100% Media Roundup: 28 March- 1 April

This is a daily digest of news stories from around the media world, updated by The Media Leader team, to ensure you’re 100% up-to-date.

Friday 1 April

Sky Sports to showcase 24 straight hours of live women’s sport this weekend

Sky Sports will be hosting 24 straight hours of global women’s sport coverage from Saturday morning, treating fans to football, golf, netball, and boxing, ahead of Sunday morning’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final.

Sky also announced that the final between England and Australia will be free to air on Sky Sports YouTube and Pick.

The full schedule can be found here.

The Express  launches ‘Ukrainians in the UK’ subsite

The national paper The Express has launched a dedicated subsite to its main website to provide Ukrainian refugees and UK hosts.

The subsite will be promoted on the homepage and is called “Ukrainians in the UK” containing sections with advice on housing, language, education, employment, healthcare and finance.

There will also be a Facebook group where Ukrainian refugees can meet safely online and help each other “feel more at home”.

YouTube to trial a podcast destination page

The video-sharing platform YouTube is looking to move into the audio space with the likes of Spotify and Apple.

According to a leaked presentation of the company’s business roadmap, the company aims to make search and discovery easier with a dedicated podcasting homepage and provide metrics for audio-only creators.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy to replace Jon Snow as main Channel 4 News anchor

Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been promoted to main news anchor at Channel 4 News, replacing Jon Snow, who retired last December.

Snow presented the broadcast from 1989-2021, while Guru-Murthy has been at Channel 4 News since 1998.

Guru-Murthy will continue to host ITN and Channel 4’s foreign-affairs documentary series Unreported World, as well as the Ways to Change the World podcast.

CNN announces sale of 250 NFTs to commemorate CNN+ launch

CNN+ is joining the Vault, CNN’s own NFT marketplace.

For $50, fans can purchase limited edition NFTs of the first live moments of CNN+, CNN’s new streaming service that debuted earlier this week.

Announced last summer, CNN’s Vault also contains a ‘genesis series’ of NFTs from live broadcasts during memorable world events from CNN’s 42-year history.

Read more: Too big to ignore? Why attitudes over NFTs in media are changing

Thursday 31 March

iProspect picks Dwiggins for global media strategy chief

iProspect has hired Josh Dwiggins from Publicis Media’s Performics to be the Dentsu media agency’s new global chief client strategy officer.

Dwiggins has 22 years’ experience in the advertising and media industry having most recently worked at Performics and previously at IPG’s, Reprise.

He is credited with helping some of the largest brands including, Microsoft, Google, Twitter and Toyota, buy and engage their most valuable customers in real-time, with a focus on performance media: search, programmatic, mobile, social, video and ecommerce.

The appointment comes a year after Dentsu merged iProspect with Vizeum as part of a company-wide effort to consolidate its agency brands.

Dwiggins will be based in the California Bay Area.

Rolling news channel from Ukraine launches on Freeview

A 24-hour news service from Ukraine capital Kyiv has launched on Freeview in the UK, after seven of the countries’ largest broadcasters pooled their resources.

Ukraina24 went live on Freeview channel 271 via Channelbox, the multi-channel over-the-top service, and on mobile through Channelbox’s smartphone and tablet apps.

Streaming video brands dominate ‘coolest brands’ list for kids

YouTube is number one in the 50 Coolest Brands for Kids & Teens unveiled by Beano Brain, the specialist kids and family insights agency.

Netflix, McDonald’s, Amazon and Disney make up the rest of the top five according to the survey of 30,000 seven- to 14-year-olds.

There are no UK brands in the top 10. Harry Potter was in 11th place, while the BBC ranked 42nd and was the only UK media owner in the list.

BBC announces new-look Commercial Board

Sir Damon Buffini has been named by the BBC as chairman of a new-look Commercial Board that will include a majority of external non-executive directors for the first time.

Buffini, founding partner of investment company Permira, will chair the re-named BBC Commercial Board, formerly known as the BBC Commercial Holdings Board, from 1 April.

The Board oversees BBC Studios and is as part of the BBC’s plan to build its commercial business, one of four strategic priorities under director-general Tim Davie.

There are two newly appointed non-executive directors – Bhav Singh (ex-ViacomCBS and Pearson) and Gunjan Bhow (ex-chief digital officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance) – who join incumbents Dame Elan Closs Stephens (academic and ex-S4C chair), former Sky plc chief commercial officer and chief strategy officer Mai Fyfield and All3Media co-founder Steve Morrison.

