Selling like hot cakes: Bake Off final smashes Channel 4 ratings record November 25, 2020 Channel 4 last night smashed its ratings records after millions of Brits tuned in to the final of The Great British Bake Off. The final baked up a storm with a record-breaking average audience of 9.2m viewers, taking an almost 40 per cent slice of the audience pie. Viewing numbers for the baking bonanza peaked [...]
Screenshot: Is this the end for impartial TV news? November 13, 2020 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week **Media Moment of the Week: How not the book the Four Seasons **Is this the end for impartial TV news? **UK protectionism: A tech takeover balancing act Media Moment of the Week This one’s [...]
Channel 4 advertising bounces back amid privatisation threat October 29, 2020 Channel 4 today said its advertising revenue had rebounded strongly from a coronavirus-induced slump as it shrugged off renewed threats of privatisation. Earlier this month media minister John Whittingdale hinted that the government was mulling a sale of Channel 4, adding that its business model was under strain and may not be sustainable. But the [...]
UK broadcasters call for new regulation amid threat from streaming rivals October 8, 2020 The UK’s public service broadcasters have doubled down on their calls for tighter regulation of the media landscape amid growing competition from deep-pocketed streaming rivals. The heads of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 were today united in their pleas to bring British broadcasting rules up to date to contend with modern viewing [...]
Media minister warns Channel 4 could be privatised in fresh broadcasting row October 6, 2020 Media minister John Whittingdale today said the government was mulling a sale of Channel 4 as he launched a fresh salvo on the publicly-owned broadcaster. Speaking at a virtual event during the Tory party conference, Whittingdale said ministers were debating the Great British Bake Off broadcaster’s future amid competition from streaming services such as Netflix [...]
Channel 4 to air Hollyoaks on Snapchat as it targets young viewers June 4, 2020 Channel 4 today said it will air Hollyoaks on Snapchat as part of a fresh deal to bring more than 300 episodes of its TV programmes to the social media app over the next year. From today the broadcaster will show short-form edits of the soap opera favourite on Snapchat’s Discover section. The Undateables, The [...]
TV sector faces ‘bleak future’ without government intervention April 6, 2020 The UK’s commercial TV sector faces “permanent change” as a result of coronavirus unless the government steps in to help, top media analysts have warned. In a note to clients published today, Enders Analysis warned a combination of declining advertising revenue and a shutdown in filming had left broadcasters and the production sector facing a [...]
Channel 4 taps Grayson Perry as it launches new creative plan March 25, 2020 Artist and broadcaster Grayson Perry will host a new show teaching housebound Brits how to make art as part of a slate of new creative programming on Channel 4. Grayson’s Art Club will feature the iconic crossdresser and famous guest artists, who will teach people how to sculpt, draw and create while in quarantine. It [...]
Coronavirus: Broadcaster viewing figures surge as Brits flock to TV news March 19, 2020 The UK’s public service broadcasters have reported a huge surge in viewer numbers as Brits flock to TV news to find out the latest information on the coronavirus outbreak. Almost 8.7m people tuned into the BBC Six O’Clock News last night — the highest figure recorded since Christmas Day 2008 and more than twice the [...]
Channel 4 under fire over BP Paralympics sponsorship January 12, 2020 Channel 4 has come under fire from climate activists after it announced that BP will sponsor its coverage of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Environmental evangelists have taken aim at the broadcaster for accepting money from the oil giant, which is one of the world’s largest contributors to fossil fuel emissions. Read more: Boris [...]