Ulster TV has passed an extraordinary general meeting resolution approving the purchase of the Wireless Group, owners of TalkSport, in a deal worth around £98 million.The move marks the first of two hurdles which UTV must overcome to complete such a purchase, with the deal still remaining dependent on approval from Michael Martin, the Irish… Continue reading UTV Shareholders Approve TWG Acquisition

Media regulator, Ofcom, has appointed Peter Davies, current head of market intelligence, as its new director of radio and multimedia, overseeing the watchdog’s strategy, policies and activities relating to the two mediums across the organisation.Davies will also lead Ofcom’s radio, multimedia, and media literacy teams in content and standards. The new role will see Davies… Continue reading Ofcom Appoints New Radio And Multimedia Boss

ITV hit back against Channel 4 in the battle between reality shows last night, with Celebrity Love Island‘s ratings topping Big Brother as ex-playboy playmate Nikki Ziering entered the show to deliver a resounding win for ITV.Last night’s performance was second only to that of the programme’s launch night (see 5.7 Million Join ITV For… Continue reading Love Island Playmate Stuns Big Brother

Reports this morning suggest that supermarket giant, Tesco, may be struggling to gain significant revenues from its in-store TV network, Tesco TV, and is considering removing its ad sales business from incumbent JC Decaux.According to a report by MediaGuardian, the supermarket’s ambitious network of plasma screens has failed to prove its worth, with the company… Continue reading Tesco TV Shopping For New Sales House

London’s Jazz FM will be consigned to the internet and digital airwaves this morning, as GMG Radio officially launches Smooth FM in its place across the capital.The transition, due to take place at 10am, will mark the final phase in the station’s shift to attract a larger audience share through a wider range of music.The… Continue reading Smooth FM Hits London Airwaves As Jazz Bows Out

Ulster TV has approved its offer for the Wireless Group (TWG) at an extraordinary company meeting, held yesterday. UTV made a bid for TWG group in April, offering £98.2 million for the group, equating to 91 pence in cash for each Wireless share (see UTV Offers £98.2 Million For Wireless). UTV directors believe that the… Continue reading UTV Approves Bid For TWG

Internet advertising in the US totalled over $2.8 billion for the first quarter of 2005, resulting in the highest reported quarter in nine consecutive growth quarters. According to the latest figures released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Q1 2005 revenues represent a 26% increase over Q1 2004 and a 4.3% rise… Continue reading US Online Adspend Hits $2.8 Billion In Q1 2005

Japan is leading the Asia-Pacific region in the retail e-commerce division, with sales of $38.4 billion in 2004, making it roughly one-third the size of the US market, according to eMarketer’s new Asia-Pacific E-Commerce report. South Korea was shown to reach sales of $6.3 billion in 2004, with China and Taiwan tied third, each with… Continue reading Japan Leads Asia-Pacific For E-Commerce

Global wireless mobile phone subscriber growth is currently experiencing robust expansion after several years of slower growth, stemming from the economic downturn of the last few years. According to high-tech market research firm, In-Stat, the worldwide wireless market is forecast to grow to more than 2.3 billion subscribers, with an increasing battle for supremacy among… Continue reading Global Wireless Market Expanding

The US radio industry had a slow April, with national radio advertising expenditure falling by 2% and local radio adspend being flat compared to the same period in 2004. According to estimates by the Radio Advertising Bureau, April was the worst month in terms of national radio advert demand so far this year, reflecting the… Continue reading US Radio Industry Slow In April