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☆ 'Bluey' fans worry the hit TV show is about to end. A lot of money's at stake — and there are challenges ahead.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Bluey" fans are worried the series could end with its third-season finale on Sunday. The kids TV show ranked among the most-watched streaming series in America last year. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementFans of the children's TV sensation "Bluey" fear their favorite show will end with the third season's finale this Sunday. There's a lot of money at stake and if the series does continue, it faces challenges down the line.

Persons: —, Bingo, Joe Brumm, It's, Ludo Studio, There's, Elsa, Olaf, Uhls Organizations: Service, Nielsen, Center, Scholars, UCLA, Disney, Bloomberg Locations: America, Australian

☆ Madonna greatest hits tour to feature 40 songs and a 'time machine'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Madonna performs at the 2019 Pride Island concert during New York City Pride in New York City, New York, U.S., June 30, 2019. "Madonna has very high expectations of how much hard work people will put into something. Tour organisers said Madonna would perform on "4,400 square ft. of stage, the largest for any Madonna tour", which nods to the grid of Manhattan. "The person that is going to take the stage looks incredible, sounds incredible, performs incredible," Price told the BBC, who quoted him as saying the concerts will feature more than 40 Madonna songs, with over half performed in full. On Thursday she posted a blurred photo of herself with the caption "2 more days…………… #madonnacelebrationtour" alongside a party-popper emoji.

Persons: Britain's, Stuart Price, Madonna, Price, popper, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Alison Williams Organizations: New York City Pride, REUTERS, London's O2, Britain's BBC, O2, BBC, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Manhattan, Vancouver, New York

☆ Nitin Sawhney unites different voices in new album celebrating identity
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Musician, producer and composer Nitin Sawhney poses for a photo in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters on October 11, 2023. Warner Music/Ray Burmiston/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Nitin Sawhney celebrates identity in his new album, bringing together different voices from singers Joss Stone and Guy Garvey to Asian women asylum seekers and television host Gary Lineker. "I thought ... here's a safe space that you could actually express whatever you want to and he did," Sawhney said. The result is track "Illegal", which also features the voices of Asian women asylum seekers and concludes with Lineker saying "No one is illegal". Sawhney, whose previous album was called "Immigrants", is known for playing different instruments and working in various genres.

Persons: Nitin Sawhney, Ray Burmiston, Joss Stone, Guy Garvey, Gary Lineker, Paul McCartney, Sting, Sawhney, it's, Lineker, Ayanna Witter, Johnson, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, Warner Music, REUTERS Acquire, BBC, Premier League, Thomson Locations: Handout, British, Britain, Caribbean

☆ BBC updates social media rules for star presenters like Gary Lineker
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Britain's BBC said its top stars such as Gary Lineker could opine on political issues on social media but must stop short of campaigning, in new guidelines prompted by a row over the sports presenter's comments about immigration policy earlier this year. He was reinstated after a public backlash and near mutiny at the broadcaster, which has struggled to balance impartiality with its employees' ability to speak to millions of people on social media platforms. Lineker said on X, formerly know as Twitter, that the new guidelines were "very sensible". The BBC's journalists and others working in news and current affairs will continue to have to abide by the strictest rules on impartiality, the guidance said. Other BBC staff or freelancers will not be required to uphold the BBC's impartiality, but they must be civil and not bring the broadcaster into disrepute.

Persons: Gary Lineker, Lineker, John Hardie, Paul Sandle, Alison Williams Organizations: BBC, Thomson Locations: Germany

☆ BBC is 'urgently looking' into issues raised by Brand report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Britain's BBC said on Sunday it was "urgently looking into the issues" raised by allegations of sexual assault made against the broadcaster's former employee, British comedian and actor Russell Brand, who denies the accusations. Brand, 48, the former husband of U.S. singer Katy Perry, worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008. A BBC spokesperson said in a statement: "The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a number of years. Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the issues raised." "Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him," it said.

