Netflix donates £1m to emergency coronavirus fund for film and TV crew March 24, 2020 Netflix has donated £1m to establish a new emergency relief fund aimed at supporting film and TV crew unable to work during the coronavirus crisis. The fund, established with BFI and the Film and TV Charity, will provide short-term support to the thousands of full-time workers and freelancers affected by the closure of productions across [...]
Public urged to be vigilant amid rise in online coronavirus scams March 24, 2020 Members of the public have been urged to be vigilant due to a rise in online scams related to the coronavirus outbreak. Consumer groups warned that unscrupulous criminals were exploiting fears about the pandemic to prey on unsuspecting victims — particularly older and vulnerable people isolated from family and friends. National Trading Standards reported an [...]
BT in talks to sell French business to Computacenter March 24, 2020 BT today said it is in exclusive discussions to sell its French business to British IT services and consulting firm Computacenter. The telecoms giant’s French division, which manages and maintains IT and network infrastructure, pulled in revenue of roughly £104m last year. The companies did not disclose the value of the deal. The move marks [...]
Disney Plus: UK launch to go ahead amid coronavirus outbreak March 23, 2020 Disney fans are poised to gain access to hundreds of films and TV shows as the US media giant launches its new streaming service amid the coronavirus crisis. Disney Plus will be available to UK viewers from tomorrow, though the company has said streaming quality will be reduced across Europe amid concerns the pandemic has [...]
Coronavirus: MPs call for emergency funding for cultural organisations March 23, 2020 MPs today called for urgent government support for cultural organisations hit by closures and postponements due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Tate galleries, V&A and Natural History Museum are among scores of cultural institutions that have been forced to close their doors due to the pandemic. The National Trust yesterday reversed its decision to keep [...]
New York Times buys audio news platform Audm March 23, 2020 The New York Times today said it has acquired audio news platform Audm as it looks to tap into the growing popularity of on-demand listening. Audm, which was founded in 2016, turns longform written articles into audio tracks, which are then narrated by professional voice actors. The audio app gives subscribers access to hours of [...]
Harvey Weinstein tests positive for coronavirus in New York jail March 23, 2020 Disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for coronavirus while serving a prison sentence in New York for sexual assault and rape. The 68-year-old former film producer has been placed in isolation at Wende Correctional Facility after a test came back positive yesterday, according to Michael Powers, head of the state corrections officers union. [...]
Government ‘in talks with Amazon’ over coronavirus test delivery March 23, 2020 The UK government is said to have approached companies including Amazon over delivering coronavirus testing kits to frontline health and social care workers. Whitehall officials are in discussions with the firms about ramping up the availability of tests for healthcare staff as the spread of the virus picks up pace, the Financial Times reported, citing [...]
Whatsapp launches coronavirus chatbot with World Health Organization March 23, 2020 Whatsapp has launched a messaging service with the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide users with the latest information about coronavirus. The new chatbot, which has the potential to reach 2bn people, will ensure users are given news and information from trusted sources. The service includes details on symptoms and how people can protect themselves [...]
Time Out rebrands to Time In as it closes print edition and markets due to coronavirus March 23, 2020 Time Out has temporarily rebranded to Time In after the coronavirus outbreak forced the media group to close its print edition and food markets. The publisher and events group has closed all six of its food markets, while it is also battling a slowdown in advertising revenue. The firm said it will now launch an [...]