In the short-term, a conflict with Iraq will have little sustained impact on the advertising economy, although a drawn-out ground war is a much more serious threat, says Jack Myers, writing in today’s Jack Myers Report. US adspend prospects for 2003 and 2004 remain bullish, he says, adding that most analysts are predicting growth for… Continue reading War May Not Hurt US Adspend In Short-Term, Claims Myers

The number of US households using a high-speed, broadband connection to the internet is set to rise by over 40% in 2003, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics (SA). SA says that the number of residential broadband subscribers will grow from the current 17.9 million homes to 25.3 million homes by the end… Continue reading Over Half Of US Homes To Have Broadband Internet By 2008

The Western European fixed-line voice telephony market is going through a transition period but should emerge relatively unscathed from the economic downturn, according to a new report from IDC. The market research firm cites consolidation in the service provider community and financial restructuring within the whole telecommunications sector as being responsible for the sea change… Continue reading Voice Telephony Market Has A Stable Future, Says IDC

ITV1’s share of viewing closed 2002 down by 2.6% points on the year before, whilst the multi-channel sector saw its share rise by 2.4% points, according to figures from BARB. ITV1’s average share of all TV viewing was 24.1% in 2002, down from 26.7% in 2001. Its primary rival, BBC1, saw its share fall by… Continue reading INSIGHTanalysis: ITV1 Share Further Eroded In 2002

France Télécom has completed the sale of the Dutch cable operator Casema in a deal worth €665 million. Providence Equity Partners and the Carlyle Group will each take a 46% share of the business with GMT owning the remaining 8%. Casema is the third largest cable television operator in the Netherlands and has approximately 1.3… Continue reading Casema Sold To Private Equity Groups

According to press reports, AOL Time Warner has sold its 8.4% stake in Hughes Electronics, the parent company of DirecTV. The Wall Street Journal claims that a $800 million deal has been brokered with the Bank of America which is expected to sell the shares on the open market. Hughes is a subsidiary of the… Continue reading AOL Sells Hughes Stake For $800 Million

A slow but steady improvement in sales continued throughout 2002 for outdoor contractor, Maiden Group, although turnover is not likely to achieve the levels anticipated at the release of the group’s financial results in September (see Maiden Pushed Into Red By Tough First Half). The recovery slowed significantly towards the end of 2002, with a… Continue reading Maiden Sees Good Start To 2003, But Demand Is Inconsistent

Research from NOP World shows that the UK’s internet retail sector hit new heights in the pre-Christmas period with 8.4 million adults choosing to shop online. This is equivalent to 43% of all regular web users in the country. The number of internet shoppers has been increasing steadily for the last few years but shot… Continue reading Online Shopping Attracts More Than 8 Million Britons

The take-up of broadband internet services in Europe is continuing apace, with a record 6.3 million customers signing up to services for the first time in 2002, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics (SA). The figures show a 55% increase in the number of users over 2001, with penetration now reaching 7.5% of… Continue reading European Broadband Subs Grow 55% In 2002, Finds Strategy Analytics

The contract publishing industry continues to boom with turnover expected to reach an estimated £313 million in 2002, according to the latest report from market research company, Mintel. The research shows that the industry is performing solidly in the current economic climate, with turnover increasing by 90% over the last five years. Commenting on the… Continue reading Contract Publishing Industry Continues To Boom