Two members of the cast of US sitcom Friends are believed to be quitting the series. The Independent newspaper has reported that David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow are planning to leave the show, just a week after Channel 4 outbid Sky to secure the broadcast rights to the series for a further three years (see… Continue reading “Friends” To Quit After £125m Deal
Internet service provider Freeserve has appointed a senior member of the board of America OnLine as its chief operating officer. Frank Keeling, who currently works as senior vice-president at AOL Europe, will take up the position.Keeling, who has been at AOL for four years and played a key role in bringing the internet group to… Continue reading AOL Director Defects To Freeserve
Carlton Communications jumped 27p to 596p as the group continued to focus its media business in preparation for a merger with United News & Media by announcing the sales of audio consoles manufacturer Solid State Logic (see Carlton Continues Media Focus With SSL Disposal).Shares in regional publisher Newscom remained static as bid proposals for the… Continue reading Sharewatch
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) will begin the search for a new chief executive early in the New Year. Peter Rogers, the current CE, has decided to retire from his position a year early to allow his replacement adequate preparation time before new broadcasting laws are due to be introduced.Commenting on his decision Rogers said:… Continue reading ITC Begins Search For New Chief Executive
Carlton Communications is continuing to concentrate on its media businesses by this morning announcing the sale of audio consoles manufacturer, Solid State Logic (SSL). Carlton has sold SSL, which makes professional analogue and digital audio mixing consoles, to venture capital group 3i for £43.5 million.Carlton’s finance director, Bernard Cragg, says: “The sale of SSL represents… Continue reading Carlton Continues Media Focus With SSL Disposal
Proposals from regional publishers Newsquest, Trinity Mirror and Johnston Press to bid for the Newscom newspaper group have all been referred to the Competition Commission. Kim Howells, minister for consumer and corporate affairs at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), has asked the Commission to investigate whether each of the proposed mergers would breach… Continue reading Newscom Bids Referred To Competition Commission
Digital terrestrial broadcaster ONdigital is to drop the broadcast of two of Carlton’s pay-TV channels, Carlton World and Carlton Kids, to make way for two new Discovery channels.The broadcaster, which is joint owned by Granada and Carlton, has signed a deal with Discovery for carriage of its Discovery Wings and Discovery Kids stations. The deal… Continue reading ONdigital Drops Carlton Channels For Discovery
Further speculation about the proposed merger between United News & Media and Carlton Communications (see Carlton And United News & Media Set For £7.8bn Merger) continued to affect shares. The City is now convinced that the Competition Commission will not allow it to go ahead and believes United will fall prey to Granada instead. United… Continue reading Sharewatch
Clear Channel International has announced the appointment of Stevie Spring as chief executive of its outdoor advertising arm, More Group UK. She will take up the position in February after leaving her current job as managing director of the Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R advertising agency.Chief executive of CCI, Roger Parry, said: “We are delighted to… Continue reading More Group Appoints New Chief Executive
The Wireless Group, which owns Talk Radio and nine regional UK radio stations, is to launch its own in-house sales company on Tuesday 4 January. Called Impact, it will form a one-stop shop for clients and agencies around the country.Tim Bleakley, currently sales director for the Wireless Group, will become managing director of the new… Continue reading The Wireless Group Launches New Sales House
