The Media Leader

News analysis, opinion and insight for media and advertising professionals

‘We are platform agnostic’: The company betting on creators as media businesses

The founders of creator media company Everywhere argue that audiences are no longer confined to individual platforms, creating an opportunity for more integrated creator campaigns.

Clearcast expands into digital advertising with AI pre-screening tools and services

Digital advertisers, agencies and brands will now be offered compliance support from Clearcast for the first time through an AI assestment tool, iClear, and a human review service, allClear.

Channel 4 to cut more than a quarter of workforce

The broadcaster says the cuts will allow it to direct a greater proportion of revenues towards distinctive British content.

Amol Rajan’s next chapter was written by broadcast media

Brands looking to replicate Amol Rajan’s approach need to build and maintain a robust backbone of fame and shared meaning. Perhaps via curated, shared, familiar and routine media.

‘Personalisation risks becoming isolation’: Brits increasingly consume commercial media alone

Shared media experiences have become increasingly rare in the smartphone era, IPA’s Making Sense report has found, with substantial gaps emerging between genders and generations.

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Opinion

Bob Wootton

Anyone whose marketing budgets are at stake should firmly resist YouTube’s land grab. But will they? asks Bob Wootton.

Raymond Snoddy

While the BBC’s political editor nodded along to Farage’s claims of a “complainant society”, Channel 4 was about to break the exclusive of the year. Ray Snoddy assesses how it all unfolded.

Mike Follett

Lumen’s Mike Follett takes a first look at the IPA’s Making Sense 8 and reveals behavioural shifts in the data.

Data Snapshot

Data-led charts from across the UK media landscape

Find out more about the UK's most comprehensive aggregator of media data.

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The Future of Media Manchester 2026 is the region's premier event bringing together media planners, strategists, and buyers to explore the biggest challenges and opportunities shaping the commercial media landscape. Hosted by The Media Leader, the event features expert speakers, thought-provoking debates and research-led sessions designed to spark honest conversations about where the industry is heading. Taking place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester on 17 September, the event will bring together 600+ industry professionals and 40+ speakers for a full day of insight, discussion and networking. Attendees can expect sharp debates, fresh perspectives and valuable connections with senior leaders across the media ecosystem — making it a must-attend for anyone looking to stay ahead of the industry’s next chapter.
17 September 2026

News analysis, opinion and insight for media and advertising professionals

‘We are platform agnostic’: The company betting on creators as media businesses

The founders of creator media company Everywhere argue that audiences are no longer confined to individual platforms, creating an opportunity for more integrated creator campaigns.

Clearcast expands into digital advertising with AI pre-screening tools and services

Digital advertisers, agencies and brands will now be offered compliance support from Clearcast for the first time through an AI assestment tool, iClear, and a human review service, allClear.

Channel 4 to cut more than a quarter of workforce

The broadcaster says the cuts will allow it to direct a greater proportion of revenues towards distinctive British content.

Amol Rajan’s next chapter was written by broadcast media

Brands looking to replicate Amol Rajan’s approach need to build and maintain a robust backbone of fame and shared meaning. Perhaps via curated, shared, familiar and routine media.

‘Personalisation risks becoming isolation’: Brits increasingly consume commercial media alone

Shared media experiences have become increasingly rare in the smartphone era, IPA’s Making Sense report has found, with substantial gaps emerging between genders and generations.

The Media Leader

Opinion

Don’t let YouTube take you to the cleaners

The perfect partner for investigative journalism and the nodding Beeb

Making sense of the IPA’s Making Sense 8

Industry News

Ateme puts the spotlight on European tech sovereignty at IBC

Streamers promised simplified pipelines for interactive experiences like Multiview

MediaKind and Accedo offer joint white-label platform solution for operators

SaaS-enablement could help more channel owners offer MultiView

Server-guided ad insertion helps Belgian pubcaster RTBF monetise live rewind

AI is ‘supporting rather than disrupting’ increasingly concentrated ad market growth — for now

Adwanted brings direct mail and door drops into regional media planning tool

AI bots now account for 13% of all web traffic

Data Analysis

Has Origin failed?

Mapping the UK agency landscape

The industry is calling it cross-media. It’s not

Campaign ROI is maximised when audio gets 25% of spend, finds Radiocentre report

Data Snapshot

Podcast Ad Promo Position Plays A Part In Perception

The ad-vantages of streaming

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The Future of Media Manchester 2026