Colin Morrison CBE

People Want real Change - Sunak v Starmer: Green groups call on broadcasters to ensure climate change features in TV debates: https://lnkd.in/eqxDwp3N #elections #UK #UKelections #TVdebates #climatechange

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My latest short story ‘Noughty Boy’ in the new edition of Deal Jam Magazine. You can find it in Issue 4 alongside lots of other fresh fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art: https://lnkd.in/eSfvw-iN #fiction #amwriting #horror #bodyhorror #bookstagram

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The UK Government has launched its first Industrial Strategy in seven years - and the Creative Industries has been named as a priority sector. This is a great opportunity to grow the existing £125bn GVA contribution the creative sector already makes. With ambitious approaches to using public investment to further unlock private capital and philanthropic contribution, returns for the UK economy can turbocharge growth and drive innovation. Creativity can - and should - be baked into this strategy from the offset. Now, it's about working with the UK Government to advise on the best way to unlock shared potential and drive inclusive growth for our nation. We have the solutions. It’s time to roll our sleeves up and deliver. https://lnkd.in/ePSH8fdv

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Today sees the release of Ofcom’s overview of the UK media landscape – the Media Nations Report. As always with this invaluable report, its best to read past the “Gen Z swerving” headlines (a slightly un-Ofcom choice of language) and pick through the many insights that lie within. The first observation is that overall video consumption went up in 2023 to a an average of 4 hours and 31 minutes a day, and the TV set is the most used device. So please no headlines on the “death of TV”. The big theme is the migration of TV audiences to the breadth and flexibility of streaming options, and away from traditional broadcast/over-the air TV. And yes this remains most acute amongst those swerving 16-24 year olds, more than 50% of whom do not watch “broadcast TV” on a weekly basis (although they could of course be watching live TV on a streaming service, which highlights the growing need for clarity on definition – broadcast TV does not equal live TV, ask anyone launching a FAST TV service). The decline in broadcast TV viewing is steep in the last three years, although this is from a Covid peak in 2021. The only anomaly in this decline was the +75s who with a small increase in their broadcast TV viewing (up 1%). But even the most stalwart defender of broadcast TV I doubt would claim that as much more than an aberration of the overall trend. But let’s not forget this decline is still from a very big base – live/broadcast still represents 109 minutes of those 4 and half hours of viewing. Two bits of good news emerge from the report for the PSBs: -         BVOD is growing nicely – up 29% year on year, and most significantly amongst older audiences – reinforcing the strategy to invest in the content range and product quality of the PSB players. -         There remains strong and consistent satisfaction in public service broadcasting across all age groups. Another key insight from Ofcom’s report is that SVOD penetration definitely seems to have plateaued. Of course it remains a very competitive market but on the simple measure of what proportion of homes take at least one SVOD service, we remain at 68% which is no higher than the post lock-down SVOD boom. And as others have commented in recent months, if SVOD were an Olympic sport then it appears the real battle is for silver and bronze, with Netflix accounting for half of all SVOD viewing. The final insight of note is on YouTube – hard to describe Google’s video platform as a sleeping giant – but it is sometimes surprising it doesn’t get more attention compared to its SVOD cousins. Total viewing of YouTube reached 31 minutes on average per individual per day (50% higher than the equivalent figure for Netflix), and most notably half of this is now on the TV set. If anyone still thought YouTube was about watching cat videos on the train home – think again. https://lnkd.in/ekpQR7sm

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GDP data dropping tomorrow. How's the economy feeling for you? Write away. We'll be sharing your thoughts with the national, local and selected trade media tomorrow AM sharp. https://lnkd.in/e2Ddn-hz

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Quick take on the budget - further thoughts to follow. For film and TV there seemed to be two tax incentive policies that I could spot. These were ones already announced by the Tory government. The indie sector needs, and deserves more from this government. Department for Culture, Media and Sport - there needs to be more coming. Pact and Creative UK I know you are lobbying to drive change, as are Bectu and the excellent Philippa Childs For ref the two were: 5.108 Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit: Additional tax relief for visual effects – From 1 April 2025, film and high-end TV productions will be able to claim an enhanced 39% rate of Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit on their UK visual effects costs. UK visual effects costs will be exempt from the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit’s 80% cap on qualifying expenditure. Costs incurred from 1 January 2025 will be eligible. This measure was announced at Spring Budget 2024 and it will be legislated in Finance Bill 2024-25.     5.109 Independent Film Tax Credit – From 1 April 2025, UK films with budgets under £15 million and a UK lead writer or director will be able to claim an enhanced 53% rate of Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, known as the Independent Film Tax Credit. Expenditure incurred from after 1 April 2024 on films that began principal photography on or after 1 April 2024 is eligible. This measure was announced at Spring Budget 2024 and has been legislated. And here is our survey from ahead of the budget covered by Max Goldbart in Deadline Hollywood https://lnkd.in/eeBWgC-P.

