Screenshot: Will Sunak save music festival season? January 8, 2021 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: Reporting from the ruins of democracy **A rallying cry to save music festivals **Youtube, Talk Radio and the quagmire of online regulation Media Moment of the Week I usually [...]
Rupert Murdoch and Sir Ian McKellen among latest to receive Pfizer vaccine December 18, 2020 Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has joined other high-profile figures receiving the Pfizer vaccine. The 89-year-old received the first of two doses at a facility near his home in Henley, where he has been isolating for a number of months. News UK confirmed to City A.M. that he received the vaccine at his local GP’s surgery [...]
Bertelsmann snaps up Simon & Schuster in $2.2bn deal November 25, 2020 The German media group behind Penguin Random House has acquired US publisher Simon & Schuster for $2.2bn (£1.6bn). Bertelsmann today confirmed it had secured the deal with owner Viacom CBS following a closely-fought bidding war. The takeover cements Bertelsmann’s position as the world’s largest book publisher, and strengthens its footprint in the US — its [...]
Screenshot: How books became the new media battleground November 20, 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: French radio kills the Queen **Publish and be damned: How books became the new media battleground **Could Pearson become the Netflix of education? Media Moment of the Week If [...]
Balancing the books: Murdoch’s News Corp tables bid for Simon & Schuster November 17, 2020 Rupert Murdoch’s media empire is said to have tabled a bid for Simon & Schuster, the publishing giant behind best-selling authors including Stephen King and Dan Brown. Simon & Schuster was put up for sale by its owner, US media conglomerate Viacom CBS, following a strategic review in March. Murdoch’s News Corp has now entered [...]
Graham Norton to join Virgin Radio after BBC exit November 16, 2020 Broadcaster Graham Norton is set to join News UK’s Virgin Radio after leaving the BBC last week. The legendary presenter will host a flagship weekend show on Saturdays and Sundays. The hire is a major coup for Virgin as commercial rivals vie for listeners in an increasingly competitive radio market. Read more: Sun newspaper wins [...]
Johnny Depp lawyers vow to appeal ‘perverse and bewildering’ libel verdict November 2, 2020 Lawyers for Johnny Depp have vowed to appeal a “perverse” ruling after the actor lost his libel case against the Sun newspaper over an article that branded him a “wifebeater”. A judge today ruled in favour of the Sun after a dramatic courtroom showdown that revealed the intimate details of his relationship with ex-wife Amber [...]
Murdoch’s TV plans mature as News UK searches for more big names October 16, 2020 Rupert Murdoch’s plans to regain a footing in the British TV market have stepped up a gear as his media empire circles some of the biggest names in broadcasting to front its new channel. Alan Sugar and Piers Morgan are among the stars that have been approached by News UK over the new venture, the [...]
Times Radio adds Mariella Frostrup to line-up as it unveils launch date June 2, 2020 Times Radio today added veteran broadcaster Mariella Frostrup to its roster of presenters as it revealed the new talk radio station will hit the airwaves on 29 June. Former BBC Radio 4 presenter and TV regular Frostrup will host afternoon shows on Monday to Thursdays, while 5 Live veteran Phil Williams will present evening shows [...]
Times Radio snaps up Sun political editor Tom Newton Dunn May 14, 2020 Times Radio today said it has appointed The Sun’s political editor Tom Newton Dunn as a presenter and chief political commentator. It is the latest high-profile appointment for the new radio station, which is due to be launched this summer by Rupert Murdoch’s News UK empire. Newton Dunn has worked at the Sun for 16 [...]