NTL has pulled out of a proposed £4.7 million merger with ITV as it believes that a deal is unlikely to be acceptable to NTL. However, according to reports in the trade press, NTL has reserved the right to make another move if BSkyB sells “all or a material part” of its 17.9% stake in… Continue reading NTL Pulls Out Of ITV Merger

Global economic growth is predicted to remain robust at 4.9% for 2007 although inflationary pressure in advanced economies is the key downside risk to this forecast, according to OPera Media. European GDP growth for the full year 2006 is expected to reach 2.4%, up from 1.3% in 2005, but slowing to 2% in 2007. At… Continue reading Global Economic Growth To Remain Robust In 2007

Universal McCann is projecting US advertising expenditure in 2006 to total $285.1 billion, a gain of 5.2% over 2005. Overseas advertising spending for 2006 is now expected to be up by 5.5% to $314.4 billion, bringing total worldwide expenditures to $599.5 billion for a gain of 5.3% over 2005. Last year McCann forecast that total… Continue reading Modest US Ad Growth Predicted For 2007

Television viewing has shown an overall decline for the seventh consecutive quarter year on year, according to the IPA’s Q3 2006 Trends In Television Report. The report reveals the steady long-term decline in total television viewing combined with the increased growth in non-terrestrial channels. 70% of all UK homes can now receive digital television, with… Continue reading Overall TV Viewing Continues To Slide

The global Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) set-top box market is poised to surpass $1 billion due to the analogue signal cutoff date of Feb. 17, 2009 in the US, and prospects of a large Chinese market, according to In-Stat. As DTT markets mature, the company forecasts that the growth in uptake of DTT tuners will… Continue reading DTT Set-Top Box Market To Surpass $1 Billion

Thinkbox will unveil the results of the group’s ethnographic research study at its Thinkbox Experience 07 event in February, which will carry the theme, ‘The Third Age Of Television’.The survey will reveal how consumers engage with brands on television and will focus on the quality of that exposure. Exclusive TV footage of viewers’ habits and… Continue reading Thinkbox Conference Provides Platform To Unveil Research

Online giant Yahoo! will begin to offer clips of BBC News video to US web users, after the two companies struck a deal.The BBC will offer around 30 video clips of its news output each day via a deal Yahoo! has struck with ABC News, which has exclusive representation for the distribution of BBC News… Continue reading BBC News Clips For Stateside Yahoo! Web Users

Press Gazette, the trade magazine of the journalism industry, may have a future after all, after reports have emerged that a potential buyer has approached its administrator.According to Press Gazette a potential buyer has approached Robert Allen, of administrators Vantage, with a view to rescuing the 41-year-old publication from certain extinction.It quotes Allen as saying:… Continue reading Press Gazette Could Be Rescued

Trinity Mirror’s investment bank, NM Rothschild, is presenting findings of its quarterly review to the publisher’s board today, with reports suggesting the company could consider separating into national and regional newspaper operations. It is understood that if such a decision were to go ahead, Trinity Mirror would effectively separate its 240 regional UK titles, which… Continue reading Trinity Mirror Could Split Into Two Newspaper Businesses

Consumers want video downloads to replicate the advertising funded model of TV, according to new research from ICM, commissioned by the British Internet Broadcasting Company (BiBC). 55% of those questioned would prefer to watch advertising and get the content for free rather than pay for content without advertising. A massive 74% of the 18-24-year-old market… Continue reading Video Downloads Should Replicate TV Ad Model