Revenues from premium mobile messaging will exceed those from online advertising by 2006, according to a new study from Jupiter Research. The report predicts that while internet advertising revenues will total E3.1 billion in four years time, the premium mobile messaging market will be worth E4.6 billion. Jupiter emphasised that SMS messages will continue to… Continue reading Premium Mobile Revenues Set To Leap, Says Jupiter

ITV’s ad revenue growth in 2003 is expected to be just 0.5% in a market up by 3.3%, according to Merrill Lynch forecasts. The discrepancy between the two figures is a result of ITV’s loss of market share during year-end negotiations, due to falling viewing figures over the last year (see ITV Shows Autumn Pick-Up… Continue reading ITV Ad Revenue Monthly Forecasts From Merrill Lynch

Charles Allen, chairman of Granada, has reportedly pledged to radically overhaul ITV and to revitalise the network’s programme making arm if its merger with Carlton gets the go ahead (see Carlton And Granada Enter Advanced Merger Talks). According to yesterday’s Observer, Allen, who will become chief executive of ITV if the two companies are allowed… Continue reading Granada Chief Vows To Overhaul ITV

Haymarket, the magazine publisher owned by Lord Heseltine, has announced a loss of £7.2 million for 2001. While turnover was unchanged at £161 million, pre-tax profits slipped from £30.8 million in 2000 to £20.4 million last year. The company cited the advertising recession as the primary reason for the decline, with the business-to-business sector suffering… Continue reading Haymarket Profits Hit By Advertising Downturn

Carlton and Granada have finally announced that they have entered into advanced merger talks, which could lead to the creation of a single ITV. The news ends months of speculation about the future of the network, which has been hard hit by the ongoing advertising downturn and the departure of chief executive Stuart Prebble following… Continue reading Carlton And Granada Enter Advanced Merger Talks

A management buyout has seen KirchSport fall under the control of a group led by ex-Adidas boss, Robert Louis-Dreyfus. Kirch announced last month that its sports division, which holds the TV rights to the 2006 football World Cup, would be sold separately from the rest of the company (see Kirch Move Prompts World Cup Rights… Continue reading Former Adidas Chief Buys World Cup Rights

The news that Carlton and Granada, the UK’s two largest independent broadcasters, are in the advanced stage of merger negotiations (see Carlton And Granada Enter Advanced Merger Talks) has received a mixed reception from advertisers and concerns abound that a single ITV could prove anti-competitive. ITV companies have been hit hard by the advertising downturn… Continue reading ITV Merger Must Clear Regulatory Hurdles

Publishers have shown considerable faith in the internet and are beginning to reap the rewards of their web investments. That is the conclusion of a new study from the Newspaper Society which examined the online spending and strategies of trade, national and regional publishing groups. The report, written by consultancy Blue Rubicon on behalf of… Continue reading Newspapers Look To Harness Power Of The Net

The number of mobile phone subscribers in Western Europe is set to level off around the 300 million mark, according to a new study from telecoms consultancy Analysys. The report forecasts mobile subscriber growth of 6% for 2002, well down on the 17% growth achieved last year and the 53% growth in 2000. However, there… Continue reading European Mobile Market Reaching Saturation Point

The number of digital TV homes in the leading seven countries will double in the next six years, according to a new report from Informa Media Group. Digital Broadcasting Revolution – Fifth Edition claims that the top countries accounted for a total of 56 million digital homes at the end of 2001. This is set… Continue reading Digital TV Set For Take Off In Major Markets