Former BBC sports commentator John Motson dies, aged 77 February 23, 2023 John Motson, the former BBC commentator who became one of the most recognisable voices in sports broadcasting, has died aged 77. Known affectionately as “Motty”, he combined an encyclopaedic knowledge of football with a palpable love for the sport that was reflected in his work. Motson, who also became synonymous with his trademark sheepskin coat, [...]
Watch: BBC chair Richard Sharp must ‘fall on his sword’ and quit honourably, veteran broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby says February 14, 2023 Richard Sharp is facing growing calls to “fall on his sword” and resign as BBC chairman over the cronyism row caused by him helping Boris Johnson secure an £800,000 loan facility. Rishi Sunak was standing by the embattled former banker despite a highly-critical cross-party report by MPs finding Sharp chairman made “significant errors of judgment”. [...]
BBC ‘fully co-operating’ as offices raided by India tax officials after documentary on PM Narendra Modi February 14, 2023 Officials from India’s Income Tax department began conducting searches on Tuesday at the BBC’s offices in the capital, New Delhi. It comes weeks after the British broadcaster released a controversial documentary that examined prime minister Narendra Modi’s role during 2002 anti-Muslim riots. Teams from the tax department surveyed the BBC’s Delhi and Mumbai offices, the [...]
Sharp under pressure to quit BBC after report finds ‘significant errors’ over Johnson loan February 12, 2023 BBC chairman Richard Sharp has been told that his position is “increasingly untenable” today after a report found that “significant errors of judgement” were made in helping to arrange an £800,000 loan guarantee for Boris Johnson while Sharp was applying for the top job at the BBC. Ex-JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs banker Sharp, who [...]
BBC to show NBA matches for rest of the season January 19, 2023 NBA matches will be broadcast on the BBC for the rest of the 2022-23 season as the British broadcaster replaces its lost Super Bowl billing. Tonight’s fixture between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons will be the first to be broadcast as part of the deal. The two NBA franchises will compete in the [...]
More viewers watched BBC’s Happy Valley than Prince Harry’s bombshell ITV interview January 9, 2023 More viewers watched BBC’s Happy Valley than tuned into the much-anticipated interview with the Duke of Sussex on ITV, according to overnight figures. Harry: The Interview drew an average TV audience of 4.1 million, based on overnight figures released by ITV. The broadcaster said the 90-minute programme, in which Harry was interviewed by Tom Bradby [...]
The Apprentice review: A recap of the new series of Lord Sugar’s show January 5, 2023 There is something unbearably heavy about the prospect of a new series of The Apprentice. Tuning in to see this nightmare unfold yet again is like watching a battered old walrus drag itself back up the same beach year after year, ungraceful, wheezing, a shadow of its former self, the light in its eyes dimming [...]
BBC 3, ITV 1: Beeb pulls in three times as many viewers as rival for World Cup final December 19, 2022 The World Cup final may have been a close run contest but the same can’t be said of the competition for UK audience between the BBC and ITV, according to viewing figures. Both terrestrial channels broadcast the final, which Argentina won on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw with defending champions France. The BBC’s peak [...]
BBC must boost digital to stand up to Netflix December 14, 2022 The BBC must boost its digital leadership if it’s going to keep up with US streaming giants, says a new report. The National Audit Office said that although the broadcaster had made strides in establishing its online presence with the iPlayer, the tech was lagging behind the likes of Netflix. While Netflix has a budget of [...]
BBC calls for more funds to battle Netflix December 7, 2022 The BBC have called for “serious public service investment” if it is to stand a chance against the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus. BBC Director-General Tim Davie said that the broadcaster needs more dosh to “avoid further cuts” and to survive what he called a “period of real jeopardy” for the media landscape. Speaking [...]