Latest news with #CharlotteMoore
Mint
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
The Corporate Culture Wars Have a Strange New Coalition
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- A new development in the culture wars is about to create a fresh set of headaches for corporate America. Issues that left-wing advocacy groups have been heckling companies about for decades are increasingly being taken up by the right — a shift that's adding complexity and risk for CEOs already struggling to navigate this moment's deep ideological rifts. There is no better example of the left-right convergence than Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent Make America Healthy Again report. Many of the factors it accuses of contributing to childhood chronic disease — ultra-processed food, pesticides, and corporate lobbying's influence on regulation — have historically been scourges of the left. 'What they're talking about and demanding is not that dissimilar than what the left has been talking about for the last 10 years,' says Charlotte Moore, CEO of Sigwatch, a consultancy and data provider that recently issued a report tracking some 160 US right-wing campaigning groups. But here's where things get complicated: While the end goals of these two factions might be the same, their framing is radically different. Right-wing activists focus on moral clarity and outrage (e.g. defending personal freedom, protecting children), while left-wing campaigns tend to evoke existential threats (e.g. saving a burning planet). We've already seen how the right has applied its tactics to incite a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (freeing the public from the tyranny of 'wokeness'). Now it's zeroing in on a similar narrative as it tackles issues once thought to be outside the interests of conservatives. Take biotechnology, such as GMOs and pesticides. Activism around these concerns originated in lefty environmentalism. But right-leaning groups that have taken up the cause have instead focused on a rallying cry of the freedom to be healthy and protect children from being poisoned. The latter framing is especially powerful, transforming 'disputes into existential moral threats, where opponents aren't just wrong — they are corrupting or endangering the next generation,' as Sigwatch explains it. This should be a wake-up call for companies that thought the backlash against DEI and ESG meant they no longer had to pay attention to social issues. 'ESG is not going to resurrect itself, but the risks that come from having negative impacts on communities and societies have not gone away,' Moore told me. In fact, she sees those risks becoming more significant. Communities that weren't interested in these subjects when they were raised by bougie-seeming left-wingers can and are being mobilized on the very same issues by the right. It may also lead to pressure on companies and sectors, such as the energy industry, that previously viewed conservatives as allies. Companies should be prepared to see some unusual but powerful coalitions going forward. Vani Hari, for example, self-dubbed the Food Babe on social media, has long been an effective critic of Big Food — as well as a one-time Democratic supporter. Recently, though, she's aligned herself with the Trump administration, which has cast her as a central figure in its food policy. However, she would not discuss her views on Kennedy's vaccine skepticism or budget cuts to food programs with the New York Times, saying, 'I don't understand why it has to be all or nothing. My mission is my mission.' It's a sign that some more progressive figures are willing to ally with the right — despite not agreeing with it on everything — if it means furthering their agenda. Corporate America has been facing left-wing activists for decades, which has made their pressure less frightening and more routine. Moore says management teams are less sure of how to respond when the heat is coming from the right because they haven't seen it before. Case in point: how quickly companies caved to activist Robby Starbuck's attacks on DEI. The business world should expect to see savvy left-leaning activists like Hari reignite their campaigns by forming some of these unlikely partnerships. Despite the risks of being double-teamed by the left and the right, it's a better position than being pulled in two opposite directions. Just ask Target Corp., which has failed to make anyone happy with the way it's handled its DEI policies. Companies that find themselves in the middle of this unusual political overlap have a better chance to actually appease both sides. But it requires understanding — and treading carefully around — their divergent motivations. Those that take action by, say, eliminating a controversial food additive should let the move speak for itself. Issuing a self-congratulatory press release that talks about environmental stewardship or ESG will only raise the hackles of the right. That's a surefire way for a company to drag itself back into the outrage machine it's just tried to escape. Elsewhere in Bloomberg Opinion: This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Beth Kowitt is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering corporate America. She was previously a senior writer and editor at Fortune Magazine. More stories like this are available on
