Absolute Radio has been selected as the preferred bidder to acquire Virgin Radio from Scottish media group SMG. According to a report in today’s Daily Telegraph, Absolute is believed to have made a cash offer and will enter talks with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, which must approve the deal and the continued licensing of… Continue reading Absolute Selected As Virgin Radio Preferred Bidder

GCap Media has accepted a £375 million takeover bid from rival company Global Radio.Global Radio, headed by former ITV chief executive Charles Allen, will pay 225p per share, with the conclusion of the deal last night heralding an end of four months of negotiations.Global made a first bid for GCap in December, of 190p per… Continue reading Global Radio To Acquire GCap For £375m

Sales from online shopping reached €18.5 billion (£12.8 billion) in the UK last year, according to a new report from Mintel.The company looked at retailing across five countries including the UK, Germany and France.The second biggest online spender in the Mintel report was Germany, with sales reaching €13 billion last year.It was followed by France… Continue reading UK Is Number One For Online Shopping

Annelies van den Belt, head of ITV.com, is leaving the broadcaster after 15 months to join the Russian online publisher, Sup.It was also revealed today that four key executives have left ITV’s sponsorship team, which is headed by brand partnerships director Gary Knight.Mark Rosenegk, head of sponsorship and interactive, and sponsorship manager Kevin Giles, left… Continue reading Head Of ITV.com To Join Russian Online Publisher

Bauer Radio is planning to launch a male-oriented digital radio station based around its men’s magazine brands.Reports have suggested that the company has identified a gap in the commercial radio market for male listening and is in the very early stages of exploring that opportunity.A source told Brand Republic that the station would probably source… Continue reading Bauer Could Launch Male Focused Radio Station

GCap Media has accepted a £375 million takeover bid from rival company Global Radio. Global Radio, headed by former ITV chief executive Charles Allen, will pay 225p per share, with the conclusion of the deal last night heralding an end of four months of negotiations. Global made a first bid for GCap in December, of… Continue reading Global Radio To Acquire GCap For £375m

US advertising spending for the full year 2007 rose 0.6% compared to full year 2006, according to a new report from the Nielsen Company. The internet continued to demonstrate the strongest performance of any media category, with year on year growth of 18.9%. According to preliminary figures from Nielsen Monitor-Plus, advertising spending was mixed across… Continue reading US Adspend Grew 0.6% In 2007

ZenithOptimedia has downgraded its UK TV adspend forecast for this year, after a disappointing first quarter and continued uncertainty in the global economy. Zenith’s Q1 adspend forecast predicts zero growth in TV adspend across 2008, down from a forecast of 2.2% growth in December. Zenith is also downgrading its forecast for outdoor ad spend in… Continue reading Zenith Downgrades UK TV Adspend Forecast

ZenithOptimedia has downgraded its combined growth forecasts for North America and Western Europe this year, from 4.4% to 3.8%, as the credit crunch drains consumer and business confidence. However, it has increased its 2008 forecasts for the rest of the world from 10.9% to 11.1%. The combined result is a slight downgrade of global growth… Continue reading Zenith Downgrades Ad Forecast

Advertising expenditure in the UK is expected to rise by 3.2% this year, at current prices, with outdoor & transport and the internet leading the growth. These figures are published today in the Advertising Association’s (AA) Advertising Forecast, researched and compiled by the World Advertising Research Center (WARC). The media covered in the report include… Continue reading UK Adspend To Rise 3.2%