Jeremy Corbyn: I'll tax tech firms to subsidise the BBC licence fee
Labour leader set to announce sweeping range of proposals to reform UK media industryJeremy Corbyn is to propose a tax on big technology firms such as Facebook, Google and Netflix, to subsidise the BBC...
View ArticleMichaela Coel on MacTaggart lecture: 'I feel better having shared'
The Chewing Gum star said she hopes her speech, in which she spoke about racism and her own sexual assault, will bring about change in the UK Michaela Coel says her MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh...
View ArticleThe Guardian view on Labour’s media policy: important contribution but more...
Jeremy Corbyn’s speech on the media has some interesting ideas but it does not tackle how digital disruption is changing journalismThe psyche of leaders of the Labour party is often moulded by their...
View ArticleCorbyn's reforms and 'Finnish Weird': What we learned at Edinburgh TV...
Michaela Coel’s MacTaggart lecture stunned the industry, Jeremy Corbyn unveiled some bold proposals, and Finnish TV might be the new Nordic NoirThe Edinburgh TV festival is dominated by the MacTaggart...
View ArticleLouis Theroux: I backed accusers of Michael Jackson due to my time with Savile
Film-maker says he defended singer’s accusers, driven by his ‘boost’ to Jimmy Savile’s image before sex abuse confirmedThe film-maker Louis Theroux said he felt obliged to support individuals who had...
View ArticleCummings should not have been allowed No 10 role, suggests Tory MP
Damian Collins claims ‘real-world sanctions’ are needed for those found in contempt of parliamentBoris Johnson’s chief strategist Dominic Cummings should not have been allowed to take up his Downing...
View ArticleJeremy Kyle set for TV return, says ITV boss
Kevin Lygo says presenter should not be blamed for failings of axed Jeremy Kyle ShowJeremy Kyle is set to return to TV screens, months after his eponymous chatshow was cancelled following the death of...
View ArticleBBC a bulwark against pandemic of fake news, Tony Hall to argue
Outgoing director general to say corporation can persuade UK public to take up vaccineCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe BBC plays such a critical role in countering...
View ArticleUK broadcasters outbid and forced to innovate amid shortage of shows
Streaming services such as Netflix take advantage of Covid production shutdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageStreaming services such as Netflix are taking advantage of the...
View ArticlePerspex kisses: how TV romance continues despite pandemic
BBC drama boss says actors are using clear plastic that can be digitally removed in editingBBC bosses have come up with an innovative way to enable the filming of intimate scenes during the pandemic:...
View ArticleDavid Olusoga: his Edinburgh television festival speech in full
Broadcaster and historian argues racism has led to a ‘lost generation’ of minority ethnic people in the UK TV industryGood evening and thank you.It is such an enormous honour to be standing – virtually...
View ArticleBBC comedy boss says diversity discussed in every conversation
Shane Allen says push for more diversity will soon produce noticeable changes in outputBBC bosses are discussing diversity in “every conversation” about new programmes, according to the corporation’s...
View ArticleWe should be free to talk about racism without being penalised | Afua Hirsch
Historian David Olusoga talked of being isolated and devalued in the TV industry. It shouldn’t have to be such an act of courageBritish television is failing us. It’s excluding stories, talent, on and...
View ArticleBilly Connolly says challenges of Parkinson’s are getting worse
Comedian makes light of condition as he collects lifetime achievement award at Edinburgh TV festivalBilly Connolly has said the Parkinson’s disease that forced him to retire from live standup comedy is...
View ArticleWhy it’s time to end TV’s deplorable prejudice against disabled people
Speaking at the Edinburgh Television Festival about the scandalous lack of representation and disgraceful conditions my colleagues endure means underlining systemic failures• Actors told they’re ‘too...
View ArticleChannel 5 says it will not make any more shows about Yorkshire
Commissioning editor tells Edinburgh TV festival he is looking for new stories after string of Yorkshire-based hitsChannel 5 is calling time on Yorkshire after accepting that it is possible to have too...
View ArticleMichaela Coel: ‘Sometimes pain is something to be grateful for’
The actor, writer and creator of I May Destroy You, has written a manifesto, Misfits, in praise of being an outlier. Here she answers questions from famous fans and Observer readersMichaela Coel has...
View ArticleWhen an agent of the Tory party decides the BBC’s ‘bias’, it’s a huge problem...
All too often, news media are primed to back down, even apologise, to prove how fair they are. That can be exploitedThis is an abridged version of the MacTaggart Lecture, given by Emily Maitlis at the...
View ArticleRevival of Big Brother ‘depressing’, says Channel 4 executive
Ian Katz also tells Edinburgh TV festival he is unsure whether new PM will push ahead with privatisation of channelChannel 4’s content boss has said the relaunches of old television shows such as Big...
View ArticleLogan Roy would hate me, says Succession star Brian Cox
Actor tells Edinburgh TV festival audience that media mogul would find him ‘tiresome and boring’Brian Cox has said Logan Roy, the character he plays in Succession, would “hate him” if the pair ever...
View Article