Persons: Russell Brand, Brand, Katy Perry, Tavistock Wood, Elizabeth Piper, Louise Heavens Organizations: BBC, Sunday Times, The Times, Trevi, Brand, London's Metropolitan Police, Thomson Locations: British, Los Angeles, London's

☆ Ukraine is stepping up its drone war against Russia, and now it's Moscow turn to reassemble decades-old air-defense weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia is building air-defense towers that some observers liken to the "flak towers" used by Nazi Germany. The air-defense towers are not the first decades-old weapon to be used during the war in Ukraine. In 1940, Hitler demanded flak towers after British bombers conducted a small raid on Berlin. Yet there isn't that much resemblance between German flak towers and Russia's new air-defense structures, according to Edward Westermann, author of "Flak: German Anti-Aircraft Defenses 1941-1945." Most of the German flak towers were destroyed after 1945, though a few remain today as tourist attractions — or because they're simply too difficult to blow up.

Persons: liken, Pantsir, Vladimir Putin, Hitler, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Edward Westermann, Westermann, they're, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Allied, Kremlin, NATO, British, AP, Russian Defense Ministry, Getty, Aircraft, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Nazi Germany, Crimea, Ukrainian, St, Petersburg, It's, Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, AFP, Forbes

☆ BBC suspends presenter over alleged teenager photos scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BBC News said it understood that referred to the police. The Sun newspaper, which first reported the allegations, cited the young person's mother as saying the unnamed male presenter had paid the teenager more than 35,000 pounds ($45,000) over three years for the images. The mother told the newspaper that the teenager had used the cash to fund a crack cocaine habit. "(Davie) has assured me the BBC are investigating swiftly and sensitively," she said on Twitter. ($1 = 0.7791 pounds)Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by William Maclean, David Holmes and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lucy Frazer, Tim Davie, Davie, Paul Sandle, William Maclean, David Holmes, Sharon Singleton Organizations: BBC, BBC News, Sun, Twitter, Thomson

☆ BBC suspends star presenter over alleged sexually explicit teen photos scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A camera is seen outside the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) headquarters in London, Britain, March 13, 2023. Britain's BBC suspended a male member of staff on Sunday following an allegation that one of its star presenters paid a teenager thousands of pounds to pose for sexually explicit photos, beginning when the teen was 17 years old. The statement said, "It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care," without giving details on the claims. The mother told the newspaper that the teenager had used the cash to fund a crack cocaine habit. "(Davie) has assured me the BBC are investigating swiftly and sensitively," she said on Twitter.

Persons: Britain's, Lucy Frazer, Tim Davie, Davie Organizations: British Broadcasting Corporation, Britain's BBC, BBC, Sun, Twitter Locations: London, Britain

☆ Ukraine offensive 'slower than desired', Zelenskiy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends through video link as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks on during the Ukraine Recovery Conference at the Intercontinental O2 Hotel in London, Britain, June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/PoolSummary Don't expect a 'Hollywood movie', Zelenskiy saysKyiv says troops consolidating earlier gainsKYIV, June 21 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that progress in Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces was "slower than desired" but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up as its troops advance through dangerous minefields. Reuters has visited some villages recaptured by Ukrainian forces and confirmed an advance of several kilometres. The BBC quoted Zelensky as saying the military push was not going easily because 200,000 sq km (77,220 sq miles) of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces. Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the conference Kyiv was hoping for more than $6 billion from the event.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Rishi Sunak, Leah Millis, Zelenskiy, It's, Zelensky, Hanna Maliar, Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine's, Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan Organizations: British, Intercontinental O2 Hotel, REUTERS, Russian, Reuters, BBC, Kyiv, Washington, Ukraine's, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, London, Britain, Kyiv, Russia, Moscow, Pyatikhatky

☆ New Zealand national broadcaster launches review after stories altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The broadcaster, which first revealed the issues last Friday, said its board decided an independent review was necessary. The panel would review editorial processes and "examine factors and warning signs, which led to international wire stories being subedited with inappropriate content," it said in a statement. Reuters supplied 21 of the altered stories and one came from Britain's BBC, RNZ's list of stories that have been corrected shows. The BBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on RNZ's move to review its internal processes. The panel includes New Zealand media law expert Willy Akel, public law expert and former journalist Linda Clark and former director of editorial standards at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Alan Sunderland.

