BSkyB is to get rid of its monthly Sky+ subscription charge in an attempt to increase take-up and loyalty amongst its digital customers.The decision comes ahead of the launch of Freeview Playback (see Freeview Overtakes Sky), a new rival in the hard-drive recorder market.Sky has already dropped the £10-a-month subscription fee for customers signing up… Continue reading Sky+ Subscription Charge To End

A new report from Media-Screen says that US broadband users are spending 48% (approximately one hour and 40 minutes) of their spare time online in a typical weekday, with the trend increasing across all age groups. Additionally, the report entitled Netpop | Play, finds that when users are online, 54% of that time is spent… Continue reading US Broadband Users Spend Almost 50% Of Spare Time Online

A new report from Continental Research forecasts that 7.9 million UK adults will use VoIP at least once a year in 2010. It adds that over the next 12 months, 43% of those ever using VoIP in the UK, Germany, Japan and the US expect to increase their usage. In addition, 17% of those not… Continue reading Convergence To Increase

Emap has announced that pre-tax profits have fallen 13% for the year ending March 31, to £193 million. The company’s underlying revenues were also down, by 1% to just over £1bn in the year to the end of March. Revenues at the company’s digital division increased by 32%, whilst overall (continuing) group revenues rising 4%… Continue reading Emap Sees Pre-Tax Profits Fall

Yahoo! is understood to be weighing up a $1 billion (£500 million) bid for the social networking site Bebo. The potential purchase comes after it bid for Facebook last year, with discussions on that occasion ending with Facebook rejecting Yahoo!’s advances (see Facebook Rejected Yahoo! Bids). Bebo is the UK’s most popular social-networking site and… Continue reading Yahoo! Could Buy Bebo

Virgin Media could be subject to a £7.5 billion bid from a private equity consortium headed by US group Providence Equity Partners. A report in the Observer says that Providence Equity Partners is considering taking advantage of Virgin Media’s share price of £24. Last summer, Providence Equity Partners held talks with the cable group over… Continue reading Consortium Could Bid For Virgin Media

Saturday saw BBC One’s Any Dream Will Do continue to dominate its ITV1 rival Grease Is The Word, picking up a peak audience of 5.5 million adult viewers for its 8pm showing.Across its hour long running time, the show picked up an average of 5.3 million adult viewers (a 28.4% share), whilst over on ITV1,… Continue reading Any Dream Will Do Still Going Strong

A private equity consortium headed by the US group Providence Equity Partners could make a £7.5 billion bid for Virgin Media.A report in yesterday’s Observer said that the consortium is considering whether to take advantage of Virgin Media’s current share price of £24.Providence Partners is apparently in talks with its partners Blackstone, KKR and Cinven… Continue reading Consortium Could Bid For Virgin Media

Channel 4 Radio has become the first radio station to launch in the online virtual world of Second Life.The move see the station gain access to the estimated 6 million members of the online population, with Channel 4 Radio providing its own dedicated Second Life radio show, reporting on day-to-day developments.Subscribers will also be able… Continue reading Channel 4 Radio Launches in Second Life

Virgin Media could have access to an extra four million homes not currently served by its cable network, after the company signed a four-year agreement with Cable & Wireless to extend its services beyond its cable network over broadband telephone lines.The move could double the company’s potential market in the United Kingdom as Cable &… Continue reading Virgin Media Could Expand Its Reach By Four Million Homes