Archant has announced modest like-for-like revenue figures for the first half of 2008, down 3.3% year on year and like-for-like operating profits down 8.9%. At the same time the company has revealed that digital advertising revenues have increased by 63%. Total turnover for the period was £93.6 million (2007 – £98.5 million). Total operating profit… Continue reading Archant Sees Revenue And Profit Decline

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has announced a 27% increase in fourth quarter profits to $1.13 billion. Net income of $1.13 billion, an increase of $239 million from the $890 million reported in the fourth quarter a year ago. Revenues rose 17% to $8.6 billion, while the group recorded full-year operating income of $5.4 billion, an… Continue reading News Corp Profits Increase

Digital TV penetration of Western European households broke the 50% barrier in 2007, ending the year at 54%, up from 42% at the end of 2006, according to new research. The Informa Telecoms & Media report forecasts that digital homes in the region will reach 104 million by the end of 2008, rising to 157… Continue reading Western European Digital TV Penetration To Reach 54%

A new consumer study of mobile internet usage and attitudes has found that consumers’ most-wanted mobile activities include phone-optimised banking and travel planning. Conducted by the AKQA’s Research & Insights department in conjunction with dotMobi, the survey reveals key insights into the importance of a better mobile Web for consumers in the US and UK.… Continue reading New Study Examines Mobile Internet Usage And Attitudes

Top Up TV, the paid-for service available on Freeview, is to offer new customers Setanta Sports 1 for free for the 2008/2009 Barclays Premier League football season.New subscribers will get access to live Barclays Premier League Games, England World Cup qualifying games (and home friendlies), the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, Magners League rugby, US PGA… Continue reading Setanta Sports Free For New Top Up TV Subscribers

Associated Newspapers has launched an electronic version of its morning freesheet Metro.e-Metro lets readers view a copy of the day’s Metro online, giving them the opportunity to instantly print, zoom and search for text, bookmark relevant pages and save a digital version of the newspaper to their computer for offline reading.Subscribers to e-Metro will receive… Continue reading Digital Version Of Metro Launches

An estimated 45 million households worldwide received HDTV services via DTH, cable, IPTV and DTT at the end of 2007, according to a new report. The IMS Research study The Worldwide Market for High-Definition TV Equipment & Services – 2008 Edition also found that approximately the same number of HDTV sets shipped during 2007. IMS… Continue reading HDTV Market To Reach 255 Million Households in 2013

July saw the release of the IPA’s Q2 2008 Bellwether Report, with the third consecutive quarter of cuts and to the greatest extent since 2001. All sectors within marketing have suffered cuts, with the exception of the internet. However, even this market was not immune to the downturn with budgets only increasing by 6%, the… Continue reading INSIGHTanalysis: Media Healthcheck – July 2008

JCDecaux has announced that its revenues for the six months ending June 30 were up 4.8% year on year to €1.067.6 million. Excluding acquisitions and the impact of foreign exchange, organic revenue growth was 9.5% reflecting a strong second quarter, said the outdoor giant. Core advertising revenues, excluding revenues related to the sale, rental and… Continue reading JCDecaux Reports H1 Revenue Rise

Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP Group has made a £1.08 billion formal hostile takeover bid for Taylor Nelson Sofres to shareholders, following four earlier rejected bids. WPP hopes the bid will finally put an end to TNS’s planned merger with its German rival company, Gfk. WPP’s statement said: “WPP announces that the offer document containing the… Continue reading WPP Makes Hostile Takeover Bid For TNS