Sorrell’s S4 delays results again after PwC unable to complete audit

S4 Capital lost more than a third of its market value yesterday after it issued a notice saying its auditor PwC hadn’t been able to sign off on its results.

The company, founded by Sir Martin Sorrell after his acrimonious exit from WPP in 2018, was supposed to release its full-year results this morning. It is the second time this month that S4’s results have been delayed, after PwC had already asked for more time to complete its audit, the company announced on 1 March.

S4’s share price fell by just under 35% after the statement. The shares recovered slightly this morning, opening up just over 8%.

Wednesday 30 March

Meta ‘paid digital campaign firm to malign TikTok’

Meta has been paying digital-first campaign firm Targeted Victory to orchestrate a US campaign to undermine TikTok’s popularity, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The campaign has included the placement of op-eds and letters to the editor in prominent news outlets throughout the US without disclosing their involvement, with the goal of creating a negative perception of TikTok as a company that is dangerous to adolescents and that promotes unruly behaviour.

In a statement by a Meta spokesperson, they defended the campaign: “We believe all platforms, including TikTok, should face a level of scrutiny consistent with their growing success.”

Facebook and Instagram have themselves also come under scrutiny for being unsafe for children and teens.

ITV’s Ukraine fundraiser nets £13.4m

A two-hour Concert for Ukraine fundraiser, broadcast on ITV last night from Birmingham, has raised over £13.4m to date for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal through sponsorship, ticket sales, ad revenue and public donations.

A peak of 3.6million people at home tuned into the live broadcast and it was the most watched programme of the day for 16-34 year olds, ITV has confirmed.

It was hosted by Global radio presenters, Capital Breakfast host Roman Kemp, Capital FM’s Marvin Humes and Heart’s Emma Bunton, and included live performances from artists including Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, and Paloma Faith.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) have confirmed that its Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has raised a total of £260 million to date.

Condé Nast workers form companywide union

US workers at the global publishing company Condé Nast announced on Tuesday that they had formed a companywide union.

Over 500 employees at titles such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, and more have asked Condé Nast management for voluntary recognition.

Condé Nast has recognised unions at four other brands it owns that had previously unionised: The New Yorker, Pitchfork, Wired, and Ars Technica.

Apple TV+ announces first 12 weeks of Friday Night Baseball streaming schedule

Apple and Major League Baseball announced the first half of the season’s Friday Night Baseball schedule, marking the first time live sports will be available on the streaming service.

The coverage premieres on 8 April with a doubleheader of games between the Washington Nationals vs. the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Angels vs. the Houston Astros.

The announcement that Apple TV+ had partnered with the MLB came earlier this month.

Read the editor’s column: Historic Oscars win for CODA is just the beginning for AppleTV+

NFL rumoured to develop its own mobile streaming service

The National Football League is developing a subscription service, dubbed NFL+, that would include games, radio, podcasts, and team content on mobile devices, according to a report from The Athletic.

The NFL had previously distributed live games for free through mobile devices with carrier Verizon exclusively from 2010-2017 and non-exclusively until the deal lapsed in 2021.

A different streaming option, NFL Game Pass, currently allows fans to stream all games throughout the season for the price of $99.99.

Disney says ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill should never have passed in Florida

The Walt Disney Company has released a statement saying the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill should never have been signed into law.

This comes as Disney employees staged daily walkouts over the company’s previous lack of response to the bill and the bill was officially signed in to law by the Governor of Florida on 28 March.

In a statement the entertainment company said: “Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill should never have passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.”

Read more on the background to this story here. 

Havas Entertainment promotes Ashley Bolt to managing partner gaming

Havas Media Group’s entertainment and culture proposition has promoted Ashley Bolt from client partner, gaming to managing partner, gaming.

In the newly created role he will lead a team of 16 and Havas Entertainment’s portfolio of gaming clients including Square Enix, SEGA and Wizards of the Coast.

He will report to Hamid Habib, chief experience officer at Havas Media Group and deputy managing director at Havas Entertainment.

Bolt (pictured- above) previously worked at Wheel, which became LBi then Digitas, Think Publishing and Total Media.

Tuesday, 29 March

4Sales finds British people are ‘more united than divided’

New research released today by 4Sales, Channel 4’s ad sales house, reveals that despite a general feeling of division within the UK we are actually much more united in our values than we may think.

