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

Mediacom has come out on top as the UK’s number one media agency in terms of billings, according to new figures from Nielsen Media Research. From August 2003 to July 2004, Mediacom has grown total expenditure by 5.5% to £640 million, holding its lead over rivals ZenithOptimedia. Although holding on to the number two spot,… Continue reading Mediacom Comes Out On Top Of UK Media Agencies

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… Continue reading Free-Sheets Read By Half Of All Young Metropolitans

Regional newspaper publisher Archant has had its £62 million acquisition of 27 weekly titles in the London area, including the Islington Gazette and the Kensington Times, cleared by the Competition Commission.The deal was given the go-ahead after the Competition Commission concluded that it would not lead to a substantial lessening of competition in the market… Continue reading Archant Merger Cleared By Competition Watchdog

Sky One has secured Nivea for Men as the exclusive broadcast sponsor of its new live entertainment and music show, Tim Lovejoy and the Allstars, in a move that marks the brand’s first foray into television sponsorship.The six-figure deal, which was negotiated by Carat, comprises full on-air and online branding, including sponsorship of a dedicated… Continue reading Sky One Secures Sponsor For New Entertainment Show

The UK’s commercial radio stations have launched a robust defence of their public service credentials in the face of an ongoing investigation into the state of the industry being carried out by media super-regulator Ofcom.A wide-ranging survey has been carried out by the Commercial Radio Companies Association to gauge the amount of news, weather, travel… Continue reading Commercial Radio Defends Public Service Credentials

The Daily Telegraph has secured a wide-ranging deal with Malaysia Airlines including a range of in-paper advertising and advertorials over the next six months.The first part of the campaign will see the publication of a special eight-page broadsheet supplement to be included in the paper on 23 September. This will be supported by an extensive… Continue reading Telegraph Secures Promotional Deal With Malaysia Airlines

Advertisers targeting older consumers are set for a treat in November, as publisher Response 2 Limited launches a new title called Modern & Mature to one million British homes with a guaranteed occupancy of over 50s.The monthly lifestyle magazine will provide an engaging array of content for older readers, supplied by The Press Association, including… Continue reading New Magazine Targets Modern & Mature Readers

The UK’s commercial radio stations have launched a robust defence of their public service credentials in the face of an ongoing investigation into the state of the industry being carried out by media super-regulator Ofcom.A wide-ranging survey has been carried out by the Commercial Radio Companies Association to gauge the amount of news, weather, travel… Continue reading Commercial Radio Defends Public Service Credentials

The UK’s first television advertisement was broadcast on this day in 1955 following the launch of Britain’s first commercially funded television station.The Independent Television Authority began broadcasting on 22 September forty-nine years ago in a move that ended the long-running monopoly of the BBC and brought advertisements to the airwaves for the first time.The station… Continue reading Television Advertising Celebrates 49th Birthday