TalkTV going off linear, Reach earnings and a new Global CEO

03/07/24 • 40 min

Host Ella Sagar welcomes editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Jack Benjamin to examine the past week in media, including TalkTV's decision to come off linear TV, Reach's "better-than-expected" earnings and Global appointing Simon Pitts as its next CEO after Stephen Miron.

The trio also discuss Isba's plans for spinning off Origin into a separate company, ITV selling its 50% stake in BritBox International to BBC Studios, February's box office and Apple's €1.8bn fine from the European Commission.

Highlights:

0:21: STV's Simon Pitts to become Global CEO beginning Q1 2025

3:02: Will 2024 be a Mediapalooza?

7:47: Takeaways from The Media Leader's interview with The Sun MD Ben Walmsley

10:50: The implications of TalkTV coming off linear TV

21:52: Reach's better-than-expected earnings report – is the publisher turning a corner?

29:36: Quick hits: Isba spinning off Origin; February's box office and the success of Dune: Part Two; ITV's sale of BritBox International; Apple's European Commission fine

---

Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media.

LinkedIn: The Media Leader

Threads: @TheMediaLeader

Twitter: @TheMediaLeader

YouTube: The Media Leader

Highlights:

0:21: STV's Simon Pitts to become Global CEO beginning Q1 2025

3:02: Will 2024 be a Mediapalooza?

7:47: Takeaways from The Media Leader's interview with The Sun MD Ben Walmsley

10:50: The implications of TalkTV coming off linear TV

21:52: Reach's better-than-expected earnings report – is the publisher turning a corner?

29:36: Quick hits: Isba spinning off Origin; February's box office and the success of Dune: Part Two; ITV's sale of BritBox International; Apple's European Commission fine

---

Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media.

LinkedIn: The Media Leader

Threads: @TheMediaLeader

Twitter: @TheMediaLeader

YouTube: The Media Leader

Previous Episode

TheZoo.London: 'Gone are the days consultancy is something to do in-between jobs'

Consultancy in some form may become part of a media practitioner's career at some point, but how does it work in reality?

Rachel Forde and Marco Bertozzi, co-founders of consultants' collective The Zoo.London, join Ella Sagar to talk about founding a company, misconceptions about consultancy and the senior brain drain in media.

For Forde, the days when consulting was seen as "something to do in-between jobs" are gone and consultants have "a really super smart way to work", focusing on projects they enjoy doing without the politics of a full-time role.

At the same time, Bertozzi believes companies choosing the right consultant is "more important than ever".

He adds: "It is a tough market. And I think that all points to the fact that companies, whether it's consultancy or full time, they're evaluating way more carefully every pound they're spending on their business. So this all ties together for us. It's like, yes, consultancy might be an easier step for them rather than hiring."

Highlights

02:41: How TheZoo.London started

06:10: How TheZoo.London is going

12:00: The rise of the fractional CMO

15:41: Misconceptions about consultancy

21:50: Advice for founders

25:05: Advice for consultants

30:31: Media needs to change its attitude to senior talent

32:53: Forde and Bertozzi's animal psychology results

35:03: Why are you passionate about media?

Next Episode

Yannick Bolloré: Why Vivendi wants to create 4 'cousin companies'

Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of Havas and chairperson at Havas' parent group Vivendi, speaks to Omar Oakes about the company's financial earnings, in which it turned around a €1bn loss the previous year, and why Vivendi is considering creating four distinct "cousin companies", centred on Havas, Canal+, publishing and distribution.

The interview also reveals:

Bolloré's view on how Vivendi companies will integrate
Why he has committed to lead the company for another 11 years
His media hero and why he's passionate about advertising and media

Bolloré on...

Restructuring: "It's easier to sell a company which is 100% owned by a private company than the listed company. So the idea is not at all to sell anything. It's because we believe in the potential of appreciation of each of our assets that we believe they will get better value."

Innovation: "Innovation is one of the key ingredients of Havas' success. We have been funding innovation since forever, since always, whether it was digital, then data, tech and, today, artificial intelligence are a key path for us. And I think it's a key reason why we are one of the best performers in the entire advertising industry."

Strategy: "Ten years ago, the industry was very siloed. It was not about holding companies, it was about networks with, most of the time, different names from the holding companies, and few people knew [those names]. And today, it's all about integration."

---

Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media.

LinkedIn: The Media Leader

Threads: @TheMediaLeader

Twitter: @TheMediaLeader

YouTube: The Media Leader