Persons: RNZ, Ukraine impartially, Jim Mather, Willy Akel, Linda Clark, Alan Sunderland, Clark, Lucy Craymer, Lincoln Organizations: Radio New Zealand, BBC, Reuters, Thomson, RNZ, New, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sunderland Locations: Ukraine, China, Taiwan, RNZ

☆ New Zealand's national broadcaster probes 'inappropriate' editing of Ukraine war stories
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The corrections RNZ added to the stories indicated the editing had changed the original stories to present pro-Russian interpretations of some events in Ukraine as fact. The broadcaster said Friday that it had become aware of the issue without providing further specifics and started an "immediate investigation". The story was edited on RNZ's website to read that in 2014 "a pro-Russian elected government was toppled during Ukraine's violent Maidan colour revolution". The piece then inaccurately claimed that "Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum, as the new pro-Western government suppressed ethnic Russians in eastern and southern Ukraine". Reporting by Lucy Craymer Editing by Rachel Armstrong and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: RNZ, Willie Jackson, Paul Thompson, Viktor Yanukovich, ”, Lucy Craymer, Rachel Armstrong, Frances Kerry Organizations: Radio New Zealand, Reuters, BBC, New, European Union, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, Moscow, Ukraine’s, Russian

☆ BA, BBC and Boots caught up in file transfer hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BA, the BBC and Boots said the breach occurred at their payroll provider, Zellis. The provincial government of Nova Scotia, in Canada, was also hit by the breach. The data from Zellis and the Nova Scotia government was exposed through their use of the MOVEit file transfer software, both organizations said in separate statements. The Nova Scotia government did not immediate return a request for comment. Boots, part of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O), said the attack had included some of its employees' personal details.

Persons: Boots, Zellis, Nova, Colton LeBlanc, MOVEit, extortionists, Raphael Satter, Sarah Young, Muvija, Eva Mathews, Paul Sandle, Bill Berkrot Organizations: British Airways, BBC, Nova, Security, Digital Solutions, IAG, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Progress Software, Microsoft, Reuters, Britain . British Airways, Thomson Locations: Nova Scotia, Canada, Zellis, Britain, Washington, London, Bengaluru

☆ South Africa mulls options on ICC arrest warrant for potential visitor Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Carien Du Plessis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

However, South Africa had on Jan. 25 already invited Putin to the Aug. 22-24 meeting in Johannesburg of BRICS leaders of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. "Because of our legal obligations, we have to arrest President Putin, but we can't do that," Mbeki said. South Africa on Monday issued diplomatic immunity to all leaders attending the meeting and a gathering of BRICS foreign ministers in Cape Town this week. The international relations department said this was standard procedure, however, for all international conferences in South Africa. The governing African National Congress decided in December that South Africa should abandon the process and try to effect changes to the ICC from within.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Zane Dangor, Thabo Mbeki, Mbeki, Obed Bapela, Britain's, Bapela, Clayson Monyela, Omar al, Bashir, Carien du Plessis, Olivia Kumwenda, Alexandra Zavis, Grant McCool Organizations: Criminal Court, ICC, South, Kremlin, Britain's BBC, African National Congress, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Ukraine, Moscow, Johannesburg, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Africa, Pretoria, Cape Town, African

☆ ABBA's Bjorn and Benny dismiss Eurovision reunion in Sweden next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) - ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus have dismissed a reunion at next year's Eurovision Song Contest in their native Sweden, which will also mark the 50th anniversary of when the supergroup won the competition with "Waterloo". Sweden's Loreen won Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool, northern England, this month, meaning the Nordic country will host next year's contest. "We can celebrate 50 years of ABBA without us being on stage," Ulvaeus added. Formed in 1972, ABBA won legions of fans around the world after triumphing at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, with their enduring hits such as "Dancing Queen" and "Fernando". Last year they launched a London concert residency as digital avatars - versions of themselves from their 1970s heyday thanks to motion-capture technology.

