Google has reportedly proposed a partnership with search rival Yahoo! in an effort to escape Microsoft’s $44.6 billion hostile takeover bid. It is understood that Google chief executive yesterday telephoned Yahoo! founder Jerry Yang to propose working together. A partnership between the two could see Yahoo! outsource its search and advertising functions to Google while… Continue reading Google Proposes Yahoo! Partnership

News Corp has announced second quarter pre-tax profits of $1.39 billion (£705 million), up 9.2% year on year. The Murdoch media empire grew in all but two of its eight operating divisions, filmed entertainment and television. Group revenues grew 9.5% year-on-year to $8.59 billion, with cable network programming revenues up by a third to $1.24… Continue reading News Corp Profits Up In Q2

Naked Communications has been acquired by Australian marketing services company Photon with an initial cash payment of A$36 million (US$33 million). Photon has acquired 100% control of Naked, in a deal involving a four-year performance-based earn-out package for the agency’s founders. Naked was founded in the UK in 2000 and operates in the US, Australia,… Continue reading Photon Acquires Naked

Google has said that Microsoft’s $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo! raises “troubling questions” about the underlying principles of the internet.Writing on the official Google blog, David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer, said that “Microsoft plus Yahoo! equals an overwhelming share of instant messaging and web email accounts. And between them, the two companies operate the… Continue reading Google Raises Competition Questions Over Microsoft/Yahoo! Deal

Two final panellists have been confirmed for MediaTel Group’s forthcoming ‘Future of Online’ seminar, with Richard Firminger regional sales director, Northern Europe, at Yahoo!, and Louise Ainsworth, MD EMEA Nielsen Online, completing the line-up.The pair will add further weight to the event, joining Sheryl Norman, digital director at Omnicom Media Group, Adam Freeman, commercial director… Continue reading ‘Future Of Online’ Line-Up Finalised

Veteran DJ Tony Blackburn is to join London’s Smooth Radio as the presenter of its weekend breakfast show.Blackburn, who left GCap Media’s Classic Gold before its merger with sister network Capital Gold last year (see New Gold Network Releases Schedule), will present his first show on Smooth on February 16.“Smooth Radio is a wonderful station… Continue reading Blackburn Joins Smooth Radio London For Weekend Breakfast

Virgin Media has announced a partnership with Phones 4u which will see the communications and entertainment company take over shop space in six selected stores for six months.If successful, the trial could be extended further into Phones 4u’s nationwide estate.Each of the six stores in the North West of England have been refurbished with Virgin… Continue reading Virgin Media In Phones 4u Partnership

Google has raised objections to Microsoft’s $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo!, saying that a takeover would create a business with an overwhelming share of online communications services of web-based email and instant messaging. Writing on the official Google blog, David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer, said that “Microsoft plus Yahoo! equals an overwhelming share of… Continue reading Google Raises Objections To Microsoft/Yahoo! Deal

ITV’s share price rose almost 4% this morning following weekend reports that three private equity firms could be considering a £3 billion bid. Private equity groups Apex, KKR and Provident are all believed to be considering an offer of around 100p a share, according to a report in the Observer. ITV’s share price reached 79.50p… Continue reading ITV Shares Rise Following Bid Report

The latest National Client Email Marketing Survey from the DMA shows that over 80% of respondents expect their company’s expenditure on email to increase. Just over half of respondents said that they will not be taking money from another channel to fund their email marketing, reinforcing the net increase in client spend on email in… Continue reading Email Marketing Spend Expected To Increase