After months of waiting, last Friday Ofcom finally announced the winner of the 12-year licence for the second national digital multiplex, with 4 Digital Group coming out on top in a two-horse race. NewsLine takes a look at the build up to the announcement and what might happen next…4 Digital Group, a consortium led by… Continue reading Battle For The Second DAB Multiplex

Westminster Council has passed new rules ordering free afternoon newspapers thelondonpaper and London Lite to clean up discarded copies.The new rules, which will come into effect in one month unless News International and Associated Newspapers come to an agreement over cleaning up, could see distribution points in Westminster cut by 30%, with freesheet distributors also… Continue reading Council Could Implement Tough New Freesheet Rules

Setanta Sports, the pay-TV broadcaster, has unveiled the initial 19 fixtures of its 46 live Barclays Premier League games for the 2007/08 season.The Setanta Sports service will cost £9.99 per month and is available to all satellite customers with or without a Sky subscription and on all Freeview boxes and digital TVs.Last year, Setanta paid… Continue reading Setanta Unveils Premier League Football Schedule

Coming 100 days before the digital switchover, new research reveals that all households in the lead area of Whitehaven, Cumbria, are intending to convert to digital TV.Ford Ennals, chief executive of Digital UK, the organisation implementing switchover, welcomed the findings but warned residents not to leave it too late.Ennals said: “It’s good news that everyone… Continue reading Whitehaven Gets Ready For Digital Switchover

A new estimate from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) projects that the output of the UK economy in the three months ending in June was 0.7% higher than in the previous three months. NIESR’s track record of producing early estimates of GDP suggests that its projection for the more recent three-month… Continue reading UK Economic Output Grows 0.7%

The global in-game advertising market, which generated $77.7 million globally in 2006, continues to develop at an exponential rate, according to new research from Yankee Group. By 2011, Yankee Group says that worldwide in-game advertising expenditures (fixed product placement/static ads and dynamic ads) will grow to $971.3 million. According to the Advertising and Games: 2007… Continue reading In-Game Ad Market Growing At Exponential Rate

Carlyle, the US private equity company bidding for Virgin Media, could axe the Virgin brand name if its takeover is successful. Yesterday’s Observer reported that the move, which would cut ties with Sir Richard Branson, could pave the way to a reconciliation with Sky following the dispute over Virgin’s carriage of the Sky’s basic channels.… Continue reading Virgin Media Bid Firm Could Axe Branson Link

The Dow Jones board is still looking for an alternative bid to Rupert Murdoch’s, as it enters the final phase of negotiations with News Corporation. A report in today’s Financial Times says that the ad-hoc committee of Dow Jones directors is set to meet today with California billionaire Ron Burkle to discuss a possible purchase… Continue reading Dow Jones Still Seeking Alternative Bidders

Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) has bought 25 weekly regional newspapers from Trinity Mirror for £64.15 million. Trinity Mirror is selling Kent Regional Newspapers, East Surrey and Sussex Newspapers and Blackmore Vale Publishing, which form part of its regional business in London and the South East. The three businesses are being acquired by Northcliffe… Continue reading DMGT Buys 25 Trinity Mirror Regional Titles

Rupert Murdoch’s $5 billion (£2.5 billion) bid for Dow Jones, owner of the Wall Street Journal, has finally been accepted, with a formal announcement expected next week. According to a report in Business magazine, the announcement is expected next week once the majority shareholders, the Bancroft family, have formally agreed to the sale. News Corp… Continue reading Murdoch Dow Jones Deal Set To Go Ahead