ITV1’s Dancing on Ice triumphed in the TV ratings battle last night, with a peak of 9.9 million watching the first of two Sunday night shows.The first instalment of Dancing on Ice, on from 7pm to 8.15pm, picked up a 37.4% share of the audience, while the skate-off, which saw Emmerdale star Roxanne Pallett voted… Continue reading Dancing on Ice picks up a peak of 9.9m viewers

AOL is launching a new classifieds website that will allow consumers to search through millions of local classifieds listings for every postcode in the UK.AOL Classifieds has been developed in partnership with Oodle, which operates the largest network of classifieds services in the US.Sellers are able to promote their listings by leveraging the reach of… Continue reading AOL launches classifieds website

Microsoft has signed a deal with NBC Universal to expand the film hosting service on its XBox 360 games console.The deal will enable Xbox users to download a choice of 30 Universal movies and watch them in high-definition.Universal follows Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros in agreeing Xbox movie deals with Microsoft.Microsoft has also announced plans… Continue reading NBC Universal signs Xbox 360 movie deal

BT is in talks with Channel 4 over a possible merger of its television subsidiary BT Vision with the broadcaster.Luke Johnson, chairman of Channel 4, said he would fully support a merger between Channel 4 and BT Vision, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph.Johnson said that a merger offered a “certain logic”. “A… Continue reading BT in merger talks with Channel 4

Investor Peter Thiel has revealed that Facebook was in takeover talks with Twitter last autumn, although disagreements over price and structure scuppered a deal.Twitter would have been paid for with Facebook stock, however, the two sides could not agree on a valuation of the company.In 2007, Microsoft bought preferred stock in Facebook valuing the company… Continue reading Facebook tried to buy Twitter

Luke Johnson, chairman of Channel 4, would rather see the broadcaster privatised than have it merge with ITV or Five.Although Johnson remains opposed to privatisation, he would prefer it to merging with ITV, which he said would be an “enormous poisoned pill”, adding “on a personal basis, I don’t see a lot of value in… Continue reading Channel 4 chairman rejects ITV/Five merger

AOP has appointed Tim Faircliff, general manager of consumer media at Thomson Reuters, as the new co-chair to take up the role from March 2009 until March 2010.Faircliff will work with current co-chair Alison Reay, who was appointed in October 2008.Faircliff leads the sales, marketing and development of Thomson Reuters’ multimedia news and information products… Continue reading AOP appoints new co-chair

The number of UK women regularly using social networks has grown by 53% in 12 months, a new IPC Media study has found.The study, Women’s Space 2, explores women’s use of the internet. It found that two thirds of women cite social networking as one of their regular online activities, compared with 43% in 2007.All… Continue reading Women increasingly using social networks

Virgin Media’s content business recorded revenues of £118.8 million in the three months to the end of December, up from £114.1 million a year previously.Ad revenue at the content arm, which houses Virgin Media TV, its 50% share in UKTV, and shopping broadcaster Sit Up TV, was up 10% year on year.It was reported yesterday… Continue reading Virgin Media’s content business sees Q4 revenue increase

The BBC Trust has confirmed that it has refused permission for the Corporation’s online local video service after concluding a public value test.The final decision follows a public consultation on the Trust’s provisional conclusions, published in November (see BBC Trust rejects local online video proposal) to reject local video because it would not improve services… Continue reading BBC Trust confirms rejection of local video plans