Amazon UK boss tipped as candidate for BBC director general role May 21, 2020 Amazon’s UK chief is said to be one of the frontrunners to take over as director general of the BBC amid concerns the job hunt could be pushed back due to Covid-19. Douglas Gurr, who has led the tech giant’s operations in the UK and Ireland since 2016, is one of four candidates on the [...]
BBC Three could return as on-air channel after Normal People and Fleabag success May 20, 2020 BBC Three could be brought back on air as the broadcaster looks to capitalise on a string of recent hits that have resonated with its vital youth audience. The channel was taken off linear TV and became online-only four years ago to save £30m, with the BBC arguing that young people were increasingly watching shows [...]
Party crasher: BBC launches new co-watching feature to rival Netflix May 19, 2020 The BBC has today launched a new feature that will allow people to watch and listen to programmes together even while they are separated. BBC Together allows people to access video and audio content from iPlayer, Sounds, Bitesize, News and Sport at exactly the same time. The feature, which has been launched by the broadcaster’s [...]
TV scripts get coronavirus rewrite as broadcasters resume filming May 18, 2020 TV scripts will have to be rewritten and stars will be made to apply their own makeup under new coronavirus safety guidelines outlined by the UK’s major broadcasters today. The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky were among the broadcasters to sign up to a new framework that will allow filming to resume on popular [...]
BBC Four faces closure as TV bosses battle £125m Covid-19 shortfall May 14, 2020 BBC Four is set to be axed as the corporation’s bosses look to cut costs and divert dwindling funds to attract younger audiences. Executives are preparing to shutter the channel and divert some of its budget to BBC Three, its key focus for winning over 16 to 34-year-olds, the Telegraph reported. The highbrow channel, which [...]
Times Radio taps BBC and Channel 4 stars ahead of summer launch April 27, 2020 Times Radio today unveiled its latest high-profile signings as Rupert Murdoch’s media empire pushes ahead with the talk radio station launch despite the coronavirus crisis. Radio 4 presenter Aasmah Mir, Channel 4 News anchor Cathy Newman and Times Literary Supplement editor Stig Abell are among the top-flight journalists to join the new venture. News UK, [...]
BBC to reshow London 2012 Olympics as sports schedule collapses April 2, 2020 The BBC will reshow the London 2012 Olympics as the broadcaster battles to fill holes in its schedule caused by the cancellation of sporting events. The opening ceremony will air on BBC One and iPlayer this spring alongside a selection of highlights, including the so-called Super Saturday, when Team GB won six gold medals in [...]
Licence fee could be linked to broadband bills, says BBC March 31, 2020 The licence fee could be replaced by a levy linked to existing household bills such as broadband, the BBC said today as it hit back at the government’s consultation into decriminalising non-payment of the TV charge. While the corporation insisted the existing model was the fairest, it said it was willing to explore a household [...]
BBC suspends job cuts as it doubles down on pandemic coverage March 25, 2020 The BBC has halted plans to slash 450 jobs as it faces growing demand for its coverage during the coronavirus crisis. The broadcaster said in January it would cut the roles from its news operations as part of a plan to save £80m by 2022. The cuts are set to impact Newsnight, which will produce [...]
War with the Beeb is now harder to fight March 25, 2020 The coronavirus crisis bombards us with radical, sweeping change on a daily, if not hourly, basis. Economic rules are being redrawn, our social fabric is being tested and businesses are facing disruption on a scale unimaginable just weeks ago. Amid the tsunami of change, it’s worth pausing to consider the smaller ripples that may pass [...]