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BBC Tasks Two Headhunters With Finding Its Next Chief Content Officer
EXCLUSIVE: The BBC has engaged two executive search companies to help with its efforts to replace chief content officer Charlotte Moore. The broadcaster has tasked Grace Blue and Ibison with filling the most powerful creative role in British TV, audio, and streaming, per a job ad just published online. More from Deadline David Tennant Recalls Agent Told Him "Don't Touch" 'Doctor Who' Role Bruce Springsteen Doc Set For BBC; UK Podcasters Merge; Cristiano Ronaldo & Matthew Vaughn Team For Movies - Global Briefs 'BBC Breakfast' Boss Richard Frediani Faces Further Bullying Claims: "A Tyrant On The Shop Floor" Moore announced in February that she was stepping down as chief content officer after four years to join Left Bank Pictures as CEO. She will also oversee international creative output for Sony Pictures Television. The BBC's job ad makes clear that the successful candidate will oversee the same empire as Moore, potentially ending speculation that the corporation may look to break up the role. The job ad stops short of saying that the new chief content officer will sit on the board, but this is because the successful candidate has to be formally put forward by the nominations committee. Moore has held a board seat since 2020 and her successor will likely take a place at the top table. The job notice said Moore's replacement will 'oversee commissioning for BBC iPlayer, all national TV channels, commissioning and production for 10 national radio networks and for BBC Sounds, children's and education content and be the creative lead for all BBC's key genres.' The right candidate will be an 'industry-recognised senior leader,' who has held a 'sizable leadership role within the UK TV market.' They must have a 'comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape including the economic/commercial/political and creative issues facing the industry.' The BBC's unscripted supremo Kate Phillips has taken on Moore's role in the interim and is widely seen as one of the leading candidates for the position. Deadline listed the key contenders in February, with those linked with the role including Netflix UK chief Anne Mensah; Jay Hunt, creative director, Europe at Apple TV+; BBC Studios Productions CEO Zai Bennett; and Patrick Holland, the boss of Banijay. Speculation is likely to be fevered as the recruitment process progresses. There has been a period of unprecedented stability at the top of British television, with content chiefs at the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 all having been in post for record periods of time. Applications close on April 30. Best of Deadline Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' Everything We Know About 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ofcom Weighs In On ‘Gaza: How to Survive A Warzone' Row: Tells BBC It Has 'Ongoing Concerns About The Nature & Gravity Of These Failings'
Ofcom has taken a tough line on the BBC's Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone SNAFU and said it could intervene if necessary. Ofcom has written and published a letter to BBC Chair Samir Shah this morning. For what many deem to be a light touch regulator, it did not hold back, communicating 'ongoing concerns about the nature and gravity of these failings and the negative impact they have on the trust audiences place in the BBC's journalism.' More from Deadline 'Doctor Who' Trailer Teases Killer Cartoons, Interstellar Song Contest & New Companion In Season 2 International Insider: London's New-Look TV Week; Charlotte Moore Shocker; Ukraine & Gaza In Spotlight BBC Unscripted Supremo Kate Phillips Takes On Interim Content Chief Role Following Shock Charlotte Moore Exit Announcement The BBC is investigating the saga, which erupted around 10 days ago after it emerged that the Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone documentary was narrated by the son of a Hamas minister. Ofcom today said it could still step in if it is not satisfied with how the BBC is going about things. 