Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp to sell ad platform Unruly to Tremor January 5, 2020 Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp will sell the video advertising company Unruly to advertising technology firm Tremor at a huge discount. News Corp, which owns media brands such as the Times, Harper Collins, and Dow Jones, will receive a small stake in Tremor in return. Read more: Murdoch gets green light for merger of the Times [...]
Vivendi sells Universal Music Group stake to Tencent consortium December 31, 2019 Vivendi has sold a 10 per cent stake in Universal Music Group to a Tencent-led consortium, in a deal valuing the label housing Lady Gaga, The Beatles, and Taylor Swift at €30bn (£25.5bn). The deal allows both companies to expand in the recovering global music market, giving Chinese conglomerate Tencent more access to US artists, [...]
Google workers exposed to chemical that causes birth defects December 29, 2019 Google has admitted that some of its employees have been exposed to harmful chemicals than can cause birth defects. Factory workers making Google products, but hired by an outside supplier, have been exposed to N-Methylpyrrolidone, which can cause birth defects and serious skin and respiratory irritation. Read more: France fines Google over anti-competitive behaviour The [...]
Tidy: BBC wins Christmas broadcast battle with Gavin and Stacey special December 26, 2019 The BBC has emerged triumphant in the fight to win Christmas Day eyeballs after a special episode of Gavin and Stacey pulled in 11.6m viewers. The bumper viewing figures mean the hour-long sitcom special was the most-watched show on Christmas Day and boasts the best festive ratings in more than a decade. Read more: Boris [...]
Disney’s latest Star Wars film disappoints at box office over opening weekend December 23, 2019 The latest instalment in the Star Wars film saga was a relative disappointment for opening weekend ticket sales compared to other films in the franchise. The Rise of Skywalker took $374m (£288m) in global sales over its first weekend. Read more: Can The Rise of Skywalker reawaken Disney’s Force? US sales down nearly 30 per [...]
Broadband speeds are increasing but rural towns lag behind December 20, 2019 Rural areas of the UK are lagging behind cities and towns as Boris Johnson’ government brings the nation’s digital divide into focus. A report by Ofcom, the UK’s telecoms regulator, showed that around 155,000 UK properties can not access decent broadband. These homes will be able to request coverage from BT from March 2020, the [...]
DEBATE: Is it time for a review of the licence fee and how the BBC is structured? December 17, 2019 Is it time for a review of the licence fee and how the BBC is structured? Jamie Williams, managing partner at the advertising agency isobel, says YES. In a perfect world, the BBC licence fee structure could remain as it is, and the BBC would produce brilliantly entertaining content and unbiased news coverage at affordable [...]
Senior Labour MP says BBC ‘played a part’ in election defeat December 16, 2019 A senior Labour MP has accused the BBC of “consciously” playing a role in the party’s election defeat, as figures on both ends of the political spectrum take aim at the broadcaster over perceived bias. Shadow transport minister Andy McDonald said the BBC and other broadcasters had allowed Jeremy Corybn to be “demonised and vilified” [...]
Pearson bags Home Office contract to provide English language tests December 16, 2019 Publishing and education firm Pearson today said it has won a Home Office contract to provide English language tests for people seeking to work or live in the UK. The FTSE 100 company said it has secured a deal lasting a minimum of three years to provide Secure English Language Tests (SELTs), which are used [...]
Boris Johnson sets sights on BBC licence fee as bias row heats up December 15, 2019 Boris Johnson is reportedly ramping up plans to decriminalise non-payment of the BBC licence fee, in a move that could spark a showdown between No 10 and the broadcaster. The Prime Minister has asked aides to launch an urgent review into whether viewers should face prosecution for failing to pay the £154.50 fee, which applies [...]