Channel 4 has promised to “encourage a younger generation in the values of public service broadcasting” with its programming priorities for 2001/2002. Commenting on the statement of intent his channel submitted to the Independent Television Commission (ITC) this week, director of programmes Tim Gardam commented, “Too often regulation has become an arid calculation of the… Continue reading Channel 4 Statement Of Intent To Continue Innovation And Quality
Anne Robinson-hosted elimination quiz show, The Weakest Link, has been exported to the NBC television network in the US, where it is currently pulling in large audiences. According to an analysis of Nielsen Media Research viewing figures by Mediaweek.com, NBC achieve the highest primetime ratings in the Adults 18-49 and 25-54 categories; each grew by… Continue reading Weakest Link Proves Early Hit For NBC
The number of US adults accessing the web increased by 8.5% in 2001, across the 85 metro markets surveyed by The Media Audit. The report says that 74.5 million out of a total adult population in these markets of 128.3 million ‘logged on during the past month.’ This represents an increase in internet penetration from… Continue reading Web Reaches A Broader US Audience
The new president of the IPA has warned that the advertising industry in the UK is losing its creative touch. Addressing the IPA members’ lunch with his inaugural speech this week, Bruce Haines warned that hard work was needed to stay ahead.“We need to do much, much more to promote the quality of our work… Continue reading New IPA President Tells Industry To Embrace Creativity
Media communications group WPP has this morning posted first quarter organic revenue growth of 6% – including, for the first time, the Young & Rubicam network. This is lower than the 10% analysts at ABN Amro had expected and well below the 13.8% growth posted by rival network Omnicom yesterday (see Omnicom Shows Strong US… Continue reading WPP Q1 Results Disappoint Market And Brokers
Goldman Sachs lowered its 12 month price target for BSkyB yesterday, causing shares in the satellite broadcaster to fall 36½p to £8.45. Terrestrial TV companies Carlton and Granada also had a bad day, as the market remained unconvinced by its revamp plans for ONdigital (see Prebble Heads Up An Integrated ITV). Carlton shares ended the… Continue reading Sharewatch
Carlton Communications and Granada have today confirmed plans to change the structure of ITV, including a radical overhaul of the jointly-owned digital terrestrial broadcaster, ONdigital. Stuart Prebble will become chief executive of the Network, which will now operate three main businesses – ITV channels, ITV Digital and ITV.com. ITV Digital is the rebranded name for… Continue reading Granada And Carlton Bring ONdigital Under ITV Brand
Global advertising and communications group Omnicom has posted strong financial results, with a particularly good first quarter coming from the US. Across Europe the performance was more mixed. In Europe overall organic growth was 12.6%, with the lowest regional growth coming from the UK at 5%. Germany saw 10%, France 10% and the Netherlands 15%.… Continue reading Omnicom Shows Strong US Growth In Q1 Results
The government has proposed boosting the strength of the digital TV signal in order to improve quality and encourage adoption of the technology before the proposed analogue switch-off date of 2010. Culture secretary Chris Smith and Trade & Industry secretary Stephen Byers have this week written to senior controllers of the terrestrial broadcasters seeking their… Continue reading Power Increase For Digital TV Signal Planned
Press reports claim that Vivendi Universal has agreed to merge its loss-making Italian pay-television division, Telepiù, with Stream – a rival broadcaster owned by News Corporation and Telecom Italia. The Financial Times reports that the merged business will retain the Telepiù name and will be owned two thirds by Vivendi’s Canal Plus one third by… Continue reading Italy’s Telepi
