Michael Savage

Daily Mail owner strikes £500m deal to buy Telegraph titles Acquisition likely to trigger in-depth investigation by regulator after agreement between DMGT and Redbird IMI

HUGE NEWS: Daily Mail owner strikes £500m deal to buy Telegraph titles.

A massive bid to redraw the British press. Big political and competition questions lie ahead:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

BBC board member quits after being ‘cut out’ of talks over liberal bias claims Shumeet Banerji was away during crucial discussions that led to resignation of director general and BBC News chief

NEW: BBC board member QUITS after saying he was cut out of talks over liberal bias claims.

Shumeet Banerji was away for a crucial board discussion that preceded the resignations of Tim Davie & Deborah Turness.

He was generally supportive of the BBC newsroom.

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

they are the figures for evasion and declaring a licence isn't needed

Things have changed a bit, but this - produced before The Ashes started - is basically perfect…

BBC is losing £1bn a year in potential licence fee revenue, say MPs Public accounts committee calculates cost of households either evading the fee or saying they don’t need one

NEW: BBC is losing £1bn a year in potential licence fee revenue - the corporation under "severe pressure", say MPs.

And it's heading into crucial charter renewal talks looking for a new leader.

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

a man in a suit and tie is sitting in front of a wooden wall and says `` here we go again '' . ALT: a man in a suit and tie is sitting in front of a wooden wall and says `` here we go again '' .

*Wakes up, checks the cricket*

US watchdog led by Trump ally investigates BBC Panorama edit of January 6 speech Brendan Carr, head of FCC, asks if programme ever aired in US which is seen as key to any future litigation

US watchdog led by Trump ally investigates BBC Panorama edit of January 6 speech.

Other media lawyers saying the BBC has a “solid case” should Trump pursue legal action.

Story:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Edinburgh TV Festival could leave Edinburgh Organisers look at other UK venues amid concerns over costs and industry’s lack of working-class voices

NEW: Big news in TV world - the great gathering that is the Edinburgh TV Festival may leave Edinburgh.

The city is so expensive in the summer, while organisers want to make it more accessible.

Bids invited from other cities. Another sign of industry strain:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

That sound you hear is the Overton window being given an extension.

What a difference a decade makes.

Ofcom receives complaints over GB News item on defendants’ ‘foreign-sounding names’ Lib Dem MP says way figures were compiled on ‘non-British-sounding’ surnames in court was ‘frankly racist’

NEW: Ofcom receives complaints over GB News item on defendants’ ‘foreign-sounding names’

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Rachel Cooke obituary Journalist, literary critic, food writer and columnist whose work graced the Observer for 24 years

Rachel Cooke

Journalist, literary critic, food writer and columnist whose work graced the Observer for 24 years

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

NEW: BBC chair Samir Shah has told staff “there is no basis for a defamation case and we are determined to fight this” in relation to Trump’s threatened defamation case.

He also emphasised “need to protect our licence fee payers, the British public”.

Trump threatened to file the case this week.

‘Not for the faint-hearted’: is running the BBC an impossible job? After Tim Davie’s resignation, the next director general will face internal strife, external noise and looming talks over the corporation’s existence and purpose

NEW: What on earth happened at the BBC this week?

And why would anyone want to replace Tim Davie?

The behind the scenes concerns about this week’s impact on the BBC’s future:

www.theguardian.com/media/ng-int...

Ex-BBC boss leads calls for end to political appointments to board Tony Hall urges government to bolster BBC’s independence as MPs and union seek Robbie Gibb’s removal from board

NEW: Tony Hall, who Tim Davie replaced as BBC director general, leads calls for the end of political appointees to the BBC board.

PLUS - the Guardian learns Robbie Gibb has the power to unilaterally commission research on bias that worries him.

Story:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

RedBird Capital consortium drops £500m Telegraph bid Move follows opposition from newspaper’s newsroom to US private equity group’s offer and links to China

NEW: Wow..!

The avalanche of media news continues as RedBird Capital DROPS its bid for the Telegraph.

It had been facing an internal revolt - and attacks from those opposing its ownership.

The saga of the Tel sale continues..!

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

NEW: The biggest union in the BBC, Bectu, has written to culture secretary Lisa Nandy and BBC chair Samir Shah, demanding the removal of Robbie Gibb from the BBC Board.

