Advertising spend took bigger cuts in the last quarter of 2007 than at any time in nearly two years, according to the latest Bellwether Report. The quarterly survey of marketing spend, published by the IPA, found that budgets were revised down for the first time in a year in Q4. The report said that weaker… Continue reading Q4 2007 Bellwether: Biggest Fall In Marketing Spend In Nearly Two Years

BBC Magazines is reported to be planning the release of a new sports focused title with the code name Project Robin.The new title would hit newsstands on a weekly basis and be edited by the former editor of Match magazine, Ian Foster, according to a report on Mad.co.uk.BBC Magazines previously published a Match of the… Continue reading BBC Could Launch New Sport Magazine

London’s Magic 105.4 is to use the animated escalator panels at 20 key tube stations to advertise its Magic Mystery Voices competition.Magic Mystery Voices is played every week day between 7am and 6pm, each hour, and features one caller is taken on air to try and identify three celebrities.The prize starts at £100 and another… Continue reading Magic 105.4 Goes Underground With Magic Mystery Voices Promotion

Ofcom has appointed Anna Bradley as chairman of its independent Consumer Panel. The Panel advises Ofcom on the consumer interest in telecommunications, broadcasting and spectrum markets.Bradley was consumer affairs director of the Financial Services Authority (2002-5) having been chief executive of the National Consumer Council (1999-2002).Bradley is currently non-executive chairman of the Soil Association’s Organic… Continue reading Ofcom Appoints Bradley To Chair Consumer Panel

BSkyB is to be given more time by the Competition Commission to appeal against a government decision on whether it has to dispose of its 17.9% stake in ITV. The ruling will be published by the Department for Business and Enterprise on January 29. In December, the Competition Commission recommended that Sky reduce its stake… Continue reading Sky Given More Time To Appeal Against ITV Share Sale

The sale of Emap’s Republic of Ireland radio business to Communicorp Group has been approved. It was announced last July that Emap had made a conditional sale of its Irish stations to the Irish and European radio group Communicorp for £135 million, subject to regulatory clearances. However, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland did not approve… Continue reading Sale Of Emap’s Irish Stations Approved

Havas has announced a further expansion of its UK operations with the acquisition of one of the country’s leading independent media agencies, BLM, for a reported £20 million. Havas said that the acquisition forms part of its strategy to consolidate growth in core mature markets and build on the success of its UK brands, which… Continue reading Havas Acquires BLM For £20m

Carl Ratcliff, currently head of planning at Lowe London, is joining Five as head of brand strategy and marketing.Ratcliff will report to Five’s managing director, content, Lisa Opie, who assumed responsibility for the broadcaster’s on and off-air marketing in October last year.Opie said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to attract someone as talented as… Continue reading Ratcliff To Rejoin Five

Last night’s TV saw the launch of ITV1’s postmodern double-act, Moving Wallpaper and Echo Beach, the first a comedy about the making of a new soap opera, the second the soap itself.Moving Wallpaper, despite getting some dodgy reviews in the press, managed to pick up a peak of 4.9 million adults (a 22.3% share of… Continue reading Strong Start For New ITV1 Shows

GCap Media’s Capital 95.8 has confirmed that Denise Van Outen will be joining The Capital Breakfast Show with Johnny Vaughan from Monday February 4.Capital 95.8 managing director, Paul Jackson said: “Johnny and I have been talking about this for a while.“Everyone knows they have great chemistry together and they will undoubtedly create the best breakfast… Continue reading Johnny And Denise Together Again