UK regional newspaper publisher, Johnston Press, says that trading over the last five months has been ahead of expectations, with advertising revenues rising by 2% year on year. In what Johnston described as an encouraging sign, all classified advertising categories reported positive growth, although display advertising was marginally negative, held back by weaker demand from… Continue reading Johnston Press Sees Encouraging Trading

Universal McCann‘s head of advertising forecasting Robert Coen has slightly downgraded his US and global advertising growth predictions for 2003 in the latest edition of his Insider’s Report. Following a slightly weaker than anticipated first half, full-year 2003 US adspend growth has been cut from December’s 5.0% forecast to 4.6% (see Universal McCann Expert Upbeat… Continue reading Coen Pulls Down 2003 Ad Forecasts

The global DSL market continues to prosper with latest figures showing that the number of lines increased by over 15% in the first three months of 2003. Point Topic reports that there were 41.4 million DSL lines worldwide at the end of the first quarter, up from 35.9 million at the close of 2002 (see… Continue reading Research Shows Worldwide DSL Growth

New Broadcasting Minister, Lord McIntosh, claims the switch to digital TV will be a “win-win” situation, but has admitted the Government is unclear on the potential uses for the analogue spectrum. Speaking at yesterday’s Westminster Media Forum, McIntosh defended plans to go ahead with with the conversion to digital TV by the current 2006/2010 deadline,… Continue reading Government Undecided On Future Of Analogue TV Spectrum

Active Value, the largest shareholder in beleagured advertising group Cordiant, has denied that it has any plans to launch a joint bid for the company with WPP Group. WPP is embroiled in a bidding race for control of Cordiant and was the favourite until the last minute intervention of Publicis. The French media giant has… Continue reading Cordiant Shareholder Rules Out Deal With WPP

Five has renewed its conditional access agreement with BSkyB, ending speculation that other terrestrial broadcasters would follow the BBC’s lead and begin broadcasting unencrypted on digital satellite. Earlier this year the BBC withdrew from the BSkyB service to begin broadcasting to digital viewers from a different satellite, in a move designed to save the Corporation… Continue reading Five Renews Conditional Access Deal With Sky

The Competition Commission has been given an extra two months to investigate the proposed £2.6 billion merger of Carlton and Granada and will now report back to Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt on 26 August. The Commission, which was due to have completed its inquiry by the end of this month, says it needs… Continue reading Competition Commission Delays Verdict On ITV Merger

It has been announced that KirchMedia is to be liquidated after creditors were unable to secure a buyer for the insolvent German media group. The company, which once held TV rights to World Cup football and Formula One, has been in limbo since the collapse of the parent Kirch Group in April 2002 (see KirchMedia… Continue reading KirchMedia Goes Into Liquidation

International advertising group WPP has acquired a 30% stake in the Spanish television company Mediapro for an undisclosed sum. Mediapro is based in Barcelona and specialises in television rights and production. It employs 1,000 people and had revenues of €160 million for the year ended December 31 2002. The company has operations in Spain, France,… Continue reading WPP Buys Stake In Spanish TV Firm

Vivendi Universal today announced a reduction in first quarter losses and affirmed that it is on track to achieve year-end targets. The French media group, which is in the process of trying to sell its US entertainment assets (see Party Is Over For Vivendi), said that net loss in the three months to March 31… Continue reading The Tide Turns At Vivendi