The Global Media Business Weekly
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Colin Morrison
Colin Morrison is founder of Flashes & Flames: The Global Media Business Weekly, which began as a blog in 2011 and became a subscription newsletter in 2020. It formed a strategic alliance with PA Media Group (formerly the Press Association) in 2021.
Flashes & Flames is widely read by CEOs, senior executives and entrepreneurs in the media, digital, business information and events industries, principally in the UK/Europe, the US and AsiaPacific. It is presenting the “Monetising B2B” conference in London on 20 May 2025, with the participation of major companies including RELX, The Economist, Financial Times, Informa, and Clarion Events.
Colin started out with an undemanding and under-paid job in a London newspaper cuttings library for the BBC (yes), while writing freelance on music, broadcasting and entertainment. He subsequently became a newspaper, radio and magazine journalist variously in London, Dublin and New York.
He worked for, and contributed to, diverse publications including: Irish Press, New York Times, Broadcast, London Evening Standard, Lloyd’s List, The Times of London, Disc & Music Echo, Oilman, Radio Times, Seatrade, and the Daily Telegraph. He has also broadcast extensively on BBC and LBC radio.
At IPC / Reed Publishing, he was a journalist and successively became editor, publisher and managing director of B2B and specialist consumer magazine and events brands including: Amateur Photographer, Flight International, Classic Cars, Cycling, Airline Business, Commercial Motor, Yachting World, and The Caterer.
He subsequently became CEO of media, information, events and broadcast companies in the UK, Continental Europe and the AsiaPacific, including for: Axel Springer, Australian Consolidated Press, Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd, EMAP Plc, Future Plc, Reed Elsevier, and Hearst Corp.
He has established and managed joint ventures and partnerships with: Hearst, Hachette, Microsoft, VNU, Time Warner, Sony, ACP Magazines, Disney, Fairfax, SBTV, PA Media Group and the BBC.

He has been chair and non-executive director of media companies variously under public, private and private equity ownership. He has also been an investor in media, tech and investment companies in the UK, Europe, US and Australia. He has been a keynote speaker at recent conferences in the UK, US, India, Italy, South Africa, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Spain and Portugal.
Colin is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and of the UK Industry & Parliament Trust; a member of The Cook Society; and a Freeman of the City of London and Liveryman of the 350-year-old Worshipful Company of Stationers & Newspaper Makers. He has been chair of Magazine Publishers of Australia, and of British Business Press, and a director of the UK Professional Publishers Association, and of The Media Society.
He has been honoured as an “Influencer” in the Folio:100, in the US, and was awarded an CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth in the UK for services to media, education and charity. For 15 years, he was chair of a national children’s charity, and was an adviser on education to successive UK governments.
What our readers say
Arnaud de Puyfontaine, CEO, Vivendi SA: “Flashes & Flames is the most inspiring media newsletter I ever read. It’s a must-read every week”
Lara Boro, CEO, The Economist Group: “Flashes & Flames is essential weekly reading for anybody in the ever changing world of media”
Sean Griffey, founder, Industry Dive: “Flashes & Flames provides an in-depth look at the business of media simply not found anywhere else. It’s the first thing I read every Friday morning.”
Tom Bureau, CEO, Burda International: Colin Morrison combines the experience and instincts of a senior operator, with the analysis of a quality commentator. Given the lack of mainstream journalistic investment in the media sector, he has built a thing of real value to its subscribers. It is surprisingly well researched and always has an interesting take on deals and the media organisations he reports on.
Philip Soar, Chair, CloserStill Media: “Flashes & Flames is essential reading for those of us working and investing at the intersection of trade shows, events and private equity. It is the only regular source of useful and accurate information on those increasingly prominent parts of the media world.”
The team
Tech: Kieran Delaney is owner-founder of Mathematics which designs and builds websites, apps and digital products for media and brands including Facebook, Dazed, Mixmag, Audi, Birkenstock, Kerrang! and RayBan. Mathematics designed, built and manages Flashes & Flames. Kieran and his team have also been variously involved in web projects for NME, Adidas, X-Box, Stella McCartney and 02.
Content: Jasper Jackson is Technology Editor of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and was previously an editor successively for BriefingMedia, The Guardian, and the New Statesman. He is a trustee of The Media Society.
Events: Cobus Heyl is a former journalist and media business executive for Naspers who has become one of the most experienced organisers of conferences and events. He is producer of our events, starting with the ‘Monetising B2B’ conference in London in 2025.
Research: Alex De Groote is a highly experienced TMT analyst for European banks and brokers including: Charterhouse, ING, Credit Agricole, Panmure Gordon, Peel Hunt, Cenkos and Arden Partners.
Circulation: David Greene is a UK-based specialist in subscriptions, consumer marketing, and media readership. He has been an executive director of IPC Media, The Independent, and Telegraph Media Group.
Consultant: Ian Findlay has managed M&A, fund-raising, investment, and strategic development for some of Europe’s largest media groups including: RELX and EMAP.
Flashes & Flames Media Ltd
Flashes & Flames is published by Flashes & Flames Media Ltd., a company registered in the UK. Company no. 12865884. Registered address: 8 Hampstead Gate, 1A Frognal, London NW3 6AL, UK.
Published: Friday 7.30am (UK time). All rights reserved. ©Flashes & Flames Media 2025
Subscriptions: £189 per year. Corporate and concession rates on application
Contact: colin@flashesandflames.com