CBI urges government to protect UK’s booming creative industries after Brexit October 23, 2019 The CBI has called on the government to roll out new measures to protect the UK’s booming creative industries after Brexit. In a report published today, the business group hailed the creative industries as a key driver of growth, with exports of goods and services from the sector now contributing £50bn per year to the [...]
Tiktok launches safety campaign after removing IS propaganda videos October 23, 2019 Tiktok has rolled out a new safety campaign days after it emerged Islamic State (IS) militants had used the platform to spread propaganda videos. The video-sharing app has released a series of so-called awareness videos that it said will help to keep its users informed by highlighting safety features. Read more: Social media firms urged [...]
Administrators hunt Bell Pottinger partners in bid to claw back ‘excess’ pay October 23, 2019 Former partners at the disgraced PR firm Bell Pottinger have been forced to repay hundreds of thousands of pounds in salaries they earned before the business collapsed. The London-based PR company went into administration in 2017 following a scandal over its work for the billionaire Gupta family in South Africa, where it was accused of [...]
ITV Hub hits 30m registered users as Love Island charms viewers October 23, 2019 ITV today announced that its on-demand streaming service ITV Hub has more than 30m registered users as Love Island and the Rugby World Cup helped to attract new viewers. The figure, which is up from 26m at this time last year, means the broadcaster has beaten its previous target of hitting 30m users by 2021. [...]
Discovery wades into streaming wars with ad-funded platform October 22, 2019 Discovery has set out its stall in the increasingly crowded streaming market, launching a free on-demand app in the UK and Ireland. The ad-funded platform, called Dplay, will provide programming from across the media group’s free-to-air channels, including Really, Quest and Home. Read more: Netflix shares rise as it beats profit expectations ahead of streaming [...]
Extinction Rebellion protests cost Met Police £37m October 22, 2019 Protests carried out by Extinction Rebellion activists have cost the Metropolitan Police at least £37m and caused other investigations to be halted. Commissioner Cressida Dick today said that the recent two-week demonstrations had cost £21m, with this figure expected to rise by a further several million. Read more: Extinction Rebellion patron buys stake in Heathrow [...]
Visual effects firm DNEG confirms plans for £150m London listing October 22, 2019 Oscar award-winning visual effects firm DNEG has confirmed plans to list on the London Stock Exchange, saying it will seek to raise £150m from the float. The London-headquartered company said it intends to sell at least 25 per cent of new and existing shares in a bid to fast track its growth plans. Read more: [...]
MPs challenge Sir Nick Clegg over Facebook’s political ads rule change October 22, 2019 A top MP has written to Facebook vice president Sir Nick Clegg urging him to explain why the social media platform has overhauled its rules on political advertising. Damian Collins, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee, warned the changes would “place a heavy constraint on [Facebook’s] ability to combat disinformation [...]
These are the 10 most dangerous celebrities to search for online October 22, 2019 Carrying out an online search for your favourite singer or TV star may seem an innocuous way to while away the time. However, a spot of celebrity stalking could turn out to be dangerous, as cyber criminals lure in unwitting fans with links to malicious websites. Read more: Russian cyber criminals hack Iranian hackers to [...]
Netflix to sell a further $2bn in bonds as it builds up war chest October 21, 2019 Netflix has announced plans to sell roughly $2bn (£1.5bn) worth of bonds as it launches a final push for cash before the onslaught of new streaming rivals. The on-demand video giant said it will issue the bonds in both euros and dollars and will negotiate terms such as interest rate and maturity date with buyers. [...]
