Ministers ‘missed the boat’ over BBC licence fee reform, MPs warn March 25, 2021 The government has no choice but to maintain the BBC’s licence fee funding model for the foreseeable future due to its failure to find an alternative, MPs have warned. In an in-depth report published today, the DCMS committee said that while the £157.50 annual charge has a “limited shelf life” in the modern media landscape, [...]
BBC to shift news jobs out of London in bid to win over regions March 18, 2021 The BBC will shift major parts of its news operation out of London as the broadcaster looks to stave off criticism of metropolitan bias. A number of major programmes and scores of journalists will be relocated from the capital to regional bases across the country over the next six years. “Our mission must be to [...]
BBC to cash in on children’s shows amid commercial push March 10, 2021 The BBC has unveiled plans to cash in on the success of its children’s TV shows as the embattled broadcaster looks to ramp up its income from commercial ventures. The corporation today said it will move BBC Children’s Productions, which makes shows such as Blue Peter and My Mum Tracey Beaker, into its commercial arm [...]
ITV hoping to replicate CBS’s ratings success with Harry and Meghan interview March 8, 2021 ITV hoping to replicate CBS’s ratings success with Harry and Meghan interview
Screenshot: Will nightclubs really reopen in June? March 5, 2021 This week: **Media Moment of the Week: Telly’s still got welly **Will nightclubs really reopen on 21 June? **The BBC turns back time Media Moment of the Week: Telly’s still got welly In the age of Silicon Valley streaming giants and relentless references to “content” and “eyeballs”, it’s easy to forget that TV can, sometimes, [...]
BBC Three to return to TV screens after Normal People and Fleabag success March 2, 2021 BBC Three will return as a broadcast TV channel next year after delivering a string of recent hits such as Normal People, Fleabag and Killing Eve. The youth-focused channel was made online-only in 2016 as part of a cost-cutting plan by the public service broadcaster. But after a run of popular shows over the last [...]
BBC World News banned in China in broadcast retaliation February 11, 2021 BBC World News has been banned from airing in China in an apparent act of retaliation after the UK withdrew the licence of the country’s state broadcaster. China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) today said it was pulling the service off air due to “serious content violations”, CGTN reported. The regulator claimed the BBC [...]
BBC makes editorial director Kamal Ahmed redundant in board overhaul February 10, 2021 The BBC has made editorial director Kamal Ahmed redundant in a major overhaul of its leadership that has also left the corporation in breach of its own diversity rules. Fran Unsworth, director of BBC News, today said the number of board members will be cut from 11 to eight as part of plans to “modernise” [...]
The show must go on: How UK film and TV ploughed through the pandemic February 6, 2021 From Tiger King to The Serpent, hit TV shows have become cultural currency in an era defined by lockdowns. With millions of Brits forced to stay at home, film and TV has been one of the few avenues for entertainment over the last year, providing a much-needed dose of escapism during the pandemic. But for [...]
Screenshot: How Amazon set up shop on cloud nine February 5, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Parish the thought **How Amazon set up shop on cloud nine **Will BT look to the stars? Media Moment of the Week: Parish the thought Anyone who thinks local politics is boring has clearly never attended a meeting of the Handforth Parish Council Planning and Environment Committee. Or [...]