'We will continue to keep the situation under close review and will expect regular updates from the BBC regarding both timeframes and progress and reserve the right to use our powers to step in should we feel it necessary to do so, given that the BBC Board has decided these to be internal investigations,' added the letter, which was penned by Ofcom Chair Michael Grade, a former BBC One Controller and BBC Chair. Ofcom said it is crucial that the 'causes of those errors are investigated, and that systems are put in place to ensure they can not recur.' Russell Brand reviewer Peter Johnston is leading the BBC's probe. In an extraordinary statement last week, the BBC said the producers of the doc, HOYO Films, and its director Jamie Roberts, were aware of the narrator's links to Hamas and kept this information from the corporation. On commissioning the in-depth review, the BBC said it identified serious flaws in the doc, with some of the flaws made by the production company and some the responsibility of the BBC. The doc has proved enormously controversial and has attracted open letters from both sides of the debate along with stern criticism from Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. Tomorrow, Shah alongside Director General Tim Davie will go up in front of the UK's Culture, Media & Sport Committee, and this row will top the agenda. Shah, a former BBC current affairs boss, is understood to be frustrated at the way in which the situation has been handled so far. Best of Deadline How To Watch Sean Baker's Oscar-Winner 'Anora': Streaming, For Rent And More Every Oscars Best Animated Feature Winner Since 2002 How To Watch The Oscars Online And On TV
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
International Insider: London's New-Look TV Week; Charlotte Moore Shocker; Ukraine & Gaza In Spotlight
It's that time of the week, Insiders. Jesse Whittock here to take you through the headlines from international film and TV. London's Big TV Week More from Deadline BBC Unscripted Supremo Kate Phillips Takes On Interim Content Chief Role Following Shock Charlotte Moore Exit Announcement UK Culture Secretary Meeting BBC Chair "Urgently" Over 'Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone' Controversy Taxi! How One International Distributor Got Business Moving During The London TV Screenings A permanent alteration?: Since the London TV Screenings began in 2021, more and more international buyers have been flooding to the English capital in February. Anticipation — and tension — was high this week, as MIP London landed in town for the first time at the Savoy Hotel and IET London conference center. This brought a new market to the table, running parallel to the BBC Studios Showcase and London TV Screenings, which were founded by ITV Studios, All3Media, Fremantle and Banijay and now boast nearly 40 distributors touting wares. A week of wet and windy weather wasn't enough to put off buyers, who flocked to various events and meetings, while MIP London offered a sprinkling of star power through David Beckham, who talked about his underwear. More seriously, various discussions, both publicly and privately, were focused on continuing global market contraction. Big distribution deals got done, with buzzy Euro crime drama Safe Harbor landing homes on ITV in the UK, Virgin Media Television in Ireland and SBS in Australia, while, intriguingly, and possibly a sign of things to come, ITV Studios and BBC Studios both struck content agreements with Chinese counterparts. ITVS also snapped up Vice Studios' catalog after a lengthy courtship and Norwegian format The Box continued to unwrap deals. More conference and deal news is here. Overall, there was a surprise feeling of collaboration between the events, with MIP boss Lucy Smith offering olive branches as she pressed the flesh at various London TV Screenings drinks and networking events. Perhaps no-one embodied that spirit better than Be-Entertainment, however, as the Belgium-based distributor put on a 'Be-EnterTaxi' service to shuttle buyers to their next meetings through a traffic-heavy central London. Now that's innovation. There are still murmurs about MIP London's place in proceedings, but it could be that the international TV schedule is permanently altering again. BBC Shocker No Moore: As we reported earlier this year, the top tier of UK broadcasting has experienced an unprecedented period of stability in the past decade. No-one epitomizes that more than BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore, who has led programming at the UK's public broadcaster for nearly 10 years. Cue industry-wide shock when it was announced yesterday that Moore had decided to leave and join The Crown maker Left Bank Pictures as CEO and the producer's parent, Sony Pictures Television, as Creative Director of International Production. Andy Harries, the storied Left Bank founder, had announced his move to Exec Chair a day prior, paving the way for Moore's grand unveiling. There have been signs this was coming, with Jake and Max late last year revealing Moore had been courted to