☆ 'Zone of Interest' star: watching myself as Auschwitz commandant frightening
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANNES, May 20 (Reuters) - German actor Christian Friedel said on Saturday that watching himself as the commandant of the Auschwitz death camp in Jonathan Glazer's film "The Zone of Interest" frightened him. "The challenge in this project (was) for us to find authenticity in the situations," he told journalists after the film's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday evening. Glazer said he wanted to show the capacity for violence in all people with the film, which was shot entirely at Auschwitz. "Zone of Interest" is Glazer's first film to compete at Cannes. Britain's BBC broadcaster and the Telegraph newspaper both gave the film perfect scores, with Telegraph calling the film "horrifying in its banality."

☆ Swedish Radio becomes first big European broadcaster to quit Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Swedish Radio said its decision had been made because Twitter had lost relevance for a Swedish audience, not blaming a new policy by Twitter under owner Elon Musk to label more public broadcasters as government funded. And therefore Sveriges Radio now chooses to deactivate or delete the last remaining accounts," Christian Gillinger, head of Social Media at Swedish Radio, said in a blog post. Gillinger said Swedish Radio had no problem with its designation: "Based on the current definition, it's a correct description of how Swedish Radio is financed." By far Sweden's biggest radio company with 7.4 million weekly listeners in 2021, Swedish Radio has been on Twitter since 2009. Individual reporters working for Swedish Radio were still free to use Twitter as they please.

☆ UK broadcasters to stay prominent on smart TVs and speakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - On-demand services from Britain's BBC, ITV (ITV.L) and other public service broadcasters must remain easy to find on smart TVs and set-top boxes, the government said as it announced a plan to update media rules for the streaming age. Britain's public service broadcasters have protected positions in electronic programme guides, ensuring viewers can easily find the content they are required to produce, for example in news. But with more people choosing to watch on-demand television through apps on their smart TVs or other platforms, the broadcasters have raised concerns that their on-demand services could become less visible to viewers. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said changes to viewing habits had put traditional broadcasters under unprecedented pressure. Smart speaker platforms - such as Google and Amazon - will be required to ensure access to all licenced UK radio stations, from major national stations to the smallest community stations, the government said.

☆ BBC seeks to end crisis by reinstating Gary Lineker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 13 (Reuters) - Britain's BBC said sports presenter Gary Lineker would return on air after the corporation agreed to review its social media guidelines to settle an escalating row over its impartiality. The BBC said Lineker had breached its impartiality rules by comparing the rhetoric of Britain's interior minister Suella Braverman to the language used in 1930s Germany. But its decision to take him off air led to charges that it had bowed to pressure from the government. "Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary, and I look forward to him presenting our coverage this coming weekend," BBC Director General Tim Davie said in a statement on Monday. Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain's BBC battles mutiny in its sports department after social media clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gary Lineker's tweets and the BBC's response caused public backlash and a weekend of disrupted sports programing as fellow presenters walked out in protest. LONDON — The BBC, Britain's public service broadcaster, is trying to navigate itself out of crisis mode following a mutiny within its sports department regarding social media usage. The BBC suspended Lineker, who is employed by the broadcaster on a freelance basis, on Friday. "We consider [Lineker's] recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines," a BBC statement read. The BBC's response led to walkouts among Lineker's colleagues, which disrupted sports programing across Saturday and Sunday.

☆ Actor Marisa Abela to portray Amy Winehouse in new biopic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - British actress Marisa Abela will portray Amy Winehouse in a biopic about the late singer, with filming due to begin in London on Monday, production and distribution company Studiocanal has said. The six-time Grammy Award winner died from alcohol poisoning at her north London home on July 23, 2011. Winehouse, who struggled with drink and drug problems through much of her career, was 27 years old. Considered one of the most talented singers of her generation, Winehouse's untimely death shook the music world. "We are thrilled that Studiocanal, Focus Features and Monumental are making this movie celebrating our daughter Amy’s extraordinary music legacy and showcasing her talent in the way that it deserves," The Amy Winehouse Estate said on Friday.

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