BSkyB has bought Amstrad in a deal worth £125 million – 150 pence in cash per share – which should see Sir Alan Sugar collect £34.5 million. Sky said that the acquisition of Amstrad will provide the satellite broadcaster with an in-house design and development capability, which Sky believes will deliver significant operational and financial… Continue reading Sky Buys Amstrad For £125m

GCap Media could be considering purchasing Emap’s radio assets, following Emap’s announcement last week that it is reviewing its portfolio of assets. When Emap announced the review last week it said that “all options to maximise shareholder value will be examined, including a possible sale or demerger of some or all of its constituent businesses”… Continue reading GCap Could Buy Emap’s Radio Assets

Emap is to relaunch Heat Radio with a celebrity news format and sponsorship, promotions and ad-funded programming in place of spot advertising.The national digital station, which is currently an automated jukebox, will be relaunched at the end of September with an “exclusive club” of five clients whose advertising will be worked into the station’s content.Traditional… Continue reading Heat Radio To Relaunch With Integrated Advertising

Thinkbox has just published its Quarter 2 review for 2007, which shows that commercial TV is continuing to grow.The research shows that as digital penetration has expanded, so too have commercial impacts.Thinkbox says that individuals’ impacts rose over 3.3% against the same quarter last year and, as in the first three months of the year,… Continue reading Commercial TV Continues To Grow

Phil Riley, Chrysalis Radio’s chief executive, has resigned following the group’s acquisition by Global Radio.The £170 million disposal of music group Chrysalis’ radio division to Global Radio, a new company backed by Irish investors and chaired by former ITV chief executive, Charles Allen, was completed yesterday (see Chrysalis Radio To Sell For £170 Million).Riley was… Continue reading Riley Quits Chrysalis Following Global Sale

SDN, the ITV owned multiplex operator, has awarded a £500 million contract to design, build and run a new digital terrestrial TV (DTT) network to Arqiva.The contract has been awarded in preparation for the forthcoming digital switchover (see Whitehaven Gets Ready For Digital Switchover), with the replacement network having increased transmission power levels which means… Continue reading Arqiva Wins Contract To Run New DTT Network

The Times‘ online offering recorded a 10.5% increase in visitors in June, overtaking the Sun‘s site to scoop second place behind Guardian Unlimited, according to figures from ABCe.Times Online attracted 9.64 million unique users, compared to 8.73 million in May, a gain of 917,000 visitors.Visitors to the Sun‘s website increased by 0.2% month on month… Continue reading Times Online Boosts Site Users

The latest edition of ZenithOptimedia’s UK Television Forecasts to 2012 predicts that the television ad market will stop shrinking this year, and start growing again – if at a modest 2% a year – in 2008. Television will however grow for only 1%-2% a year for the rest of the forecast period, and its market… Continue reading UK TV Ad Market To Grow

Pearson, publisher of the Financial Times, has announced that FT group revenues were up 8% with profits up 28% in the first half. Pre-tax profits for the whole group rose from £14 million a year ago to £40 million. The FT reported a 12% rise in subscriptions and FT.com subscribers were also up 12%, to… Continue reading Pearson Profits Up

Emap has launched a review of its structure and portfolio of assets, saying that “all options to maximise shareholder value will be examined, including a possible sale or demerger of some or all of its constituent businesses”. In a statement released today, the group said that it had already received various unsolicited proposals for parts… Continue reading Emap Launches Review Of Structure And Assets