Former Five chief executive, David Elstein, has succeeded in his purchase of the Hallmark Channel’s international TV operations, completing the long-rumoured deal worth an estimated £167 million.The purchase was backed by private equity group 3i and Providence Equity Partners, who reportedly put in half the money to buy the Hallmark property from Crown Media Holdings.Elstein… Continue reading Elstein Successful In Bid For Hallmark Channel

Radio operator GWR has announced the launch of the UK’s first dedicated ‘chill’ digital radio format, designed to broaden listener choice, offering a relaxing and ambient 100% music service.Chill will include artists such as Moby, Zero 7, Royksopp, Air, Groove Armada and Norah Jones and will be broadcast across nine NOWdigital multiplexes serving Bristol &… Continue reading GWR To Chill With New Digital Station

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint against ITV after it screened a commercial for American Express featuring a surfer riding a large wave following an ITV News report on the Asian tsunami.The complaint was made to the ASA against ITV, Channel Four, Channel Five and Sky One, with six viewers complaining that it… Continue reading ITV’s Wrist Slapped Over Tsunami Ad Placement

GMTV will lose one of its best known faces in April as presenter Eamonn Holmes sits on the breakfast show’s famous red sofa for the final time, ending a career of more than 12 years with the broadcaster.Holmes has been the face of GMTV since it began in 1993, steering it to success and into… Continue reading Holmes Quits GMTV After More Than A Decade

The former chief executive of Five, David Elstein, has bought the Hallmark Channel’s international TV operations for an estimated £167 million. The purchase was backed by private equity group, 3i, and Providence Equity Partners, who reportedly put in half the money to buy the unit from Crown Media Holdings. Commenting on the deal, Crevan O’Grady,… Continue reading Elstein Buys Hallmark Channel’s International TV Operations

Kelvin MacKenzie’s Wireless Group is reported to be the latest interested party in the battle for Scottish Media Group (SMG) owned Virgin Radio. It is thought that Lord Wahees Alli, the media mogul fronting private equity group 3i’s bid for the station, has held talks with the Wireless Group to discuss combining Virgin’s sales unit… Continue reading Alli And MacKenzie Eye Up Possible Radio Ad Sales Merger

Commercial broadcaster, Channel 4, has announced its strongest January performance for five years, revealing a 10.3% audience share for the first month of 2005, beating rival BBC2. Channel 4 performed strongly in 2004, seeing audience share increase by 2%, year on year and January 2005 marks an 11% increase on January 2004. The last time… Continue reading Channel 4 Reports Record Performance In Five Years

The UK has experienced exceptional broadband uptake, with over half the UK population having access to the medium, according to a new report published by internet research specialists Nielsen//NetRatings. The new data reveals that 32.3 million people have access to the internet, with the number of pages viewed per month increasing by 17% on January… Continue reading Over Half The UK Have Access To Net

Lotteries, betting and casino style gambling are predicted to generate over $2 billion for the mobile phone industry in 2006, according to a new report by Juniper Research. The research reveals that lotteries will be the largest money-spinners, with gross revenues of nearly $7.9 billion worldwide, followed by sports betting predicted to take $6.9 billion,… Continue reading Gambling To Generate Over $2 Billion By 2006 For Mobile Phone Industry

Broadband in the UK is available to 96% of households, with more than six million people already subscribing to the medium, according to a report released by telecoms consultancy Ovum. The research, commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), finds that broadband now accounts for 38% of all internet connections and that 15%… Continue reading Just 4% Of UK Homes Now Outside Broadband’s Reach