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I got to speak to one of the smartest operational development folks in podcasting, Hassan Chaudhry, on Podcast Perspectives. Hassan hails from Blanchard House, HBO Max, and before that the world of private equity. In other words, he was a big spreadsheet guy that graduated into creative development for some of the most exciting companies in podcasting. He puts on a masterclass in how big companies (and solo creators) should be thinking about podcasts beyond the podcast universe. Give this one a listen to learn more about where your show can fit into the broader media ecosystem. We'll work on the video thumbnails for next time ;)

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It's so refreshing to see a government willing to tackle the problems the film and TV industry faces head-on. It was heartening to see the workers bill announced in the King's speech yesterday and whilst not explicitly about the production industry, it will have a huge impact on the huge number of freelancers and self-employed who make up the backbone of the sector in the UK. The sounds coming from the government have been of a willingness to engage with the industry to find pragmatic and grown-up solutions. rather than mediating everything through an often flimsy ideological framework that sought to engage in culture war battles more than it seemed to want to deal with the real-world issues affecting the industry. It won't all be simple and words are easy. It'll be up to the industry to help keep the government to its promises. And it will need the likes Bectu to keep them in check too. But it seems things are starting on a positive note. With that in mind, it's worth checking out the article in C21Media by Neil Batey who covers what the King's speech will mean for the industry and includes the thoughts of Philippa Childs, the head of Bectu, and those of Georgia Brown, who is heading up the Screen Sectors’ Skills Task Force (SSSTF). https://lnkd.in/egvUHcRh

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Edison research have published their consumer report for 2024. Now is a great time to be podcasting in the UK, if you are thinking of starting one or have already got one on the go but want someone to produce and edit then give me a shout. Key points from the report: More UK adults than ever are listening to podcasts: Over two-thirds of the United Kingdom age 18+ have ever listened to a podcast; 42% are monthly podcast listeners and 30% are weekly listeners. All data points are record highs. Weekly UK podcast listeners 15+ spend an average of 5 hours and 27 minutes listening to podcasts in a typical week. Young UK adults are loyal consumers of podcasts: The majority of 18–34-year- olds are monthly podcast listeners and 41% are weekly listeners; higher than the average UK adult. Podcasts are an excellent way to reach the sought-after 35-54-year-old UK segment, many who are in their prime spending years: About half are monthly podcast listeners; 34% are weekly podcast listeners. The 55+ UK population are increasingly listening to podcasts: 28% of those age 55+ listen monthly, up from 20% in 2023; 18% of those age 55+ listen weekly. Forty-eight percent of Black UK adults listen to podcasts each month, higher than the 42% among the overall UK population; 39% of UK Asian adults listen to podcasts each month. Newcomers to weekly podcast listening are more likely to be Gen Z: 38% of new weekly podcast listeners (those who began listening in the last year) are Gen Z; 14% of weekly podcast listeners who started listening more than a year ago are Gen Z. Reach among UK women monthly podcast listeners is up: 39% of UK women are monthly podcast listeners, up from 31% in 2023; 26% are weekly listeners. The top three podcasts reaching the most UK weekly women podcast listeners are The Diary of a CEO, Saving Grace, and Sh**ged Married and Annoyed. The Top 10 podcasts in the UK combine to reach 31% of all weekly podcast listeners age 15+. The Top 25 podcasts reach 44% of weekly podcast listeners, which means with only the 25 biggest shows, nearly half of all weekly podcast listeners are accessible.

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There is both a democratic and business benefit for advertisers to support news brands in the lead up to a general election. When accuracy and fact-checked information is an absolute necessity, such as with a general election, news brands really come into their own, and it’s really important that advertisers support that. This is a cornerstone of democracy, and it costs money to provide it - can you imagine a world where deepfakes and influencers tell us how we should vote!? 👀 Not only is there a democratic need for advertisers to support trusted news brands, but there is also a huge business benefit as well in the shape of more attention. For example, The Spectator sees a 30% increase in audience numbers as we approach a general election, and the dwell time on an article pertaining to the election is also increased. In short, more people spend more time on our content, and I am sure other premium news brands see a similar trend. On top of that increase in audience and dwell time, there is a higher share of voice because the UK government, one of the biggest advertisers, stop activity in the run up to the election. I think that’s what they call a win-win? #ukelection #news #advertising

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A good read as always from Tom Harper, our head of media relations Europe at APCO, highlighting the challenges news orgs face at a time of limited resources and an era of misinformation and fake news...turbocharged by AI.

