The Media Club · 10 February 2023 · 45 min
(Another) Government Shake Up, tales from GrowthLab & Iger's plans for Disney
- UK Culture Secretary Reshuffle
- BBC Chair Richard Sharp
- Disney Restructure
- Children's TV Funding
- Indie Production Growth
- Streaming Market Challenges
In this episode of The Media Club, host Matt Deegan is joined by media commentator Maggie Brown and Times media correspondent Alex Farber to discuss the latest UK media and political shake-ups. The panel examines the UK Culture Ministry's return from DCMS to CMS and the appointment of Lucy Frazer as the twelfth culture secretary in as many years, replacing Michelle Donelan. They also analyse BBC Chair Richard Sharp's parliamentary grilling over his role in helping Boris Johnson secure a loan, questioning whether his position is now untenable. The episode includes a live segment from the GrowthLab conference in Canary Wharf, where Faraz Osman interviews industry figures about growing independent production companies. Finally, the panel discusses Disney CEO Bob Iger's plans to cut 7,000 jobs and restructure the company, reflecting on whether similar changes could come to UK broadcasters. The show concludes with a TV-themed media quiz.
Key takeaways
- Lucy Frazer becomes the 12th culture secretary in 12 years, with the digital brief moving to a new department.
- BBC Chair Richard Sharp faced a parliamentary grilling over his role in helping Boris Johnson secure a loan, with no apology.
- Disney announced 7,000 job cuts and a $5.5 billion cost-saving plan under returning CEO Bob Iger.
- The GrowthLab conference in Canary Wharf highlighted the indie sector's need to adapt to a fragile market.
- The media quiz covered the Fawlty Towers reboot, Mark Steyn's departure from GB News, and the Happy Valley finale.
In this episode
- News Round-up
- Main Discussion: UK Culture Secretary and BBC Chair
- GrowthLab Deep Dive
- Disney Discussion
- Media Quiz
Notable quotes
“I think the only way really now, is if, for example, he can pull a really good deal for the BBC World Service, for example.”
“I think that this is the biggest time of opportunity in media of all time on the planet.”
“I think the big new trend for 23 and 24 is going to be the rise of the mega influencer.”
“I don't want to get on a cruise ship with a load of anti-vaxxers. That's just me.”
“I didn't actually really like the final episode. I thought it went on too long.”
Discussed
Richard Sharp · BBC · Disney
Mentioned or recommended
- Fawlty Towers
- Happy Valley
- The Gold
- GrowthLab
- Private Parts
- Homo Sapiens
- Secrets of Lost Liners
- Ancient Egypt by Train
- Ottoman Empire by Train
- Flight Attendant Murders
- Inner Monologue
- Sex, Lies and DM Slides
