The advertising industry’s business model is outdated and must change as it faces increasing competition from the likes of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo!, according to Maurice Levy, chief executive of Publicis Groupe.Speaking at an advertising industry conference sponsored by the International Advertising Association, Levy said: “The very model of our industry is being called into… Continue reading Ad Industry Must Change, Says Maurice Levy

Ofcom today warned that public service programming could become unsustainable in the near future, as it unveiled new proposals that could see the major commercial broadcasters allowed to drop their obligations to such content.In the regulator’s second review of public service broadcasting (see Ofcom Begins Second Review Of PSB In UK), it warned that the… Continue reading Ofcom Warns Public Service Programming Could Be Unsustainable

Flickr, the photo-sharing website, has introduced video sharing, confirming months of speculation that this would be the next step for the service.Announcing the new function on the Flickr blog, community manager Heather Champ said that videos would be limited to 90 seconds and 150Mb in size.“While this might seem like an arbitrary limit, we thought… Continue reading Flickr Adds Video Sharing To Site

Jenny Abramsky, the BBC’s director of audio and music, is leaving the corporation after almost 40 years to chair the board of the National Heritage Memorial Fund.Gordon Brown today announced that Abramsky would join the fund in September, bringing to an end the BBC career of one of its longest-serving senior executives.Abramsky joined the BBC… Continue reading Abramsky Leaves BBC After Almost 40 Years

Last night’s controversial Champion’s League match between Arsenal and Liverpool was a big winner for ITV1, with the game’s coverage attracting an average of almost seven million adults to the channel.The quarter final second-leg, which saw Liverpool beat their southern rivals following a ‘dodgy penalty’, gave the channel a 31% viewing share between 7.30pm and… Continue reading Champion’s League Scores For ITV1

Channel 4 has signed Nintendo, Dyson and Smart Car for the broadcaster’s first themed ad break to run in peak time.The ad break has its own design-themed indents and voiceover and will run during the launch show of Grand Designs Live, which is part of C4’s new season schedule (see Channel 4 Unveils Spring Line-Up).The… Continue reading Channel 4 Creates Themed Ad Break To Attract Advertisers

Ofcom has ruled that the BBC must admit to viewers that it breached broadcasting regulations following the airing of repeated swearing during Live Earth coverage on BBC One and BBC Two.This is one of the regulator’s harshest measures to date on the BBC, with the watchdog saying that the corporation was guilty of a “serious… Continue reading BBC Guilty Of Live Earth Broadcasting Breach

Global Radio is to cut local programming and a dozen jobs by the end of April as a result of increasing its networked programming across its Heart and Galaxy stations.Heart will be networked on weekdays between 1pm to 4pm and 7pm to 6am, and for the whole weekend from Friday 7pm to Monday 6am, excluding… Continue reading Global Cuts Jobs And Local Programming On Heart And Galaxy Stations

Ofcom has set out drastic proposals to toughen regulations for participation TV shows following the premium-rate phone-in scandals that dominated 2007.TV and radio shows relying heavily on premium-rate telephone services, such as quiz shows and psychic and adult chat lines, are the focus of the clampdown.Five’s Quiz Call and more than 20 adult channels are… Continue reading Ofcom Sets Out Dramatic TV Phone-In Rules

News Corporation has acquired a majority stake in the UK’s video ad network Utarget, which will be merged with Rupert Murdoch’s existing online ad network .Fox Networks. Utarget will be rebranded Utarget.Fox and will work with the Fox Interactive Media Audience Network, which like .Fox Networks is part of Fox International Channels. As part of… Continue reading News Corp Acquires Majority State In UK Video Ad Network