General Election 2019: Tory candidate throws in the towel after backlash from ‘unacceptable’ rape comments November 7, 2019 A Conservative election candidate who said that women should “keep their knickers on” during a conversation about rape has stood down from the contest. Nick Conrad, a BBC Radio Norfolk host, made a series of comments during a live debate about footballer Ched Evans, who was convicted of rape five years ago, before the sentence [...]
BritBox launches in the UK – but can it challenge Netflix? November 7, 2019 BritBox, the new streaming service from the BBC and ITV, has launched in the UK this morning as broadcasters attempt to muscle in on the lucrative online television market. The platform, which announced this morning that it would also feature content from Channel 4 and Channel 5, is entering a crowded market, with market leaders [...]
O2 steps into 5G driverless car testing in London as it grows mobile customer base November 5, 2019 O2 will have a hand in an ambitious project to trial driverless cars on London roads, using its 5G network to help test the vehicles in Greenwich. The mobile phone network, which this morning announced it had hit 34m customers following its 5G rollout last month, said using the technology on the roads could reduce [...]
BT keeps dividend alive despite heavy network spending October 31, 2019 BT kept its dividend alive despite a hit to earnings and revenue in the first half of new boss Philip Jansen’s first financial year due to hits from regulation and legacy product declines. The telco posted a flat profit and interim dividend as it pushes to try and roll out fibre broadband to 4m premises [...]
BBC ‘may not be sustainable’ in current form, media watchdog warns October 24, 2019 The BBC may not be sustainable in its current form as it struggles to win over the attention of younger audiences, the media watchdog has warned. In a damning report published today, Ofcom said the corporation was at risk of a “lost generation” as young people increasingly tune out of its services. The reach of [...]
Louis Theroux leaves BBC Studios to launch his own production company October 23, 2019 Louis Theroux has parted ways with BBC Studios to set up his own production company, sparking speculation that the documentary maker could be eyeing deals with streaming rivals. Theroux, who has worked with the broadcaster’s commercial arm for two decades, has set up a new firm called Mindhouse Productions alongside his executive producer Arron Fellows. [...]
Samira Ahmed takes BBC to court in row over unequal pay October 21, 2019 Top BBC presenter Samira Ahmed is taking the broadcaster to an employment tribunal over claims she was paid less than her male colleagues. Ahmed is due to appear at a central London tribunal on Monday next week over an alleged “failure to provide equal pay for equal work”, filings show. Read more: Government must reach [...]
Vodafone apologises after customers charged thousands for roaming October 14, 2019 Vodafone has issued an apology after customers were incorrectly charged as much as £11,000 for using their phones abroad. Mobile users took to Twitter to complain about thousands of pounds worth of roaming charges on their bills, with many saying their phones had been disabled and they were unable to contact customer services. Read more: [...]
KKR acquires majority stake in broadband provider Hyperoptic in £500m deal October 14, 2019 Global investment firm KKR has acquired a majority stake in the UK’s largest residential gigabit broadband provider. KKR bought the stake from funds managed by investment firm Newlight Partners and Mubadala, the UAE sovereign wealth fund. The companies have not announced the details of the deal, but it is understood to be worth £500m. Read [...]
Government must reach funding deal with BBC over free TV licences, say MPs October 11, 2019 MPs have urged the government and the BBC to reach a funding arrangement to restore free TV licences for people aged over 75. In a damning report the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee slammed the government of 2015 for trying to “bounce” the BBC into accepting measures that left it liable to [...]