Chime Communications chairman Lord Tim Bell has given his support to David Elstein’s controversial proposals to break-up the BBC and abolish its licence fee.Bell, who is one of the best known figures in the UK communications industry, has backed wide-ranging plans for BBC funding to be transferred to a special public broadcasting authority that would… Continue reading Chime Communications Boss Backs BBC Break-Up

Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, has softened her stance on the promotion of junk food to children and has called on the advertising industry to use its ‘creativity’ to tackle the growing problem of obesity.Jowell rejected calls for a ban on fast food commercials during children’s television programmes, and said that advertising messages promoting healthy eating… Continue reading Advertisers Urged To Use Creativity In Obesity Battle

The continued growth of digital media will cause a fundamental shift in media planning by the end of the decade, according to Jerry Buhlmann, chief executive officer of Carat International.Buhlmann predicts that advertising is about to change significantly with emerging technologies such as the internet, digital television and 3G mobile phones expected to account for… Continue reading Digital Media Will Cause Major Marketing Shift

The Guardian and the Observer have become the latest national newspapers to cash in on the increasing popularity of the internet with the launch of digital editions for online readers.Both titles will next week follow in the footsteps of the Times and the Telegraph with the launch of e-papers that replicate the layout of their… Continue reading Guardian And Observer Launch Digital Editions

BT Group has reduced the price of its cheapest broadband service to less than £20 per month in an attempt to further increase the take-up of high-speed internet access across the UK.The telecoms giant yesterday announced the launch of a new cut-price service aimed at attracting the large numbers of dial-up customers normally put of… Continue reading BT Launches New Cut-Price Broadband Service

The Starcom UK Group has merged its existing digital operations to create a new division dedicated to putting new media heart of the communications planning process.The new Starcom Digital outfit will be led by the agency’s existing head of digital, Jeremy Hill, who will assume responsibility for specialist teams working at both the Starcom MediaVest… Continue reading Starcom UK Launches Dedicated Digital Division

Commercial radio continues to lead the way out of the advertising downturn with revenue increasing by almost 13% year on year during the fourth quarter of 2003 to almost £166 million.The latest figures from the Radio Advertising Bureau show that fourth quarter growth helped the industry deliver a solid 6.8% increase across the year as… Continue reading Double Digit Growth Helps Radio Out Of Downturn

BSkyB has confirmed that Five’s deputy chief executive, Nick Milligan, has been appointed to take up a newly created role of managing director of its advertising sales operation.Milligan, who has occupied a number of senior positions at Five, will lead Sky Media’s strategic development as the satellite broadcaster looks at ways to increase its advertising… Continue reading BSkyB Confirms Milligan To Oversee Advertising Sales Arm

Trinity Mirror is bringing the magazine publishing activities of its national newspapers under a new umbrella organisation to be headed by former Hello! editor in chief, Phil Hall.The new consolidated team begins work next week with a brief to produce the magazines within Mirror Group Newspaper’s portfolio, which include the Daily Mirror‘s new celebrity focussed… Continue reading Trinity Launches Magazine Unit With 3am Celebrity Spin-Off

Trinity Mirror has announced plans to raise the coverprice of its flagship Daily Mirror by 3p to 35p and has revealed that its national newspapers are beginning to see an improvement in advertising revenue.The price of the Daily Mirror will increase from next Monday in an audacious move that will make the paper 5p more… Continue reading Daily Mirror Coverprice To Rise As Group Profits Increase