The Association of Publishing Agencies has come together with the Advertising Agency Register to launch a consultancy service that allows users to match a client’s brief for a consumer magazine to a publishing agency’s expertise.The partnership will see the AAR provide a range of services to the Association of Publishing Agencies, from managing initial enquiries… Continue reading AAR Launches Consumer Magazine Consultancy Service

Granada Enterprises has confirmed that marketing and research director, Sue Read, is leaving the company following the creation of a single ITV earlier this month.It is understood that Andy Bagnall, director of knowledge management will absorb her research role and Justin Sampson will take assume responsibility for marketing, when he joins ITV later this year… Continue reading Granada Marketing And Research Head To Step Down

Reuters this morning posted underlying profits for the full year which are significantly ahead of market expectations. Group operating profit for 2003 came in at £126 million, up from a loss of £144 million in 2002. Pre-tax profits also showed a substantial turnaround, up from last year’s loss of £493 million to £49 million. Recurring… Continue reading Reuters Results Beat Expectations As Profit Returns

There will be more than 100 mergers and acquisitions in the European media sector this year, as the broader market continues to stage a recovery, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The Insights report says that media deals will be valued at ₏20 billion (£13.5 billion) in Europe this year, as the number… Continue reading European Media Set For Merger Activity As Markets Improve

ITV clawed back some viewing share from the multichannel sector during the final quarter of 2003, according to the latest Trends In Television report from the IPA. The figures show that ITV’s share of viewing was 23.8% in Q4, marginally ahead of multichannel’s 23.7%, but still behind BBC1’s 25.4%. However, whilst ITV made up some… Continue reading ITV Regains Viewing Share In Q4 2003

The National Magazine Company has announced plans to close its contract publishing division after just two years, due to what is claims are insufficient margins.The division was launched November 2001 by joint directors Julian Downing and Carey Sedgwick, who were brought in from John Brown Citrus to head the operation, which offers customer magazines and… Continue reading Natmags Closes Contract Publishing Arm After Two Years

The BBC could be broken up and divided into four regional divisions under radical new proposals due to be considered by the Government as part of its wide-ranging review of the Corporation.Leaked Government papers drafted by senior civil servants propose creating separate entities for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in a move that would… Continue reading Government To Consider BBC Break-Up In Charter Review

The switchover from analogue to digital will be staggered and could begin across sections of the country as early as 2007. The Digital Television Group, the trade body for DTV, is proposing that broadcasters begin a ‘staggered switch-off’ of analogue signals across certain UK regions.It has been suggested that the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV… Continue reading Analogue Television Switch-Off To Be Staggered

UK terrestrial broadcasters Channel 4 and Five are believed to have held exploratory merger discussions within the last six months.Reports suggest that Channel 4 chief executive Mark Thompson and Lord Hollick, chairman of United Business Media, the minority shareholder in the Five network, have met to discuss the possibility of integration.It had been known that… Continue reading Channel 4 And Five In Discussions Over Possible Merger

Growth in paid search engine marketing in the US will slow to 22.5% this year, compared to 123% during 2003, according to a new report from eMarketer. The e-business research portal has predicted that revenues will surpass $2.5 billion during 2004, but the triple-digit growth of last year will fall considerably. Last year revenues across… Continue reading US Search Engine Marketing Growth To Slow In 2004