Nahed Ojjeh, the wealthy Syrian investor who has built up a 10% stake in Cordiant Communications, has received a stern rebuke from the Takeover Panel for failing to declare her acquisitions in a prompt fashion. Cordiant is the subject of a takeover bid by WPP (see WPP Seals £266m Cordiant Takeover) and in such instances,… Continue reading Ojjeh Reprimanded Over Cordiant Dealings

The UK Government needs to do more to address the ‘digital divide’ between urban and rural areas in terms of the availability of broadband, according to a study out this week. The report issued by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee recognises that the Government has been largely successful in its… Continue reading Rural Demand For Broadband Remains Unsatisfied

Almost half of all Europeans are now connected to the internet, with 43% having ordered goods or services online within the last three months, according to the latest figures from Forrester Research. The data show that more than 12 million new users went online in the past year, with northern Europe still leading the way… Continue reading Almost Half Of Europeans Are Online, Finds Forrester

Ninety per cent of notebook PCs sold worldwide will contain embedded WLAN in 2008, up from 24% in 2003, according to a new study by Strategy Analytics. Global notebook PC penetration is currently very low, at just 1%, compared with 6% desktop PC penetration. However, new technology is expected to raise the profile of these… Continue reading Most Laptops To Be WLAN Compatible, Says Report

Active Value has refused to accept defeat in its attempt to scupper WPP’s bid for Cordiant despite the decision of two prominent executives to withdraw their candidacy for places on the board. Richard Wheatly, the ex-Jazz FM chief, and Stephen Davidson, a former WestLB Panmure executive have announced that they will no longer be standing… Continue reading Active Value Running Out Of Options In Cordiant Saga

Subscriber growth at BSkyB is set to beat consensus expectations when the group releases its full-year financial results on 11 August, according to Lehman Brothers analysts. The broker forecasts that Sky will add a further 128,000 customers to its digital satellite service, taking the total to 6.84 million. This growth prediction is at the top… Continue reading BSkyB Results To Beat Consensus, Says Lehman Brothers

Further trading information from key advertising businesses confirms that Q2 is shaping up to be very similar to Q1, that is to say relatively flat throughout, according to Merrill Lynch analysts. As mentioned earlier this week – when the broker tweaked its US ad growth forecasts (see Merrill Lynch Tweaks Advertising Forecasts) – the US… Continue reading Agencies See Flat To Negative Second Quarter

Gay men and women are amongst the first groups to adopt new technology devices and online tools, making them a key demographic for online marketers, according to a new report from Forrester Research. In a study of 60,000 US households, Forrester asked respondents their sexual orientation for the first time. The results show that gay… Continue reading Gays Are Technology Adopters, Finds Forrester

The global market for wireless gaming will grow from $561 million in 2002 to $41.3 billion in 2007, according to a report from The Research Room. Much of the new revenue will be derived from Java and BREW downloadable games which will have attracted almost 150 million users in four years time. Service providers will… Continue reading Wireless Gaming Set For Growth Spurt

The majority of consumers are not prepared to pay to avoid advertising on television, according to a new survey commissioned by Media Planning Group. The research into “convergence” was carried out to assess how the increasing popularity of personal video recorders (PVR) and video on demand services (VOD) has affected the use of televisions and… Continue reading Viewers Not Interested In Paying To Avoid TV Commercials