As part of its enquiry into the Gannett UK/Johnson Press/Guardian Media Group/Regional Independent Media Holdings (RIM) mergers, the Competition Commission has sent issues letters to the main parties.The issues to be considered include the reasons for the proposed mergers and how they would be financed and managed; the financial position of the merged groups; any… Continue reading Competition Commission Sends Issue Letter For RIM Inquiry
The huge surge in home ownership of PCs and gaming consoles has created some fertile publishing ground for consumer magazine groups over the last few years. The PC leisure and internet market – excluding gaming titles – has gone from strength to strength. Ten years ago this sector was served by just one title, What… Continue reading Feature: Changing Trends Affect Gaming Magazine Market
ITV2’s distribution across UK digital cable will be complete from 8 September, when NTL’s digital customers in England and Wales will be added to the UK viewers able to receive the channel.The channel, which says it now has close to 3 million subscribers, launched in December 1998 (see ITV2 Ready For Take-Off). It was initially… Continue reading ITV2 To Be Carried On NTL Franchises From September
Major commercial radio broadcasters are preparing to go head to head as the Radio Authority invites bids for two new major commercial analogue licences in the UK. The deadline for bids for a new West Midlands licence closed yesterday, and a similar licence in the Yorkshire area has started receiving applications.The Radio Authority said it… Continue reading Radio Stations Appeal To The Older Generation In Bids For New Commercial Licences
ITV has today confirmed that it has been granted a judicial review of the Independent Television Commission’s (ITC) direction regarding the scheduling of the ITV Nightly News. The judge has made an order for expedition and directed that the hearing shall be no later than the end of September.Today’s move came after the television industry… Continue reading ITV Granted Judicial Review Of ITC News Direction
A fall in Reuters’ subsidiary Tibco in the US led to a drop in Reuters’ own shares, which ended down 29p at £12.78. BSkyB shares also fell, by 55p to £12.21, apparently thanks to rumours about the possibility of a share placing.Scottish Media Group shares soared yesterday, ending up 24½p at £3.24½- a rise of… Continue reading Sharewatch
The BBC and Telewest have today announced a long-term agreement for carriage of BBC licence-fee funded digital channels and interactive services on Telewest cable networks. The deal, which runs until 2006, will allow Telewest digital viewers access to the BBC’s radio services and digital versions of its terrestrial channels as well as BBC Choice, BBC… Continue reading BBC Services To Be Made Available On Digital Cable
BSkyB is to launch Europe’s first television channel devoted to the automotive industry. The Automotive Channel, which launches on the 28 September, will broadcast news, analysis, market information and training programmes on the Sky digital platform.The full schedule will begin on 9 October with programming going out between 8.30am and 1.30pm each weekday. The channel… Continue reading Sky Prepares For Launch Of Automotive Industry Channel
AltaVista UK has put its unmetered internet access service “on hold”, having found it economically unviable to run the service without a discounted call rate from BT.AltaVista, famous for its popular internet search engines, announced its intention to launch unmetered internet access in March this year (see AltaVista To Offer Unmetered Net Access). At the… Continue reading AltaVista Blames BT For Stalling On Free Internet Service
The BBC has today announced the creation of a new subsidiary to house its commercial internet holdings and a US venture capital partner to help fund it. Valued at £240m, the new company, beeb ventures, has signed an agreement with US-based internet investor, T H Lee Global Internet Managers (THLi).THLi will pay £32.5m to acquire… Continue reading BBC Creates New Net Subsidiary, Ends “Free” Trials With WAP Platforms
