Over 13 million analogue-only television households in the US are unprepared for switchover, and another six million have at least one set that won’t work after the analogue signal is switched off in February 2009, according to the Nielsen Company. For the past 18 months, the company has reviewed various components of the transition to… Continue reading Millions Unprepared For Analogue TV Switch Off In US

Online video viewing in the US grew last year, with 31% of US adults online at home reporting that they view online video at least weekly, according to a new report from Leichtman Research Group. This figure is up from 25% of those online who viewed video online at least once a week last year.… Continue reading US Online Video Viewing Grows

Donovan Data Systems (DDS), which has a stranglehold in the USA, similar to its dominant position in the UK, has suffered a rare but significant client loss. Advertising Age and the Wall Street Journal are reporting this week that Starcom MediaVest Group’s US business has moved its spending power from DDS to MediaBank, a software… Continue reading Starcom MediaVest Drops DDS in US

BSkyB will this week launch its appeal against the Competition Commission’s ruling that forces it to sell most of its 17.9% stake in ITV.The appeal comes three weeks after the government accepted the commission’s findings and recommendations, telling Sky it had to sell within a confidential time limit to bring its stake down below 7.5%… Continue reading Sky To Launch Its ITV Stake Appeal This Week

Ofcom has announced new measures to strengthen viewer protection in participation TV, introducing new mandatory licence conditions for television broadcasters.The new measures come after a host of phone-in scandals rocked the industry, with the watchdog handing out massive fines to Channel 4 (see Ofcom Fines Channel 4 £1.5m Over Phone In Quizzes) and GMTV (see… Continue reading Ofcom Announces New Licence Conditions For TV Phone-Ins

NME Radio, the new broadcast brand extension from IPC Media and DX Media, has gained two new members of staff ahead of its launch this summer.Joanne Burlando has been appointed head of operations, having spent more than four years at Xfm as music and programme manager, and Katie Torrie joins NME Radio as music and… Continue reading NME Radio Makes Key Appointments

BSkyB’s total advertising spend has increased more than 30% year on year, to as much as £160 million in 2007, according to new figures from Nielsen Media Research.BSkyB spent £115 million on above-the-line media, said Nielsen, a 60% year on year increase.Agency estimates put BSkyB’s total media spend for 2007 at close to £160 million,… Continue reading Sky’s Media Spend Could Reach £160m

This week will see Sky launch its appeal against the Competition Commission’s ruling forcing it to reduce its 17.9% stake in ITV to under 7.5%. The news comes three weeks after business secretary John Hutton followed the Competition Commission’s recommendation, leaving Sky until next Monday to lodge an appeal (see Sky Told To Reduce ITV… Continue reading Sky To Launch ITV Stake Appeal This Week

New figures from Nielsen Media Research show that BSkyB’s total advertising spend has increased more than 30% year on year, to as much as £160 million in 2007. Nielsen said that BSkyB spent £115 million on above-the-line media, a 60% year on year increase. Agency estimates put BSkyB’s total media spend for 2007 at close… Continue reading Sky’s Media Spend Could Be As High As £160m

Scottish Media Group has now received four offers for Virgin Radio, of between £60 million and £70 million, pushing the group’s share price up. A surprise bid has come from Malaysia’s largest media company, Astro All Asia Networks, with other bidders including Global Radio, which recently offered £313 million for industry leader GCap Media (see… Continue reading SMG Gets Four Offers For Virgin Radio