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The long awaited merger of ITV giants Carlton and Granada will have little impact if the two companies are forced to divest their sales houses, according to analysts at Lehman Brothers. Advertisers and rival broadcasters claim that the merger, in its proposed form, is unacceptable because it will result in the creation of a single… Continue reading ITV Merger Likely To Be Watered Down, Says Lehman Brothers

The cost of digital TV set-top box equipment could fall as low as €36 (£27) by 2007, as fierce competition in the supplier market continues to drive down prices, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics.Demand for digital terrestrial TV (DTT) services is starting to look much stronger in Europe, with the UK’s Freeview… Continue reading DTV Equipment Costs To Fall Below £30 By 2007

ITV1 is to update its on-air look with a unified re-branding process designed to coincide with its new autumn programming season (see MGEITF 2003: Pickard Outlines Plans To Revitalise ITV).The new branding will see the creation of over 60 new versions of the existing idents that feature a range of ITV1’s biggest stars. The initiative… Continue reading ITV1 Re-Vamps On Air Look To Coincide With New Schedule

More than 1.68 billion person to person text messages were sent across the four UK GSM networks in July 2003, up from 1.3 billion in the same period the previous year, according to the latest figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA).July’s figure takes the total number of text messages sent so far during 2003… Continue reading Reality TV Helps To Boost July’s Text Message Total

Mobile operators are in a good position to boost their revenues by offering users compelling mobile phone content, according to a new report by Ovum. The consulting company predicts that by the end of 2005, operators will make more money from content than all other players put together.Also On MediaTel Insight Today…TV Merger Likely To… Continue reading MediaTelINSIGHT:Wireless Operators To Reap Content Revenue Benefits

Capital Radio was seen in the spotlight yesterday, rising 5.97%. However, dealers have attributed the increase to a squeeze in low volume trading.Elsewhere, BSkyB was also in focus, up 2.13% following chief executive, Tony Ball’s, tour de force at last weekend’s International Television Festival, in which he made numerous bullish comments about the Sky and… Continue reading Sharewatch: Capital Radio Rises As Traders Squeeze

Channel Five has secured Cadbury Fingers as the sponsor its new family movie strand, in deal thought to be worth £1.7 million over the next 12 months.The deal comprises promotional spots around all films scheduled on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with titles including The Addams Family, Flubber and the movie premiere of animated children’s favourite,… Continue reading Five Secures Cadbury For Film Sponsorship Deal

Only around 13% of European mobile users are interested in using their phones to make payments for services, according to a report by Forrester Research. A survey of mobile users across twenty European countries found that only 13% of users claim to be likely or very like to use mobile payment services if they were… Continue reading Few Mobile Users Interested In Mobile Payments

British broadcasters need to take more risks if they are to produce international television hits to rival The Sopranos and Sex And The City, according to Chris Albrecht, chief executive of subscription-funded US cable channel HBO.Delivering The Worldview Address at this year’s Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, Albrecht, who oversees all of HBO’s original… Continue reading MGEITF 2003: HBO Boss Calls Form More Risky UK Television

More than 1.68 billion person to person text messages were sent across the four UK GSM networks in July 2003, up from 1.3 billion in the same period the previous year, according to the latest figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA). JulyÂ’s figure takes the total number of text messages sent so far during… Continue reading Reality Boost For Text Messaging In July