The BBC and BSkyB are thought to have been asked by industry regulators to come to the rescue of digital terrestrial television if the beleaguered ITV Digital closes.According to a report in today’s Guardian, the ITC has approached a number of broadcasters including the BBC and BSkyB about ways to maintain Britain’s lead in the… Continue reading BBC And BSkyB May Rescue Digital TV
Colin Lloyd has stepped down from his role as president of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) after nine years in the job. He is not taking on a new full-time role, but will instead consider increasing his non-executive directorships and consultancies.Lloyd, who joined the DMA in 1993 as chief executive, has been credited with the… Continue reading Lloyd Steps Down After Ten Years With DMA
European consumers’ inclination to buy goods and services has been significantly dampened in the first two months of 2002, after the introduction of the Euro was used by many retail and service companies as justification for a hike in prices. This is one of the key findings of a study by GfK, carried out on… Continue reading Euro Introduction Curtails Consumer Spending In Europe
Twice as many people watched coverage of the Queen Mother’s funeral on BBC1 than on ITV1 yesterday, according to unofficial overnight figures from BARB.The figures show that BBC1’s live coverage of events, which ran from 9.15am to 2.10pm, attracted an average of 5 million viewers and achieved a 51.3% share. ITV1’s coverage, which ran from… Continue reading Viewers Turn To BBC1 For Funeral Coverage
Online retail sales in the UK fell for a second consecutive month, according to data from the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), as reported by NUA Internet Surveys. Total online retail sales for February reached £397 million – down 4.4% on January, but showing a slowing rate of decline when compared to the 17%… Continue reading UK Online Sales Slow In February, But Growth Is Ten Times That Of US
Mark Thompson, the recently appointed chief executive of Channel 4 (see Thompson Takes The Helm At Channel 4), is to deliver this year’s MacTaggart Lecture at the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival at the end of August.BBC veteran Thompson, who joins the channel in its twentieth year on air, is expected to outline his personal… Continue reading Channel 4 Chief To Deliver MacTaggart Lecture
BSkyB saw shares fall yesterday as it looked increasingly unlikely that it would be able to exercise its £1bn put option on Kirch, which has filed for bankruptcy (see Kirch Media Files For Bankruptcy). Stock slipped 2.73% to close at £7.84, down 22p on the day before.Carlton and Granada were also down yesterday as their… Continue reading Sharewatch
IPC titles Woman and Woman’s Own are to be promoted in a joint advertising campaign worth £3m beginning this month, which will include TV and print advertising, sampling and in-store activity. The first airing of the TV advert occurred last night.Following consumer research showing that the two brands are entwined in consumer’s minds, the campaign… Continue reading £3m Ad Campaign For Woman and Woman’s Own
According to reports in this morning’s press, ITV Digital may be closed as soon as next Monday unless Carlton and Granada pledge more money to keep the service afloat. Figures released to the Football League by the High Court, as part of their attempt to recover rights money owed by ITV Digital, supposedly reveal that… Continue reading ITV Digital Could Be Closed By Monday
NTL may avoid forced liquidation, according to report on FT.com today, which claims that the indebted cable group could sign a deal with its bondholders as early as this week.The paper reports that a debt-for-equity swap with the bondholders is now on the table; such a transaction would give them a 95% stake in NTL.… Continue reading NTL Is Close To Refinancing, Says Report
