In a call for the internet advertising industry to re-think the use of so-called ‘pop-under’ ads, Unicast CEO Richard Hopple today asked the industry to re-think its use of the generally condemned format, saying that the short-term revenue gains generated by their use, will be more than offset by the continuing negative perception of online… Continue reading Unicast Chief Condemns Internet’s Pop-Under Ads

The popularity of digital television’s interactive services is growing rapidly, with 5.3 million already interacting with TV programmes, sports events and advertisements via their TV remote controls, according to a new digital TV report. The Continental Research survey found that 2.7 million people have turned onto reality TV show Big Brother‘s interactive platform, with a… Continue reading Interactive TV Use Rises, But Ads Are Avoided

Final results from BSkyB are expected to show the rewards of three years of investment, according to analysts ABN Amro. The company is due to release its full year results on 25 July. Despite the seasonal slowdown in the fourth quarter, ABN says it expects the figures to reveal the extent to which ‘BSkyB’s underlying… Continue reading Profits Expected In Sky Finals

Business to business display advertising has been impacted by the technology and telecom adspend downturn, but recruitment revenues have remained strong at EMAP, according to chairman Adam Broadbent’s AGM statement. The consumer magazine division is showing some growth and circulation revenues are continuing to improve, the company said. Radio advertising has shown a decline in… Continue reading EMAP First Half Marginally Behind Last Year

Anglo-Dutch publisher, Reed Elsevier, has successfully completed its take offer for Harcourt General (see US Clears Reed’s Harcourt General Acquisition), the company announced this morning. The merger of the two companies will create the world’s largest scientific and medical publisher. Once the merger has been completed, Reed said it will complete the on-sale of the… Continue reading Reed Elsevier Completes Harcourt Acquisition

BSkyB and Ladbrokes have agreed to form a joint 50:50 venture to offer a fixed-odds and pools betting service via the Sky Digital television platform. Ladbrokes’ Vernons pools business will be transferred to the joint venture and BSkyB will contribute its wholly-owned bookmaker Surrey Sports, which already operates on Sky Digital. The service will operate… Continue reading BSkyB And Ladbrokes To Create Digital TV Betting Service

Europeans remain wary web shoppers but the UK is leading the way, according to a new Wall Street Journal Europe/GfK Worldwide Survey. The survey of 12,500 Western European consumers shows that whilst almost half have access to the internet, only around 20% have actually bought anything online in the last six months. Even those that… Continue reading UK Leads European Online Shopping, Says GfK Survey

Internet use around the globe is on the increase according to a number of recent reports. Net penetration in Argentina rose by 100% in the year to March 2001 and the number of internet users in Argentina is now around 2 million according to the DíAlessio/IROL/Harris Online Poll. Around 1.2 million households now have net… Continue reading Insight Analysis: Global Net Round Up

Despite losses in its customer base (see Forecasts) BT’s wireless mobile division, Genie, reports success in the internet phone market. Better, more easily accessible WAP services have lead to an increase in the number of WAP phones purchased and the number of page impressions recorded for WAP services. Genie reports that WAP page impressions have… Continue reading UK WAP Use On The Increase

The French government has announced its intention to bring high speed internet access to the whole country and is to pour €4.6 billion into the project. The plans are designed to ‘open the Information Age to everyone,’ according to French prime minister Lionel Jospin. The Government will develop the high-speed Net access services across cable,… Continue reading French Government To Bring High-Speed Net Access To All