Growth in the number of European mobile subscribers is set to slump over the next couple of years, forcing operators to take a new look at their markets, according to an assessment by Forrester Research. Forrester’s analysts predict that new customer growth will drop from 2000’s 60% rise to a mere 3% in 2005. In… Continue reading European Mobile Subscriber Growth To Slump, Says Forrester
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Culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, has admitted that Lord Puttnam’s last minute plurality test amendment to the Communications Bill was an improvement to the recently passed legislation (see Parliament Finally Green Lights Communications Act). The Government was forced to accept the eleventh hour proposal after a group of rebel peers threatened to vote down the Bill… Continue reading Jowell Admits Plurality Test Improved Communications Act
Global information group, Reuters, has this morning unveiled a first half pre-tax profit of £87 million, following a loss of £10 million for the same period in 2002. This figure is substantially ahead of a £57 million forecast from Merrill Lynch. However, despite the strong pre-tax profit figure, Reuters’ overall revenues were down by 12%… Continue reading Reuters Moves Into Profit As Savings Plan Pays Dividends
Haim Saban, the US media investor, plans to make a second attempt to acquire the assets of the indebted Kirch media empire, according to new reports. Just six weeks after opting out of a Â2 billion deal (see Kirch TV Deal Hits The Rocks), Saban has apparently returned with a reduced bid for KirchMedia. He… Continue reading Saban Back In For KirchMedia
Sales of smart phones the UK have increased by almost 250% since last year, with mobile users attracted by the new generation of handheld devices, including camera phones. The telecoms research firm Canalys reports that shipments of smart phones, including the Nokia 3650 and Sony Ericsson P800, totalled almost 1.7 million in the second quarter… Continue reading UK Consumers Wise Up To Smart Phones
The text messaging phenomenon continued to grow in June, with an average of 55 million person to person text messages sent across the four UK GSM networks per day, according to statistics from the Mobile Data Association (MDA). The latest figure represents a solid increase on June 2002, when an average of 45 million text… Continue reading Text Messages Staying Up For The Summer
The concept of on-demand television has remained tantalisingly out of reach of both consumers and telecoms operators for a good number of years now. Often hailed as a potential revolution in viewing habits and as a key source of new revenue for cable and telco companies, the video on-demand (VOD) sector has nevertheless so far… Continue reading INSIGHTanalysis: Video On-Demand Remains On Hold
The European Commission is prepared to take steps to stop BSkyB retaining exclusive live rights to English Premiership football matches, according to weekend press speculation. Broadcasting contracts are now up for renewal and in a bid to allay charges of anti-competitive behaviour, the Premier League has split the available games into gold, silver and bronze… Continue reading EC Could Obstruct New Sky Football Deal
The UK’s largest newspaper group, Trinity Mirror, is set to axe several hundred jobs in its advertising, administrative and distribution operations, according to reports. The Financial Times believes the job losses will be announced at the end of the month as part of a strategic review by the group’s new chief executive, Sly Bailey. It… Continue reading Trinity Set To Cut Jobs In Strategic Review
United Business Media has added to its stable of construction magazines with the acquisition of Aprovia UK for £79 million. The deal will see Aprovia, which includes The Builder Group and Barbour Index, integrated into UBM’s CMP Information division. It was bought by venture capitalists Cinven, Carlyle and Apax from Vivendi Universal in June 2002.… Continue reading UBM Builds Up Portfolio With Aprovia Acquisition