ITV is preparing for the launch of ITV Local, the broadcaster’s local broadband service, after the appointment of a launch managing director and the acquisition of online business directory Scoot.ITV has appointed Mohammed Raja, who has worked at search and directories companies including Thomson Directories, 192.com, Ask Jeeves and UpMyStreet.com, as managing director, to spearhead… Continue reading ITV Gears Up To Launch Local Broadband Service

Northern Irish multimedia group UTV has apparently re-entered discussions with SMG about a possible merger, according to reports in the trade press. SMG, which owns cinema advertising business Pearl & Dean and Virgin Radio, confirmed in August that it had received a merger bid from UTV which would have given SMG shareholders 50% of the… Continue reading UTV Reopens Merger Talks With SMG

Clear Channel has denied that it is in talks with JDecaux or any other company about the sale of its outdoor arm Clear Channel Outdoor. In a statement, Clear Channel said: “Clear Channel Communications and Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings today confirmed that they are not in discussions with JCDecaux, or any other company, involving the… Continue reading Clear Channel Denies Outdoor Sale

Branded advertising revenue growth for Yahoo! US is likely to be down 40% on last year at 20% this quarter, according to predictions from Merrill Lynch. Despite the projected slowdown in growth, the report was positive overall, with Merrill Lynch reiterating its buy recommendation. “Our industry contacts indicate that Yahoo!’s premium inventory remains a differentiated… Continue reading Yahoo! Branded Ad Rev Down 40% Year On Year

NTL’s major shareholders are becoming frustrated with the cable giant’s attempts to acquire ITV and would prefer it if the company focused on integrating Telewest and Virgin Mobile. According to a report in the Guardian, some of NTL’s largest shareholders want the company to forget about bidding for ITV and to concentrate on matters closer… Continue reading Shareholders Want NTL To Forget About ITV Merger

The recently launched division of News International, News Magazines, has taken the contract for BSkyB’s Sky Magazine, taking it from John Brown.The company will take over Sky Magazine next summer, with the news indicating the first customer magazine win for the division, which was created last year to take News International into the consumer magazine… Continue reading News International Company Scoops Sky Mag Contract

Reality behemoth Big Brother should be safe with Channel 4 for at least another two years, as the broadcaster is said to have signed a new deal with programme producer Endemol.Although the ITV director of television, Simon Shaps, is believed to have talked to Endemol about the contract, it is understood the network did not… Continue reading Big Bro Safe With C4 For Two Years

Increased broadband penetration across Europe has positively impacted the numbers of hours Europeans spend online, according to the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA). The EIAA study shows that 45% of internet users in Europe now go online every day of the week, which the EIAA says demonstrates the increasing importance of the internet in our… Continue reading Europeans Spending More Time Online

More than 3.2 million flat panel HDTVs will be sold to US consumers in the fourth quarter of 2006, which is more than twice the number sold in the fourth quarter of 2005, according to a new forecast from Pacific Media Associates. Pacific Media says that the HDTV price wars and the resulting low prices… Continue reading US HDTV Sales To Double Year On Year

DAB is a massive part of the future of the radio industry, so no doubt many were worried when recent reports said that the sound quality is not as good as was first claimed. It was therefore inevitable that the subject would be up for discussion at yesterday’s MediaTel Group future of radio seminar, where… Continue reading Top Players Look To DAB As Radio’s Saviour