replace Liam Keelan as Disney's EMEA content chief (she turned this one down), but it's hard to overstate how big a deal this is for British producers, with a changing of the guard coming for the first time since 2016. Who replaces her? Well, BBC unscripted chief Kate Phillips will in the interim. Beyond that, there's no clear frontrunner quite yet, but this runners and riders overview is a good place to starting tracking the field. Stay tuned. Ukraine Three Years On Superheroes and capes: This week marked the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Amid a surreal and shocking set of political developments around Ukraine's future, I went deep to assess how the country's TV industry was holding up. I spoke to several producers and channel execs, including the studio head who had scrambled to save the latest season of MasterChef Ukraine after her facility was hit by a Russian missile less than 10 days before production was due to begin. Viktoriia Vyshniakova's story was frightening and inspiring, which is actually a good lens through which to look at the TV biz in the country more broadly. 'In today's reality, a Ukrainian producer is nothing short of a superhero,' Kateryna Udut from new Kyiv-based boutique consultancy Between Media later told me. With Donald Trump and his administration continuing to meet with Russian officials, the chances of an end to the invasion are rising — but at what cost for Ukraine and its people? Read more here. Gaza Doc Controversy Unprecedented situation: Besides Charlotte Moore, the other big news out of the BBC this week came in the form of yet another editorial controversy. In a week in which the British broadcaster apologized for 'missed opportunities' to address the alleged behavior of former radio DJ Tim Westwood, a furore has exploded over the Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone doc when it emerged producer HOYO Films was aware of the narrator's links to Hamas and did not inform the BBC. After complaints from numerous industry figures, the doc has been hooked from the BBC iPlayer and the corporation faces a dilemma on whether to proceed with an L.A. wildfires doc made by HOYO director Jamie Roberts, as Max revealed on Wednesday. An unprecedentedly in-depth statement released by the BBC last night confirmed the producers had known about the child's Hamas links. While the BBC board believes this fact was intentionally hidden, 'it was then the BBC's own failing that we did not uncover that fact and the documentary was aired.' Given Jake's analysis that BBC errors around the Gaza conflict skew heavily against Israeli interests, this is clearly something that needs addressing more fully, and it will via an in-depth review that has now been commissioned. As we go to press, BBC Chair Samir Shah is preparing to meet a riled-up Culture Secretary. Technicolor Collapses A WARNing to the industry: It's been a brutal week for the post-production sector with the confirmation that Technicolor collapsed on both sides of the Pond following financial troubles. The Paris-based VFX and post giant — known for work on hundreds of movies and TV shows, including the Harry Potter films and Mufasa: The Lion King — informed staff in the U.S. of closures through a WARN notice last Friday before similar notes went to workers in the UK and France over the weekend. Before long, hundreds of staff were made redundant, with one source close to the company telling me this week the number of people suddenly on the job market was 'devastating.' There was a tiny bright spot, as Jill Goldsmith wrote Monday, when management and staff at Technicolor subsidiary The Mill joined forces with Dream Machine FX to launch a new venture, Arc Creative, keeping dozens of people employed. However, the bad news kept coming, and spread to the animation sector, where Montreal's ON Animation, the Mediawan-owned facility behind Miraculous and The Little Prince, was shuttered with the toon business in a state of flux. The Essentials 🌶️ Hot One: A24 boarded its first Channel 4 project, flatshare comedy series It Gets Worse from Leo Reich (pictured) that's also financed by Canada's Crave. 🌶️ More Heat: Off The Fence teamed with investigative journalists Gloria Gomez and Robin Carter for true-crime programs, with Love & Death Row: The Rosalie Bolin Story being their first project together. 🔥 Very Hot: Berlinale title Köln 75 shopped to the likes of Lucky Red, SF Studios and HBO. 🌍 Global Breakout: Our latest featured Breakout is Drugged and Abused: No More Shame, a France 2 doc following Caroline Darian, daughter of Gisèle Pelicot, whose husband was jailed for systemically and covertly raping her over many years. 💸 Sold: Telia's TV and media assets, including Sweden's TV4 and Finland's MTV, to Schibsted Media for around $620M. ⛺ Fest in focus: Diana explored the Glasgow Film Festival through an interview with director Allison Gardner and a rundown of key films and events. 