Your guide to what’s happening this week in the media, entertainment and technology industry.

Week ahead

Don’t miss: IBC365’s cyber security webinar  

Cyber security and the protection of assets: Join IBC365 and hear from experts at TVT, DPP and Juniper Networks to explore network vulnerabilities, best practices to protect content and ways to manage assets. 

Company news

The Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal continues to unravel, with Facebook’s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologising last week and the company’s shares continuing to dive. Business Insider expects the situation to deteriorate over the coming week with Zuckerberg potentially testifying about how the social media company handles privacy and data. 

The AT&T and Time Warner merger trial commenced last week, with questions raised about the impact it could have on the media industry. The two companies are battling the US Justice Department for the opportunity to give Netflix a run for its money. The decision as to whether the $85 billion deal will go through could be made this week. 

Events 

26 March AIB Cyber Security Working Group brings together global AIB members to help share information and expertise about the increasing cyber threats to media companies. 

27 March The Royal Television Society Republic of Ireland Annual General Meeting, taking place in RTÉ AR4, chaired by Charles Byrne.

30 March Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) will be holding an open meeting of its Russian section exploring “Organisation of long-term storage of digital audio-visual materials”. Delegates will gather in Moscow to discuss the issues related to the storage issue for audiovisual works and approach problem-solving techniques.   

Film and TV releases

Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One will hit cinemas Friday. The film is a 1980s-themed adaption of Ernest Cline’s cult novel and is reported to be Spielberg’s first feature film to have big box office potential in the Chinese market.

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling, HBO’s documentary on the beloved comedian who died unexpectantly in 2016, will be available on demand from Tuesday 27 March. Created by Judd Apatow, it features more than 40 conversations with Shandling’s family and friends including Jim Carrey, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld. 

Netflix’s miniseries on Donald Trump, Trump: An American Dream will be released Friday 30 March exploring the extraordinary and unique life of the US President. 

Wes Anderson’s latest feature film, Isle of Dogs is set in Japan and follows a boys’ odyssey in search of his lost dog. It is in theatres in the UK Friday 30 March. 

On this day 

31 March 1997 Channel 5 began broadcasting in the UK.