China and Japan will be the leading broadband countries in Asia-Pacific by 2005, according to forecasts from eMarketer. In its Broadband Worldwide report, the research group calculates that households with a high speed internet connection will treble to 23.5 million in China, matching the total in Japan. South Korea has been leading the broadband race… Continue reading Asia-Pacific Broadband Forecasts From eMarketer

The Federal Communications Commission is set to approve News Corporation’s takeover of DirecTV with conditions to prevent it exploiting its market position. In April, Rupert Murdoch’s company agreed to pay General Motors $6.6 billion for a 34% stake in Hughes Electronics, which owns DirecTV (see Murdoch Seals Acquisition Of DirecTV). Concerns were raised that control… Continue reading Murdoch Awaits Go Ahead On DirecTV Deal

Reed Elsevier said today that it was on track to deliver on its target of double-digit earnings growth but the company is bracing itself for a slowdown in 2004. Profits at the Anglo-Dutch publisher rose by 3% in the first half of 2003 (see Reed On Target As Profits Rise In H1) and its market… Continue reading Reed Cautious On 2004 Prospects

There were further signs of an upturn in the advertising market during November as industry bodies reported increased revenues and media bosses pronounced themselves content with the pace of growth. 2003 has been a mixed year but it is ending on a high note and indications for the next twelve months are broadly positive. Jerry… Continue reading INSIGHTanalysis: Media Healthcheck – November 2003

Outdoor advertising continued to perform strongly in the three months to September with revenue increasing by 6.6% year on year to more than £195 million, according to the latest figures from the Outdoor Advertising Association. The data for the third quarter represents an increase of 9.5% for the first nine months of the year and… Continue reading Q3 Gain Makes Outdoor The UK’s Fastest Growing Medium

Donald Emslie, chief executive of SMG Television, has called on the Government to reduce the annual £300 million fee that ITV currently pays for its analogue television licence. Speaking at the annual TV From The Nations And Regions Conference, Emslie, who is also chair of the ITV council, said: “The ITV system was only set… Continue reading SMG Television Boss Calls For End To ITV Super Tax

The advertising industry has given a mixed reaction to Ofcom’s decision to lift the rules banning the joint selling of television airtime, as it looks likely that the move will trigger a further round of sales house consolidation. The announcement by the new super-regulator earlier this week clears the way for broadcasters such as Channel… Continue reading Ofcom’s Airtime Sales Ruling Receives Mixed Reaction

The European online display advertising market will grow by 12.5% to â‚Ź793 million in 2003 and almost double by 2008 to â‚Ź1.4 billion, according to a new report from Forrester Research. Forrester defines online display advertising as banner ads, sponsorships, slotting fees, interstitials and rich media. The combined revenue from these formats is expected to… Continue reading European Online Display Market To Double By 2008

Radio advertising revenues in the US declined by 1.0% during October, as weak local spend more than offset the gain from the national sector. According to figures from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), quoted by Merrill Lynch, local adspend fell by 2% year on year during the month, whilst national was up by 1%. This… Continue reading US Radio Revenues Dip By 1% During October

The increasing popularity of Freeview amongst upmarket viewers is beginning to have an effect on the UK’s main terrestrial channels, which have seen their share of lucrative ABC1 adult audiences decline. The recently launched digital terrestrial television service, which offers 30 channels for a one-off payment of around £60, is believed to be attracting large… Continue reading Freeview Tempts Upmarket Viewers From Terrestrial