Virgin Radio is responding to the increasing popularity of music downloads by launching the nation’s first weekly chart rundown using Napster online sales figures.The Napster Online Music Chart, which launches later this month, will countdown the 20 most popular songs downloaded by Napster users from a catalogue of 750,000 tracks each week. The show will… Continue reading Virgin To Launch UK’s First Online Music Chart

Broadband Britain has come another step closer with the announcement that BT now has more than 3 million high-speed internet customers.The telecoms giant claims to have signed up an average of around 6,000 new customers each day over the last six months, in a move that has helped it add more than one million ADSL… Continue reading BT Helps Broadband Britain Become A Reality

The proposed £1 billion sale of the BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, has generated a flurry of interest from commercial broadcasters, venture capital groups and investment banks.However, it is understood that some would-be buyers are being put off by confusion over the lucrative rights to successful BBC shows and products, such as The Office or… Continue reading Sale Of BBC Worldwide Raises Issues Over Rights

Sky Sports has signed an exclusive three-year deal to become the first UK broadcaster to screen live coverage of the new A1 Grand Prix motor racing series.The series launches next autumn and pits identical cars against each other in what is being billed as a true test of driving skill. The event is intended to… Continue reading Sky Sports Secures Exclusive Rights To New A1 Grand Prix

The Barclay brothers have poached Murdoch MacLennan, managing director of Associated Newspapers, to become chief executive of the Telegraph titles they acquired last month for £665 million.It is understood that the highly secretive twins have been talking to the 54 year-old newspaper veteran for some weeks and have now persuaded him to join the new… Continue reading Telegraph Raids Rival Associated For New Chief Executive

ITV has secured Richard Desmond’s OK! magazine as the exclusive broadcast sponsor of the Celebrity Awards 2004 – a new one off awards ceremony due to be screened on the channel later this year.According to ITV, the inaugural event will bring together the biggest UK stars from the worlds of television, music and sport to… Continue reading ITV Secures OK Magazine To Sponsor Celebrity Awards

WPP is considering the possibility of a £500 million rights issue to purchase American advertising group, Grey Global. Chief executive of WPP, Sir Martin Sorrell, said last week, he is looking at Grey’s book but did not confirm whether he would be making a bid for the last independent advertising network. According to a report… Continue reading WPP Considering £500 Million Rights To Buy Grey

International consumer magazine group, Future Network, has today announced that it has acquired two UK games magazines from Dennis Publishing for £2.5 million. The purchase of PC Zone and Computer & Video Games (CVG) from the US publishing house, includes sister website, computerandvideogames.com. Managing director, Robert Price said: “This acquisition is good news for Future… Continue reading Future Network Buys Games Mags For £2.5 Million

The proposed £1 billion sale of the BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, has generated a flurry of interest from commercial broadcasters, venture capital groups and investment banks. However, it is understood that some would-be buyers are being put off by confusion over the lucrative rights to successful BBC shows and products, such as The Office… Continue reading Sale Of BBC Worldwide Raises Issues Over Rights

Broadband data networks could reach nearly two million US households by the end of 2004 if the current take-up rate continues, says a new report. According to Parks Associates’ Consumers & Emerging Multimedia Platforms study, the success of home networking, which reached more than one million US households this year, is expected to be as… Continue reading Broadband ISPs Find Success With Home Networks