ITV is understood to have scrapped plans to expand its digital strategy with the launch of a dedicated digital channel for children later this year.The UK’s largest commercial broadcaster was due to unveil ITV Kids as part of a new channel package to boost its digital presence. However, the launch has been shelved and ITV… Continue reading ITV Scraps Plans To Launch Digital Channel For Kids

Fears that PVRs will transform the planning process have been confirmed by BSkyB’s admission that more than three-quarters of Sky Plus viewers skip through the adverts when watching recorded programmes.BSkyB chief executive, James Murdoch, yesterday reaffirmed his commitment to the Sky Plus personal video recorder, claiming that it supplements core viewing and provides a platform… Continue reading Ad-Avoidance High Amongst Sky Plus Viewers

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

ITV chief executive Charles Allen has put forward a controversial proposal that would see ITV form a joint venture with the BBC to sell their most popular television programmes oversees.Allen told the Commons Select Committee on Culture Media and Sport that the two companies could team-up to sell programmes internationally if BBC Worldwide, the Corporation’s… Continue reading ITV Boss Proposes Controversial Joint Venture With BBC

News from Martin Sorrell, that March and April of this year are stronger than anticipated, was taken by dealers to mean WPP is likely to have results coming in above forecast. Speaking at a Merrill Lynch conference yesterday, Martin Sorrell said March and April were stronger than the first quarter average as momentum built. He… Continue reading WPP Likely To Beat Forecasts As Ad Recovery Is Stronger

British Sky Broadcasting(BSkyB) today announced plans to drive demand for digital satellite television through initiatives that will address free-to-air and premium pay-TV audiences. Speaking at an investor conference in London, James Murdoch, Chief Executive of BSkyB, said later this year the company will introduce a free-to-air satellite proposition that will support the Government’s proposed switchover… Continue reading BSkyB To Drive Digital Demand Through New Initiatives

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

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