Capital Radio Group’s proposed £15 million acquisition of London-based Choice FM has been given the go-ahead by the Office of Fair Trading. Choice broadcasts urban contemporary music on two FM licences serving a potential audience of 5.8 million adults in London. It also owns a network of five digital radio licences covering London, Yorkshire, the… Continue reading Capital Cleared For £15 Million Choice Acquisition

The BBC licence fee should be reduced and commercial broadcasters allowed to bid for funding to make public service programmes, according to a report commissioned by the Conservative party.The wide-ranging review, which is being spearheaded by former Five chief executive, David Elstein, is backing proposals for the creation of a new public service fund that… Continue reading Tory Report Calls For Reduction Of BBC Licence Fee

WPP chief executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, is expected to signal the end of the worst advertising downturn in living memory when he announces the marketing group’s full year results later this week.Sorrell is usually reluctant to be overly upbeat when predicting the industry’s fortunes and has so far refused to call an end to the… Continue reading Sorrell Set To Signal Start Of Advertising Recovery

The digital revolution is rapidly gathering pace with nearly 17 million UK households expected to have access to multi-channel television by 2005, according to the latest study from Continental Research. The Spring 2004 Digital Television Report predicts that BSkyB will reach its 8 million forecast homes by the start of next year, with Freeview nearing… Continue reading Digital Television To Reach 17 Million UK Homes By 2005

WPP chief executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, is expected to signal the end of the worst advertising downturn in living memory when he announces the marketing group’s full year results later this week. Sorrell is usually reluctant to be overly upbeat when predicting the industry’s fortunes and has so far refused to call an end to… Continue reading Sorrell Set To Signal Start Of Advertising Recovery

Freeview saw uptake increase by more than 40% in the three months to December in a development that helped to push digital television penetration to over half of all UK households. The latest figures from Ofcom show that almost 3 million British homes received the digital terrestrial service in the final quarter of last year,… Continue reading Freeview Surge Helps Digital Reach Half Of UK Homes

Mediaedge:cia has appointed ZenithOptimedia boss Tom George as its new managing director, in a move that fills the power vacuum at the top of the WPP-owned media agency.The appointment ends a four month search by chairman Rob Norman to replace former managing director, Matt James, who shocked the industry last September by stepping down after… Continue reading Mediaedge:cia Appoints George As Managing Director

ITV looks likely to announce the appointment of a new chairman as early as next week after reducing the shortlist of names being considered for the high-profile position to just two.It is understood that the nominations committee led by Sir Brian Pitman has whittled the shortlist down to John Gardiner and Peter Burt, both of… Continue reading ITV To Announce Appointment Of New Chairman Next Week

US adspend rose by more than 5% during 2003, according to the latest data from Nielsen Media Research, with local media showing the greatest increases throughout the year. Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the advertising information arm of the research company, has reported that all major media categories showed a growth in adspend during the year, and each… Continue reading US Adspend Tops 5% During 2003, Says Nielsen

BT Group has secured a wide-ranging deal with British Airways that will see wireless broadband access offered to thousands of business travellers in airports around the world.The agreement will see a number of BT Openzone access points installed in executive lounges across the UK and other international destinations from April this year, in a move… Continue reading BT Secures Wide-Ranging WiFi Deal With British Airways