Almost 1.7 billion person to person text messages were sent across the UK’s four GSM networks during August, according to the latest figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA). The recent heatwave did little to prevent mobile phone users from turning to text and an average of 55 million SMS messages were sent each day… Continue reading Text Messaging Craze Hots Up During August

The UK display advertising market is expected to grow by just 1.0% this year, before heading into stronger growth over the next three years, according to the latest forecast from Merrill Lynch. The broker predicts that growth rates will rise to 3.5% next year and hit 4.5% for 2005 and 2006. The Advertising Association in… Continue reading UK Ad Revenue Forecasts From Merrill Lynch

Global revenues from consumer online subscription video streaming services will rise from $991 million during 2003 to more than $4.5 billion in 2007, according to a new report from In-Stat/MDR. The market research firm expects that Asia will be the largest market in 2007, valued at around $1.2 billion, while solid growth will also occur… Continue reading Video Streaming Services To Flourish, Says Report

The mobile phone has untold potential as a media outlet and the popularity of wireless services among young people is a plus point for marketers and content providers looking to attract impressionable consumers. Speaking at this month’s World Association of Newspapers (WAN) Young Reader Conference in Helsinki, Anssi Vanjoki, the executive vice president of Nokia… Continue reading Publishers Size Up Mobile Youth Market

BSkyB has today confirmed that Tony Ball is to step down as chief executive, after four years at the helm of the satellite broadcaster. Ball will continue in his current position until a successor is appointed, but he is expected to leave well before his current contract expires at the end of May next year.… Continue reading Tony Ball To Step Down As BSkyB Chief

Emap is forecasting a 3% increase in revenues when first-half results are issued in November but claims that it is premature to suggest that market conditions are improving. In a trading statement today, the cross-media group said that there had been revenue growth across all four of its divisions with Emap Consumer Media making the… Continue reading Emap Circumspect In Spite Of H1 Revenue Gains

City investors have offered a gently positive reaction to the announcement of the departure of BSkyB’s chief executive, Tony Ball, with shares up slightly by 1.5% to 630.5p by mid-morning today. Sky’s chairman and head of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, is reportedly planning to install his youngest son James as Ball’s successor at the satellite… Continue reading Sky Shares Show Small Rise On News Of Ball’s Exit

Some of BSkyB’s largest institutional shareholders have warned the satellite broadcaster that they will not accept the unchallenged appointment of James Murdoch as chief executive. Reports suggest that ten of BSkyB’s biggest shareholders have urged its board of senior independent directors to ensure an ‘impartial’ succession to Tony Ball, who is stepping down after four… Continue reading BSkyB Shareholders Express Concern Over Ball Successor

Freeview, the digital terrestrial television service, is expected to have been adopted by two million homes in the UK by the time it celebrates its first birthday at the end of next month. The free-to-air platform, which replaced the beleaguered ITV Digital last October, has been warmly received by consumer and it is believed to… Continue reading Freeview Could Be In 2 Million Homes By First Birthday

Audience figures at ITV are starting to show signs of a turnaround, with adult commercial impacts in the calendar year to August up by 6.6%, whilst average share of viewing is down just 0.7% points over the same period. BARB data from MediaTel.co.uk show that the turnaround in impacts for the adult audience began at… Continue reading INSIGHTanalysis: ITV Arrests Audience Decline, But For How Long?