Friday’s launch of Big Brother‘s sixth series saw Channel 4 draw 7 million reality TV fans, securing a share of 36% but failing to top last year’s record launch night viewing of 7.2 million.This year’s housemates entered the Big Brother house at 10pm on Friday, going head to head with ITV’s Celebrity Love Island, which… Continue reading Big Brother Launches on a High But Falls Short Of Record

Celebrity Love Island is stealing the hearts of reality TV fans, with online searches for ITV’s latest offering shown to have increased 10-fold, according to leading online competitive intelligence service, Hitwise.Currently the term “Celebrity Love Island” is receiving 0.020% of all online searches, compared with searches for Big Brother only attracting 0.008%.Traffic to the official… Continue reading Celebrity Love Island Wins Reality Fans’ Hearts Online

VNU Business Publications has launched ActiveHome magazine, providing readers with a plain-English, jargon-free guide to the latest in digital home entertainment technology.ActiveHome and its sister website, www.activehome.co.uk, provides an essential guide to would-be buyers of the best kit available, with the magazine showing its readers how to install and enjoy their new digital home equipment.The… Continue reading ActiveHome Launched To Explain Digital Technology

United Business Media is preparing to offload its 35% stake in Five, reports over the weekend have claimed, with 65% stakeholder, RTL Group, in line to purchase the remaining share for £200 million. The Sunday Express claims that the two groups have held talks over the deal, which could be completed within two months as… Continue reading UBM Considers Sell Off Of Stake In Five

The internet and online technologies are increasing in popularity with older users; with more than half those aged 55 or over claiming that the internet has given them a new lease of life, using the medium to look for love online and play games. The annual Silver Surfers Day, supported by the European Union’s social… Continue reading Internet Attracting Older Users

Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) subscribers in the US are predicted to exceed 4.1 million by the end of 2005, generating over $1 billion in gross revenues, according to the latest data from TeleGeography Research. The recent advances in the technology has increased its popularity, with stunning growth resulting from VoIP’s capability of replacing home phone services of… Continue reading VoIP To Exceed 4.1 Million By End Of 2005

Jeff Eales, Media Director, Sales & Research for UK & Ireland at Donovan Data Systems, is leaving the company at the end of June to join BSkyB as Director of Systems and Development.At DDS, Eales has been responsible for the development of eCommerce and business with media sales operations, having joined the company from Granada… Continue reading Sky Signs DDS Research Boss To Overhaul Airtime Sales

Telegraph Group Limited has announced the appointment of Alex Foster as the Group’s new head of classified advertising, leaving The Guardian after 11 years.Commenting on the position, Dave King, executive director of the Telegraph Group said: “She’s a fantastic addition to the new team and will bring a wealth of experience coupled with fresh thinking… Continue reading Telegraph Appoints New Head Of Classified Advertising

MediaTel INSIGHT’s well attended Future of Digital TV seminar was held during April, bringing together a panel of respected industry specialists to discuss issues central to the media industry, with particular importance placed on the impending digital switchover. Prior to the seminar, the INSIGHT team carried out the first survey of the UK’s top buying… Continue reading INSIGHTanalysis: Media Healthcheck – April 2005

Financial services company, Goldman Sachs has predicted 2005 to be a bullish year for online advertising, forecasting the market to increase by 28% year on year, to reach $12.3 billion. The report, based on 2,000 surveys by market research firm Synovate, estimates that online advertising could account for 7% of total advertising expenditure by 2009,… Continue reading Goldman Sachs Predicts Online Adspend To Rise By 28% In 2005