Apple iTunes is offering downloads of new movies on the same day as the DVDs are released, following deals with US film studios.Studios involved include 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios Home Entertainment.Independent studios such as Lionsgate and First Look Studios are also taking part, with the first… Continue reading Apple Offers Movie Downloads On Same Day As DVD Release

A possible takeover of Yahoo! has collapsed after Microsoft refused to match the $37 per share price Yahoo!’s founders were asking for.The weekend saw Microsoft increase its original bid of $31 made earlier this year (see Microsoft Offers To Buy Yahoo! For $44.6bn) to $33 per share.However, Microsoft executives met with Yahoo! founders Jerry Yang… Continue reading Microsoft Drops Yahoo! Bid

Microsoft has refused to match the $37 per share price Yahoo!’s founders were asking for, bringing an end to takeover talks. The weekend saw Microsoft increase its original bid of $31 made earlier this year (see Microsoft Bids $44.6bn For Yahoo!) to $33 per share. However, Microsoft executives met with Yahoo! founders Jerry Yang and… Continue reading Microsoft Withdraws Yahoo! Bid

Lisa Opie, Five’s managing director of content, has resigned with immediate effect, following the resignation of CEO Jane Lighting.Opie has agreed to take six months’ gardening leave.On Wednesday it was revealed that Dawn Airey was leaving ITV with immediate effect to join RTL Group in a senior position including becoming chairman and chief executive of… Continue reading Lisa Opie Quits Five

The latest MRG evening meeting looked at children and the media, with ChildWise research director, Rosemery Duff, unveiling research looking at how youngsters in the UK use different media.The research found that children aged 5-16 years spend about five hours and 20 minutes a day in front of a screen.Although children’s TV viewing was down… Continue reading MRG Looks At Children And The Media

MediaTel Group has launched Press+ – a significant extension to its heavily used press information system within MediaTel.co.uk, the media information system used by over 140 media companies, including all the top 20 media agencies and major media owners.The launch is the culmination of an 18-month, £500,000 investment in the product, which was a b2b… Continue reading MediaTel Group Launches Press+

ITV could take legal action against Dawn Airey after she quit as managing director of global content to join RTL Group as chief executive and chairman of Five.Tempers are said to have frayed after Airey announced her departure to the executive chairman, Michael Grade, and the ITV board earlier this week, reports the Guardian.It is… Continue reading ITV Could Take Legal Action Over Airey Move

Virgin Radio has teamed up with producer Endemol to create an online magazine TV show, hosted by Virgin Radio DJ Iain Lee.The weekly ten minute long show, Punch Drunk TV, will be hosted on Virgin Radio’s newly revamped online home www.virginradio.co.uk.Both Virgin Radio’s and Endemol’s in house sales teams will take the format out to… Continue reading Virgin Radio Teams Up With Endemol For Online Show

The number of people participating in online social networking (OSN) is booming, according to a new report from market analyst Datamonitor. The UK has the highest social networking membership in Europe, said Datamonitor, and it is forecast to almost triple by 2012 to 27 million. While the trend is driven by the younger age groups,… Continue reading Online Social Networking Participation Is Booming

Independent research from Contented reveals that digital agencies have misjudged the threat posed by customer publishers and the growing trend for “editorialisation of brand” in the digital arena. The research, commissioned by the Association of Publishing Agencies, included in-depth interviews with digital agencies, brands and customer publishers and shows that 10% of customer publishing revenue… Continue reading Digital Agencies Misjudging Customer Publishing Threat