Screenshot: Can cinemas bring Brits back to the big screen? April 9, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Every dog has its day **Can cinemas bring Brits back to the big screen? **Is Clubhouse really worth $4bn? Media Moment of the Week: Every dog has its day Doing a live piece to camera comes with risks, as any broadcast journalist will tell you. But one thing [...]
Hollywood actor Zach Avery arrested over $690m Netflix film scam April 8, 2021 A wannabe Hollywood star who has appeared alongside Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf has been accused of scamming investors out of $690m (£502m) to fund fake film deals. Zachary Horwitz was arrested by FBI agents this week and has been charged with operating a Ponzi scheme. Horwitz, whose stage name is Zach Avery, is accused [...]
Twitter held discussions for $4bn takeover of Clubhouse April 7, 2021 Twitter in recent months held talks to acquire Clubhouse, with the two companies discussing a potential $4bn valuation for the buzzy, audio-based social media app. Discussions are no longer ongoing and it is unclear why they ended, Bloomberg first reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Twitter declined to comment on the report. Clubhouse launched [...]
Facebook has no plans to let 530m users know they were impacted by data breach April 7, 2021 Facebook has no plans to let 530m users know they were impacted by data breach
Harry and Meghan score first win with Netflix as Invictus Games doco gets greenlight April 6, 2021 The first show from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix deal will be a docuseries about the Invictus Games, the streaming giant said today.
Screenshot: Will London ever be ready for tech IPOs? April 2, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Volkswagen’s awkward U-turn **Will London ever be ready for tech IPOs? **Amazon goes bonkers for bots Media Moment of the Week: Volkswagen’s awkward U-turn There are few things as grating as the forced joviality of April Fool’s Day and it should, in this writer’s opinion, be cancelled. That [...]
Glastonbury to be handed cash boost in latest Covid culture funding April 2, 2021 Glastonbury will be handed £90,000 in government support as part of the latest tranche of emergency funding aimed at supporting Britain’s struggling cultural institutions. The iconic festival, which has been cancelled this year but will host a livestream performance in May, is one of more than 2,700 organisations to share in a £400m pot of [...]
Time Out looks to raise £17m in upcoming fundraise April 1, 2021 Time Out is looking to raise £17m as part of an upcoming fundraise ahead of what it hopes will be a renaissance of culture and going out in the city. The publisher and markets owner will tap markets for £2m more than initially planned following strong demand from institutional investors. The £17m represents 17.1 [...]
Explainer: How will the BBC change in the next five years? March 30, 2021 The BBC this week published its annual plan, outlining its strategy and financial targets as it looks to adapt to major shifts in the media landscape. It comes at a tough time for the public service broadcaster, which is facing declining viewer numbers and a political row over its licence fee funding model, as well [...]
Former Warner Music boss Edgar Bronfman Jr. backs $300m SPAC March 30, 2021 A blank-cheque vehicle backed by former Warner Music boss Edgar Bronfman Jr has filed to raise $300m in a US listing. Waverley Capital Acquisition Corp 1 has said it will sell 30m units, consisting of shares and warrants, at $10 each. Bronfman is the latest high-profile figure to get in on the SPAC frenzy which [...]