Network based personal video recording (nPVR) could radically change pricing metrics, advertising, and content distribution on video networks, according to a new report from ABI Research. The report says that once nPVR is proven and content providers sign on, it will help to fuel the overall personal video recording (PVR) market, which it forecasts to… Continue reading Network PVR Could Fuel Overall PVR Market

There has been a slight upward revision to marketing budgets, according to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising’s (IPA) Q3 2006 Bellwether Report, signaling an end to the consecutive budget cuts seen over the past five quarters. The quarterly survey of marketing spend reveals that internet advertising and direct marketing saw the strongest gains, with… Continue reading Marketing Budgets Show Modest Growth

Mazda is launching a new advertising campaign which will rely solely on user generated content and will use no television ads for at least six months.The campaign will allow people to put together their own mini movies from clips and share them over the internet, either via email or on the Mazda website.This marks the… Continue reading Mazda Launches User Generated Movie Campaign

Two-thirds of internet users in the UK are not willing to pay for podcasts, according to a wide-ranging report on the digital habits of UK consumers, which is published today by Guardian Newspapers.The survey found that of the 29% of consumers who did not refuse outright to pay for podcasts, the most they were prepared… Continue reading UK Internet Users Won’t Pay For Podcasts

Gannett Co, the largest newspaper publisher in the US, has reported a 12% drop in earnings in the third quarter of 2006, compared to the same period a year ago. Total earnings for Q3 2006 were $261.4 million, versus $297 million in 2005, while earnings per share fell from $1.2 to $1.1, although the earlier… Continue reading Gannett Releases Q3 Results

IPTV is showing strong potential for further growth in Europe and Asia, with some exceptions in North America, according to a new report from MRG. The forecast projects that there will be 50.5 million IPTV subscribers by the end of 2010, with global IPTV revenue of $16.7 billion in 2010, $12.8 billion in service revenue… Continue reading Over 50 Million IPTV Subscribers By 2010

US Consumers are increasingly relying on non-traditional platforms for entertainment, news, shopping, and other activities, according to a new report from Universal McCann. The study The New ‘Digital Divide’, How the New Generation of Digital Consumers are Transforming Mass Communication, reveals that technology is the source of a current generation gap, with a younger segment… Continue reading US Consumers Relying On Non-Traditional Entertainment Platforms

Merrill Lynch is expecting 1.3% ad growth in the UK this year, a slowdown from last year’s 2.5% growth. Meanwhile, a recent forecast from ZenithOptimedia downgraded expectations for 2006 UK advertising growth by 2.0% points, and also downgraded its expectation for 2007 by 1.1% points (see ZenithOptimedia Downgrades UK Ad Growth Forecast). In the US,… Continue reading Merrill Lynch Lowers Global Ad Forecast

Global sales of mobile phone handsets to top 1.2 billion by 2011, although 2006 will be the last year of massive overall worldwide growth, according to a new report from Informa Telecoms & Media. Starting from 2007, the rate of overall global handset growth is predicted to slow dramatically, with saturation in developed markets beginning… Continue reading Mobile Phone Handset Sales To Top 1.2 Billion

BBC director general Mark Thompson has accused BSkyB of being opposed to the government’s plans for digital switchover and against the development of Freeview.Thomson also suggested in a speech at the Smith Institute in London that BSkyB’s chairman, Rupert Murdoch, was trying to use his influence to get the government to “put a squeeze” on… Continue reading BBC Accuses BSkyB Of Switchover Sabotage