Scottish Media Group, owner of Virgin Radio, has seen its shares drop by 28% today after issuing a profits warning. SMG said that the dip in profits is due to a weak market for TV and cinema advertising, which has affected its Scottish TV franchises and its cinema advertising sales business Pearl & Dean. However,… Continue reading SMG Issues Profit Warning And Sees Shares Fall

Google recorded a revenue increase of 70% for the third quarter, to $2.69 billion, and nearly doubled its profits to $733 million. Google-owned sites generated revenues of $1.63 billion, or 60% of total revenues, in the third quarter of 2006. This represents an 84% increase over third quarter 2005 revenues of $885 million and a… Continue reading Google Revenues Grow 70%

By the end of the year, Google is expected to command a 25% market share of online adspend, according to eMarketer. eMarketer says that Google will see its ad revenue soar to more than $4 billion by the end of the year, a number that matches the record ad spending of the entire industry during… Continue reading Google Could Command 25% Market Share Of Online Adspend

Fidelity, a shareholder in Aegis, is considering blocking Vincent Bollore’s bid for two seats on the Aegis board, according to reports in the trade press. The news of Fidelity’s opposition to Bollores nominees follows reports in the French press that Aegis could contact the Takeover Panel concerning suspicions that Bollore is working with another investor,… Continue reading Fidelity Could Block Bollore’s Aegis Board Bid

Reports are breaking that the new season of hit television drama series Lost have been poached from Channel 4 by Sky One in the UK, for an estimated £20 million.Channel 4 originally signed the series on a two-year deal in 2004 and has been in contract renewal negotiations with Buena Vista International Television for several… Continue reading Sky One Poaches Lost From Channel 4

BT’s forthcoming IPTV service, BT Vision, has signed three more video on-demand agreements to provide further content to the next-generation service.MTV, Paramount Comedy and Nickelodeon will provide content, giving BT Vision users on-demand access to titles such as Punk’d , Pimp My Ride, and Dirty Sanchez from MTV; SpongeBob Squarepants and Rugrats, and Comedy Central’s… Continue reading BT Vision Signs Further Content Partners

The number of broadband subscribers in the 30 countries tracked by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reached 181 million in June, a 33% increase over the previous year. The research shows that broadband reaches an average 15.5 subscribers per 100 inhabitants, compared to 11.7 subscribers per 100 in 2005. DSL (63%) leads… Continue reading Broadband Subscribers Increase 33%

Worldwide digital terrestrial TV (DTT) is expected to more than triple over the next five years, with growth driven primarily in Western Europe, according to IMS Research. IMS Research also says that research carried out on the DTT market suggest that pay-DTT services have a greater chance of survival where free DTT services are already… Continue reading Global DTT Expected to Treble

Global TV advertising clutter rose 16% from 2001 to 2005, according to new research from Initiative. Initiative says that ad clutter rose massively between 2001 and 2003 (11%), calmed in 2004 (1.8%) and rose again in 2005 (2.1%). Overall, this means that globally, television viewers now watch 65 more commercials a week (or nine more… Continue reading TV Advertising Clutter Grows 16% In Five Years

DAB set penetration is on track to top 50% household penetration by 2010, according to figures released by the DRDB (Digital Radio Development Bureau). In its annual forecast, the DRDB says sales in 2006 will be around the two million mark, delivering a household penetration of 13.9% by the end of the year. Furthermore, this… Continue reading DAB Penetration To Reach 50% Of Households