The U.K. government is giving more power to the BBC and media regulator Ofcom to handle complaints as part of its mid-term review into the corporation’s functioning.
The streamers’ U.K. revenues increased by more than 20% last year despite subscriber numbers remaining at a virtual standstill, according to Ofcom’s latest Media Nations report. The combined turnover of the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ hit nearly £3.3 billion ($4.2 billion) in the nation, rising by 21.5% on the prior year and having now doubled over the past three years.
The algorithm-driven viral video app overtakes YouTube and Instagram as the most used single source of news for young teenagers, according to the U.K.’s communications watchdog.
More teenagers are turning away from traditional media outlets and getting their news from social media, new research from U.K. communications regulatory body Ofcom has shown. The number of people consuming news content on TikTok has increased from 800,000 in 2020 to 3.9 million in 2022. For the first time, Instagram is the most popular news source among younger people — used by 29% of teens in 2022 — with TikTok and YouTube close behind.
Exclusives
Avaaz, an activist group that has opposed 21st Century Fox’s bid for European pay TV giant Sky on Friday filed court papers seeking a judicial review of British media regulator Ofcom’s conclusion that the company would remain a “fit and proper” broadcast license holder if Fox, controlled by the Murdoch family, takes full control of it.
British authorities have received yet more clarification from media regulator Ofcom on 21st Century Fox’s attempted takeover of Sky, with a decision on whether to refer the deal to competition authorities still pending. Despite having received the go-ahead in all other relevant territories where Sky operates, the deal has been bogged down by regulatory investigations and government indecision in the U.K.
Watchdog Ofcom launched a review on Friday of how ads are sold in Britain’s £4 billion ($6.6 billion) television advertising market, in which trading practices have hardly changed in the past 20 years. The British communications regulator said it had identified three potential areas of concern that might distort competition and harm consumers: transparency of pricing, bundling of airtime and the trading model.
