Ofcom has lifted the rules banning Channel 4, Five and BSkyB from selling advertising airtime jointly, in a move that paves the way for a merger of their sales operations. The regulator has decided to withdraw the Independent Television Commission’s rules on the joint selling of airtime, which prohibit the large television sales houses from… Continue reading Ofcom Clears Way For Sales House Consolidation

Trinity Mirror is to sell its regional newspaper businesses in Ireland to venture capital group 3i for £46.3 million, it announced this morning. The sale comprises Century Press and the Derry Journal groups, which together publish seven newspapers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The deal is subject to approval by the Irish… Continue reading Trinity Mirror Sells Irish Titles To 3i For £46m

Commercial radio saw adspend increase by a solid 6.3% year on year to just below £150 million during the second quarter of 2003, suggesting the industry is leading the way out of the advertising downturn. According to the latest figures from the Radio Advertising Bureau, this seventh consecutive quarter of growth highlights commercial radio’s recovery… Continue reading Radio Leads The Way Out Of Advertising Downturn

Next year will be a year of action in the world of mobile video content, as the platform becomes the fourth screen after television, cinema and the PC. This is according to Dario Betti, a wireless multimedia senior analyst at Ovum. Betti says that video will be a priority for mobile operators in 2004, although… Continue reading Mobile Video Will Become ‘Fourth Screen’, Says Ovum

ITV’s advertising revenues will fall by 2.5% in the final quarter of the year, giving a full year decline of 4.1%, according to forecasts from Merrill Lynch analysts. This is a slightly poorer performance than the 1.0% Q4 decline recently predicted by Lehman Brothers (see ITV Revenue Forecasts From Lehman Brothers). Carlton and Granada’s financial… Continue reading ITV Advertising To Drop By 4% In 2003, Says Broker

Advertising revenues at Future Network’s portfolio of magazines were up by 9% for the first ten months of the year, the company said this morning. Circulation revenues, which account for 68% of group revenue, rose by 14%. Future says that the first four months of the second half continue the trends outlined in the company’s… Continue reading Future Network Sees Ad Revenues Up 9%

A feature of the agency landscape over the coming few years will be a return to slow, more stable revenue growth, according to analysts at Merrill Lynch. In an advertising and marketing services reports, the broker says that agencies will turn to slower, but more stable organic growth to build their revenues. Agency holding companies… Continue reading Agencies To Return To Slower Stable Growth, Says Broker

US newspaper advertising expenditure rose by 1.5% to $10.9 billion during the third quarter of the year, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America (NAA). National advertising led the way with an 8.2% rise to $1.9 billion, boosted by gains in telecommunications and computer equipment. Retail advertising spending edged up 0.8% to… Continue reading US Newspaper Advertising Rises 1.5% In Q3

Daily Mail & General Trust has reported a increase in profits of 1.6% for the full year despite difficult trading conditions for many of its businesses. The company said that pre-tax profits in the twelve months to 28 September came to £185.5 million, up from £182.5 million a year earlier. Group turnover fell by 0.6%… Continue reading DMGT Upbeat On Improved Results

The cable group Telewest said today that it was entering the last stages of restructuring and will be establishing a new holding company in the US. Telewest has filed documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which will result in the creation of Telewest Global Inc in Delaware. Under the terms of a… Continue reading Telewest In Final Phase Of Restructuring