TalkTalk accuses Ofcom of dodging BT Openreach decision after digital review demands better access for rivals, sending BT’s share price soaring February 25, 2016 TalkTalk boss Dido Harding has slammed Ofcom for “kicking the Openreach can down the road”, after the telecoms regulator decided not to split off the infrastructure arm from BT. Ofcom yesterday released the results of its once-a-decade industry review that stopped short of demanding Openreach be hived off from BT, but said the option was still [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland boss Ross McEwan will give up half of his £1m allowance to charity February 25, 2016 Royal Bank of Scotland's chief executive Ross McEwan is to give up half of his £1m allowance to charity for the third year in a row amid an annual pay row at the bank. McEwan is to make the announcement tomorrow, according to Sky News, despite the confidence extended to him from City investors and his [...]
Treasury to put former City banker in charge of selling off Lloyds Banking Group shares and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) shares February 24, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne is getting ready to put a former City banker in charge of selling off the government’s shares in Lloyds Banking Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). City A.M. understands that Oliver Holbourn, head of capital markets at UK Financial Investments (UKFI) is in line to be named the new chief [...]
The Oscars 2016 by numbers: The cost of the Academy Awards in advertising, security and bling February 24, 2016 Oscars season is here again. But how much cash is shelled out – and by whom? Here’s everything you need to know. Oscar statuette: between $500 and $900 each The estimated cost of the famous Oscar statuette is a closely-guarded secret. “We have agreed with the Academy to never discuss [cost of] producing the statuettes,” [...]
What is helicopter money and could it save the global economy from another recession? February 24, 2016 Inflation is below target in most of the world's major developed economies. With interest rates at record lows and economists still split on the effects of quantitative easing, helicopter money has been touted as a possible weapon in central banks' arsenals. The idea The 18th century philosopher David Hume asked what would happen if some good fairy went around [...]
Heathrow and Gatwick bosses John Holland-Kaye and Stewart Wingate agree Britain should remain in the EU as Heathrow reports record year February 23, 2016 Some peace has come to the skies of Britain. The bosses of the two airports vying to become the chosen ones when it comes to airport expansion have put aside that fight to back Britain remaining in Europe. "A vote to remain offers the best of both worlds – it secures our place as a [...]
Facebook is biggest new TV advertiser as total ad spend passes record £5bn February 23, 2016 Facebook was the biggest spending new advertiser on British television last year as total spend hit record levels. Spending on TV advertising – from traditional 30 second spots to sponsorship, on-demand catch up platforms and product placement – hit £5.27bn in 2015, a rise of 7.4 per cent on the previous year and growth not seen since the end of the financial crisis. [...]
Vertical Thinking: Teads’s Todd Tran on finding a “via media” with video advertising February 22, 2016 The case for vertical mobile ads has been won. Last year, Snapchat urged marketers and media companies to ditch wide-angle shots and go vertical, and Audi reported a completion rate which was 80 per cent higher when its mobile video ads were designed to be watched in portrait. Teads, which leads the field in native [...]
EU referendum: London mayor Boris Johnson and Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith back Brexit as City grandees call on City of London Corporation to stay neutral in run-up to referendum February 21, 2016 London mayor Boris Johnson declared his support for Britain leaving the European Union last night, in a move that exposed deep divisions in both the Tory Party and the capital. Johnson announced yesterday that he had “made up” his mind “after a great deal of heartache”, adding, “The last thing I wanted was to go [...]
Telecommunications giant BT expected to avoid being broken up from Openreach, in verdict due this Thursday February 21, 2016 BT is expected to avoid having its infrastructure arm Openreach carved out this week, following months of campaigning for a split by the company’s rivals. City A.M. understands the decision will be announced on Thursday in Ofcom’s Digital Communications Review, though will reportedly include requirements for minimum-service standards between Openreach and BT’s rivals Vodafone, Sky, and [...]