M&C Saatchi scraps dividend and cuts salaries due to coronavirus April 2, 2020 M&C Saatchi today said it has scrapped its 2019 dividend and cut salaries for senior staff members as the advertising agency battles a downturn sparked by coronavirus. The firm said a “very high proportion” of its top paid staff would take pay cuts, with board members and senior management committing to a 20 per cent [...]
Warner Media names Hulu co-founder Jason Kilar as new chief executive April 1, 2020 Warner Media today said it has appointed veteran media boss Jason Kilar as its new chief executive. Kilar, a former Amazon executive and founding chief executive of streaming service Hulu, will take over the top role from 1 May. He replaces John Stankey, who in September was promoted to chief operating officer of parent company [...]
Zoom bug allows hackers to take over webcam and microphone April 1, 2020 Zoom users could have their webcam and microphone taken over by hackers due to security flaws in the popular video conferencing app. A former NSA hacker today revealed two previously undisclosed bugs in Zoom’s software that could allow criminals to hijack a user’s Mac. One bug allows an attacker to inject malicious code into the [...]
Government set to launch coronavirus ‘contact tracking’ app April 1, 2020 The government is gearing up to launch a new app that will alert users if they have come too close to someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. The contact tracking app, which Brits can download on a voluntary basis, will be rolled out either just before or just after the lockdown is lifted, Sky [...]
2020 Edinburgh Festivals cancelled due to coronavirus April 1, 2020 The 2020 Edinburgh Festivals have been cancelled due to the coronavirus updates, organisers confirmed today. The Edinburgh Art Festival, the Festival Fringe, Book Festival, International Festival and Military Tattoo — all set to take place in August — have become the latest cultural events to fall victim to the pandemic. The five events together comprise [...]
O2 cuts ties with Carphone Warehouse as retailer plots store closures April 1, 2020 O2 has cut commercial ties with Carphone Warehouse after the mobile operator refused to accept revamped terms for their partnership. The tie-up, which has been in place for two decades, saw Carphone Warehouse take a commission for its sales of O2 phone contracts in store and online. But the longstanding relationship came to an end [...]
UK newspapers to lose £50m as advertisers ‘blacklist’ coronavirus April 1, 2020 UK newspapers are set to lose as much as £50m in online advertising revenue as brands use so-called blacklists to prevent their ads appearing next to stories about coronavirus. Advertisers use blacklists to automatically block their digital campaigns from running next to any articles that feature undesirable keywords — such as ‘bomb’ or ‘crash’ — [...]
Trump calls for $2 trillion infrastructure spending amid coronavirus relief March 31, 2020 US President Donald Trump today called for a $2 trillion (£1.6 trillion) infrastructure spending package as part of the country’s upcoming coronavirus relief bill. Trump said the funds should be included in plans for a so-called Phase 4 stimulus package aimed at bolstering the economy during the pandemic. “With interest rates for the United States [...]
Music rights firm One Media boosts profit after acquisition spree March 31, 2020 Music rights company One Media today posted a sharp rise in revenue and profit for the full year after snapping up a string of new catalogues. The Aim-listed firm reported revenue of £3.5m in the year to the end of October, up 30 per cent on 2018. Pre-tax profit rose 11 per cent to £547,222. [...]
Licence fee could be linked to broadband bills, says BBC March 31, 2020 The licence fee could be replaced by a levy linked to existing household bills such as broadband, the BBC said today as it hit back at the government’s consultation into decriminalising non-payment of the TV charge. While the corporation insisted the existing model was the fairest, it said it was willing to explore a household [...]
