Google has announced that its proposed $800 million (£455 million) search advertising deal with Yahoo! has been delayed due to the US Department of Justice (DoJ) investigation.The DoJ said it needs time to continue its investigations into the deal and its implications on the industry, according to reports.Both companies issued statements to explain the deal… Continue reading Google And Yahoo! Deal Delayed

ITV has confirmed a number of senior appointments to its newly-reshaped commercial sales team, led by commercial sales director Gary Digby.Reporting directly to Digby, Mark Trinder and Jeremy Lawrence have been appointed as group account directors for ITV Commercial, responsible for managing senior relations with agencies and clients.Trinder and Lawrence will also be in charge… Continue reading ITV Announces Senior Commercial Appointments

The City editor of the Evening Standard, Chris Blackhurst, has condemned Sir Martin Sorrell’s plans to relocate WPP’s domicile to Ireland.In an article published yesterday, Blackhurst said he disapproved of Sorrell’s decision to move WPP’s British headquarters to Ireland to avoid the threat of higher corporation tax.He said: “I’m baffled by the decision of Sir… Continue reading City Editor Says Sorrell Is Making A Bad Move

ITV1’s The X Factor attracted over 10 million peak viewers this weekend, well ahead of other weekend viewing figures.On Saturday, almost 11 million peak viewers tuned into see the remaining 24 acts perform at their mentor’s mansions, while the second-part show on Sunday attracted over 10 million viewers.The judges were forced to make their final… Continue reading X Factor Stole The Show

Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has released a statement recommending that shareholders accept WPP’s £1.1 billion takeover offer.In a controversial twist, TNS said its board “continues to believe that the WPP offer undervalues TNS,” but warns that “TNS shareholders who do not accept the WPP offer could as a result own a minority interest in an… Continue reading TNS Tells Shareholders To Accept WPP Offer

Ofcom’s latest digital television update, for the second quarter of 2008, reveals that take-up of multichannel television on main sets in UK households increased by 0.8%, from 87.2% to 88% in Q2.The report found that over 22.5 million households had multichannel television equipment connected to their primary set by the end of Q2 2008.Now that… Continue reading Digital TV Households In UK Up To 88%

WPP Group has extended the deadline for its £1.1 billion offer of TNS until 3pm this Wednesday, October 8.WPP Group, led my Sir Martin Sorrell, announced that valid acceptances of the offer had now climbed to 60.86% of TNS shareholders on Friday, when the previous deadline expired.Last week WPP warned the market research company that… Continue reading WPP Extends TNS Offer Deadline

The Independent has scrapped its stand-alone media supplement, replacing it with a new 24-page sports pull-out section today.The media section has moved into the main paper behind the business section, with similar features but less space, while yesterdays’ Independent on Sunday reduced its media coverage to just one page.The only stand-alone media supplement in the… Continue reading The Independent Scraps Media Section In Favour Of New Sports Supplement

Channel 4 is set to put the multi-million pound contract for T4 out to tender for the first time in six years, as part of its wider plans to cut programme budgets.A number of companies are expected to pitch for the contract, including the current producer Eyeworks At It as well as new suppliers Endemol… Continue reading Channel 4 Puts T4 Contract Out To Tender

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has decided against investigating the BBC and ITV over allegations relating to the broadcasters’ phone-in programmes and competitions.Earlier this year, Ofcom fined the BBC a record £400,000 for faking winners and misleading audiences in the phone-in competitions on shows including Comic Relief and Children in Need (see Ofcom Fines The… Continue reading BBC And ITV Escape Phone-In Fraud Investigation