Andy Hart has left Associated Northcliffe Digital (AND) after six years in the job by “mutual consent”, ahead of an organisational restructure.Hart had been responsible for the online development and acquisitions of sites including ThisisLondon.co.uk and FindaProperty.com during his time as chief executive.He looked after the Mail Online brand and championed the company’s digital acquisition… Continue reading Hart Departs From Northcliffe Digital

BBC One’s new drama, Bonekickers, attracted a 31.3% audience share last night, with an average of more than 6.5 million adult viewers between 9 and 10pm.The series, starring Julie Graham and Adrian Lester working as archaeologists investigating mysteries in the past, had a peak audience of 6.7 million adult viewers during the first 15 minutes… Continue reading BBC’s Bonekickers Triumphs With 6.7 Million Viewers

The board of TNS has unanimously rejected WPP’s earlier unsolicited takeover bid, valuing TNS at 260p a share, saying it “substantially undervalues TNS, even on a standalone basis.”TNS has since agreed with GfK to terminate a proposed merger between the two companies and has permitted the German firm to advance talks with its third party… Continue reading TNS Rejects WPP Bid

WPP has presented a £1.082bn takeover bid to TNS’s shareholders, hoping to see off competition from the German market research company GfK.According to reports in the Financial Times, GfK was preparing a counter offer last night to rival any deal between TNS and WPP, which is rumoured to involve a financial backer who could allow… Continue reading WPP Makes Hostile Bid For TNS

ITV has hired Richard Parboo as new head of agency sales strategy in the online sales team, which covers itv.com and Friends Reunited.Parboo has left his role as head of networks for MySpace to concentrate on ITV’s online and broadband strategy.Parboo became one of the first hires in the commercial team during Fox Interactive’s start… Continue reading ITV Appoints New Sales Head

London’s Magic 105.4 has been named station of year at the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards, an event organised by RadioCentre – the industry body for commercial radio.Bauer managed to bag three wins at the ceremony, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London yesterday, with awards handed out to Neil Fox, Andy Roberts and Magic.Neil… Continue reading London’s Magic 105.4 Scoops Station Of The Year Award

Microsoft has released a statement confirming it is willing to renew a deal with Yahoo! if it replaces its board of directors at its annual meeting next month.The software giant has reinstated its interest in acquiring Yahoo!, saying: “Microsoft would be interested in discussing with a new board a major transaction with Yahoo!, such as… Continue reading Microsoft Set To Re-Enter Talks With Yahoo!

Ofcom has banned the Nestle cereal credits from GMTV weather following a complaint against its claim “helping you get the three servings of wholegrain you need everyday”.Ofcom’s rules state that sponsor credits must be distinct from advertising – “Specific or detailed descriptions of a sponsor’s business or products are likely to be viewed as promotional… Continue reading GMTV Censored By Ofcom

A lead article and analysis in New Media Age this week shows how contradictory the current trading environment can become (even for the digital industry) – with some reports suggesting that media owners are dropping their ad rates, while others say there is still growth in online ad sales.Front page reports suggest that AOL, MSN… Continue reading Conflicting Views On Current Trading Environment

Rafael Nadal’s win over Roger Federer pulled in a peak of more than 11.9 million adult viewers, in a slot which lasted a record eight hours on BBC One yesterday.The Wimbledon men’s final attracted a 41.1% audience share between 1.30pm and 9.30pm – running over scheduled programmes such as the new drama George Gently.An average… Continue reading Marathon Wimbledon Final Tops Weekend Ratings