eurovision winners Maneskin has denied speculation he was taking drugs during the event. Damiano David from the Italian band said he did not take drugs after a viral video of him bending down during the broadcast circulated overnight, leading many to speculate that he was using cocaine. When asked about the [...]
BBC wins battle for social media buzz as streaming giants lag behind December 11, 2019 Traditional broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV are winning the battle to create a buzz around new shows, as they generate more social media chatter than their streaming rivals. Figures published today by market research firm Kantar revealed that the BBC generated more tweets than any other broadcaster in the year to the end [...]
Boost for broadcasters as young viewers flock to live shows September 26, 2019 Live events are still the most watched TV programmes among young audiences, new data has revealed, marking a much-needed boost for traditional broadcasters. Live TV favourites such as reality shows, talent shows and sports fixtures made up more than half of the top 30 most-watched programmes among 18 to 24-year-olds, according to figures from the [...]
Britain stands to lose more than its Marbles if it folds now February 21, 2020 There’s a new pawn in the game of Brexit chess — 17 pawns, in fact, life-size and made of marble, plus 247 feet of sculpted frieze. The EU sparked a panic this week, when its draft negotiating mandate revealed a clause concerning the need to address “issues relating to the return or restitution of unlawfully [...]
Time to champion Europe’s broadcasters for the next generation February 27, 2020 Over the past decade, television, and the way we watch it, has changed beyond recognition. The explosion of global digital services like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime and social distribution on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat mean we’ve never had more choice about what to watch and how to watch it. On our smart [...]
Pop Master: Longevity in broadcasting July 4, 2019 As some of you will know, I host a podcast called Media Masters. It really does what it says on the tin, speaking to people who’ve conquered the media world about how they got where they are and what drives them. I feel guilty sometimes, as it never actually feels like work. I’ve had the [...]
George Groves v Eubank Jr: Kalle Sauerland on how the World Boxing Super Series can break the sport’s boom and bust model February 15, 2018 George Groves fights Chris Eubank Jr in Manchester this weekend in the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series. For the tournament’s organisers, the second half of that sentence will soon be enough to ensure the sport’s fans tune in, regardless of the names mentioned in the first. Groves vs Eubank Jr — a hotly-anticipated [...]
Ignore the costumes, the Eurovision Song Contest is serious business May 13, 2016 Eurovision isn’t all fun. It’s serious business, too. SVT, Sweden’s national broadcaster has set aside a budget of £11m for this year’s show. But the cost of Eurovision has been larger-still for some countries. Vienna, last year’s hosts, spent £28m while the Baku extravaganza of 2012 cost an eye-popping £48m. Even participating can be prohibitively [...]