BBC announces 450 job cuts and axes Inside Out July 2, 2020 The BBC has announced it will slash 450 jobs from its BBC News England team and will axe its long-running Inside Out show as part of plans to shore up an extra £25m by 2022. The BBC today said it would cut roughly 15 per cent of its BBC England team, as the broadcaster seeks [...]
Struggling to adapt? Look to the creative industries for inspiration July 2, 2020 The outlooks for many sectors remains pessimistic — but if you want inspiration, you’ll find the industries that have been worst hit are setting an example of how to respond. Social distancing restrictions have hit the creative industries, from concert venues to cinemas and museums, more than any others. For some companies, this has exposed [...]
Hong Kong hires London PR firm to improve UK image July 1, 2020 The Hong Kong government has hired a Mayfair-based PR firm in a bid to drown out negative coverage of the territory in the UK media. Consulum has been awarded a lucrative £5m deal to run the city’s “Relaunch Hong Kong” campaign, following a high-profile tender process that involved numerous global PR firms. The London-based PR [...]
Reddit bans long-running Trump fan forum ahead of US election June 29, 2020 Reddit has banned a long-running subreddit channel that supports US President Donald Trump, as US media firms crack down on online hate speech and disinformation in the run up to the presidential election. Reddit has banned its r/The_Donald political hub, along with more than 2,000 other subreddit groups, after the group continued to promote violence, [...]
BBC coverage of FA Cup scores biggest audience since football’s return June 29, 2020 Saturday’s FA Cup match between Norwich City and Manchester United was the most-watched UK football match since football returned to TV screens after months of lockdown. The quarter-final match, which finished 2-1 to Manchester United, saw 6.4m people tune into the action on the BBC, with a further 1.7m views on iPlayer. Sunday’s semi-final clash [...]
Tiktok to transfer data control to UK arm ahead of Brexit June 29, 2020 Tiktok has said it will be moving ownership of its users’ data in Europe to local subsidiaries, in a boost to its British arm as it prepares for new post-Brexit regulations. The social media app’s US parent Tiktok Inc will no longer manage and safeguard data for users based in the UK and the European [...]
Google to pay select publishers for news content June 25, 2020 Google will begin paying some publishers for their news content, after regulators threatened to force the tech giant to share the revenue it receives from articles. Google’s vice president for news Brad Bender said it would start paying some publishers in Germany, Australia and Brazil for “high-quality content”, with talks continuing regarding licences in six [...]
BBC’s first ever Premier League broadcast scores 4m viewers June 21, 2020 The first ever Premier League match to be broadcast on the BBC attracted a peak audience of almost 4m viewers yesterday, as the top-flight football competition returns to TV after months of lockdown. Last night’s match between Bournemouth and Crystal palace on BBC One pulled in 3.9m viewers, making up almost a quarter of the [...]
British singer Dame Vera Lynn dies at 103 June 18, 2020 Dame Vera Lynn, the much-loved wartime singer known as the Forces’ Sweetheart, has died aged 103. The singer’s family confirmed she passed away this morning surrounded by close relatives. “The family are deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers at the age of 103,” a statement said. The singer shot [...]
Tiktok launches €13m educational platform as company increases presence in Europe June 18, 2020 Social media giant Tiktok has announced its entrance to the education market with the launch of a new learning platform in Europe, as the company seeks to bolster its presence outside the Chinese market. The Bytedance-owned firm today unveiled its #LearnOnTiktok platform, which will see the social media company partner with universities, experts and charities [...]