Sky and Discovery reach a deal – but the war of words isn’t over January 31, 2017 Discovery and Sky have reached a last-minute deal in a very public spat which had threatened to see popular channels removed from the satellite TV provider. Discovery had threatened to pull its channels after it was dissatisfied with the price Sky had initially offered. The end-of-month deal ensures that its channels, which also include Eurosport [...]
Walter Presents and chill? Channel 4’s foreign language, Netflix-style service to launch in US January 31, 2017 A Channel 4-backed online streaming service for foreign-language dramas is to launch in the United States. Walter Presents, a subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) service, launched in the UK last year. It was founded by Global Series Network’s Walter Iuzzolino and is majority-owned by Channel 4. For $6.99 (£5.60) a month, US customers will have access to 34 series [...]
Deadline day: Sky and Discovery close in on 11th hour deal January 31, 2017 Sky and Discovery are closing in on a last-minute deal to save the likes of Eurosport and Animal Planet from the UK's screens. The two media giants are in the middle of an embarrassing spat over the future of Discovery's channels on the Sky platform. Read more: Still hope? Deadline looms for Sky and Discovery Last Wednesday Discovery [...]
Mayor unveils plans to address skills shortages in London’s film industry and bump up investment January 31, 2017 London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced his plans to make the capital the "world's most film-friendly city" – including the launch of a Cultural Infrastructure Plan. He will deliver a new skills strategy, alongside Creative Skillset and Film London, to identify shortages within London's film industry, establish ways into the sector for talented creatives and encourage [...]
Fake news is troubling – but censorship is far worse January 31, 2017 We're in the grip of a fake news epidemic that is now poisoning our politics. That is the impression one would get from observing the tweets of the great and good. In the aftermath of Brexit in the UK and Donald Trump’s victory in the United States, it has been tempting for those who could [...]
Evening Standard editor Sarah Sands has been appointed editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme January 30, 2017 Sarah Sands, the editor of the London Evening Standard, will take up a new role as the editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme in "due time". Sands called it an honour to join the programme. "I've felt very close to the Today programme for more than 40 years: every listener does. It is an honour to [...]
NatWest backtracks on plans to freeze UK account of Russian state broadcaster RT January 30, 2017 NatWest has reversed its decision to freeze the accounts of Russian state broadcaster RT. RT, formerly known as Russia Today, revealed a letter from NatWest announcing the freeze in October, with the broadcaster’s editor-in-chief condemning the move as an attack on freedom of speech. RT said NatWest announced plans to close the UK accounts of the [...]
What exactly is fake news? And 11 more questions MPs will ask tech and media companies in a new inquiry January 30, 2017 What is fake news? That's just one of the 11 questions politicians will seek to answer in a fresh inquiry into the phrase du-jour favoured by Donald Trump MPs have set their sights on tech companies such as Facebook, Google and Twitter, warning they must tackle fake news in the same way as they fight online piracy and [...]
Free magazine Sport folds after 10 years following News Corp takeover January 27, 2017 Free magazine Sport is folding after more than 10 years. Next week’s issue, number 484, will be its last, the title announced on its Twitter page this afternoon. The closure comes shortly after Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, which publishes the Sun and Times, bought Sport’s owner, Wireless Group. Read more: How revenue woes are driving [...]
Celebrities take aim at Sky in bid to keep Discovery channels January 27, 2017 Celebrities including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jimmy White, Katie Hopkins and Colin Murray have thrown their weight behind Discovery in its battle against Sky. It emerged earlier this week that Sky customers are set to lose 12 channels including Eurosport and Animal Planet after the Discovery Channel revealed details of a spat with the media giant. Read [...]