They say Gibb, a political appointee, is a “direct block to the BBC maintaining its chartered objective of independence”.

NEW: Lisa Nandy to look again at political appointments to the BBC’s board as part of charter renewal discussions.

She said concerns have been raised over the appointment of Sir Robbie Gibb, a Conservative first appointed to the board by Boris Johnson.

BBC apologises to Donald Trump over edit of speech for Panorama Corporation rejects demands for compensation after US president’s lawyers threatened to sue for $1bn

NEW: The BBC has apologised to President Trump for a Panorama episode which spliced parts of a speech together - but has rejected his demands for compensation.

Follows our report that BBC as minded to apologise but be robust on the case.

Story:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

BBC reporter who covered gender dysphoria questions claim of ‘systemic bias’ Deborah Cohen says she is not aware of any attempts within corporation to stop or shape her reporting on trans issues

NEW: The Prescott report that led to Tim Davie's downfall included claims of "systemic bias" on the trans issue at the BBC.

But a reporter at the heart of the BBC's reporting on the topic disagrees.

Story:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

BBC prepared to apologise to Trump to resolve billion-dollar legal threat The US president has threatened the BBC with a lawsuit over the editing of a Trump speech in an edition of Panorama

NEW: I understand the BBC is prepared to make a fresh apology to Donald Trump as part of its efforts to resolve his billion-dollar legal threat.

But that apology means it could be robust in more general criticisms of its reporting.

BBC crisis latest:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Mike Graham sacked from TalkTV after ‘failure’ to assist inquiry into racist post Broadcaster suspended presenter last month over Facebook post he said happened after account was hacked

NEW: Presenter Mike Graham has been dismissed from Rupert Murdoch’s digital channel TalkTV.

Company says he failed to cooperate with an investigation into a racist post that appeared on one of his social media accounts.

He said he has been hacked:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Donald Trump says he has ‘obligation’ to sue BBC over speech edit US president sets Friday deadline for corporation to respond to billion-dollar legal threat

NEW: Trump doubling down on legal threat - a huge decision now about how it handles it.

High chances of success in any case, but a public battle. But a settlement with licence fee cash would be politically toxic.

Latest:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

MPs and BBC staff call for Robbie Gibb to leave broadcaster’s board Boris Johnson’s appointee is accused of pushing claims of institutional bias at the corporation after shock resignations

MPs and BBC staff call for Robbie Gibb to leave broadcaster’s board.

Staff left unhappy at all staff meeting today, as their questions about the board go unanswered…

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Which institution is having the most spectacular civil war - the BBC or the Labour Party?

As ever with political scoops, @pippacrerar.bsky.social with big Labour news tonight.

Tomorrow’s Guardian:

Tim Davie defends BBC against ‘weaponisation’ of criticism Outgoing director general tells staff ‘we have to be very clear and stand up for our journalism’

NEW: Significant pushback from Davie this morning on criticisms of the BBC.

In an all staff meeting, he talks about its enemies trying to define it and "weaponisation" by opponents.

Quick story here, more to come:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Tim Davie resigns as BBC director general after accusations of ‘serious and systemic’ bias in coverage Davie says departure is ‘my own decision’, while head of news also quits with BBC preparing to apologise for editing of a Trump speech

An extraordinary moment for the BBC as Tim Davie and head of BBC News are out.

So much to say on this - not least that BBC folk had been hoping for a pushback on the idea of general bias at the BBC.

But first, a story of the shock departure of two huge figures:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

CONFIRMED: BBC Director-General Tim Davie to step down

Lisa Nandy says she still has confidence in BBC leaders after Trump speech edit Culture secretary has spoken to BBC chair Samir Shah about criticised edit of US president’s 6 January 2021 speech

NEW: Lisa Nandy says she still has confidence in BBC leaders after Trump speech edit

BBC continues to be attacked for criticisms made by a former adviser.

While BBC set to apologise for error, some insiders also see a political campaign from the right:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

NEW: Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she retains confidence in the BBC’s leadership, as it battles criticism of the way it edited a Donald Trump speech.

BBC to respond to that issue and other criticisms made by a former adviser tomorrow.