Pearson, owner of the Financial Times, this morning posted a slight profit for the six months ended 30 June 2002, with cost management at its business newspapers mitigating against the continued advertising downturn. Pre-tax profit for the period came in at £26.0 million, up from a loss of £28.0 million for the same period in… Continue reading ‘Prolonged And Deep’ Ad Recession At FT Group Hits Pearson

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The Netherlands has the strongest advertising market growth of the main western European nations and is the only country expected to show a positive growth this year, according to the latest forecasts from Zenith Media. The Netherlands showed the lowest decline in ad growth in 2001, at -2.3%, and is set to outperform the other… Continue reading European Ad Forecasts From Zenith Media

The US cinema box office will see sales of over $10 billion by 2006, with the popularity of cinema-going as a leisure activity continuing unabated, according to a new report from cinema analysts Dodona Research. The US’ box office ticket sales have grown at an average of 5% per year, says the report. This trend… Continue reading US Cinema Sales To Hit $10bn By 2006, Profitability To Increase

US interactive/ecommerce revenues will rise by 15% to $36 billion this year, according to a new study from the Direct Marketing Association. Revenues increased by just $3.4 billion during 2001 but the DMA is now predicting strong sustained growth for the coming years. The financial services industry and transportation services have contributed most to the… Continue reading US Interactive/Ecommerce Revenues Set To Grow

The US media conglomerate, Clear Channel Communications has announced net income of $238 million for the second quarter of 2002. This contrasts with the loss of $237 million recorded twelve months earlier although the apparent upturn is due largely to a change in accounting practices. Under the new system, Clear Channel would have posted income… Continue reading Radio Revival Boosts Clear Channel Profits

Shares in AOL Time Warner slumped today following news that the media group is to be investigated by the US securites and exchange commission. Last week, The Washington Post reported that AOL had boosted its revenue figures through unconventional deals between 2000 and 2002. It claimed that AOL had allowed a British entertainment company to… Continue reading AOL Time Warner Under Accounts Scrutiny

The High Court today began hearing the Football League’s claim against Carlton and Granada for the £178.5 million owed following the collapse of ITV Digital earlier this year (see Football League Kicks Off Action Against ITV Digital Owners). The League, which represents 72 clubs, insists that the television companies are legally obliged to honour the… Continue reading Carlton And Granada To Defend Football League Attacks

The terms of News Corp’s acquisition of Italian pay-TV group, Telepiù, are continuing to be negotiated with the business’ owner, Vivendi Universal, according to reports. News Corp was set to take control of Telepiù for E1.5 billion, although there are restrictions imposed by the Italian anti-trust authorities which will force News Corp to dispose of… Continue reading News Corp And Vivendi Renegotiate Telepiu Deal, Say Reports

The latest global and regional advertising forecasts from Merrill Lynch are shown here. Global advertising revenues are expected to decline by 1.3% this year, returning to a growth of 4.0% in 2003. Japan is the poorest performing region this year, with a predicted 4.0% decline; the US is the only region to show positive growth… Continue reading Global And Regional Advertising Forecasts From Merrill Lynch