Gary Lineker takes 25 per cent pay cut as BBC promises reform September 15, 2020 Gary Lineker will take a 23 per cent pay cut as part of a fresh five-year deal to continue hosting Match of the Day. New figures published today showed the former England footballer remains the BBC’s best paid star, pulling in a salary of £1.75m. But the new contract, which will keep Lineker at the [...]
New BBC boss promises ‘urgent reform’ amid pressure over funding September 1, 2020 The new director general of the BBC has promised to keep reforming the public service broadcaster “with urgency” as he faces a fierce debate over its funding model. Tim Davie, who took up the top job today, acknowledged that the corporation faced challenges, but insisted it remained relevant in the modern media landscape. “Overall my [...]
MPs urge watchdog to probe BBC jobs cuts amid fears over local output August 10, 2020 A group of MPs has urged Ofcom to probe the BBC’s plans to cut hundreds of jobs in its local news division amid concerns the broadcaster is failing in its public service obligations. In a letter to Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes, the MPs called for an urgent response to the proposed cuts before [...]
BBC appoints Tim Davie as new director general June 5, 2020 The BBC has named Tim Davie as its new director general, bringing to an end months of speculation over the successor to outgoing boss Tony Hall. Davie, who is currently chief executive of BBC Studios, will take up the role in September. Davie is one of the corporation’s longest-serving executives and stepped in as acting [...]
Coronavirus: BBC calls for right to publish news directly on Whatsapp June 4, 2020 The BBC should be allowed to publish directly on chat platforms such as Whatsapp to help counter fake news about the Covid-19 crisis, one of the broadcaster’s top bosses has said. Jamie Angus, director of the BBC World Service Group, urged tech giants to open their platforms to trusted news providers as part of their [...]
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 [...]