👀 First-look deal: For Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Wells Street Films, which struck an agreement with Francesca Moody Productions, the prodco behind the stage versions of Baby Reindeer and Fleabag. 🍿 Box Office: Chinese animation Ne Zha 2, Captain America: Brave New World, Bridget Jones 4: Mad About the Boy and Mufasa: The Lion King all featured in Nancy's latest analysis. 🕯️ RIP: To acting giant Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead at home in Santa Fe, and to Israeli filmmaker Renen Schorr, founder of the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School. This week's International Insider was written by Jesse Whittock and edited by Max Goldbart. Best of Deadline All The Songs In 'Running Point' On Netflix: From Tupac To Steve Lacy 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery How To Watch The 2025 Oscars Online And On TV
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mike Leigh, Riz Ahmed Among Media Figures Calling Out BBC Over Gaza Doc Controversy
The BBC is embroiled in controversy after a documentary on the Israel-Gaza war featured narration from the son of a senior Hamas official. The corporation has removed Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone from its streaming service BBC iPlayer while it carries out 'further due diligence.' Following four teenage boys through the conflict in Gaza, pro-Israel protestors are in uproar after discovering one of the 13-year-old subjects, Abdullah Al-Yazouri, is the son of Hamas' deputy minister of agriculture. More from The Hollywood Reporter Warner Bros. Discovery Turns $677M DTC Profit for 2024, Streaming Subs Grow to 116.9M Killer Billionaires, Generational Poverty and Michael Haneke: Austrian Cinema Takes Center Stage at the Glasgow Film Fest Sony, 'The Crown' Producer Left Bank Hire BBC Content Chief Charlotte Moore for Dual Role 'The BBC has become a mouthpiece for terror. It cannot call terrorism by its name. The BBC has become a spokesperson for terrorists,' said Gideon Falter, the chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), which organized a demonstration outside the BBC headquarters in central London earlier this week. Photos from the event showed protestors holding up placards that read 'spokespeople for terrorists.' Other signs showed Hamas militants with BBC headbands. The CAA submitted a Freedom of Information request to the BBC, demanding to know if payments were made in relation to the doc — to whom and in what amounts. The group said: 'This is an opportunity for the BBC to come clean on whether lisence fee funds have gone to Hamas.' U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she spoke with BBC director-general Tim Davie about the film, ensuring that 'no money paid has fallen into the hands of Hamas.' A statement from the BBC read: 'Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone features important stories we think should be told — those of the experiences of children in Gaza. There have been continuing questions raised about the programme and in the light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company. The programme will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.' The corporation said it was not informed of the teenager's family connection in advance by the film's production company. However, following its removal from iPlayer, industry figures are now calling on the BBC to reinstate the program. Soccer star Gary Lineker, actors Riz Ahmed, Khalid Abdalla, Miriam Margolyes and director Mike Leigh are among the 800+ signatories of an open letter published by Artists for Palestine U.K. on Wednesday. The media professionals, including 12 BBC staff, sent a letter to Davie, as well as chair of the board Samir Shah, outgoing chief content officer Charlotte Moore, and head of news and current affairs Deborah Turness. 'Beneath this political football are children who are in the most dire circumstances of their young lives,' the letter reads. 'This is what must remain at the heart of this discussion. As programme-makers, we are extremely alarmed by the intervention of partisan political actors on this issue, and what this means for the future of broadcasting in this country.' The letter also dubbed the campaign 'racist' and 'dehumanising.' It called on the BBC to 'reject attempts to have the documentary permanently removed or subjected to undue disavowals.' The BBC's board is expected to discuss the film on Thursday. The BBC did not immediately respond The Hollywood Reporter's request for comment. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 20 Times the Oscars Got It Wrong The Best Anti-Fascist Films of All Time Dinosaurs, Zombies and More 'Wicked': The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025
