Cable operator NTL and satellite TV group BSkyB yesterday criticised the Office of Fair Trading for its lengthy process in electing not to make a decision about a programming deal between the two groups, opting instead to simply close the file. The proposal from Sky and NTL was to allow the wholesale of premium content… Continue reading Pay-TV Groups Disappointed With Sluggish OFT

Trinity Mirror, the UK’s largest newspaper group, has warned that difficult advertising conditions are set to continue throughout this year, although the company is expecting a strong underlying performance. Pre-tax profit at the company rose by 0.9% to £155.5 million, whilst turnover increased by 4.8% to £1.1 billion for the year ended 30 December 2001.… Continue reading Trinity Mirror Results Beat Expectations, Mirror Relaunch Announced

Combined revenue generated by the ‘big three’ US television – ABC, CBS and NBC – networks dropped more than 10% in 2001 – the largest annual loss in network history, according to a Hollywood Reporter story published today. Quoting the Broadcasting Cable Financial Management Association, the site says that this decline is a further indication… Continue reading ‘Big Three’ US TV Networks Suffer Record Revenue Falls

Carlton Communications chairman Michael Green, today told the company’s AGM that the advertising market remains weak and that he is unable to predict with any uncertainty the timing of a resumption in growth. Nevertheless, Green reassured that Carlton is well-positioned to benefit from a recovery in demand for advertising, when it does transpire. ITV revenues… Continue reading ITV Revenues Predicted To Be 12% Down In Five Months To February

The Boards of Carlton Communications and Granada last night said that a “fundamental restructuring of ITV Digital’s cost base must be concluded as a matter of urgency in order to secure the long term future of the business.” The financial viability of the troubled digital terrestrial business has been the subject of speculation for some… Continue reading ITV Digital Requires ‘Urgent Fundamental Restructuring’ Say Owners

Combined revenue generated by the ‘big three’ US television – ABC, CBS and NBC – networks dropped more than 10% in 2001 – the largest annual loss in network history, according to a Hollywood Reporter story published today. Quoting the Broadcasting Cable Financial Management Association, the site says that this decline is a further indication… Continue reading ‘Big Three’ US TV Networks Suffer Record Revenue Falls

Major UK media players, Carlton Communications and Granada Media, have announced that discussions regarding a possible merger have been terminated. Any potential merging of the interests of the two major ITV shareholders would have been dependent on an anticipated change in current legislation which limits the percentage of advertising share which can be controlled by… Continue reading Carlton And Granada End Merger Talks

The Competition Commission has announced that its decision on the proposed acquisition by Johnston Press of eight Trinity Mirror newspaper titles (see Johnston Press Refers Free Trinity Papers Acquisition To Competition Commission) has been extended until 19 April 2002. The CC had been due to report on 22 February 2002 but has asked to be… Continue reading Deadline For Johnston/Trinity Decision Extended

Although the advertising slump is forecast to continue through to the end of 2002, media analysts are confident that spending will return in 2003 and investors need not worry. “Advertising isn’t an investment priority. We assume it will come back, we assume it will be feeble in 2002 but will come back in 2003,” said… Continue reading ‘Extraordinary Bulge’ Led To Ad Decline In 2001

According to the Interactive Broadcast Media Report: Streaming Audio and Video Market Growth 1998-2004 report from AccuStream, streaming media grew healthily in 2001 with video streams rising 149% to 2.5+ billion served, 51% at broadband bit rates. Internet audio tuning hours also grew by 100% to 100 million hours per month and it was a… Continue reading Broadband Video Streaming Surpassed Narrowband In 2001, Says AccuStream