Although consumer take-up of video-on-demand (VOD) has been limited so far, cable companies are eager to promote the technology and a new study from The Yankee Group estimates that revenues will total $2.8 billion in 2006. The report, Video-on-Demand: Sustained MSO Commitment Drives Rapid Growth, claims that the leading cable operators have been swift to… Continue reading Cable Operators Throw Weight Behind VOD
ARCHIVE ▸ The Media Leader Staff
Vivendi Universal is understood to have written to its bank lenders outlining a plan to take control of the French telecoms company, Cegetel, without increasing its substantial debt burden. According to a report in today’s Financial Times, the media group is proposing to create a special purpose vehicle with which it would make the acquisition… Continue reading Vivendi Talks To Bankers About Cegetel Bid
The Independent and Independent On Sunday newspapers turned in a loss of £15.7 million during 2001, according to a report on Media Guardian today. The site refers to the annual report of the papers’ parent company, Independent News & Media (INM), filed at Companies House last week. INM bought the Independent titles in 1998 and… Continue reading Losses Continue At Independent Titles, Says Report
SMG is currently outperforming the market in its television, radio, outdoor and cinema businesses, leading Merrill Lynch to upgrade its investor recommendation on the Scottish media company from neutral to buy. The broker says that SMG is gaining share amongst the ITV franchises, whilst the company’s Virgin Radio station is showing revenue growth year on… Continue reading Solid Performance At SMG Gains Merrill Lynch Upgrade
WPP is to acquire a 25% stake in Shanghai Advertising Agency, a major full-service advertising agency in Shanghai, China, the group announced today. Shanghai Advertising, one of the top 10 advertising agencies in China, was established early in China’s advertising history by Shanghai East Best International Group, which will continue to hold 50% of the… Continue reading WPP Takes 25% Of Shanghai Advertising
Things are looking shaky, but not entirely bleak, for the media and advertising industries at present. Following a recent period of slight recovery, the deteriorating outlook for consumer spending levels may begin to negatively impact on advertising spend, forcing growth down once again. As consumer confidence has begun to slip, particularly in the US, there… Continue reading Insight Analysis: Media Healthcheck – October 2002
Cinema Cinema has been the only medium to escape the effects of the advertising downturn and box office takings, admissions and revenues have been on the up for a number of years. The latest media forecasts from OMD UK (see OMD Sees Advertising And Media Turnaround In 2003) show no signs of a slowdown in… Continue reading UK Cinema, Outdoor & Online Forecasts From OMD UK
Over 600 million people worldwide now have access to the web according to statistics from Nua Internet Surveys. The Irish-based company calculates that 605.6 million people had internet access by the end of September, up from 580.7 million at the end of May (see One-Tenth of The Global Population Now Online, Says Report). Europe, with… Continue reading Global Internet Population Tops 600 Million
Guardian Media Group (GMG) has continued its radio expansion with the acquisition of Clear Channel UK’s radio sales division for an undisclosed sum. The future of the advertising house had been in doubt following GMG’s £44.5 million purchase of Jazz FM, which accounted for about 52% of Clear Channel’s advertising sales revenues (see Jazz FM… Continue reading GMG Set To Consolidate Radio Ad Sales
UK cable company, Telewest Communications, today said that it is making progress in its plans for the full financial restructure that will rid the group of £3.5 billion of its £5.3 billion debt. However, the company has run into a glitch with one of its creditors, French banking institution Credit Agricole, which is attempting to… Continue reading Telewest Defers Payments Ahead Of Restructure