WPP’s proposed merger with Grey Global looks set to be delayed following a European Commission request for further information prior to its approval of the deal.The request for additional details of the merger comes under the EC’s competition protection legislation, meaning that the merger review procedure will now be delayed until the EC has received… Continue reading Grey Global Merger Delayed By EC Information Request

Next week’s issue of NME will feature a specially designed 3D lenticular cover, in what publisher IPC Ignite claims is a first for a weekly magazine.The holographic image of Libertines’ front man Pete Doherty is part of a solus deal with O2, which will also see back cover of the title feature a full page… Continue reading NME Claims Industry First With Lenticular Cover

GMG-owned 100.4 Smooth FM and car manufacturer SEAT are set to stage the North West’s biggest ever car give-away, offering 40 listeners the chance to win a new car every weekday for the next two weeks.The £150,000 competition will begin tomorrow, with Smooth giving away four cars every weekday for two weeks to celebrate the… Continue reading Smooth Secures Seat For Massive Motoring Giveaway

GWR Group, the UK’s most listened to commercial radio group, has seen profits rise by 12% to £6.9 million in the six months to September, but said the radio advertising market remained weak, according to interim results announced today. The owner of Classic FM, which is currently waiting for regulatory approval concerning its merger with… Continue reading GWR Profits Up Despite Weak Market

According to a new report by Screen Digest, growth prospects for European pay TV operators are looking positive and are more sustainable than they were during the boom years of the late 1990s. Growth in the number of European pay TV subscribers has seen a steady decline since the launch of Europe’s first digital TV… Continue reading European Pay TV Market Back On Track

Following the breakdown of merger talks between Five and Channel 4 last week, speculation has mounted over a merger between Five and digital broadcaster, Flextech, part of cable company Telewest.According to reports over the weekend Five’s principal shareholders, RTL and United Business Media, are considering a merger which could secure the broadcaster’s continued survival in… Continue reading Five Looks To Flextech Merger To Secure Future

Video advertising on the internet can deliver the same impact as television advertising, according to new research from Millward Brown.The study was conducted for Pfizer Healthcare in America, studying online video adverts it ran through the MSN website. The adverts ran during news, sports and entertainment content on MSN Video, with Millward Brown assessing whether… Continue reading Internet Video Advertising Rivals TV For Impact

UBC Media, the UK’s largest independent radio production company, has announced increased profits and rising turnover in interim results published today, following earlier predictions of increased earning with the announcement of its first digital revenues. The company’s interim statement for the six months to 30 September reveal a turnover of £7.15 million, up 9.8% on… Continue reading UBC Profits Rise As Digital Revenues Revealed

Following the breakdown of merger talks between Five and Channel 4 last week, speculation was mounting over the weekend in relation to RTL and United Business Media, owners of Five, who are believed to be considering a merger with Flextech, part of cable company Telewest. There have also been rumours that Channel 4 is now… Continue reading Five Looks To A Flextech Future

Online revenue is outperforming the rest of the advertising market and is set to overtake radio’s share of overall advertising revenue over the next few months. OPera, the new media investment company for the Omnicom agencies, has predicted that online advertising will be worth £699 million in 2005, a growth of 26.2% compared to this… Continue reading Exponential Growth For UK Online Advertising