SMG is changing its name to stv Group following the sale of Virgin Radio and its outdoor advertising business Primesight. The company is taking the name of its TV subsidiary stv as its overall corporate identity, with SMG chief executive saying that the move marks a return to the company’s roots. Rob Woodward, chief executive,… Continue reading SMG Changes Name To stv Group

Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP saw its UK revenues increase by 5% in the first five months of 2008. The company announced a rise in like for like global revenue growth of 4.5% at its AGM in London. All regions showed strong revenue growth on a constant currency basis, with the US up almost 7%, while… Continue reading WPP Sees UK Revenues Increase

At MediaTel Group’s Media Playground event on Tuesday 11 June, several companies demonstrated how their products are delivering innovation in the media industry: Royal Mail had an interactive approach to demonstrating how they can communicate with consumers to deliver a sensory experience via their communication Clear Channel showed a new product area to bring outdoor… Continue reading Media Playground: Innovations for the industry

According to reports in today’s Financial Times, Vodafone has pulled out of the running to purchase Tiscali, an Italian ISP with operations in Italy and the UK. Vodafone reportedly quit the auction process due to disagreements over Tiscali’s valuation. Other UK companies still interested in acquiring Tiscali are BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse, while Switzerland’s incumbent… Continue reading Vodafone Pull Out of Running In Tiscali Takeover

New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group has found that 14% of primary US residences with at least one TV set do not subscribe to cable, DBS, or any other type of multi-channel video service. In addition, 24% of households that subscribe to a multi-channel video service have at least one TV set that only… Continue reading US Homes Not Fully Prepared For Digital Switchover

A new study from Solutions Research Group has found that an average American consumer aged 12 and older with internet access now spends 6.1 hours daily with video based entertainment, up from 4.6 hours in 1996. Of this 6.1 hours, 63.9% (nearly four hours per day) currently comes from traditional television, including live, DVR and… Continue reading Average American Consumer Spends 6.1 Hours With Video Each Day

New research from the World Newspaper Congress on the media habits of young people in three countries found that television continues to be their most important source of news and information for the young, despite the rise of the internet. The research, looking at 15-29 year olds in the US, the Netherlands and Finland, showed… Continue reading Television Is Number One Source For News Among 15-29 Year-Olds

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have released their annual global advertising revenue forecast, estimating that global revenues will rise by an average of 6.6% a year by 2012, reaching to $2.2 trillion. These figures position the sector as outpacing GDP, which is forecast to increase by 5.7%. Advertising attached to watching videos on the internet and devices such… Continue reading Global Advertising Revenue To Reach $2.2 Trillion by 2012

Virgin Radio owners Scottish Media Group have confirmed the sale of Virgin Radio to a consortium including The Times of India Group for £53 million by the end of June. The station will be renamed, in order to ensure there are no branding restrictions imposed by Sir Richard Branson which could affect the new owners… Continue reading Virgin Radio Sold

LinkedIn, the professional social networking site has secured an extra $53m (£27m), to fund its expansion plans in Europe, which takes the company’s value to $1bn. LinkedIn now has 23 million members worldwide, with the UK making up one million members and more than six million in Europe. It allows professionals to keep in touch… Continue reading LinkedIn Valued At More Than $1 Billion