The rate of subscription to digital TV is slowing and will need to be boosted if the Government’s original analogue switch-off target is to be met. New figures from Continental Research shows that the number of terrestrial TV homes planning to take up digital services in the near future has dropped year on year from… Continue reading Digital TV: The Good And Bad News
ITV has announced the formation of ITV Interactive, a new division which is to incorporate all online and interactive activities and the portal operations of ITV Active.The first stage of the division’s operations will be the long-awaited launch of ITV.com, scheduled to take place alongside the launch of the Autumn schedule. Extensive cross promotion is… Continue reading ITV Establishes Interactive Division
News of a potential takeover by French advertising network Havas (see Havas And Tempus Set To Merge) had a spectacular effect on Tempus shares yesterday, which finished up 55.5% at £5.60, an increase of £2.00 on the previous day’s closing price.Mixed news and views about ITV ended with mixed results for major shareholders. An announcement… Continue reading Sharewatch
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and the BMRB have launched a online training scheme to give media and creative agency staff a better understanding of their markets, brands and targets.The new web based training module will teach agency staff across all disciplines how to get the most out of the Target Group Index… Continue reading IPA To Train Advertisers Online
IPC title, Marie Claire Health and Beauty, is cutting its frequency to bi-monthly in a bid to survive in the highly competitive fashion and beauty sector.Publishing director, Rita Lewis, said: “We are fully committed to this sector, and in the ongoing development of the Marie Claire Health and Beauty brand. However, despite doubling our ad… Continue reading Marie Claire Health And Beauty Cuts Frequency
Express owner Richard Desmond is looking to make acquisitions in television and radio, with the backing of up to £1bn from a German bank.Desmond, whose acquisition of the Express group last year (see Gossip And Girlie Publisher Takes On Express And Star) caused shockwaves initially due to the idea of a pornography publisher owning a… Continue reading Desmond Hunts TV And Radio Deals
ITV Digital claims that it will reach its break even target of 2004, despite the widely reported difficulties experienced by the recently rebranded (see Comedy Duo Front ONdigital Rebrand) digital TV business.It was announced today that 48,000 new subscribers were signed up during the last quarter, bringing the total as at 30 June to 1.14m… Continue reading ITV Digital To Break Even By 2004
In keeping with other analysts and forecasters, Merrill Lynch has downgraded its ITV revenue forecasts citing “growing evidence of advertiser cutbacks or switching” in the TV advertising market.Merrill now forecast ITV revenue growth at -12.3% to September 2001 and see no reason to expect a recovery until around April 2002. Growth for the year to… Continue reading Merrill Lynch Downgrades Spell ITV Misery
Media buying agencies Optimedia and Zenith Media are to be merged by their parent companies, Publicis and Cordiant respectively, creating the world’s fourth-largest media communications group.The resulting business, NewCo, will be UK-based and 75% owned by Publicis and 25% owned by Cordiant. The minimum option price payable for Cordiant’s 25% shareholding in NewCo is £75.0… Continue reading Merger News From Optimedia And Zenith
UK National adspend broke the £17bn barrier for the first time in 2000, rising 10% on 1999, according to the Advertising Association’s Advertising Statistics Yearbook .The figures show that total adspend in 2000 was 1.82% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared with 1.74% in 1999.According to CIA MediaLab, adspend is cyclical and reflects the changes… Continue reading UK Adspend For 2000 Breaks £17bn Mark
