Shares in Cable & Wireless fell by almost 50% in early trading as news spread that the ailing telecoms group needs to find £1.5 billion after being downgraded to junk status. Moody’s, the credit rating agency, downgraded the stock on Friday triggering a clause in a contract signed with Deutsche Telekom when C&W’s sold its… Continue reading C&W Stock Nosedives Following Downgrade
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The regional newspaper group Newsquest is in pole position to take control of SMG’s newspaper business after increasing its offer for the group to £215 million. Newsquest, which is owned by the US newspaper group Gannett, and a consortium led by Independent News & Media are now the only two bidders for the SMG titles… Continue reading Newsquest Favourite To Take Over Herald Titles
NTL chief executive Barclay Knapp has sought to deflect blame from his company’s own management and accused TV regulators of failing to control the dominance of BSkyB in the pay-TV market. Speaking at last week’s Westminster Media Forum, Knapp claimed that the lack of regulation in the television industry had contributed to the collapse of… Continue reading NTL Chief Turns On Pay TV Regulators
Global advertising is set to grow by 2.9% in 2003, as an upswing that began in the latter half of this year continues into the next. This forecast will be delivered to a UBS Warburg media conference in New York today by Zenith Optimedia chief executive John Perriss, according to reports. Zenith says that it… Continue reading Zenith Optimedia Predicts 2.9% Global Ad Growth In 2003
Zenith Optimedia today released a new set of world advertising expenditure forecasts, predicting a 2003 global growth of 2.9% in current currency and 1.0% in constant currencies (see Zenith Optimedia Predicts 2.9% Global Ad Growth In 2003). The full figures from Zenith’s report are included here. They show that Europe is currently lagging behind other… Continue reading World Advertising Forecasts From Zenith Optimedia
The tough market conditions affecting UK business over the last year have hit advertising and marketing budgets more than other areas of expenditure, according to a new survey from Continental Research. The report finds that two-thirds of the UK’s 1.1 million businesses have made cutbacks on their original spending plans over the past year, with… Continue reading Advertising & Marketing Hit Most By UK Business Downturn
Regional newspapers are the most popular medium for UK businesses to market themselves, according to Continental Research‘s Autumn 2002 E-Commerce Report, which is launched today. The survey shows that over half a million businesses currently use the regional press for their advertising and that it is especially favoured by small and medium-sized businesses, as shown.… Continue reading UK Business Favours Regional Press For Marketing
Richard Freudenstein, chief operating officer of BSkyB, has warned that the group may slow the take-up of digital TV in the UK by ending decoder promotions if the government orders a reduction in carriage fees. Speaking at yesterday’s Royal Television Society (RTS) dinner, Freudenstein claimed BSkyB could scupper government plans to switch off analogue TV… Continue reading Sky Threatens Government Over Carriage Fees
The Department of Media, Culture and Sport has moved to dismiss speculation that the Government is planning to bring in restrictions on the content of newspapers, claiming that “the free press will remain free.” Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell described as ‘highly misleading’ reports in a number of newspapers which suggested that changes in media ownership… Continue reading Ofcom Is No Threat To Press Freedom, Insists Jowell
The number of worldwide internet users will top 665 million by the end of this year, an increase of 22% on the 2001 figure, according to a new report from eTForecasts. The research firm estimates that 121 million new users have come online in 2002 and the global internet population is predicted to exceed 1… Continue reading Global Online Population Increases By A Fifth