Digital health app Livi secures $2bn valuation after fresh funding round April 27, 2021 Digital GP platform Kry today said it has raised $300m (£216m) in a fresh funding round after enjoying a surge in demand for remote healthcare services during the pandemic. The new cash injection, led by CPP Investments and Fidelity, takes the company’s valuation to over $2bn — almost three times the price tag given after [...]
Rupert Murdoch ditches plans for ‘commercially unviable’ TV channel April 27, 2021 Rupert Murdoch’s News UK empire has scrapped plans to launch a TV news channel after a review found the project was “not commercially viable”. News UK, which owns the Times and Sun newspapers, had been developing plans to regain a footing in the TV market with a new channel focused on delivering news programming via [...]
Facebook advertising chief issued warning over inflated audience figures April 27, 2021 A top Facebook executive warned colleagues the company must “prepare for the worst” over claims it inflated figures on how many people its adverts could reach, court filings have revealed. Carolyn Everson, vice president of the social media giant’s global business group, wrote in an email in 2017 that the company would be “justifiably” criticised [...]
Tiktok to open doors to experts in bid to calm safety fears April 27, 2021 Tiktok will allow experts and policymakers to see how it moderates content on its platform in the tech firm’s latest effort to allay safety concerns. The Chinese-owned viral video app said it will open a European Transparency and Accountability Centre, allowing outsiders to see “first-hand” how it runs moderation and safety practices. The centre will [...]
Telegraph profit jumps as pandemic boosts subscriber numbers April 27, 2021 The Telegraph has booked a sharp rise in profit for the year as continued growth in subscriber numbers helped to offset a wider downturn in newspaper revenue during the pandemic. Telegraph Media Group (TMG), which publishes the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and Telegraph website, posted operating profit of £28.3m in 2020 — up 76 per [...]
EU to charge Apple with anti-competitive behaviour over Spotify row April 27, 2021 The EU will reportedly file antitrust charges against Apple this week over accusations its dominance of the app market has harmed competition. The case relates to a complaint lodged by Spotify in 2019, which accused the iPhone maker of unfairly restricting rivals to its own Apple Music service and complaining about the company’s 30 per [...]
Pimlico Plumbers boss eyes high street ‘renaissance’ after record year April 26, 2021 Pimlico Plumbers boss Charlie Mullins has predicted a “renaissance” for the British high street after bumper lockdown trading put his company on track for a record year. The outspoken chief executive said that while the pandemic had sparked major challenges for businesses, the “death” of the traditional UK economy was being “greatly exaggerated”. “A year [...]
Covid Karens: More than half of older Brits now breaking lockdown rules April 26, 2021 After more than a year of coronavirus lockdowns, it is no surprise that willingness among Brits to stick to the rules is starting to fade. But new figures suggest lockdown fatigue is more prevalent among older Brits, with compliance among those aged 55 to 75 dropping off at the fastest rate. The number of people [...]
Screenshot: Is the Super League the biggest PR disaster of all time? April 23, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Radio loses a legend **Is the Super League the biggest PR disaster of all time? **Is Netflix’s pandemic party finally over? Media Moment of the Week: Radio loses a legend For many Brits, radio has been a much-needed source of entertainment (and company) during the pandemic. But long [...]
GB News: What is the new TV channel and when will it launch? April 22, 2021 There’s been a flurry of announcements in recent weeks ahead of the launch of GB News, a new opinion-led channel promising the biggest shakeup of British broadcast media for 30 years. The venture has caused a stir, with no shortage of controversy over its promise to take a “boldly different” approach. Plans are still being [...]