Media in London
Encyclopedia
London is a major international communications centre with a virtually unrivalled number of media outlets. Almost all of the major media organisations in the UK are based in London. Much of the British media is concentrated in London and is sometimes accused of having a "London bias". All the major television networks are headquartered in London including the BBC, which remains one of the world's most influential media organisations, and the largest Broadcaster in the world. Partly to counter complaints about London bias, the BBC announced in June 2004 that some departments are to be relocated to Manchester
. Other networks headquartered in London include ITV
, Channel 4
, Five, CNN International
and BSkyB. Like the BBC, these produce some programmes elsewhere in the UK, but London is their main production centre. Local programming, including news, is provided by the regional services of the main networks: e.g. BBC London News
on BBC One
and ITV London
on ITV1
.
There is a huge choice of radio stations available in London. Local city-wide stations include music-based stations such as Absolute Radio, Capital 95.8, Kiss 100
, Magic 105.4
, Heart 106.2
and Xfm
. Popular news/talk stations include BBC London
, LBC 97.3
and LBC News 1152.
The London newspaper market is dominated by London editions of the national newspapers, all of which are edited in London. Until the 1970s, most of the national newspapers were concentrated in Fleet Street
, but in the 1980s they relocated to new premises with automated printing works. Most of these are in East London, most famously the News International
plant at Wapping
. The move was resisted strongly by the printing trade union
SOGAT 82, and strike action at Wapping in 1986 led to violent skirmishes. The last major news agency in Fleet Street, Reuters
, moved to Canary Wharf
in 2005, but Fleet Street
is still commonly used as a collective term for the national press.
London has two city-wide daily newspaper titles - the Evening Standard
and Metro
, both of which are available on the streets and at London tube and railway stations. The Evening Standard
became a free newspaper in October 2009 after 182 years as a paid-for publication. There is also a freesheet covering financial news, City A.M.
. The independent weekly listings guide Time Out Magazine has been providing concert, film, theatre and arts information since 1968. There are a vast number of local newspapers in the London area, often covering a small section of the city as well as two free magazines, Sport
and Shortlist
London is at the centre of British film and television production industries, with major studio facilities on the western fringes of the conurbation and a large post-production
industry centred in Soho
(see Soho media and post-production community
). London is one of the two leading centres of English-language publishing alongside New York. Globally important media companies based in London range from publishing group Pearson
, to the information agency Reuters
, to the world's number two advertising business WPP Group
.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Other networks headquartered in London include ITV
ITV plc
ITV plc is a British media company that operates 12 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom...
, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Five, CNN International
CNN International
CNN International is an international English language television network that carries news, current affairs, politics, opinions, and business programming worldwide. CNN is one of the world's largest news organizations. It is owned by Time Warner, and is affiliated with CNN, which is mainly...
and BSkyB. Like the BBC, these produce some programmes elsewhere in the UK, but London is their main production centre. Local programming, including news, is provided by the regional services of the main networks: e.g. BBC London News
BBC London News
For other uses of the BBC London brand, see BBC London .BBC London News is the BBC's regional television news programme for the English region encompassing London and surrounding suburbs...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and ITV London
ITV London
ITV London is the on-air brand name used by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the two Channel 3 broadcast franchises, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television in the London ITV region.-History:...
on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
.
There is a huge choice of radio stations available in London. Local city-wide stations include music-based stations such as Absolute Radio, Capital 95.8, Kiss 100
Kiss 100 London
Kiss is a UK radio station broadcasting on FM and Digital Radio, specialising in hip hop, R&B, urban and electronic dance music. It also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and TalkTalk TV...
, Magic 105.4
Magic 105.4 FM
Magic 105.4 FM is an adult contemporary Independent Local Radio station based in London, purchased by media group Emap in mid-1998, who subsequently rebranded the then-titled Melody 105.4 FM. It is part of the Magic radio network, now owned by Bauer Radio...
, Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2 is an Independent Local Radio station based in London and is owned by Global Radio as part of the Heart Network.On 25 June 2007 it was announced that Heart along with its sister stations The Arrow, Sky News Radio, LBC and Galaxy were to be sold for £170 million to Global Radio from...
and Xfm
Xfm London
Xfm London is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Global Radio and broadcasts on 104.9 FM in London, on digital radio via 30 DAB multiplexes across the country, Sky, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media....
. Popular news/talk stations include BBC London
BBC London
BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...
, LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3 is a London-based talk and phone-in radio station. It is one half of the latest incarnation of LBC, the news and speech service which was Britain's first commercial radio station when it went on air in October 1973...
and LBC News 1152.
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
, but in the 1980s they relocated to new premises with automated printing works. Most of these are in East London, most famously the News International
News International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
plant at Wapping
Wapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
. The move was resisted strongly by the printing trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
SOGAT 82, and strike action at Wapping in 1986 led to violent skirmishes. The last major news agency in Fleet Street, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, moved to Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
in 2005, but Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
is still commonly used as a collective term for the national press.
London has two city-wide daily newspaper titles - the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
and Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
, both of which are available on the streets and at London tube and railway stations. The Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
became a free newspaper in October 2009 after 182 years as a paid-for publication. There is also a freesheet covering financial news, City A.M.
City A.M.
City A.M. is a free, business-focused newspaper distributed in and around London in the United Kingdom. It was launched by a group of entrepreneurs in September 2005 and remains independent of any other media company. Its certified distribution hit a new record of 113,348 copies a day in November...
. The independent weekly listings guide Time Out Magazine has been providing concert, film, theatre and arts information since 1968. There are a vast number of local newspapers in the London area, often covering a small section of the city as well as two free magazines, Sport
Sport (magazine)
Sport is a free French and London-based weekly sports magazine. It specialises in football, rugby, and tennis, together with handball in France and cricket in London...
and Shortlist
Shortlist (magazine)
ShortList is a free weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom which launched on 20 September 2007. The magazine has the biggest circulation of any men's lifestyle magazine in Britain with Martin Robinson as its Editor. Mike Soutar, former editorial director of IPC Media, editor of FHM in the...
London is at the centre of British film and television production industries, with major studio facilities on the western fringes of the conurbation and a large post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
industry centred in Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
(see Soho media and post-production community
Soho media and post-production community
Much of the British independent film, television and post-production industry is based around London's Soho area. Many of the people who work in the industry form a village-like community, with the various companies hiring and re-hiring one another's employees, and, like many other villages, having...
). London is one of the two leading centres of English-language publishing alongside New York. Globally important media companies based in London range from publishing group Pearson
Pearson PLC
Pearson plc is a global media and education company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is both the largest education company and the largest book publisher in the world, with consumer imprints including Penguin, Dorling Kindersley and Ladybird...
, to the information agency Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, to the world's number two advertising business WPP Group
WPP Group
WPP plc is a global media communications services company with its main management office in London, United Kingdom and its executive office in Dublin, Ireland. It is the world's largest advertising group by revenues, and employs over 150,000 people in 2,400 offices in 107 countries...
.