Disney sparks backlash over #MayThe4th hashtag rights claim April 28, 2020 Disney has sparked a backlash on social media after the entertainment giant appeared to claim ownership of the rights to tweets containing the #MayThe4th hashtag. In a tweet posted yesterday by Disney Plus, the streaming service encouraged fans to share their favourite Star Wars memory using the hashtag. But in a follow-up tweet full of [...]
Gambling firms pull TV and radio advertising during Covid-19 lockdown April 27, 2020 The UK’s major gambling and betting firms today said they will remove all TV and radio advertising for the remainder of the Covid-19 lockdown. Existing ad slots will be replaced by safer gambling messages, donated to charities or removed from broadcast for at least six weeks. The decision is aimed at protecting customers during the [...]
Times Radio taps BBC and Channel 4 stars ahead of summer launch April 27, 2020 Times Radio today unveiled its latest high-profile signings as Rupert Murdoch’s media empire pushes ahead with the talk radio station launch despite the coronavirus crisis. Radio 4 presenter Aasmah Mir, Channel 4 News anchor Cathy Newman and Times Literary Supplement editor Stig Abell are among the top-flight journalists to join the new venture. News UK, [...]
Pearson holds dividend as school closures hit revenue April 24, 2020 Education publisher Pearson today said it will pay out a dividend for 2019 even as the closure of schools and test centres pushed down revenue in the first quarter. The FTSE 100-listed firm reported a five per cent decline in year-on-year revenue in the first three months of the year, which it said was a [...]
Independent furloughs staff and cuts pay as Covid-19 hits ad revenue April 23, 2020 The Independent today said it will furlough some of its staff and cut pay for others as the Covid-19 crisis decimates advertising revenues for news organisations. The digital-only newspaper said all employees earning more than £37,500 would have their pay slashed 20 per cent, while some would be placed on paid leave under the government’s [...]
Green light for £250m Netflix and Amazon film studio complex in Kent April 23, 2020 Developers have been given the green light to build a £250m film complex in Kent to provide much-needed studio space for streaming giants such as Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon (AMZN). Local councillors last night approved plans for Ashford International Film Studios, which will boast 240,000 square feet of production space. Derelict railway works The complex, [...]
Hipgnosis takes majority stake in Mark Ronson’s publishing catalogue April 23, 2020 Music royalties investment firm Hipgnosis today said it has acquired the majority of the publishing catalogue of prolific songwriter and producer Mark Ronson. Hipgnosis has taken control of 70 per cent of the 315-song portfolio, which includes more than 83 number one hits and two songs that have been streamed more than 1bn times on [...]
Robbie Gibb consortium wins last-minute bid for Jewish Chronicle after dramatic row April 23, 2020 A consortium led by former Downing Street spin doctor Robbie Gibb is set to take control of the Jewish Chronicle after its dramatic last-minute bid for the collapsed newspaper was accepted. The London weekly last week announced it was seeking a creditors’ voluntary liquidation alongside the Jewish News, with which it had agreed to merge. [...]
BeIN Sports urges Premier League to block Saudi bid for Newcastle April 22, 2020 Broadcasting giant BeIN Media has urged the Premier League to block a proposed £300m Saudi takeover of Newcastle United amid concerns about “industrial scale” piracy. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is said to be on the brink of accepting a takeover offer from a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. However, the chief executive [...]
Snapchat shares jump as coronavirus lockdown boosts user numbers April 22, 2020 Snapchat has reported a sharp spike in user numbers during the first quarter as millions of people turned to the social media app during the coronavirus lockdown. Parent company Snap said daily active users rose 20 per cent year on year to 229m in the first three months of 2020. Revenue also grew 44 per [...]
