Ofgem issues Gnergy with final payment warning October 29, 2019 Ofgem has issued Gnergy with a final order for their unpaid Renewables Obligations bill, raising the possibility that the supplier could have its license revoked if they did not comply by the payment deadline. The watchdog said that the company, which was one of four suppliers who missed the original deadline for payments, had not [...]
Lib Dem Heidi Allen to quit as MP at next election over ‘nastiness’ in British politics October 29, 2019 Liberal Democrat MP Heidi Allen has said she will stand down as an MP at the next general election, saying she is “heartbroken” over the harassment she has received in British politics. The ex-Conservative MP and Change UK leader told her South Cambridgeshire constituents that she is “exhausted” by abuse she called “utterly dehumanising”. Read [...]
DEBATE: Has the People’s Vote campaign blown its chance of a second referendum? October 29, 2019 Has the People’s Vote campaign blown its chance of a second referendum? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. So, the People’s Vote campaign has imploded. Why? Infighting has a lot to do with it. Political activism only works when the public can’t see what’s going on behind the scenes – and yesterday, the [...]
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is fuelling the toxic media discourse she so despises October 29, 2019 At a US congressional hearing last week, representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – the leading light of the 2018 Democratic intake – confronted Facebook’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg was supposedly attending the hearing to discuss libra, Facebook’s nascent digital currency, now facing considerable legislative pressure. In five blistering minutes, Ocasio-Cortez widened her aim, taking him to [...]
British film board rolls out new age ratings for Netflix films and TV shows October 29, 2019 The UK film regulator will this week roll out a series of new age rating symbols designed for online streaming platforms. The digital classification symbols, which will launch on Netflix from Thursday, are designed to help young people make more conscious choices about what they watch online. Read more: Netflix to set its own age [...]
AT&T strikes deal with activist investor as TV challenges hit revenue October 28, 2019 US telecoms giant AT&T has unveiled a three-year plan to revamp its strategy as it bowed to pressure from an activist investor amid tough conditions in its TV business. Elliott Management, which holds a $3.2bn (£2.5bn) stake in AT&T, has been pressuring the board to overhaul senior management, cut costs and scale back expansion plans. [...]
Samira Ahmed faces BBC in court over ‘600 per cent’ pay gap October 28, 2019 BBC presenter Samira Ahmed has today kicked off her legal challenge against the broadcaster over claims she was paid just “a sixth” of Jeremy Vine’s salary. The Newswatch presenter has said she was paid just £440 per programme, while Vine received as much as £3,000 per episode for his work on Points of View. Read [...]
Why we need to ditch the ‘Superwoman’ role model October 28, 2019 Is it right to make a straight-out judgement on “good” and “bad” role models? As a female chief executive working in a predominantly male industry, I am often asked if I had a female role model. And I have to be honest, it is not a question that I find easy to answer. From the [...]
Virtual influencers pose ethical dilemmas for the ad industry October 28, 2019 Last month, I reported on the rise of virtual influencers – fake online personalities created using computer-generated imagery and controlled by brands or media agencies. The most famous example is Lil Miquela, a fictional character invented by LA-based studio Brud. “She” has 1.7m followers on Instagram, has appeared in a Calvin Klein commercial alongside the [...]
DEBATE: Is there any point to LinkedIn? October 28, 2019 Is there any point to LinkedIn? Asad Moghal, digital and content manager at legal PR specialist Byfield Consultancy, says YES. It is probably obvious from my job title why I would say this, but there is a point to LinkedIn. Since Microsoft purchased the platform in 2016, LinkedIn has successfully changed its reputation as the [...]