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The government is looking at introducing a fast-track legislation later this year to relax ownership regulations in a bid to help local newspaper and radio companies.The quick-fix bill, which would have relatively few clauses, would allow the government to change existing laws without introducing new primary legislation, according to reports.However, it is unlikely to extend… Continue reading Government to relax local media ownership rules

The Local Radio Company (TLRC) has rejected a £1.25 million takeover bid from radio group UKRD.Last week, Hallwood Financial made an offer of £1.8 million for TLRC, following which TLRC independent non-executive director John Perriss strongly recommended the company’s shareholders reject the bid from UKRD.UKRD owns stations including Pirate FM 102 in the West Country… Continue reading Local Radio Company turns down UKRD bid

UKRD has called on The Local Radio Company’s (TLRC) shareholders to accept its £1 million cash offer for the business, amid warnings that TLRC requires additional funds to continue trading beyond April.Local radio firm UKRD, which already owns 13.5% of TLRC, made an offer to buy the rest of the company two weeks ago, however,… Continue reading UKRD calls on Local Radio Company to accept £1m cash bid

New UK search engine Oparla is offering web users the chance to pre-register to its site, ahead of its official launch next week, in order to get a month’s free ad space.The site, which has been created by internet entrepreneur Daniel Jupp, is due to launch next week after more than 12 months development.Oparla lets… Continue reading New UK search engine offers free advertising

A new study from the Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB) shows that 63% of drivers expect a new car to come with DAB radio (either with or without CD) as standard. The majority of 1,000 people surveyed for the study were mass market drivers owning cars priced between £7,000 and £15,000, with Ford and Vauxhall… Continue reading 63% of drivers expect a new car to come with DAB radio

Global Radio has today confirmed the sale of its majority stake in the national digital radio platform Digital One to fellow shareholder Arqiva.Transmission company Arqiva, previously a 37% shareholder, is understood to have paid a nominal sum for Global Radio’s 63% stake.However, in return Global expects cheaper transmission costs for its digital stations from Arqiva.Digital… Continue reading Global sells Digital One to Arqiva

Ofcom has called for regulatory and legislative changes to secure the future of commercial and local radio stations.In its submission to the government, following Lord Carter’s Digital Britain report, the media regulator suggests restructuring “both the analogue and digital radio landscapes, in order to secure the future of commercial and community radio in the face… Continue reading Ofcom calls for regulatory changes to ensure future of commercial radio

Bauer Media is currently in talks with Global Radio to buy five of its Midlands stations.Global Radio offered to dispose of the five Midlands stations in a bid to appease the Office of Fair Trading, after its £375 million acquisition of GCap Media in April 2008 (see Global Offers To Sell Off Midlands Stations).At the… Continue reading Bauer bids for five Global stations

RadioCentre is urging the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to relax rules on local media mergers in a bid to prevent station closures.The industry body for commercial radio had pressed the OFT to ensure its current local and regional media merger review spans all media, not just local newspapers.In its submission to the competition body,… Continue reading RadioCentre pushes for commercial radio review

Former co-founder and CEO of Billetts Andy Pearch has joined forces with former MD of Carat Graham Brown to launch a new media performance management company.Media Sense offers brand owners a “fresh, innovative and more strategic approach to engineering greater value and performance from media investments”.The new company will service clients in the UK and… Continue reading Ex-Billetts chief involved in new start-up