LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) – Britain’s BBC must undergo a
radical overhaul in the wake of “shoddy” journalism which led to
the resignation of its chief or its future will be in doubt, the
head of the state-funded broadcaster’s governing body said on
Sunday.

Chris Patten, chairman of the BBC Trust, said opponents of
the BBC, especially Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, would take
advantage of the turmoil to up the pressure on its long-term
rival.

LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) – BBC director general George
Entwistle has resigned just two months into the job, after the
state-funded broadcaster aired mistaken allegations of child sex
abuse against a former leading politician.

The BBC was already reeling from revelations that a
long-time star presenter had been a paedophile, and the
conspicuous failure to apply normal journalistic standards was
the last thing it needed.

LONDON (Reuters) – BBC Director General George Entwistle resigned on Saturday, just two months into the job, after the state-funded broadcaster put out a program denounced by its chairman as shoddy journalism.

The BBC, reeling from revelations that a former star presenter was a paedophile, brought further problems on its head when a flagship news program, Newsnight, aired a mistaken allegation that a former top politician sexually abused children.

LONDON (Reuters) – James Murdoch was re-elected to the board of BSkyB on Thursday, ensuring his family’s media empire retains a direct influence at Britain’s biggest pay-TV company despite being weakened by a phone hacking scandal.

James Murdoch, forced to quit as BSkyB chairman in April over his role in the scandal at his father Rupert’s News Corp, was re-elected as a BSkyB director with around 95-percent support in a shareholder vote at an annual meeting.

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Pay-TV group BSkyB
reported strong first-quarter earnings growth on Thursday as
price rises and the sale of additional products to subscribers
helped reassure investors who had been fearing a slowdown.

BSkyB, which sells pay-TV, broadband and telephony, has
launched an online offering and promoted new products to
existing customers after the heady rate of subscriber growth
seen in previous years started to drop off.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Pearson and Germany’s Bertelsmann plan to merge their publishers Penguin and Random House, aiming to gain the upper hand in their relationship with Amazon and Apple, the leaders in the ebook revolution.

Education and media publisher Pearson said on Monday the joint venture – which will bring under one roof fantasy novelist Terry Pratchett, “Fifty Shades of Grey” author EL James and 2012 Nobel prize winner Mo Yan – would be named Penguin Random House.

LONDON, 29 (Reuters) – Britain’s Pearson and
Germany’s Bertelsmann are to merge their publishing units,
Penguin and Random House, to recover ground lost to technology
groups Amazon and Apple, the leaders in the ebook revolution.

Education and media publisher Pearson said the newly created
joint venture, which will bring under one roof fantasy novelist
Terry Pratchett, “Fifty Shades of Grey” author EL James and 2012
Nobel prize winner Mo Yan, would be named Penguin Random House.

LONDON (Reuters) – Pearson said it would merge Penguin Books with Bertelsmann’s Random House to create the world’s leading consumer publisher, a day after Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times said his News Corp (NWSA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) group could bid for Penguin.

The education and media publisher Pearson said the newly created joint venture, which will bring together writers Ken Follet, Terry Pratchett, EL James and 2012 Nobel prize winner Mo Yan, would be named Penguin Random House.

LONDON, 29 (Reuters) – Pearson said it would merge Penguin
Books with Bertelsmann’s Random House to create the world’s
leading consumer publisher, a day after Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday
Times said his News Corp group could bid for Penguin.

The education and media publisher Pearson said the newly
created joint venture, which will bring together writers Ken
Follet, Terry Pratchett, EL James and 2012 Nobel prize winner Mo
Yan, would be named Penguin Random House.

LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) – WPP, the world’s largest
advertising group, has cut its revenue outlook for the second
time in as many months after a sharp slowdown in September in
North America and Continental Europe hit its third quarter.

WPP now expects full-year like-for-like revenue growth of
2.5-3.0 percent, compared with a forecast of 3.5 percent made at
the end of August, chief executive Martin Sorrell said on
Thursday.