NTL Telewest has completed its £962.4m takeover of Virgin Mobile, and says it will provide consumers with their first opportunity to buy a ‘quadruple-play’ of TV, internet and fixed and mobile telephony services from a single operator. The two companies will continue to operate as separate organisations until early 2007, when they will start marketing… Continue reading NTL Completes Acquisition Of Virgin Mobile

Orange may win the auction to buy AOL UK, the internet business owned by Time Warner, the US Media conglomerate, according to reports in the Sunday Telegraph. The paper says that the bid from the France Telecom owned company is motivated by fear of its rival, BSkyB, getting hold of it. Carphone Warehouse’s offer of… Continue reading Orange And BSkyB In Battle Over AOL UK

DC Thomson is about to increase its stake in UBC, the UK’s largest independent radio production company, according to reports in the Financial Times. The report says that with 13% the publisher, based in Redhill in Surrey, would become the largest outside investor in UBC. In March this year DC Thomson purchased Aberdeen Journals (giving… Continue reading DC Thomson To Increase Stake In UBC

Paul Davidson, chairman and chief executive of Newsquest Media Group, officially becomes president of the Newspaper Society tomorrow, succeeding Sir Nicholas Hewitt Bt, chairman and managing director of the Barnsley Chronicle. Davidson has been chairman of Newsquest Media Group since August 2003, and chief executive since August 2001. He began his newspaper career with Thomson… Continue reading Paul Davidson Appointed President Of The Newspaper Society

US advertising is expected to grow by 5.6% this year, with a gain of 6% in overseas advertising. In addition, a total worldwide advertising growth of 5.8%, to $602.4 billion, is expected for 2006, according to new figures released by Universal McCann. This is a downward revision of Universal McCann’s previous figures (see McCann Expects… Continue reading US Adspend Expected To Grow 5.6% This Year

Advertisers have little to fear from PVR use, according to new research carried out by Sarah Pearson of Actual Consumer Behaviour (ACB) and Patrick Barwise of the London Business School. The study, funded by a consortium of Ofcom, Channel 4, Five and Initiative, was revealed yesterday at a meeting of the Media Research Group. The… Continue reading Research Suggests Advertisements Still Viewed Live By PVR Viewers

The Asia-Pacific region still claims by far the biggest share of all broadband lines, accounting for 40% of the world’s 229m broadband lines in Q1 2006, according to Point Topic’s World Broadband Statistics for Q1 2006. However, despite impressive growth rates in China, India and Vietnam, Asia-Pacific’s share is under threat from markets in Eastern… Continue reading Asia-Pacific Still Ahead In Broadband Boom

Trinity Mirror has released a disappointing trading update for the 26 weeks leading up to July 2 2006, with group advertising revenues for the period expected to fall by 10.6% year-on-year, excluding acquisitions completed in 2005 and 2006. Including acquisitions its advertising revenues for the period are expected to fall by 8.4%. Like for like… Continue reading Ad Revenues Expected To Fall At Trinity Mirror

Profits at BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, more than doubled within two years and grew 62% in the year to the end of March, reaching £89 million. 2005-6 is the second consecutive year of record profitability for BBC Worldwide. In 2003-4 the company produced a profit of £37 million and in 2004-5… Continue reading BBC Worldwide Reveals Profit Rise Of 62% To £89 Million

Local online advertising in the US is forecast to reach $1.3 billion for 2006, which equates to 7.9% of the total $16.7 billion in US internet ad spending for the year, according to a new report from eMarketer called Local Online Advertising: Measuring the Potential. The report forecasts that local online adspend will grow by… Continue reading Paid Search Will Be Driving Factor Behind Local Online Advertising