Social Media Story of the Week
Social Media giant Twitter (newly rebranded as X) has appeared to apply a 5 second delay, slowing access to sites that are on Musk’s naughty list. The delay process, also known as throttling, has been reported across the New York Times, Reuters, Instagram and Blue Sky. The Washington Post tested the delays and found that if someone clicked a link on Twitter that would send them to another site, the link would open to a blank screen that lasted for a few seconds.
Media Story of the Week
The BBC has sold its historic Maida Vale studios to a partnership that includes the Oscar winning composer Hanz Zimmer and the film produces Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. The venue in north-west London has hosted thousands of performances from generations of pop and rock royalty including the Beatles, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Duty Springfield, Beyonce and Adele. Initial plans say the venue will remain as a studio space, with a multimillion-pound refurbishment plan. There will also be the creation of a not-for-profit education facility.
Press Story of the Week
The owner of the Daily Mail has confirmed its interest in acquiring the Telegraph Media Group in the latest potential bidder to show its hand ahead of a formal auction expected to begin next month. Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), controlled by Lord Rothermere, joins a growing list of bidders to have declared their interest in the rival national newspaper group. The group currently own titles such as the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, The I and Metro. Ian Whittaker, an independent media analyst, said that DMGT seemed to be the most likely buyer for the Telegraph Group although the combined groups would have about a 35% share of the newspaper advertising market.
TV Story of the Week
Sky has announced the finalists of their £2m Zero Footprint fund. The initiative, now in its third year was initially launched to extend Sky’s net-zero pledge into its advertising. The ads will now move into production ahead of the final stage of judging in December, but we should anticipate the panel’s demand for a fresh take on climate change to be reflected in the content. The five finalists are Grub Club, Milliways, Ocean Bottle, Ocean Saver and UpCircle.
