PROUD MEDIA NEWS CENTRE

  Originally dominated by men, the podcast market in German-speaking countries is currently undergoing a significant change: in 2025, it will be primarily female listeners under 30 who will shape the market - in terms of reach, usage and interest in topics. This is shown in the new “Podcast 2025 Report” by Seven.One Audio, the leading podcast marketer in Germany. The genres “Comedy”, “True Crime” and “Society & Culture” are particularly popular among them - a trend that is also reflected in the overall listenership. However, the influence of female listeners is not only evident in the young target group: across all age groups, their share of total usage time is now over 50%. At the same time, the podcast market continues to grow steadily: reach is increasing among younger listeners in particular, while usage duration and frequency are increasing in all target groups. The market is also booming on the supply side: almost 13,000 new podcasts were published in 2024 - primarily on ...

  More than £2 billion saved from “wasteful” NHS spending is to be diverted to “working class communities that need it most”, the Health Secretary will announce. Wes Streeting will use a speech in Blackpool on Wednesday to set out how poorer communities will benefit from more medicines and equipment – and a bigger share of GP funding – under reforms in the upcoming NHS 10-year plan. The Department of Health said NHS leaders have spent recent months driving cuts to NHS spending, such as on “back office” functions and agency staff, while reducing forecast deficits by health trusts. Around £2.2 billion previously set aside to plug financial holes will now be spent on staff, medicines, new technology and equipment in rural communities, coastal towns and working-class regions, according to the Department. Mr Streeting will say: “The truth is, those in greatest need often receive the worst quality healthcare. “It flies in the face of the values the NHS was founded on. The circumstances o...

  Plans to compensate subpostmasters wronged by the Horizon IT scandal are “still moving far too slowly”, a committee of MPs has said. The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) needs to “outline what more it will do to ensure every affected postmaster” is aware of their options for redress, according to the public accounts committee. The Government announced earlier this month that more than £1 billion has been paid out to subpostmasters across the Horizon-related schemes. Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Many are still awaiting compensation. Committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has described the scandal as “one of the UK’s worst ever miscarriages of justice” as “thousands of people were failed deeply by the system”. Releasing the annual report into DBT and its accounts, Sir Geoffrey said: “This Committee would have hoped to have found gov...

  That's according to data from analysts Kantar Grocery prices are now 4.7% more expensive than a year ago as supermarket inflation hit its highest level since last March, figures show. The figure is up from 4.1% last month, which was a rise from 3.8% in April, according to data from analysts Kantar. Price rises did not stop British consumers from making 490 million trips to the supermarket over the last month, averaging almost 17 per household and the highest recorded by Kantar since March 2020. The increase in visits saw take-home grocery sales over the four weeks to June 15 grow by 4.1% compared with the same period last year. However, the rise in the frequency of visits was balanced out by a drop in average amount spent per trip, which fell by 3p to £23.89. As temperatures rose, consumers bought 2,400 packs of strawberries every minute in the last four weeks. Shoppers also traded up to more exotic fruits too, with sales of mangoes and blueberries climbing by 27% and 10% respect...

  A £1 billion investment in a new national biosecurity centre will help tackle animal disease outbreaks and the risk of future pandemics, the Government said. A £1 billion investment in a new national biosecurity centre will help tackle animal disease outbreaks and the risk of future pandemics, the Government said. The announcement is part of a new national security strategy being unveiled on Tuesday, and the facility will join a network of government laboratories to protect the public and respond to biological security risks. The funding for the next phase of a biosecurity centre at Weybridge, Surrey, comes after warnings from the National Audit Office that the Government was not properly prepared for a major outbreak of animal disease. Animal diseases such as bird flu, bluetongue and African swine fever can pose serious threats to England’s farming sector, food security, and wildlife, and are a major and increasing risk to public health. About 60% of all known human infectious d...

  Consumer confidence improved marginally in June despite the “dark shadow” of inflation and turmoil in the Middle East, figures show. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index rose two points but remains firmly in negative territory at minus 18. Confidence in the general economy over the coming year rose five points, driving the improvement, but still remains at minus 28 – 17 points worse than last June. The forecast for personal finances over the next 12 months remained unchanged at positive two – two points down on this time last year. The major purchase index, an indicator of confidence in buying big ticket items, also remained unchanged at minus 16, seven points better than last June. Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK, said: “Consumers have been resolute in their views on their wallets, with June’s personal financial situation scores – past and future – unchanged from May. “Yet confidence is still fragile because the dark shadow of inflation is a day-to-day ch...

The Monetary Policy Committee meets on Thursday The Bank of England is predicted to keep UK interest rates at 4.25% on Thursday amid rising food inflation and the threat of surging oil prices pushing up the cost of living. Most economists think the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will opt to keep rates on hold when it meets on Thursday. The MPC has voted to cut rates at every other meeting since it started easing borrowing costs last August, from a peak of 5.25%. This has been possible while the rate of UK inflation has been steadily falling from the highs reached in 2023, at the peak of the cost-of-living crisis. Interest rates are used as a tool to put a lid on unruly inflation, in line with the Bank’s task of keeping the rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) at 2%. However, rising food prices have been putting pressure on overall inflation recently, with the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose by ...

They have released financial details for the quarter to May 29th Premier Inn owner Whitbread has posted falling sales amid a “challenging” UK market and a major restaurant overhaul. The group, which also owns the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains, reported a 2% drop in total accommodation sales across the UK in its first quarter to May 29, with food sales plunging by 16% as it revamped its restaurants business. Food and drink sales have been impacted by a restructure that Whitbread started in April last year, which includes cutting back its restaurant business to build more hotel rooms. The £500 million plan, which executives dubbed “Accelerating Growth”, involves converting 112 branded restaurants into new hotel rooms and selling 126 more. The plans announced in April 2024 will also see around 1,500 jobs axed as it looks to save about £150 million over the next three years. Whitbread said on Thursday it was on track to save £60 million in this financial year. On a like-for-like basis...

  US tariffs and higher costs for firms mean the UK economy is set to grow at a slower rate than previously predicted, according to new forecasts. US tariffs and higher costs for firms mean the UK economy is set to grow at a slower rate than previously predicted, according to new forecasts. Rising costs are set to cause “weak” business investment and weigh on the Government’s ambitions to accelerate growth in the UK economy, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said. The influential trade body’s latest economic forecast indicated that the UK economy is on track to grow by 1.2% this year. It had previously predicted a rise of 1.6%. It also downgraded its growth forecast for 2026 from 1.5% to 1% for the year. The CBI highlighted that the UK has seen strong growth over the start of the year, rising by 0.7% in the first three months of 2025. But it suggested underlying activity “remains sluggish” due to persistently weak demand and gloomy sentiment among businesses. It added tha...