In a widely anticipated move, Barry Diller has resigned as co-chief executive of Vivendi Universal Entertainment and will turn his full attention to the USA Interactive business. This development has raised speculation that Vivendi is planning to sell off its entertainment unit which includes film studios, theme parks and cable networks (see Bidders Move On… Continue reading Diller Quits Post At VUE

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has announced plans to issue a bond exchangeable for shares in its UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB. The company maintained that the $1.35 billion issue was necessary for “general corporate purposes” but the move has rekindled speculation that Murdoch is raising funds in preparation for a bid for US satellite company DirecTV.… Continue reading News Corp To Raise $1.35 Billion By Remortgaging Sky Stake

US advertising expenditure will rise by 3.5% to $102.6 billion in 2003, according to forecasts from Initiative Media. According to the global media agency’s Spheres Of Influence report – which draws on Initiative’s 40 worldwide offices – US radio will show the strongest growth this year, at 4.0%; television will follow at 3.9%. The cautional… Continue reading US Adspend To Rise 3.5% In 2003, Says Initiative Media

One in five Europeans banks online, and that number will double to 130 million in 2007, according to a new report from Forrester Research. The study suggests that some 60 million European surfers make use of internet banking services with Scandanavian and Dutch internet users most likely to pursue this activity. This backs up the… Continue reading Online Banking Gaining In Popularity

Consumer uptake of broadband internet services exploded during 2002, clearing the way for a four-fold increase in connections throughout Europe by 2006, according to two new research studies. The latest Internet Connectivity report from the Office Of National Statistics shows that the number of high-speed internet connections grew by a staggering 256% during 2002, to… Continue reading Bumper 2002 Boosts Broadband Uptake

The launch of Freeview in the UK and the decision in the US by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure that digital TV tuners be integrated into all new large TV sets by 2007 are both to be key in driving digital growth, according to In-Stat/MDR. In Europe, digital terrestrial TV (DTT) services are… Continue reading Worldwide DTV To Reach 58m Units In 2007, Says Instat/MDR

JCDecaux, one of the world’s leading outdoor advertising companies, has today announced strong end of year results which were achieved in spite of challenging market conditions. The group saw EBITDA rise by 7.4% to €405.3 million and net income more than doubled from €10.2 million in 2001 to €26 million last year. These results reflected… Continue reading JCDecaux Exceeds Expectations In 2002

ITV advertising revenues at Granada are expected to be flat year on year in the company’s first half, which covers the six months to March. The comparisons are made tougher by the fact that the relatively lucrative Easter weekend fell into the first half in 2002, but will be in the second half this year.… Continue reading Granada Sees ITV Adspend Up 3-5% In April

Regional newspaper publisher, Johnston Press, says that it has made a satisfactory start to 2003, although the outlook remains ‘cloudy’ as a result of wider geo-political events. The group’s year-end financial results show pre-tax profit up by 32.1% to £97.2 million and operating profit up 44.7% at £129.5 million in 2002. Johnston says that advertising… Continue reading Johnston Press Remains ‘Acquisitive’ As Profits Rise

Entertainment and media companies are driving the growth in outdoor advertising and now account for one fifth of the sector’s total revenue, according to new research due to be published by Concord. The Media’s Medium study, which uses data from Nielsen Media Research, shows that entertainment and media companies accounted for 20% of the £690… Continue reading Entertainment And Media Brands Drive Outdoor Growth