Vivendi Universal has decided to take up its option and buy BT’s 26% stake in Cegetel, giving it 70% control of the French telecoms group. Jean-René Fourtou, Chairman and CEO of Vivendi, said yesterday that the company had sufficient funds to match Vodafone’s E4 billion bid for the shareholding. Under a binding agreement, Vivendi had… Continue reading Vivendi Swoops For Cegetel Stake
ARCHIVE ▸ The Media Leader Staff
Half of UK firms now order goods and services online, a 52% increase on 2001, according to a new study by the Department of Trade and Industry. The International Benchmarking Study 2002 revealed that UK companies are becoming increasingly acquainted with the merits of e-business. Over 90% of businesses now have access to the internet,… Continue reading UK Businesses Keen To Develop The e-Economy
The Irish telecoms sector saw revenues increase by 4% and there was a 10% movement of customers from the incumbent to other fixed line operators in the last quarter. A report from the newly-created Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) found that 162,000 Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS) lines are now rolled out in the country and at… Continue reading Irish Telecoms Industry In Good Heart
This year will witness the start of a ‘massive expansion’ in the growth of digital television (DTV) in the Asia Pacific region, with growth forecast to be 57% over 2001, reaching 7.9 million homes. These figures come from a new report from Informa Media Group, produced in association the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association (CASBAA).… Continue reading Asia-Pacific Digital Television Forecasts From Informa Media
Television provided via the internet, whilst still largely in the planning stages, could become a significant entertainment platform in the second half of the decade, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics. A global survey of over 30 commercial and planned internet protocol television (IPTV) systems, shows that Asia-Pacific and Europe are likely to… Continue reading Internet-Delivered TV Set To Grow, Says Strategy Analytics
The Barclay brothers are out of the bidding for SMG’s Herald group of newspapers, according to press reports. It is understood that there are now only two suitors left in the running for the Scottish titles – US group Gannett, owner of Newsquest in the UK, and Independent News & Media, publisher of the Independent… Continue reading Barclay Brothers Said To Be Out Of Herald Bid
Guardian Media Group has announced that it is to move Jazz FM’s sales operation from Clear Channel Radio Sales (CCRS) to Chrysalis. CCRS was only acquired last month (see GMG Set To Consolidate Radio Ad Sales) but is to be sold on to Radio Investments Limited, in which GMG is a major shareholder. Chrysalis will… Continue reading Chrysalis To Represent All GMG Stations
A merger of the two leading pay-television operators in Spain has been given the go-ahead by the country’s Government, according to a report in the Financial Times. Via Digital will be joined with Canal Satellite Digital creating a group with an 80% market share of the pay-TV sector. Via Digital is owned by telecoms group… Continue reading Spanish Pay-TV Groups Given Merger Go-Ahead
The media and advertising markets remain fairly ‘challenging’ at present, with little good visibility beyond the end of the year in the UK. In the States, recent figures have been a bit more positive, with Q3 data and forecasts both indicating an upturn. US third quarter adspend rose by 3.8% overall, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.… Continue reading Insight Analysis: Media Healthcheck – November 2002
After two years of decline, US online advertising will experience positive growth in 2003, says a study from eMarketer. However, analysts are warning that the recovery will be slow and protracted. According to the newly-released Interactive Marketing: Stats, Strategies and Trends report, online adspend is set to fall by 11.5% to $6.38 billion in 2002.… Continue reading Internet Advertising On The Rebound, Says eMarketer