A final deal for the Telegraph Group is imminent following bids yesterday from Barclays and private equity group 3i. US investment bank Lazard, which is handling the sale for Hollinger International, is expected to contact interested parties today in an attempt to ratchet up the price of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph and the Spectator… Continue reading Deal ‘Close’ As Barclays and 3i Bid For Telegraph

High-speed Internet use grew 42% last year as 8.3 million US homes and businesses signed up for broadband services, says the Federal Communications Commission. By the end of 2003 broadband use grew to 28.2 million homes, driven largely by new residential and small-business customers. Cable-based services continued to be the most popular form of broadband… Continue reading US Broadband Internet Use Rockets in 2003

By the end of March 2004, the total number of worldwide DSL lines reached 73 million, according to Point Topic’s latest analysis on the DSL market. Growth was almost 15% for the first quarter of 2004, with a record 9.5 million absolute increase in lines since the end of 2003. This is good news for… Continue reading DSL Lines Climb To 73 Million Worldwide

IPC Media has launched an online version of Wallpaper* in an attempt to further extend and market the flagship lifestyle title, which has seen circulation decline in the face of increasing competition.The publishing group claims that wallpaper.com will complement rather than duplicate the magazine, providing an extension of the print product, which focuses on interiors,… Continue reading IPC Rolls Out Wallpaper Online To Boost Brand

Starcom Motive has secured the £11 million Pizza Hut media planning and buying account following a head-to-head competitive pitch against Mindshare.The account came up for review at the end of April when PHD decided not to re-pitch for the business. This followed the fast-food chain’s controversial decision to conduct its second review in as many… Continue reading Starcom Secures £11 Million Pizza Hut Account

According to the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), the growing popularity of digital stations is set to have a significant upward impact on total radio listening hours over the next few years. Speaking at the ‘The 21st Century Radio Listener’ seminar earlier today, RAB’s Client Services Director, Michael O’Brien, predicted total listening hours could grow by… Continue reading Digital Radio Forecast to Increase Listening

Should ITV’s recent decline in audience share continue, the broadcaster stands to lose up to £100 million in advertising revenue as advertisers seek to negotiate more competitive deals. Under Contracts Rights Renewal (CRR), a code introduced to prevent a newly merged ITV from exploiting its dominance over the commercial TV market, advertisers are able to… Continue reading ITV Could Face Ad Revenue Shortfall

SMG has performed strongly over the last six months and will continue to see increases in revenue across all of its main media interests over the coming year, according to outgoing chairman Don Cruickshank.The company’s AGM statement on Friday saw Cruickshank commend SMG’s achievements to date, including growth in its television advertising revenues, both national… Continue reading Outgoing SMG Chairman Predicts Positive Year

The Sunday Telegraph is attempting to cash in on this summer’s feast of football by publishing a special 48-page Euro 2004 magazine with the newspaper next weekend.The title, sponsored by British Airways, includes contributions from regular football columnists Gary Lineker and Gerard Houllier, who will both be writing for the paper during the forthcoming tournament.The… Continue reading Sunday Telegraph To Cash In On Euro 2004 Football Frenzy

SMG, the Scottish media conglomerate, is reportedly in the process of sounding out potential buyers for its Virgin radio station, which it hopes to off-load for around £130 million.It is understood that several rival radio groups have expressed an interest in Virgin, which SMG acquired three years ago for £225 million. However, industry sources say… Continue reading Virgin Radio Could Be Sold For £130 Million