Posts made in March, 2016

on Mar 28, 2016

By Tony Connelly AL Jazeera Media has announced that plans to cut 500 jobs worldwide, weeks after it confirmed the closure of its American cable channel. The layoffs will see around 10 per cent of the Qatari state backed media group’s global staff lose their jobs however the majority of the cuts would be affect those at its headquarters in the Qatar capital of Doha. Acting general director Mostefa Souag said the “difficult” decision was the result of the changing media landscape. A statement from Al Jazeera described the latest move as “a workforce optimisation initiative” in response to “the ongoing transformation of the media landscape”. Souag Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Mar 28, 2016

By Charlotte McEleny Chinese web users used Google for an hour this weekend after the search giant broke through the country’s firewall due to the implementation of new IP servers in Asia. According to the South China Morning Post, bloggers started posting online that they had gained access to Google on Sunday night at 11.30pm, only to find that ‘the great firewall of China’ had once again shut it down by 1.15am. It is believed that the search engine’s access was due to a new series of IP servers in Asian areas which the firewall didn’t recognise until later, when it Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Mar 28, 2016

By John Glenday Facebook has said sorry to users after it inadvertently kicked-off a worldwide bomb scare after a bomb alert was issued to members the world over following a terrorist explosion in Pakistan. The disaster response feature is intended to help those caught up in such incidents by inviting people to confirm that they are safe but instead of focussing on those close to the scene of the blast in Lahore the alert was sent to people from as far away as Hawaii, Hong Kong and the UK. To compound the chaos some members were issued text alerts asking if recipients had Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Mar 28, 2016

By Randy Cooke The below is written by Randy Cooke, VP, Programmatic TV, SpotX. The last fifteen months at the FCC have yielded some of the most consequential policy decisions since the commission’s founding in the 1930s. From net neutrality to redefining what constitutes an MVPD, commissioners have consciously pursued positions that promote innovation and foster competition across an industry that currently offers consumers very little choice. Last month, the FCC took its most progressive action yet in a 3-2 vote of the commissioners. Colloquially described as “unlocking the set-top-box,” the regulator has effectively torn down an Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Mar 28, 2016

By Gillian West From production and project management who ‘oil the wheels’ to human resources and talent management who offer ‘invaluable advice,’ the makeup of a successful creative agency is much like a game of Jenga where, without just one component, the whole thing can come crashing down. Rapp executive creative director Jason Andrews is happy to admit that his role rests on the hard work of others. “They lay all the groundwork for people like me to come in and do all the ta-da stuff,” he laughs, adding that it is their unseen work behind the scenes that enables the business (“and, Read full story › Source: The Drum...