DEBATE: Channel 4 has chosen to relocate its headquarters to Leeds, but is this a sensible decision? November 2, 2018 Channel 4 has chosen to relocate its headquarters to Leeds, but is this a sensible decision? YES, says Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle. It is common knowledge that British regions are suffering from a brain drain to London. The latest analysis suggests that 30 per cent of all students will head to the capital upon [...]
The comeback kid: HMV tops Amazon in UK physical sales October 29, 2018 British entertainment retailer HMV has staged a comeback in the face of Amazon’s increased dominance to become the largest physical music retailer in the UK. In the 12 weeks to 23 September, HMV experienced market share growth for the second consecutive quarter to a total of 28 per cent, according to data published today by [...]
WPP boss Mark Read: We’ve had a tough time for two years October 25, 2018 WPP chief executive Mark Read has said he is determined to improve the company’s performance to compete with its peers, as shares plunged on this morning’s quarterly results. The advertising business dropped as much as 22.5 per cent to 818 pence per share earlier today. Sales fell 1.5 per cent in the third quarter, following [...]
Twitter shares soar on boosted revenue despite slump in active users as social media giant combats suspicious accounts October 25, 2018 Shares in Twitter soared today as the social media giant reported boosted revenues despite a slump in active users in the third quarter. Revenue for the period beat Wall Street expectations at $758m (£587.58m) – an increase of 29 per cent year-on-year – with advertising revenue totalling $650m, sending shares soaring by more than 15 per cent. However, [...]
Sony offers no concessions to EU regulators in $2.3bn EMI bid October 22, 2018 Sony has offered no concessions to the EU’s antitrust regulator in support of its $2.3bn (£1.8bn) bid for major record label EMI. Sony had not submitted any proposed concessions by last Friday’s deadline, the European Commission’s website showed today. Read more: EU sets October deadline to rule on Sony's takeover of EMI The Commission is [...]
Truth to power: Adtech has to stand up for journalism October 22, 2018 The future of the press is in doubt. If you need an example of just how powerful fake news has become, remember August, when even seasoned journalists accepted at face value a spoof campaign ironically titled “Don’t believe every tweet”, featuring bogus quotes from Twitter’s chief executive Jack Dorsey. The changes in journalism have not [...]
DEBATE: Subscribers have surged, but are we nearing ‘peak Netflix’? October 18, 2018 Subscribers have surged, but are we nearing ‘peak Netflix’? Jon Tipple, chief strategy officer at FutureBrand, says YES. Netflix is an amazing success story. Its content, valuation, and subscriber numbers all say so, especially after Tuesday’s results. Our FutureBrand Index also confirmed it last week – we reorder the PwC Global Top 100 firms to [...]
Netflix can chill: Shares surge as site smashes new users predictions, after disappointing second quarter October 16, 2018 The house of cards stood firm last night as Netflix shares soared 18 per cent on the news it had smashed its own predictions on new subscribers, reversing its second-quarter fortunes. The streaming service, known for shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, added nearly 7m new customers, 2m more than [...]
Celebrities like Kanye West and Taylor Swift need to learn that we really don’t care what they think October 16, 2018 Taylor Swift, look what you made me do. Swifty has been a hallowed island of political neutrality in a sea of bad blood. But she’s now come out as a mid-term Democrat, and the love story is over. Maybe one day historians will look back and admire how Bob Geldof’s support for a People’s Vote [...]
Disney moves to pacify EU regulators with concessions on $71bn Fox deal October 15, 2018 Walt Disney has made commitments it hopes will please European regulators, allowing its acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox to go ahead. The concessions, filed Friday with the European Commission, will be considered by EU antitrust authorities, before a decision is reached by 6 November. Read more: Fox and Disney to sell minority Sky stake to Comcast [...]