Unfiltered Media

Positioning specialist Paul Evans, founder of Version, explains why half of B2B businesses operate without documented positioning - and how AI-driven content and discovery make differentiation harder than ever.

Hotspex CEO Shane Skillen joins Justin Lebbon to unpack how LLMs are reshaping consumer buying, why strong brands can override AI recommendations, how AI quietly skews media plans toward digital, and whether creators threaten TV.

Barb's new CEO Caroline Davey and partnerships head Luca Vannini give their first interview, laying out an ambitious roadmap to blend panel and streamer first-party data, move to second-level measurement, and rethink JIC relevance amid squeezed budgets.

Justin Lebbon and Ian Whittaker unpack two S&P demotions: Trade Desk's slide out of the S&P 500 as Amazon and Google squeeze the DSP market, and Nike's exit from the S&P 100 after a brand-eroding pivot to performance and DTC.

Ian Whittaker unpacks his report "A Risk Too Far", arguing the UK's DTT switch-off should be pushed from 2034 to 2044 — on national resilience, household access, and the commercial hit to broadcasters. Justin Lebbon pushes back.

Justin Lebbon and Ian Whittaker unpack the escalating collision of politics, tech and media law — from four state AGs suing Meta, to Disney suing the FCC, to the state AG challenge to the Paramount/WBD deal.

Comcast Advertising president James Rooke argues premium video is inherently performative and can win share back from the big platforms — if TV makes itself as easy to buy as social and proves outcomes via incrementality.

Ian Whittaker and Justin Lebbon dissect the politics stalling the Paramount/Warner Bros Discovery deal, the tech-titan PR push on AI, and how a Burnham government could reshape UK media and social-platform policy.

Justin Lebbon and Ian Whittaker run through Q2 results — Alphabet, Comcast, Netflix, Havas and Publicis — and unpack why soaring AI CapEx is spooking investors plus ad investment figures remain resilient despite the war and political uncertainty

Justin Lebbon and Ian Whittaker unpack the agreed Sky–ITV deal, the likely regulatory path, whether ITV Studios gets bought, and why Comcast is splitting off NBCUniversal — plus the collaboration-not-just-consolidation lesson from Norway.