He might not be best friends with the press, but the Prime Minister is no Putin August 27, 2019 Is Boris Johnson the new Vladimir Putin? That’s what Dorothy Byrne, head of news for Channel 4, suggested at the Edinburgh Festival last week. Byrne said that Boris Johnson was “a known liar”, and accused him of aping not only Donald Trump, but the Russian President in his dealings with the press. A head of [...]
Margaret Thatcher’s spin doctor Lord Bell dies aged 77 August 26, 2019 Lord Tim Bell, Margaret Thatcher’s public relations adviser and founder of the PR firm Bell Pottinger, has died aged 77. He died on Sunday at home following an illness. The PR man played a role in the Conservatives’ successful election campaigns in 1979, 1983 and 1987. He was responsible for the Conservatives’ “Labour isn’t working” [...]
Bringing home the bacon: Peppa Pig maker Entertainment One’s share price soars after Hasbro deal August 23, 2019 Peppa Pig maker Entertainment One soared by almost a third on the exchange this morning as it yesterday announced a $4bn (£3.3bn) deal with US toy giant Hasbro. The company’s shares reached as high as 579p as markets opened this morning, 30.5 per cent up. Read more: Hasbro swoops on Peppa Pig-maker Entertainment One in [...]
Apple reportedly hikes streaming budget as it eyes November launch date August 20, 2019 Apple is said to be planning a November launch date for its eagerly-awaited streaming service, as it ramps up its spending on new films and TV shows. Apple TV Plus is considering a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 (£8.25) following a free trial period, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Read more: Apple’s [...]
Hipgnosis snaps up Chainsmokers catalogue as spending spree continues August 20, 2019 Music royalties specialist Hipgnosis has continued its recent run of strong form, securing the rights to the music catalogue of The Chainsmokers. Read more: Hipgnosis bags rights to music catalogue of Ed Sheeran songwriter Hipgnosis said it has acquired 32 songs by the DJ duo, who have bagged 55 number ones and rack up 41m [...]
Netflix snaps up Uxbridge production space in latest UK push August 19, 2019 Netflix has signed a deal to rent out production space in Uxbridge, just weeks after it unveiled its new UK hub at Shepperton Studios. City PM understands that the US streaming giant is set to take a 134,000 square feet unit called UX1 in an industrial park in west London as part of a 10-year [...]
Broadcasters push for longer ad breaks as streaming competition heats up August 19, 2019 UK broadcasters are consulting with the government on plans to extend TV advert breaks as they look to stave off growing competition from online streaming rivals. Public service broadcasters (PSB) such as ITV and Channel 4 are in talks with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) over proposals that could see the [...]
The ASA’s puritanical ban spree is a flagrant assault on free speech August 16, 2019 When the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) first announced that it would ban “gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence” in December 2017, I noted that crackdowns on adverts are often veiled attacks on free speech. The ads that the CAP and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) were flagging [...]
Fleet Street veteran David Montgomery sets newspapers in sights as he plots takeover spree August 14, 2019 Veteran Fleet Street executive David Montgomery is poised to launch a media takeover spree, with struggling publisher JPI Media slated as his first major target. Montgomery has set up a company called National World, through which he is said to be planning a series of deals to snap up struggling newspaper groups. Read more: Shares [...]
DEBATE: In light of the row over alleged bias in the Telegraph’s survey, is there any point to polls? August 14, 2019 In light of the row over alleged bias in the Telegraph’s survey, is there any point to polls? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. Since the dawn of polling, people have found imaginative ways of getting the result they want. And the ComRes team who found that a majority of people would back [...]
