The UK economy is set to grow at or just above 2.5% per annum both this year and next, according to the latest forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). The NIESR says that assuming interest rates are raised to 5% per annum in November and 5.3% per annum early next… Continue reading UK Economy Set To Grow At 2.5%

One out of every ten online consumers in the US watches television broadcasts online, according to the latest Consumer Internet Barometer survey from The Conference Board and TNS. The top reasons given for watching TV broadcasts online are personal convenience and avoiding commercials. Only a small percentage of consumers claim that their traditional television viewing… Continue reading One In Ten US Online Consumers Watches Internet TV

Mobile TV is seen as having good potential for growth as it is a service which should have mass appeal across the whole customer base, unlike many other content services such as games, according to new research from Ovum. Mobile gaming, says Ovum, appeals to around only 20% of users, whilst there have been some… Continue reading Mobile TV Providers Could Have To Consider Ad Supported Models

Despite mobile phone providers’ endeavours to recruit 3G customers, third generation technology remains a low priority for mobile users across the globe, with cost the overriding factor, according to new research from TNS. The research identified little increase in 3G technology usage amongst consumers, who see the offer of mobile TV and surfing the net… Continue reading 3G Capability Remains Low Priority For Mobile Users

Pearson, publisher of the Financial Times, has announced that it is on track to produce record profits for the year. The group recorded underlying operating profit up 15% for the first nine months of the year and sales up 5%, whilst total sales for the nine months to September 30 were up by 11% and… Continue reading Pearson On Track To Deliver Record Profits This Year

The board of SMG has threatened to resign after a dispute with one of its main shareholders as to who should run the company. According to a report in the Guardian, non-executive directors told Fidelity that they would quit unless the fund manager stop demanding that they fire chairman Dr Chris Masters. Fidelity has apparently… Continue reading SMG Board Threatens To Resign

ITV could be considering a bid for SMG following the company’s shares hitting a fifteen year low last week. There have already been strong rumours that ITV is to make bids for SMG’s cinema advertising business Pearl & Dean (see ITV Could Bid For Pearl & Dean). Following the issuing of a profits warning last… Continue reading ITV Could Make Bid For SMG

WPP Group’s global growth has slowed in Q3 2006, with revenues rising by 4.6% to £1.4 billion. The company cites the slowdown on the UK and Eastern Europe markets as the cause of its subdued performance. According to a statement released by the group, revenues were up 12% during the first nine months of 2006,… Continue reading WPP Records Q3 Revenue Slowdown

81% of children aged between the ages of eight and 11 have a computer at home, just slightly less than the 95% that have a television set at home, according to a new report by market research company Youth Trends. 87% of the age group also access the internet from their home computers, with around… Continue reading Online Competes With TV For Youth Market

Google Europe vice president, Nikesh Arora, has told MPs at a select committee that the company would not tolerate copyright violations and that it would remove them when it takes over YouTube later this year.Earlier this month, after Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion (£884 million) (see Google Buys YouTube), the video-sharing site signed deals… Continue reading Google To Clamp Down On YouTube’s Copyright Issues