Tory Brexiter hints he will vote against government in no confidence motion April 1, 2019 A former Brexit minister has hinted he could resign from the Tories and back a no-confidence motion in the government. Steve Baker, one of the die-hard band of Brexiters who voted against Theresa May’s withdrawal plan on Friday, has warned the possibility of a general election was now “coming on to the table.” Baker, who [...]
‘Let history decide’: Downing Street coy on claim cabinet is most ill-disciplined ever April 1, 2019 Downing Street has refused to slap down a leading member of the government who claimed Theresa May’s top team are “the worst example of ill-discipline in cabinet in British political history.” Chief Whip Julian Smith made the remarks in an interview with the BBC, set to be broadcast on Monday evening, as he hit out [...]
BBC takes control of UKTV channels as Discovery lines up new streaming service April 1, 2019 The BBC will take control of UKTV channels as part of a deal with Discovery that will also see the launch of a new on-demand video service for BBC nature programmes. BBC Studios – the broadcaster’s commercial arm – jointly owns UKTV with US media giant Discovery. Read more: BBC removes podcasts from rival Google [...]
Rhod Sharp: 25 years of Up All Night March 27, 2019 As presenter of the Media Masters podcast, I have met some extraordinary journalists from print, television and radio. But one windswept day in Marblehead, Massachusetts, I met one man who every one of these people would refer to as a legend: Rhod Sharp. Tomorrow, Rhod will celebrate 25 years at the helm of Up All Night. [...]
BBC pulls podcast content from Google’s rival service March 26, 2019 The BBC has blocked its podcasts from appearing on Google's own rival services, including Google Assistant. New episodes for BBC podcasts stopped appearing on the Google Podcast app sometime on 19 March, according to Pod News, with podcasts now being removed entirely from the platform. BBC distribution and business development director Kieran Clifton confirmed that the [...]
No-deal Brexit could cause another chicken shortage, warns KFC boss March 22, 2019 KFC could suffer another chicken shortage if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, the fast food chain’s boss has warned. KFC UK and Ireland managing director Paula MacKenzie told the BBC the supply chain is the “lifeblood of the business” and warned a no-deal Brexit could lead to further shortages. Read [...]
TV advertising revenue stalls as viewers switch to streaming March 21, 2019 TV advertising revenue growth stalled last year as traditional broadcasters continue to lose ground to streaming services. Overall revenue totalled £5.11bn in 2018, equal to the amount invested during the previous year, according to figures from industry body Thinkbox. Read more: Advertising outlook clouds picture at ITV The stagnating figures highlight the challenge faced by [...]
BBC failings to blame for Eastenders set revamp delay, report finds March 20, 2019 The delayed and over-budget project to rebuild the Eastenders set was doomed from the start due to management failings by the BBC, a government report has found. A damning report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), published today, states the BBC underestimated the scale and complexity of the E20 project, which is now £27m over [...]
FA Cup to remain on BBC until at least 2025 as broadcaster pens new deal with Football Association March 19, 2019 The BBC will show FA Cup football matches until at least 2025, in a four-year broadcast deal between the broadcaster and the Football Association (FA) announced today. Live matches, highlights and clip rights will remain with the BBC under the terms of the deal, which comes into effect at the start of the 2021-2022 season. [...]
Netflix will not partner with Apple’s streaming service, says boss March 19, 2019 Streaming giant Netflix has said it will not make its films and TV shows available on Apple’s on-demand video platform, as competition in the sector begins to heat up. Chief executive Reed Hastings told reporters in Hollywood the firm will not cooperate with Apple, which is expected to unveil a new video platform at an [...]