GB News fails Ofcom impartiality test | Radio Times at 100 | National World strike
Print still 'highly profitable' for Radio Times as it shifts towards subscriptions
Good morning and welcome to your daily media news briefing on Tuesday 19 September, brought to you today in association with Vindicia. A new resource from leading intelligence provider GlobalData is now available for free from Vindicia.
Who said print is dead?
We mark the centenary of the Radio Times by talking to joint editor Tom Loxley.
Tom loves magazines and enthuses about the fact his print edition is still highly profitable, shifting more than 400,000 copies per week.
He spoke to Press Gazette about the title's winning commercial formula and why the shift towards subscriptions and away from newsstand sales has given him more creative freedom.
We also report on National World's first group-wide strike yesterday with more than 300 journalists downing tools at the regional news group to protest over the offer of a 4.5% pay rise.
And GB News is in hot water with Ofcom, again, after two sitting Conservative MPs conducted an on-air interview with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt days ahead of his Spring Budget. Unsurprisingly, Ofcom found the programme failed to reflect an appropriate range of political views.
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New from Press Gazette:
Radio Times at 100: Magazine still ‘highly profitable’ fuelled by subscriptions
The majority of revenue at Radio Times magazine comes from subscriptions and newsstand sales. In recent years, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the title has seen a massive shift in the balance towards subscriptions.
GB News breached impartiality rules when Tory MPs interviewed Jeremy Hunt – Ofcom
The regulator concluded that GB News “failed to represent and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views on a matter of major political controversy and current public policy” in Esther McVey and Philip Davies’ interview with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Pictured: National World journalists picket in company’s first-ever national strike
“We’re not damaging the titles – these are titles we pour our hearts and souls into on a daily basis, in some cases for years and decades.”
National press ABCs: Daily Star Sunday and Sunday People record biggest annual declines
The biggest year-on-year drops were at the Daily Star Sunday (down 22.4% to 80,124) and the Sunday People (down 21.8% to 64,605). The smallest annual decline was at the Financial Times, down 1% to 104,423.
Podcast 56: Is the future looking brighter for Future? Jon Steinberg CEO interview
CEO of Future plc Jon Steinberg explains why he believes his company still has the right ingredients for success (whatever the stock market may currently seem to think).
He also talks about how he has tackled taking over from a highly successful predecessor, what he thinks about AI in publishing and how the company is just starting to generate revenue from digital subscriptions.
News in brief
Chioma Nnadi has been named the new head of editorial content at British Vogue as Edward Enninful leaves the editor-in-chief role. Nnadi, who currently edits the website of Vogue in the US, will be the first black woman to lead the magazine. (The Guardian)Time has launched Time100 Voices, a platform "dedicated to spotlighting the ideas and perspectives of global leaders from the Time100 community of the world's most influential people". Initial contributors include Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson. (Time)Elon Musk has suggested X/Twitter could go entirely behind a paywall with a "small" monthly fee for all users. (BBC News)Youtube has suspended Russell Brand's channels from making money from adverts. The platform said: "If a creator's off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action". (BBC News)Voting technology company Dominion's $1.6bn libel suit against Newsmax is expected to go to trial in September 2024 - towards the end of the next presidential election campaign - over the conservative network's promotion of false claims the 2020 election was rigged. (CNN) Unionised New York Times staff held a rally outside its office yesterday as its sports desk closed. The paper's sports coverage will now be provided by sister title The Athletic: read more about the closure here. (The Daily Beast)Previously on Press Gazette:
Sunday Times journalist warns over ‘very upsetting’ Russell Brand follow-up coverage
DMG Media names first global head of video to create new strategy
From editor to CEO: Christian Broughton shares Independent’s global growth plan
John Ryley calls time on ‘supine’ royal reporting, Westminster gossip and GB News ads boycott
Matt Hancock scores complaint victory versus Mirror over ‘Matt’s finished’ story
