Centaur Communications is expected to be floated on AIM next week following its sale to Numis Securities. A holding company, Centaur Holdings, set up by Numis, has entered into a sale and purchase agreement to buy the B2B publisher, which includes The Lawyer and Marketing Week in its portfolio, for £145m. It plans to float… Continue reading Centaur To Float On AIM Next Week

The Barclay brothers are understood to be putting together a new deal to buy the Telegraph titles, which could include finding a private equity partner to launch a bid for all the assets of Hollinger International. The reclusive media moguls were forced to rethink their options last week after a US court scuppered the £260… Continue reading Barclays Seek Equity Partner For Hollinger Bid

The Financial Times posted a loss of £32 million during 2003, as advertising revenues slumped 15% and sales continued to fall. A cost-cutting programme across the business daily has failed to stem losses, which were £9 million higher than in 2002, according to the full-year results of its parent company Pearson released today. The company… Continue reading Losses Widen At FT And Outlook Remains ‘Uncertain’

Half of the world’s population – four billion people – will have mobile technology by 2015, and mobile data services will make up an increasingly large share of the mobile market, the industry’s leading player has predicted. Jorma Ollila, chairman and chief executive of Nokia, told the 3GSM World Congress last week that he expects… Continue reading Half Of The World’s Population Will Be Mobile, Says Nokia Chief

WPP chief executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, has indicated that an end to the worst advertising downturn in memory is in sight as the company posts a solid 18% increase in pre-tax profit to more than £473 million for 2003.The global advertising and marketing network, which owns J Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather and Young &… Continue reading WPP Takes Bullish Stance As Pre-Tax Profits Rise

MegaPoster UK has become the first giant outdoor poster contractor to unveil a sales pack for the forthcoming European Football Championships, which take place in Portugal this summer.The company has put together a portfolio of eleven prime sites in some of the UK’s major football cities including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Nottingham.The… Continue reading MegaPoster Unveils Euro 2004 Giant Billboard Portfolio

Rumours of exploratory merger talks between Channel 4 and Five have been confirmed with the possibility of a full merger of the two commercial broadcasters now being discussed. Earlier this month is was suggested that Channel 4 chief executive Mark Thompson and Lord Hollick, chairman of United Business Media, the minority shareholder in the Five… Continue reading Channel 4 Confirms Merger Discussions With Five

Lord Conrad Black was last night described by a US judge as cunning and calculated as a ruling was passed blocking his sale of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph to the Barclay Brothers. The ruling by Delaware’s Court of Chancery could allow Hollinger International to press ahead with the auctioning of its papers to the… Continue reading US Court Blocks Sale Of Hollinger To Barclay Brothers

WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell indicated that an end to the worst advertising downturn in memory is in sight as the company posted a solid 18% increase in pre-tax profit, to more than £473 million for 2003. The global advertising and marketing network, which owns J Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather and Young &… Continue reading WPP Takes Bullish Stance As Pre-Tax Profits Rise

News International has announced plans to extend the compact Times to the Yorkshire and Tyne Tees regions, in a move that suggests the tabloid edition could soon be available nationally.The scaled-down edition of the paper will be sold alongside the broadsheet Times in the two television regions from next week, in a development that takes… Continue reading News International Extends Sale Of Tabloid Times