The Different Not Divided study reveals you are 3.6 times more likely to agree with a stranger on the street than disagree, and we are only divided on approximately one in 10 issues, many of which are not of vital importance (i.e. grocery shopping, listening to ‘new’ bands, being career-driven).

The research project conducted in partnership with research agency Versiti explored the state of modern Britain to help brands better understand UK consumers.

>> Speaking of TV sales houses, earlier today we broke news that Sky Media has appointed NOW TV’s Brett Aumuller as the new managing director. 

YouTube to add full ad-supported TV shows in the U.S.

YouTube has announced that it will be adding full ad-supported TV shows and movies on its platform available to viewers for free in the U.S.

Read more on this story on our sister title Videonet.

Elliot and Brookfield agree to buy Nielsen for $16bn

After weeks of rumours of a possible buyout, Nielsen Holdings has agreed to be acquired by a consortium of investors that include Elliott Management Corporation and Brookfield Asset Management for $16bn.

With the move, Nielsen becomes a private company again for the first time since it went public in January 2011.

Its stock was up over 20% in early trading following the news.

Disney+ to launch in 42 new markets this Summer

Disney+ has confirmed launch dates in 42 countries and 11 new territories in May and June across Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.

Disney’s streaming service, which exclusively features Marvel Studios and Star Wars content, will launch in South Africa on 18 May and then other markets in June.

18 May: South Africa.

8 June: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

14 June: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, San Marina, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Vatican City.

16 June: Israel.

CNN+ debuts today

CNN+, CNN’s news streaming service, debuts today.

The weekday programming schedule includes a full slate of daily shows, with weekly and bi-weekly programs such as Anderson Cooper Full Circle and Jake Tapper’s Book Club sprinkled in.

Former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, who received headlines this week for criticizing life at Fox News as “unsustainable” after the 2020 election, notably makes his own debut on the service tonight in Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?

A substantial number of new CNN+ Original Series and CNN Films offerings have also been promised on top of their extant library.

IPA launches media research qualification

The IPA has launched a new online qualification to help junior practitioners better understand and scrutinise media research and data.

The IPA Media Research Essentials Certificate will be available from May and cost £250+VAT for IPA members.

It will consist of six online modules and a 30-minute multiple choice exam.

Monday 28 March

Morning Brew tops 4 million subscribers

Popular US newsletter publisher Morning Brew surpassed four million subscribers to its flagship newsletter, just eight months after passing the three million mark.

Newsletters have seen a recent boom in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, which benefitted first-movers such as Morning Brew.

Founded in 2015, the company has since expanded to include side publications, podcasts, and YouTube videos, generating $50m in sales in 2021 – more than double its $20m in revenue from 2020.

CNBC reports that the company is actively seeking M&A targets to expand their audience and revenue streams.

TalkTV sets launch date in April

Rupert Murdoch’s new TV channel TalkTV will launch on Monday 25 April.

Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne’s primetime shows will premiere on the same day.

Talkradio daytime schedule including Julia Hartley-Brewer, Mike Graham, Ian Collins and Jeremy Kyle will be simulcast on TalkTV before these shows come on air.

Zelenskyy gives interview to Russian journalists

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sat down for an interview with four prominent Russian journalists over Zoom on Sunday.

The journalists represented independent publications based both outside Russia and within its borders, giving the Ukrainian leader the opportunity to directly address the Russian people.

In Russia, a government statement notified the Russian news media “of the necessity to refrain from publishing this interview”, according to a report from The New York Times, leading to its widespread censorship.

For the papers located outside of Russia, however, the interview and its accompanying video have been published to widespread viewership.

The Financial Times launches 99p-a-month app FT Edits

The FT has launched a “streamlined app”, FT Edits, which will provide a selection of articles aimed at its 26 million social media follow3ers.

The app will show eight articles at 8am every weekday and “best of” on the weekend, rather than breaking news.

The pricing will be free for the first month after launch and then be 99p each month for six months after, compared to the traditional £35-a-month subscription.

CODA wins Best Picture in first for streaming

Apple TV’s CODA became the first film distributed by a streaming service to win Best Picture at the Oscars last night.

It was also the first Sundance film and first film featuring predominantly deaf actors in leading roles to win the Academy’s top award.

CODA premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 28 January 2021 before its acquisition by Apple led to its worldwide streaming premiere on 13 August.

The film also won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur.