The Media Club · 28 March 2025 · 37 min
No News Is Good News (For Google)
- Google's claim that news has no impact on ad revenue
- CMA probe into TV freelancer fees dropped
- BBC Studios withdraws podcast ad plans
- Decline of local radio and local content
- BAFTA TV nominations 2025
- Success of 'Adolescence' on Netflix
- Apple TV+ losing over $1bn a year
- Gwyneth Paltrow's comments on intimacy coordinators
In this episode of The Media Club, host Matt Deegan is joined by media writer Jane Martinson and Broadcast journalist Rebecca Cooney. The main stories discussed include Google's claim that news has no measurable impact on its ad revenue, based on an experiment with 1% of EU users; the CMA dropping its probe into TV companies over freelancer fees; BBC Studios withdrawing plans to add adverts to UK podcasts; and Bauer's retreat from local radio in Wales. The panel also covers BAFTA TV nominations, the success of 'Adolescence', Gwyneth Paltrow's comments on intimacy coordinators, and Apple TV+ losing over $1 billion a year. The episode includes a media quiz segment.
Key takeaways
- Google claims news has no measurable impact on its ad revenue, based on an experiment with 1% of EU users, but the panel questions the methodology.
- The CMA has dropped its probe into TV companies over freelancer fees, despite earlier suggestions of evidence of collusion.
- BBC Studios has withdrawn plans to add adverts to podcasts in the UK after backlash.
- Bauer Media is ending local breakfast shows, leaving no physical base in Wales.
- Apple TV+ is reported to be losing over $1 billion a year.
In this episode
- Intro and member recommendations
- Google's news ad revenue claim
- CMA probe dropped
- BBC Studios podcast ads U-turn
- Local radio and Bauer
- BAFTA nominations and awards
- Media Quiz
Notable quotes
“I think he has done a brilliant job as a journalist, not only by his behaviour once being included in the...”
“It feels like the wrong word. Yes, it's an incredible piece of television. It is profoundly depressing, but in a very good way.”
“Freelancers are never shown enough, respect.”
“I think one of the absolutely most disastrous things about what's happened to the media in the last 20 years has been the death, really, the collapse of local content.”
“I'm glad Timothy Chalamay seems to be nice. Like, that's good. Every time I describe a famous man as being, oh, he seems nice. Something terrible.”
Discussed
Google · BBC · BBC Studios · CMA · Bauer Media · Apple TV+
Mentioned or recommended
- Adolescence
- Baby Reindeer
- Rivals
- Slow Horses
- Mr Bates vs The Post Office
- The Media Quiz
