Today’s mammoth 12 hour syndicated radio broadcast in aid of the Asian tsunami appeal has raised over £2 million with just under two hours left to run.The staggering total is double the amount expected to be raised by the event, which unites more than 200 stations with a single programme broadcast from Capital Radio’s Leicester… Continue reading UK Radio Aid Donations Surpass £2 Million Mark

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has pledged to end the exclusive distribution deal between Metro and the Capital’s underground railway stations, paving the way for rivals such as Richard Desmond to launch titles aimed squarely at the lucrative commuter market.Stating that the current deal with Associated Newspapers does not allow for free evening newspapers to be… Continue reading Livingstone Opens Tube To Afternoon Freesheet

Outdoor advertising giant Maiden Outdoor has been selected as the preferred bidder by South West Trains, the largest train operator in the UK, in the battle for control of its advertising contract.The move is contrary to reports published today which suggested Maiden had won the contract, and will see the advertising heavyweight move into talks… Continue reading Maiden Selected As Preferred Bidder For Rail Contract

Channel 5 has confirmed that it has plans to create a children’s channel, spun off from its current early morning Milkshake programming strand, but claimed that it was just one of a number of possible ventures under consideration for the future.The channel is understood to be the brainchild of Nick Wilson, controller of children’s programming… Continue reading Five Eyes Expansion With Digital Children’s Channel

BBC Worldwide has announced the sale of eve magazine to Haymarket, a move which marks the first move by the UK’s largest privately owned publishing group into the women’s magazine sector.The decision to sell eve was made as a result of the commercial review undertaken by the BBC last year and will result in Haymarket… Continue reading BBC Worldwide Sells Eve Magazine To Haymarket

The Newspaper Marketing Agency has stood by claims made in recent research that newspaper advertising can double brand commitment, despite wide-ranging criticism of its methodologies by the Radio Advertising Bureau.The RAB had claimed that the methodology used by the NMA in its Measuring Advertising Effectiveness of Newspapers study was unsuitable and has resulted in radio… Continue reading NMA Stands By Research In Face Of RAB Doubts

JanuaryThe Times made an optimistic start to 2004 by extending the availability of its recently launched compact edition to areas outside of the original London trial zone (see Times Extends Availability Of Compact Edition). The paper also received a boost to its compact confidences with the latest ABC circulation figures revealing that the launch of… Continue reading NewsLine End Of Year Round-Up: Press

The Daily Star has slashed its weekday cover price to just 15p, sparking fears that a fresh tabloid price war is on its way.The move by the newspaper, owned by media mogul Richard Desmond, could force tabloid rivals the Sun and Daily Mirror to drop their price in order to compete. The move is understood… Continue reading Daily Star Price Cut Sparks Fears Of Tabloid Price War

Radio ratings body RAJAR is expected to deliver an update on the progress of its electronic measurement development programme next week, a process which it is anticipated will ultimately lead to the adoption of new technologies for gathering radio audience data.A spokeswoman for RAJAR confirmed to NewsLine that an update was on its way, and… Continue reading RAJAR Electronic Measurement Update Expected Next Week

Channel 4’s latest series of Celebrity Big Brother kicked off last night, with a mix of hopeful celebrities entering the house for an extended two-week stint watched by almost 6 million viewers.Amongst the famous faces participating in the reality TV show this year are feminist Germaine Greer, supermodel Caprice and indie group the Happy Mondays… Continue reading Channel 4 Sees Strong Start For Celebrity Big Brother