BBC Three to return to TV screens after Normal People and Fleabag success March 2, 2021 BBC Three will return as a broadcast TV channel next year after delivering a string of recent hits such as Normal People, Fleabag and Killing Eve. The youth-focused channel was made online-only in 2016 as part of a cost-cutting plan by the public service broadcaster. But after a run of popular shows over the last [...]
O2’s £31bn Virgin Media merger ‘will help UK pandemic recovery’, says CEO February 25, 2021 O2’s proposed £31bn tie-up with Virgin Media will accelerate investment in telecoms infrastructure and bolster the UK’s post-pandemic recovery, the mobile network’s boss has said. The mega-merger, agreed last year by O2 owner Telefonica and Virgin Media parent Liberty Global, is facing an in-depth probe by regulators amid concerns it could harm competition. But O2 [...]
Review into Hong Kong’s only independent broadcaster sparks media freedom concerns February 19, 2021 A Hong Kong government review launched today into the city’s only independent broadcaster has sparked concerns over media freedoms in the region. The publicly funded outlet Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) was found to have editorial management “deficiencies” and inadequate transparency of complaints following an unprecedented government-led review. Founded in 1928, the broadcaster is the [...]
O2 hit with £10.5m Ofcom fine after overcharging customers February 12, 2021 O2 has been slapped with a £10.5m fine after a billing error meant the mobile network overcharged thousands of customers. More than 250,000 customers were presented with inflated bills when they left the network due to a system error that doubled up some charges. Roughy 140,000 people actually paid the extra fees between 2011 and [...]
BBC World News banned in China in broadcast retaliation February 11, 2021 BBC World News has been banned from airing in China in an apparent act of retaliation after the UK withdrew the licence of the country’s state broadcaster. China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) today said it was pulling the service off air due to “serious content violations”, CGTN reported. The regulator claimed the BBC [...]
Screenshot: How Amazon set up shop on cloud nine February 5, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Parish the thought **How Amazon set up shop on cloud nine **Will BT look to the stars? Media Moment of the Week: Parish the thought Anyone who thinks local politics is boring has clearly never attended a meeting of the Handforth Parish Council Planning and Environment Committee. Or [...]
Ofcom revokes Chinese broadcaster CGTN’s UK licence February 4, 2021 The media regulator has withdrawn China’s state-owned broadcaster right to broadcast in the UK following an investigation. Ofcom said the owner of China Global Television Network (CGTN) does not have control over its day to day output and is a distributor rather than a provider. Star China Media Limited “did not have editorial responsibility for [...]
BBC to slash programme spend by £400m amid funding squeeze February 3, 2021 The BBC has warned it will have to make significant cuts to programmes and services due to a squeeze on its funding and growing pressure from streaming rivals. The public service broadcaster said it expects to make roughly £408m in content cuts in the upcoming financial year in a bid to shore up its finances. [...]
Forget the BBC, as Ofcom chair Paul Dacre would get his teeth into tech February 2, 2021 Almost a year after Priti Patel vowed to make Ofcom a regulator with teeth, the government looks poised to appoint Fleet Street Rottweiler Paul Dacre as its new chair. No one could accuse her of underdelivering. For many, Dacre’s political leanings (characterised by some as so far to the right as to be almost horizontal) [...]
EU chief Von der Leyen calls for ‘democratic limits’ to Big Tech power January 20, 2021 European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen has called for a crackdown on the “untrammelled” power of tech giants following violent riots at the Capitol earlier this month. In a speech marking the inauguration of Joe Biden, Von der Leyen welcomed the new US president, adding: “After four long years, Europe has a friend in [...]