Independent News & Media (INM), owner of the UK’s Independent newspaper, today said that the UK market is performing well despite tough local market conditions. Speaking at the company’s annual meeting today, executive chairman Sir Anthony O’Reilly said that cost control continues to be a major focus in all of the group’s operations. O’Reilly said… Continue reading Independent To Maintain Cost Control

IPC has surpassed the Advertising Association’s revised forecast of 2.1% growth in consumer magazine advertising revenue by revealing year on year growth of 6.9% for the last two quarters. In what chief executive Sly Bailey described as a “Solid set of interim results”, net profit before tax for the half year to March 2001 was… Continue reading IPC Surpasses Ad Revenue Expectations With 6.9% Growth

French marketing and communications group Publicis is buying two New York PR agencies – Fabianne Gershon Associates and Hudson Stone Group – for an undisclosed sum. Fabianne Gershon handles corporate PR, whilst Hudson Stone offers an investor relations service. Analysts say that the acquisitions will help boost Publicis’ exposure to marketing services, where it is… Continue reading Publicis Buys New York PR Firms

European cable group UPC has received a â‚Ź1.0 billion cash injection from US media group Liberty Media. Nevertheless, the group has still admitted to a further â‚Ź1.0 billion shortfall in necessary funding. UPC’s parent company, UnitedGlobalCom, is currently in the latter stages of merging with Liberty Media. The deal is two to three months from… Continue reading UPC Gets £1.0bn Cash Injection, But Needs More

One of the key political battlegrounds in the approach to the 7 June general election has been the extent to which the UK should be in (and indeed out of) Europe. Whilst a number of committed EU nations are saying goodbye to their old coins and notes and beginning to embrace the Euro, the UK… Continue reading Insight Analysis: Top UK Readers Lead Euro Media Survey

Two recent reports from IDC have forecast a healthy outlook for ecommerce over coming years. In the first, IDC forecast that almost 1 billion people around the world will be using the Internet by 2005 and that this growth will drive ecommerce revenues to over $5 trillion by 2005, up from $354 billion in 2000.… Continue reading Positive Outlook For eCommerce, Says IDC

According to a recent report by Jupiter Media Metrix, online advertising prices will continue to fall for six months to come keeping media buyers in their strong buying position. Over the past year, prices have already fallen by 30%. In June 2000, advertisers were paying an average of e30 for 1000 page impressions, currenly they… Continue reading Online Ad Prices Still Dropping, Says Jupiter

Annual spending by U.S. small businesses on localised e-mail marketing will exceed $2.2 billion by 2005, according to The Kelsey Group. Recent research from the group indicates that 42% of small businesses will use e-mail for some form of marketing by 2005, with promotional coupons emerging as the most popular method. In a new white… Continue reading Small US Firms Spend Big On Localised E-Mail Marketing

According to new figures, many of the top UK radio stations (in revenue terms) have seen a decline in the amount spent on radio advertising year on year. Despite its audience being restricted to London, Capital 95.8fm continues to attract a larger share of advertising revenue than any other local or national station. However, figures… Continue reading Top Radio Stations See Year On Year Slide In Ad Revenue

Kevin Hand, chief executive of EMAP, has resigned with immediate effect, the media group announced this morning. Although the statement from EMAP did not state the reasons for Hand’s departure, it is likely that his position became untenable after the failure to consolidate the US business Petersen which he headed (see EMAP Reported To Be… Continue reading EMAP Chief Resigns As Results Come In Line With Expectations