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After a couple of years of research and consultation, the new CAP guidelines on podcast advertising are here... https://lnkd.in/eak3XU_a Set to fully take effect from 16th August, all advertising communications within a podcast must now feature clear signposting to make them obviously identifiable as such. The ASA suggests the use of terms such as 'This is an advertisement for...' or 'our sponsor today is...', although it's not an exhaustive list and they will take into account the full context of an ad when considering if it has breached the code. Sound effects and clearly marked breaks from the main content are also suggested as ways to clearly distinguish commercial content from editorial. Interestingly, for video podcasters, it highlights the need to ensure that host reads included within the video version of a podcast should adhere to the relevant CAP guidelines for that medium. How have you been handling commercial signposting until now? Does this actually change anything?

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📢 Exciting Webinar Alert! 📢 Don't miss out on catching up with the amazing UK Election package by everviz for the upcoming UK elections. This plug-and-play solution makes it effortless to provide stunning graphical coverage. Interested in learning more? Drop me a line and let's discuss how this can enhance your election coverage. #UKElections #DataVisualization #ElectionCoverage #Everviz #Webinar #MediaSolutions #Broadcasting #Newsroom #InteractiveGraphics

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Have you not had your fill of election news yet? Want to know exactly what the tech sector can expect in the coming months and years? Then GOOD NEWS: I've talked to Mark Ridley, technical co-founder of Reed and a very experienced IT leader, about what the Labour win means for the UK's tech sector. We talk AI, the NHS, the potential opportunity for open source, green tech and pick over the oddly specific plans for datacentres. It's a fascinating interview and important listening for everyone in UK tech (and when you listen, please leave us a rating/review). https://lnkd.in/e9SDtpiw

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Great to get even more new Newspagers out of the blocks - and in style, in the Mail Online. In this case Tony Redondo ACIB Prem Raja and David Nicklin along with serial media tarts Gabriel McKeown and Trish McGirr. If you're a currency, markets or economic expert, join Newspage and you'll make the headlines, too. https://lnkd.in/eAG_f4Q6

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I'm not one for making political comment, but given the state of the UK production sector over the last 12/18 months I couldn’t resist when asked by Broadcast (MBI) magazine. Lots of pressing issues including offshoring, sustainability and innovation funding that any new government should address to preserve our amazing creative and production industries. At Quite Brilliant future proofing production is at the heart of what we offer. #Virtualproduction #sustainability #innovation #future https://lnkd.in/gCSm6HQs

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The Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC) will allow films with a total core expenditure of under £15 million to be eligible for a relief of 53% on qualifying expenditure. Films with a total core expenditure of up to £23.5 million can qualify for the IFTC, however can only claim on up to a maximum of 80% of £15 million of the core expenditure. £23.5 million is the tipping point where it becomes more advantageous to claim the standard rate of AVEC without being capped at £15 million.

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Economies are complex, interdependent ecosystems but @martin wolf at the FT summarises well the challenges in the UK, certainly in comparison to the US: "What the country needs is a strategy for growth that takes on its most obvious weaknesses: low investment, desperately low savings, insufficient mobilisation of capital for innovative businesses, poor infrastructure, inadequate housing, a long tail of weak companies, inadequate creation of skills, and huge and persistent regional inequalities. We must regret the sad failure to ensure that the North Sea oil windfalls and the ultra-low interest real rates of the post-financial crisis period left a longer-term legacy." https://lnkd.in/e4dFk-Ae Just one of the top 7 US-listed companies invests more in startups than probably the entirety of the UK's listed companies in aggregate. The 'insufficient mobilisation of capital for innovative businesses' goes beyond the paucity of pension fund money flowing through public markets to entrepreneurs (though it remains a critical issue) and a fundamental inability to send the right demand signals and interconnection between the invention of ideas to their scale-up through testing and collaboration between businesses. Corporate venturing is about more than the capital, as under appreciated as that is, and as much as about the customer/supplier relations and migration of talent and how to land the value. Joseph Schumpeter's great book, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, tends now to be read more now by political scientists than economists for the drag of society into a social democracy which undermine the capitalist spirits that through creative destruction had created the growth. He was right. What's been interesting about the US growth rates after the global financial crisis is how effectively it has harnessed the elan of the entrepreneur and creative destruction of new business creation through the covid pandemic in the way the other main democracies in the G7 have failed to copy. America's election this week will see a new President who will enjoy a booming economy. Last year applications to form businesses reached 5.5m, a record, and the monthly average is still about 80% higher than in the decade before covid, compared with just a 20% rise in Europe, the Economist said. In the four years before the pandemic, established firms added one net job for every four created by startups; in the four years since the pandemic, established firms have lost one job for every four created by startups. https://lnkd.in/ejg2eBQv Innovation is strategic and the UK's forthcoming industrial strategy and spending review will show whether it understands this

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