The latest report from Merrill Lynch says that advertising is finally back on track and as a result the group has revised its global advertising forecast for 2004 upwards to 5.5%. For the first time in several years, the regional forecasts for US and overseas are aligned with GDP; with US advertising expected to grow… Continue reading Merrill Advertising Forecasts Aligned With GDP

Emap Advertising and Initiative Media have secured a £500,000 cross-media deal with FMCG giant Unilever to promote the rebranding of its range of Impulse body fragrance products.The deal will span Emap’s range of magazine, television, radio and online properties and will culminate in a live event at the same venue featured in the BBC’s Fame… Continue reading Emap Secures Unilever For Cross-Media Campaign

The Media Research Group has unveiled several high-profile keynote speakers to headline its bi-annual conference in Madrid this November with Antony Young, chief executive of ZenithOptimedia, heading the bill on the future of media research and advertising effectiveness.Young’s presence at the conference will be a major draw to many media professionals as the ZenithOptimedia boss… Continue reading MRG Unveils High-Profile Speakers For Madrid Conference

Johnston Press has today sold its share in Two Boroughs Radio Limited for £1.2 million to the Local Radio Company. The 33% share in the radio stations based in Burnley, were acquired by Johnston Press as part of the £560 million take over of Regional Independent Media in April 2002. Last month, former Jazz FM… Continue reading Local Radio Company Acquires Share In Two Boroughs Radio

UBC Media, owner of Classic Gold, today announced that it is starting to reap the benefits of the emerging digital radio market, as revenues for the year grew by 29.1% to £13.3 million. Revenue from the groups Unique Interactive unit, which supplies digital radio software to over five countries, rose by 62% for the year… Continue reading Digital Radio Improving UBC Revenues

TV has suffered its highest-profile management departure since its multi-billion pound merger with the resignation of marketing and commercial director, Jim Hytner, to join Barclays bank. Hytner, credited with rebranding ITV in the run up to the £5.6 billion merger of Carlton and Granada, is stepping down to take up one of country’s largest marketing… Continue reading Hytner Quits ITV After Three Years To Join Barclays

The number of broadband users has doubled over the past year, according to new figures from the Office of National Statistics, with over a quarter of all internet users now subscribing to a permanent high speed connection. Since April 2003, broadband has grown from a 14.5% share of internet subscribers to 27.2% in April 2004,… Continue reading Cheap Broadband Spurs Growth

Digital terrestrial television (DTT) is set to reach nearly 55 million European Union households by 2009, according to a new report from Juniper Research. This represents 55% of all digital households and 30% of all TV households says the report and by the end of the decade this figure will rise even further as the… Continue reading DTT Set To Reach 55 Million EU Households

US advertising spending is expected to rise by 9.3% to $140.3 billion this year, according to the mid-year forecast from TNS Media Intelligence/CMR. The AdWatch: Outlook 2004 report presented in conjunction with Advertising Age says that the first half of 2004 will rise by 9.4% compared with the second half which will rise by 9.2%,… Continue reading US Advertising To Grow By 9.3% This Year

Channel 4 chairman Luke Johnson is this week finalising a landmark submission to media super-regulator Ofcom on the future of the state-owned broadcaster in the multi-channel landscape.Reports suggest that Channel 4 executives believe the broadcaster will find it increasingly difficult to fulfil its public service remit in a more competitive environment without fundamental changes to… Continue reading Channel 4 Looks To Ofcom For Commercial Freedom