Saturday Sitdown: Public media played key role during Covid, says STV boss May 22, 2021 The UK’s public service broadcasters played a vital role during the Covid-19 pandemic and should be protected, the chief executive of STV has said. In an interview with City A.M., Simon Pitts threw his weight behind traditional TV channels, insisting they were still relevant despite the rise of streaming heavyweights such as Netflix. “I don’t [...]
Jeremy Paxman diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease May 21, 2021 Legendary broadcaster Jeremy Paxman has revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The 71-year-old journalist and University Challenge presenter said he had been receiving “excellent treatment” and that his symptoms were “currently mild”. “I can confirm I have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I am receiving excellent treatment and my symptoms are currently [...]
BBC: Boris Johnson ‘very concerned’ about Princess Diana interview scandal May 21, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson today waded into the row over the BBC’s infamous interview with Princess Diana, saying he was “obviously very concerned” about the findings of a new report. The damning report by Lord Dyson, published yesterday, found the broadcaster had covered up the “deceitful” tactics used by reporter Martin Bashir in securing the [...]
Six Nations to remain free-to-air as BBC and ITV ink new deal May 21, 2021 The Six Nations is set to remain free-to-air after the competition reached an agreement in principle to renew its broadcasting deal with the BBC and ITV. The new agreement will run for four years from 2022 until after the championships in 2025. For the men’s competition, ITV will show all of England, Ireland, Italian and [...]
Screenshot: Have the streaming wars just gone nuclear? May 21, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: That’ll do, you donkeys **Have the streaming wars just gone nuclear? **Can London close the tech gap on Silicon Valley? Media Moment of the Week: That’ll do, you donkeys Shrek turned 20 this week. Ah lovely, an innocent reminder of youth, I bet you’re thinking. Wrong. It’s actually [...]
BBC may need further governance reform after Diana interview debacle, says culture secretary May 21, 2021 BBC may need further governance reform after Diana interview debacle, says culture minister
BBC ‘covered up’ failings over Martin Bashir’s bombshell Diana interview May 20, 2021 The BBC has been blasted over its handling of a 1995 interview of Diana after reporter Martin Bashir used “deceit” to gain access to the Princess of Wales. A damning report into the incident, published today, concluded that the broadcaster had covered up the tactics used by the journalist to secure the interview. It said [...]
Screenshot: Is Trump’s Facebook ban too hot to handle? May 7, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Brits love bent coppers **Is Trump’s Facebook ban too hot to handle? **ITV’s Summer of Love (Island) Media Moment of the Week: Brits love bent coppers Ok, so you might not have been the biggest fan of the Line of Duty season finale on Sunday. In fact, you [...]
Ofcom rebuffs BBC Sounds competition concerns in blow to Murdoch May 4, 2021 Ofcom has rejected calls to probe competition concerns over the BBC’s move into on-demand audio in a blow to Rupert Murdoch’s rival media empire. The media watchdog last year launched a review into BBC Sounds, the streaming platform hosting online radio and podcasts from the public service broadcaster, amid concerns about its impact on the [...]
Former No 10 spin doctor Robbie Gibb joins BBC board April 29, 2021 Sir Robbie Gibb, a former Downing Street head of communications, has been appointed to the board of the BBC. Gibb will take up a three-year term as nations director for England on the board, which is responsible for ensuring the BBC fulfils its mission and public purposes. The spin doctor, who served under Theresa May [...]