ZenithOptimedia forecasts that global adspend will grow 4.3% in 2008, down from its previous forecast of 6.6% from June this year, as the worldwide financial crisis hits the sector. World adspend growth for 2009 has also been downgraded, from 6% to 4%, with developed markets hardest hit by the reduced liquidity in the financial markets:… Continue reading ZenithOptimedia Lowers Global Adspend Forecast

UK internet advertising expenditure grew to £1.68 million in the first half of 2008, a 21% year-on-year like-for-like increase, according to the latest online adspend figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB). The research said that without the growth shown by online, the advertising market as a whole would have experienced a 4.6% decline in… Continue reading Internet Advertising Spend Up 21%

Ofcom’s latest digital television update, for the second quarter of 2008, reveals that take-up of multichannel television on main sets in UK households increased by 0.8%, from 87.2% to 88% in Q2. The report found that over 22.5 million households had multichannel television equipment connected to their primary set by the end of Q2 2008.… Continue reading Digital TV Households In UK Up To 88%

WPP chief executive, Sir Marin Sorrell, has urged media companies to start investing, not cutting down, during the credit crunch. Speaking to Media Week, Sorrell said: “Industry research has consistently shown that if we cut marketing during such times, the impact is damaging and it can take you longer to get back to where you… Continue reading Sorrell Tells Media Companies To Start Investing

WPP Group has released a statement announcing plans to extend the original Friday deadline for its £1.1 billion offer of TNS until 3pm this Wednesday, October 8. WPP Group, led my Sir Martin Sorrell, announced that valid acceptances of the offer had now climbed to 60.86% of TNS shareholders last Friday, when the previous deadline… Continue reading WPP Extends TNS Offer Deadline

Virgin Media Television has appointed David Cuff, former Flextech Television executive, as its new commercial director. Cuff will be responsible for commercial strategy across all of VMtv’s businesses, reporting to managing director Jonathan Webb. Cuff has previously held positions with Flextech Television and Initiative Media, and runs his own consultancy business, Cuff Media. In addition,… Continue reading Virgin Media Appoints New Commercial Director

Sly Bailey, the chief executive of Trinity Mirror, is warning digital businesses to beware of the inevitable bubble-burst. Stating that digital growth of recent years is now slowing, she has suggested there were “tough times ahead”. Delivering the opening keynote speech at the annual Association of Online Publishers, Bailey voiced her concerns about the BBC’s… Continue reading Sly Bailey Warns Of Digital Bubble Burst

Pre-tax profits at Telegraph Media Group rose by 4.9% year on year to £34.3 million, according to full year 2007 figure filed at Companies House. Overall turnover for the publishing group also rose 4%, or £13.8 million last year to £354.9 million. Operating profits after exceptional costs were £11.8 million, which is an increase of… Continue reading Telegraph Pre-Tax Profits Rise by 4.9%

The number of HD-ready households is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.2% over the next five years, from 59% of US TV households in 2007 to 84% in 2012, according to a new report by Adams Media Research. ‘The Future of HDTV Delivery’ research carried out by Adams, predicts… Continue reading 84% Of US Households Will HD-Ready By 2012

A new report from the Nielsen Company reveals that the average mobile subscriber in the US sent and received more SMS text messages than mobile telephone calls during Q2 2008. This is the second consecutive quarter in which the average number of text messages was significantly higher than the average number of calls, according to… Continue reading Text Messaging Overtakes Mobile Voice Calls