The BBC is to change the name and remit of its two digital channels, BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge, so that if and when analogue switch-off occurs in 2010, the four BBC channels would each be themed for a specific audience. The change has been anticipated for some time (see E4 Forces Broadcasters To Consider… Continue reading BBC Plans Themed Future For TV Channels
Telewest’s set-top box shortage woes (see Set-Top Box Shortage Puts Telewest Three Months Behind) eased a little on Friday, as shares rose 4¼p to £1.60. However, the company was the worst performer among media shares for the week, having dropped from £1.73 at the same time last week.The market seemed unaffected by the news that… Continue reading Sharewatch
Monday MediaTel’s weekly media focus and analysis, Media Track, is featured in Campaign Media Business.Wednesday Anglo-Dutch publishing group Reed Elsevier releases its interim results.Thursday Bright Station reports its interim results today. The company was created in March this year from the remaining e-commerce and web solution assets of Dialog (see Dialog To Sell Core Services… Continue reading The Week Ahead
Revenue for commercial radio has broken the £½billion revenue threshold, showing year-on-year growth of 17.8% for the year to June 2000, an increase of £77m to a total £510m, according to the latest figures from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB).Quarterly figures showed even more spectacular growth. The £104.2m of national advertising revenue recorded for April… Continue reading Annual Radio Revenue Breaks The Half Billion Barrier
Flextech managing director Ashley Highfield has been poached by the BBC to direct its new media division. Highfield will take up the new position as a member of the new Executive Committee in the autumn of this year. At Flextech Interactive, he launched 14 new websites and a range of interactive TV services. Deborah Bee,… Continue reading Appointments Brief
The cable industry was under pressure to move towards further consolidation this weekend as Telewest boss Adam Singer hinted that an agreement between his company and rival group NTL may be reached. As a shortage in set-top boxes continues to plague Telewest (see Set-Top Box Shortage Puts Telewest Three Months Behind), the company was surrounded… Continue reading Cable Industry Mulls Consolidation As Telewest Stock Tumbles
NTL has announced operating statistics for the second quarter of the year which show that the company is still on course to reach its digital television subscriber target by the end of the year.The company says that the number of subscribers by the end of the second quarter was around 230,000. The target for the… Continue reading NTL Ends Second Quarter Nearly Half Way To Digital Subscriber Target
BSkyB’s interactive television service Open is set to get a rival as business communications and internet company Energis prepares to enter the market with its own multi-channel package of corporate content.In a joint venture with software developer Graham Technology, Energis will initially provide companies with the opportunity to offer interactive services to customers on the… Continue reading Energis To Launch Interactive Rival To Open
Telewest has admitted that factors including the shortage in supply of digital set-top boxes means it will not reach its original sales target by the end of the year.“There have been the inevitable glitches as we have rolled out our new digital products.” said a company statement. “Some of them- such as the set-top box… Continue reading Set-Top Box Shortage Puts Telewest Three Months Behind
Despite months of uncertainty as the ITV merger deal was decided, United News & Media (UNM) still looks set to achieve an overall trading result in the current year which is ahead of its original expectations.Half-year results released today show that while pre-tax profits have remained steady year on year, increasing from £137.6m in 1999… Continue reading Granada Merger To Strengthen United Balance Sheet
