The UK’s publishing industry faces a double challenge of globalisation and new technology, according to a Department Of Trade and Industry report, Publishing in the Knowledge Economy. The report, carried out by PIRA International, shows that the industry is one of the largest in the country, employing more than 160,000 people and is worth £22bn.… Continue reading Publishers Must Keep Pace in Technology Race

Sales of mobile phone handsets in western Europe will remain flat this year, after a 13% decline in 2001. Sales will then gradually rise to reach 148.2 million by 2007, according to new forecasts from Strategy Analytics. The group says that sales growth is currently being dragged down by the slow rollout of multimedia messaging… Continue reading Western Europe Mobile Sales Growth Hampered By Slow MMS Rollout

Advertisers currently buying space in the US upfront markets are embracing the interactive and online enhancements offered by broadcast and cable networks and incorporating them into their campaigns, according to today’s Jack Myers Report. Myers says that this is another indication of a strengthening media economy, particularly given that last year advertisers “insisted that any… Continue reading Interactive Buys Point To Strengthening Media Economy, Says Myers

DSL subscriber numbers worldwide grew by 20% during the first quarter of 2002 and showed an increase of 110% over the previous 12 months, according to an analysis by PointTopic. DSL stands for digital subscriber line and is a high-speed system of connecting to the internet or other computer networks. The report says that DSL… Continue reading DSL Shows Strong Growth Despite Telecoms Sector Woes

Revenue from digital television (DTV) subscriptions will hit nearly $30 billion (E31.6 billion) in Europe by 2006, according to figures from Datamonitor. Last year, subscriptions accounted for 94% of revenues, or $8.7 billion, in the European DTV market. Whilst this revenue is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28% between… Continue reading European DTV Subs Revenue To Hit $30bn By 2006, Says Datamonitor

Advertising volumes at the Wall Street Journal declined by 24.4% in May 2002, parent company Dow Jones announced yesterday. This compares to a decline of 35.8% year on year in May 2001 and a rise of 42.7% in May 2000. The group indicated that June volumes are likely to be down in the mid-20% range… Continue reading Advertising Remains Weak As Wall Street Journal Misses Forecasts

A recovery in advertising is still not expected until at least the fourth quarter of this year, EMAP chief executive, Robin Miller, told a Merrill Lynch conference yesterday. Miller said consumer magazine advertising in the UK is currently ‘fine’; France is ‘good’; business to business (B2B) is flat and radio remains poor. He believes that… Continue reading Ad Recovery Not Expected Until At Least Q4, Says EMAP Chief

Fifty-six percent of US retailers reported that their online operations were profitable during 2001, up from 43% in 2000, according to the The State Of Retailing Online 5.0 report, released yesterday by Shop.org. The survey, conducted by the Boston Consulting Group and with market data from Forrester Research, predicts that further profitability and growth will… Continue reading US Online Retailers Move Into Profit

Broadband access prices in the UK are amongst the cheapest in Europe and the US, according to new research published by Oftel yesterday. Following recent wholesale price cuts, the UK is now cheaper than France and Germany for consumer DSL, with packages available for as little as £20 a month, says the report. Cheaper access… Continue reading Cheap UK Broadband Internet Access Drives Uptake

The failure of a number of European digital pay-TV platforms has been caused by their strategy of offering exclusive content – a move which is ‘bringing them to their knees financially’. This the finding of a report published by economic analysts BIPE. The group says that Europe’s pay-TV industry, currently reeling under losses and bankruptcies… Continue reading Bad Business Plans Caused Digital TV Failures, Says BIPE