2-6 Dec: Your guide to what’s happened this week in the media, entertainment and technology industry.

Facebook takes down Conservative ads
Facebook has removed adverts posted by the UK Conservative party for containing edited version of BBC content, CNN has reported.

The BBC filed the complaint, telling Facebook that the adverts infringed on its intellectual property rights, claiming they could “damage perceptions of our impartiality”. The social network duly responded, removing the ads following the valid claim.

Huawei to sue US over new restrictions
Chinese tech giant Huawei is planning to sue the U.S. government over a Federal Communications Commission order, NBC reported

The FCC barred Huawei from a federal subsidies program due to the Trump administration’s security concerns about the company’s connections to the Chinese government. The company denies it is a security risk and is arguing that this removal violates its right to due process. 

Sky Studios strikes deal with Merman TV
Sky Studios has signed a distribution deal with Merman TV, founded by Catastrophe co-creator Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The two-year agreement covers overhead and development funding for Merman, which has won three BAFTA television awards.

The deal will see Merman TV expand its UK scripted team to develop brand new drama and comedy projects for Sky audiences and beyond.

BBC iPlayer stays strong with 3.6bn views
The BBC has announced a “record-breaking” year for its iPlayer streaming service revealing that it has clocked up 3.55 billion program requests in the ten months to the end of October 2019. 

BBC director of content Charlotte Moore said it is up more than 10% from 2018 in the same period.