The majority of television viewers with personal video recorders (PVRs) often do not watch the commercials, according to an ongoing study by Jack Myers Report. In what is an increasingly worrying trend for the media and advertising industries, Myers’ survey has again shown that only a small minority of PVR users reguarly watch the ads… Continue reading INSIGHTanalysis: PVR Users Regularly Avoid Ads

ITV’s joint managing directors have attacked the idea of splitting off their ad sales departments in response to wide-ranging proposals put forward by the former head of Channel Five, David Elstein. Writing in today’s Financial Times, Mick Desmond and Clive Jones, claim that contracting out advertising sales to two separate houses would involve “undoing much… Continue reading ITV Chiefs Dismiss Ad Sales Proposal

WPP is still confident about growth prospects for 2004 despite a fall in revenues and profits in the first half of this year. The performance of the global communications group tends to reflect the state of the advertising economy as a whole. In its interim results issued today, WPP said that revenues in the six… Continue reading WPP Undeterred By Profit Fall

The long awaited recovery in the advertising economy is imminent with all the factors in place to ensure an upturn in spending in 2004, according to WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell. Sir Martin, whose pronouncements carry considerable weight, has consistently forecast that the advertising industry would experience a ‘bath-shaped’ recovery with 2004 seen as the… Continue reading Ad Market Begins To ‘Climb Out Of The Bath’, Says WPP

Leading cable companies around the world are proving highly successful in the broadband sector, often attracting more customers and generating higher revenues than telecommunications companies offering DSL services in the same markets. According to a survey by Point Topic cable operators have already signed up a high proportion of their customers to internet services, often… Continue reading Cable Companies Perform Strongly In Broadband Markets

US local television revenues were essentially flat in the first half of the year, rising by just 0.2%, according to the latest figures from the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB). The second quarter, which showed no growth, was slightly weaker than the first, which rose by 0.3% (see US Broadcast TV Sees Flat Revenues In… Continue reading US Television Revenues Nudge Up 2.1% In H1

Liberty Media has revealed plans to increase its shareholding in UnitedGlobalCom, the cable group, and remains in the running for the US entertainment assets of Vivendi. UGC’s founders, including chairman Gene Schneider, have agreed to convert their class B shares for Liberty stock. This takes Liberty’s holding in UGC to 75% and voting rights to… Continue reading Liberty Throws Its Weight Behind UGC

The war-induced anxiety that characterised the first half of 2003 has now passed and UK media firms are becoming increasingly sure that a revival in the advertising economy is imminent. The quarterly survey of media companies carried out by the MediaGuardian and NOP found that almost a quarter expect growth in UK adspend over the… Continue reading UK Media Companies Upbeat On Recovery

The US internet advertising industry reported the second consecutive quarterly rise in revenue for the first three months of 2003, up by 11% year on year, according to new estimates from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). This is the first time in two years that two consecutive quarters have shown rising… Continue reading US Internet Adspend Jumps By 11% In First Quarter

By the end of 2003 there will be more than 150 million mobile phone subscribers in the US but the rate of growth is expected to slow, according to eMarketer. The research firm calculates that wireless subscriptions will increase by 8% to 151.4 million this year but saturation point is fast approaching. It is estimated… Continue reading Mobile Phone Growth Slows In The US