As 2002 drew to a close, US online consumer sales (excluding auctions) were on track to total $74 billion for the year, according to research by comScore Media Metrix. Despite economic uncertainty and a generally disappointing Christmas for the retail sector, online commerce experienced growth of 39% last year as the number of internet shoppers… Continue reading ECommerce Market Goes From Strength To Strength

The market for paid online content in the US was worth $361 million in the third quarter of 2002, a rise of 14% on the previous quarter and a 105.3% increase year on year. Research from the Online Publishers Association and comScore Networks found that the number of US consumers paying for web content climbed… Continue reading US Spend On Internet Content Doubles In A Year

Listening to radio via new technologies, such as mobile phones, the internet and radio via television, is on the increase in the UK, according to an analysis of the latest RAJAR data by the Radio Advertising Bureau. Via television Radio listening in these new environments is proving popular and is on the increase. Fifteen percent… Continue reading UK Radio Listeners Turn To New Technologies

A couple of years ago the promise of a ‘convergence’ of traditional media content with that of the internet and interactive media was the holy grail for many media corporations. Indeed, Time Warner and AOL forged their record-breaking merger largely on the promise of a global, fully ‘converged’ 21st century media empire. Things have so… Continue reading Has There Been A U-Turn On The Global Media Strategy?

NTL, the financially troubled cable company, is being sued by Morgan Stanley over £7 million in allegedly unpaid fees dating back three years. The legal move comes as a blow to NTL which is in the process of a complicated financial restructuring (see NTL And Telewest Press Ahead With Refinancing Plans). Morgan Stanley remains one… Continue reading NTL Sued By Banking Adviser

Shares in Radio First, operator of the football club-based Fan Radio Network, have been delisted from the AIM today after the group failed to release its interim financial results on 31 December 2002. Radio First is in discussions to acquire an overseas media group in a deal which would allow the combined business to secure… Continue reading Radio First Shares Delisted As Overseas Acquisition Is Delayed

December brought a flurry of prognostications from the world’s leading advertising forecasters, all predicting a return to positive growth globally in 2003. An INSIGHT-compiled consensus of this latest round of figures puts worldwide ad growth at 3.4% this year, following a 0.2% consensus rise in 2002 (see Insight Analysis: Global And Regional Advertising Forecast Comparisons).… Continue reading Insight Analysis: Media Healthcheck – December 2002

The merger of Carlton and Granada to form a single ITV would not be detrimental to advertisers, according to the UK’s largest media buying agency Carat. Regulators are expected to scrutinise the proposed £2.6 billion merger (see Carlton/Granada Move Closer To £2.6bn Single ITV Company), following concerns that a combined Carlton and Granada – controlling… Continue reading Carlton And Granada Merger Gets Agency Backing

US radio advertising revenue is forecast to grow by 5.3% in 2003, with national advertising continuing to out-pace local, according to analysts at Merrill Lynch. This is an outperformance of the broader advertising market forecast, for which Merrill predicts 4.0% growth, and is a slight increase on the 5.2% 2003 growth that the broker forecast… Continue reading US Radio Advertising Set For 5.3% Growth In 2003, Says Merrill Lynch

The perception that broadband services are too expensive to inspire mass adoption is supported by a new study from Reed Electronics Research. Following analysis of fourteen European countries, it was found that the ‘trigger’ price necessary to encourage widespread take-up of broadband was E39 or £25 per month. As a point of reference, BT’s standard… Continue reading Broadband Prices Must Come Down, Says Study