A quarter of Freeview households in Wales and Northern Ireland – and a fifth in the Meridian and Anglia regions of England – will not have full access to the digital terrestrial TV channels after analogue switchoff, according to media regulator Ofcom.The coverage of Freeview’s three commercial multiplexes – home to Five’s network of channels… Continue reading Ofcom Reveals Switchover Problems

The Takeover Panel has given Global Radio another five days to indicate if it will go ahead with a £371 million bid for rival company GCap Media.The regulator has now given Global until 5pm on Monday, March 31, to decide whether it will proceed with a takeover or walk away from a deal for the… Continue reading Deadline Extended For Global Radio GCap Bid

Outdoor giant JCDecaux has signed up major advertisers for its digital roadside network of screens, which aims to revolutionise the medium in a bid to attract new advertisers.Advertisers including Toyota, Lucozade, Ford, Yell.com and the BBC have agreed to come on board for the launch of the PrimeTime network of 20 digital roadside screens across… Continue reading JCDecaux Signs Major Advertisers For Digital Roadside Network

Independent News & Media has reported an 8.4% rise in UK operating profits for 2007. The group, which owns the Independent, Independent on Sunday and Belfast Telegraph, saw its operating profit increase to €15.5 million (£12.1 million). Revenue in the UK increased 18.3% to €268.1 million (£210 million), with advertising growth of 5.5%. The Independent… Continue reading Profits Up At Independent News & Media

Kangaroo, the forthcoming video-on-demand service from BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4, is said to be in the final stages of development and looking for an ad sales house.The search is reported in the trade press as being the last hurdle for the venture, which is due to launch in the summer.Ad space on the… Continue reading Kangaroo “In Final Stages” Of Development

UK internet traffic to video websites increased by 178% between February 2007 and 2008, according to online intelligence service Hitwise.A Hitwise custom category of the top 25 video websites in the UK accounted for 2.22% of all UK Internet visits in February 2008, equivalent for one in every 45 internet visits that month.“Online video is… Continue reading Internet Traffic To Video Websites Increases 178%

Sam Branson, son of Sir Richard, is to present a series of shows for Kiss Radio in his new role as official green ambassador for the station.Branson will host a special Kiss the Planet series on the Kiss Radio network throughout 2008. He will debut on the station in the breakfast show on March 27… Continue reading Kiss Radio Signs Sam Branson As Green Ambassador

Channel 4 has unveiled its spring line-up, with a new series of The Charlotte Church Show and shows featuring innovative chef Heston Blumenthal.Blumenthal has been signed on an exclusive two year deal understood to be worth around £400,000, which will see him star in one show, Big Chef, Little Chef, where he will attempt to… Continue reading Channel 4 Unveils Spring Line-Up

WPP has announced that it expects revenue to grow by around 6% this year, driven by the Olympic Games in China. The group also predicts that the US elections and the Euro football 2008 football tournament will drive major growth at the company. Last month, WPP reported a pre-tax profit of £817 million following 5%… Continue reading WPP Expects 6% Revenue Growth

The US advertising market continued to splutter at the end of 2007 and finished the year with measured spending of $148.99 billion, up 0.2% year on year, according to data from TNS Media Intelligence. Total expenditures during the fourth quarter of 2007 fell by 0.1% versus a year ago. Jon Swallen, SVP research at TNS… Continue reading US Advertising Expenditures Grew 0.2% In 2007