Q1 cable statistics from the Independent Television Commission (ITC) show that cable TV penetration has risen by 2.1 percentage points year on year to 28.5% of homes passed and marketed. Cable TV take-up rate has increased by 10.1% in the same period, with 3.6m or 15% of TV households subscribing. The ITC figures also show… Continue reading ITC Publishes Q1 Cable TV Statistics

The current ‘testing’ market conditions have seen revenue growth at global advertising and communications group Aegis come in at 8%, ‘significantly less than that achieved in the comparable period last year,’ according to a trading statement released this morning. Aegis said that first half net new business wins for its Carat media business are expected… Continue reading Aegis Tightens Belt As Downturn Impacts Revenue Growth

Kim Howells, the new minister for broadcasting, film and tourism, has questioned whether the original time scale for the analogue switch-off is achievable. According to an interview in the Financial Times this morning, Howells believes that there are too many people dependent on television for their entertainment to rush the decision. Also in the interview,… Continue reading Howells Questions Digital Switch Date

Troubled digital terrestrial TV operator, ONdigital (see Job Losses Expected As ITV Restructures), has strongly denied that it is about to phase out its free set top box give-away, after a report in this morning’s Financial Times claimed that this possibility is being ‘explored’ by the company’s joint owners, Carlton Communications and Granada. A spokesperson… Continue reading ONdigital Denies End Of Set-Top Box Give-Away

Telecommunications hardware developer, Pace Microtechnology, and interactive television and media company, OpenTV, are to jointly develop high-end digital cable technology worldwide, the two companies have announced. Pace will port OpenTV’s broadband offering onto its cable home gateway. OpenTV’s broadband portfolio includes its interactive TV Middleware, EN2, integrated with Device Mosaic?, a standards-based HTML browser specifically… Continue reading Pace And OpenTV To Develop High-End Digital Cable

Russian telecoms minister Leonid Reimnan has reiterated his wish for €39 billion to be invested in the Russian telecommunications industry by 2010, according to a report on Europemedia. At least half of this figure is expected to come from reinvestment by existing Russian telecoms companies and the rest from foreign and Russian investors, the report… Continue reading Russian Telecoms Minister Cals For €39 billion Investment

United Business Media (UBM) has acquired 50% of the Dutch national news agency’s news release distribution division, Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau Pers Support (ANPPS), for €6.5 million (£3.9 million) in cash, the company announced this morning. The investment continues UBM’s strategy to provide its PR Newswire service with a strong local identity in key markets. ANPPS… Continue reading UBM Acquires Dutch News Release Agency

colspan=”10″ align=”left”>Global Ad Expenditure Growth Forecasts ($m) 

India is expected to see rapid growth in the number of internet users in the next few years, despite the slowdown and lack of venture capital funding for investments there, according to an Economic Times’ report on a recent IDC India survey. The survey shows that there will be 37.5 million web users in India… Continue reading Strong Net User Growth Predicted In India

The number of women using the Internet in the Asia-Pacific region has increased by an average of 36% since January, according to a Nielsen NetRatings report. The report says that women now comprise 48% of the Australian internet audience and 46% of New Zealand Net users. In South Korea the number of online women is… Continue reading Women Take Up The Net In Asia, Says Nielsen NetRatings