BBC loses 5m viewers from Top Gear cancellation March 16, 2015 BBC 2’s ratings crashed on Sunday night after a scheduled episode of Top Gear was cancelled following Jeremy Clarkson’s suspension. Clarkson and co are responsible for one of BBC 2’s most-watched programmes and had averaged around 6.2m viewers for its first seven episodes this year. This Sunday’s replacement, a repeat of Royal [...]
Jeremy Clarkson punch fracas: Row compared to Jimmy Savile by BBC executive March 15, 2015 A BBC executive has apparently compared Jeremy Clarkson’s punch heard round the world with the Jimmy Savile scandal. The executive was responding to several high-profile comments in support of Clarkson, from supporters such as the Prime Minister and the former culture secretary, Maria Millar. The comments by the senior exec., who remains unnamed, will do [...]
The BBC news website is down March 14, 2015 The BBC News website buckled today, and users were instead greeted with this rather scary error message. The "Error 500" message says that fault could be due to "abnormal traffic" or the sites' servers being unavailable. There's also a rather creepy looking clown standing in-front of a chalk board, as well as what looks like [...]
Former BBC and Yahoo exec Fabiola Arredondo is joining Burberry March 11, 2015 UK fashion house Burberry yesterday appointed former BBC and Yahoo executive Fabiola Arredondo to its board. It hopes the Spanish-American will bring her digital consumer savvy to the non-executive director role and the audit, remuneration and nomination committees. Once named the most influential woman in European business, Arredondo comes to Burberry after repeatedly smashing [...]
This is why losing Jeremy Clarkson would cost the BBC dearly March 10, 2015 Top Gear has proved to be one of the BBC's most popular TV shows ever, bringing in millions of viewers and huge profits in recent years. Presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been key to its success, but a “fracas” with a producer at the organisation has put his position on the line. The BBC announced this [...]
Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson suspended by the BBC after “fracas” March 10, 2015 Controversial Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended from the BBC after a "fracas" with a producer. In a statement today, the BBC said Clarkson had been suspended "pending investigation", and that "no one else has been suspended". It added that Top Gear would not be broadcast this Sunday. Top Gear is one of the BBC's most [...]
Coronation Street, BBC Breakfast get new landlord as Legal & General Capital takes 50pc stake in £503m MediaCityUK March 10, 2015 MediaCityUK – the new home of Coronation Street and the northern hub of the BBC – has just got a new landlord in the form of Legal & General Capital. LGC is now a 50 per cent shareholder in the Salford Quays-based media centre, alongside long-standing owner The Peel Group as part of a [...]
Who Killed Lucy Beale? proves to be a winner for BBC – Brand Index March 3, 2015 After 30 years of “get aht of my pub” and cliff-hanger endings, BBC One celebrated EastEnders longevity with a series of live shows broadcast, culminating in one of the soaps biggest “whodunits?” ever. At the end of a week of suspense and live broadcasts, viewers were left aghast after it was revealed that 11-year-old Bobby [...]
The licence fee is obsolete – but a new BBC poll tax would be just as bad March 2, 2015 BBC director-general Lord Hall must have thought all his Christmases had come at once. For years, the corporation has been on the defensive about the future of the TV licence fee. Campaigners had highlighted how it is being rendered obsolete by the increasing numbers watching TV via iPlayer catch-up services, on tablets, computers and on [...]
Ukip attacks BBC over EU funds after stinging mockumentary March 1, 2015 UKIP yesterday launched a stinging attack on the BBC ahead of what the party labelled a “pro-EU” mockumentary that was aired on BBC 4 last night. The Storyville programme “The Great European Disaster Movie”, authored by Italian director Annalisa Piras and ex-editor of The Economist Bill Emmott, envisions a dystopian post-EU future where rioting and [...]