American media giant Viacom is the latest broadcaster to show interest in Telewest’s Flextech television business, which is believed to be on the auction block ahead of the cable firm’s merger with rival ntl.The US-based group joins other possible bidders, including ITV, BSkyB, Discovery Communications and RTL Group according to this morning’s Financial Times.A successful… Continue reading Viacom Preparing Bid For Flextech

BSkyB has announced the line up of channels to be included in its high-definition services, due to be launched early next year.The new service will offer a Sky Sports channel, Sky One, Artsworld, a Sky Box Office channel and two Sky Movies screens from launch, allowing viewers to enjoy a wide variety of programming with… Continue reading Sky Announces HDTV Channel Line Up

Top city analysts have warned Sky that a move towards providing free Sky+ set-top boxes to subscribers is uneconomical and could cost the company around £2 billion in total.A report by Broadcast magazine states that Citigroup analysts fear a full subsidy could cost the broadcaster around £250 per subscriber. The company’s UK TV report claims… Continue reading Analysts Warn Against Free Sky+ Boxes

The first dedicated Xbox 360 magazine hits newsstands this week, despite the games console it covers still being months away from sale in Britain.360 magazine is published by Bournemouth-based Imagine Publishing and aimed at serious gamers in the 24-35 age bracket. Imagine claims its target audience are a discerning bunch, who “appreciate the Xbox 360’s… Continue reading New Xbox Title Targets Older Gaming Demographic

Mark Howe, managing director of interactive digital sales (ids), the advertising sales house of Flextech Television, is to leave the company after almost 13 years to pursue new challenges.In his role as managing director, Howe was instrumental in breaking new ground, both in advertising sales and creative initiatives.Commenting on his departure, Lisa Opie, managing director… Continue reading Howe Steps Down As ids Managing Director

Global advertising group, WPP, is expected to report an upturn in profits resulting in a boost in confidence in the media sector. According to industry speculation the group will reveal, at the end of the week, an increase of 25% in its profits for the first half of 2005, reaching £250 million. Revenues for WPP… Continue reading WPP Expected To Reveal Upturn In Profits

Quality and value of services are more significant drivers of customer retention than the number of channels and digital features offered, according to a new survey from TNS Media Research. The study looks into the key factors in customer loyalty, questioning 2,500 consumers of the USA’s largest cable and satellite providers on a range of… Continue reading Digital TV Customers Look For Quality And Value In Providers

Consumers are twice as likely to buy a product as a result of seeing a television commercial than they are after seeing a product in branded entertainment, according to new research from FIND/SVP. The study showed that 52% of viewers claimed they would buy a product after being exposed to a television commercial, while said… Continue reading TV Commercials Sell More Products

Merrill Lynch, predicts that online travel agency revenues will rise by 19% in 2005, reaching $27.7 billion. The analyst claims that online travel sales are winning a larger share of the overall travel market, accounting for nearly 30% of the total this year, up from 25% in 2004 and 21% in 2003. According to Merrill,… Continue reading Online Travel Revenues To Rise By 19% In 2005

Interactive TV advertising is becoming increasingly important for branding campaigns, with research carried out by IDS claiming that dedicated advertiser locations (DALs) are the most popular format, with 29% of respondents saying that DALs achieved the best results. In May, IDS conducted a online survey looking into industry opinion on interactive television advertising and found… Continue reading Interactive TV Advertising Increases In Importance