Chief executive of WPP, Sir Martin Sorrell, has this morning confirmed he has been involved in discussions with Havas’ financier, adding further uncertainty to the French group’s future. After losing out in the bidding war for Grey Global Group to WPP, reports suggest that Havas is looking like an increasingly vulnerable take-over target, rumours that… Continue reading Sorrell Involved In Talks With Havas

All UK national radio stations saw their audiences decline this summer as listeners switched off in their thousands, according to the latest electronic measurement survey from GfK. The unofficial listening figures reveal a particularly disappointing performance for GWR’s flagship Classic FM, which saw its weekly reach decline by more than 23.5% year on year to… Continue reading UK National Radio Stations See Audiences Decline

This year, 34 million US households are expected to pay bills online and this number is predicted to rise to 42 million by 2006, according to a new report from eMarketer. The Online Bill Paying: The Road To Increased Profits report says, as consumers increasingly turn to the internet to pay bills because it is… Continue reading E-Payments Continue To Grow

Intenet advertising creates more brand awareness than traditional media such as the internet and television, says a new report, however, it may not be as effective at persuading consumers to buy. According to a new study by research group Dynamic Logic, brand awareness will rise by 16.7% in a mixed-media campaign, which uses television, the… Continue reading Internet Ads Create Brand Awareness But Magazines Persuade Buyers

Emap Advertising has announced a wide-ranging cross-promotional deal with Buena Vista International to support the release of Disney’s latest film, Princess Diaries 2.The highly interactive campaign will run across Emap’s teen portfolio and multiple platforms including magazines, television, radio, on-line and text message marketing. In a first for Emap Advertising, the deal will include cross-promotional… Continue reading Emap Signs Cross-Promotional Deal With Buena Vista

The Financial Times has announced the launch of its first property magazine, In Residence, to be published quarterly from 25 September.The glossy title will be distributed with the FT‘s Saturday magazine and will be published again on Wednesday as a stand alone supplement. The 32-page title promises thought-provoking coverage of a wide range of issues… Continue reading Financial Times Launches First Glossy Property Title

ITV has been given the all clear to go ahead with its proposed £31 million acquisition of the majority stake in GMTV, despite wide-spread concern from the advertising industry.The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising had been calling for the Office of Fair Trading to refer the acquisition of Scottish Media Group’s 25% stake in the… Continue reading ITV Gets Go Ahead For £31 Million GMTV Acquisition

Almost half of all 18 to 34 year-olds living and working in major European cities now read a daily free-sheet newspaper every week, according to new research commissioned by Swedish-based publisher, Metro International.The wide-ranging study into the reading habits of young people living in some of the world’s biggest cities shows that more than a… Continue reading Free-Sheets Read By Half Of All Young Metropolitans

Radio group, Chrysalis, has said its 2005 financial year has had an ‘encouraging start’, as first quarter revenues are expected to reach high single digits. Chrysalis, owner of London’s Heart 106.2 station, said in a trading update, revenues for the 12 months to 31 August 2004 have met expectations, growing 20% year-on-year to £67 million.… Continue reading Chrysalis Sees An ‘Encouraging Start’ To 2005

ITV has been given the all clear to go ahead with its proposed £31 million acquisition of the majority stake in GMTV, despite wide-spread concern from the advertising industry. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising had been calling for the Office of Fair Trading to refer the acquisition of Scottish Media Group’s 25% stake in… Continue reading ITV Gets Go Ahead For £31 Million GMTV Acquisition