Satellite broadcaster BSkyB has signed up 1.8 million customers to its digital television service, Sky Digital, the company announced at its AGM today. The subscriber number out-strips analysts’ forecasts which expected around 1.5 million subscribers to the service.However, the cost of digital investment is still being felt at Sky. Financial results at the group and… Continue reading Sky Digital Reaches 1.8m Customers
Turner Broadcasting, owner of the TNT cable and satellite channel, is today launching a new service called Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Initially TCM will only be available to Sky Digital and NTL CableTel customers, although Turner vice-president of advertising sales, Dee Forbes, says that the intention is to roll the channel out across as many… Continue reading Classic Film Channel Launches As TNT Repositions
Television advertisers that wish to target a broad audience are liable to be left with the least desirable timeslots and more downmarket audiences, according to new research. A new study by the Billett Consultancy, shows advertisers who target specific audience groups, such as 16-34 year olds, are receiving more favourable placement in the ad break… Continue reading Advertisers Should Learn TV Owners’ Inventory For Best Deals, Says Billetts
An additional licence fee for digital television services would not breach EU regulations. A spokesperson for the European Commission denied reports earlier this week that proposals backed by the BBC to charge an extra £24 supplement for digital TV would breach state aid regulations.Stefan Rating, competition spokesman for the European Commission, said that it was… Continue reading BBC Digital Licence Fee Would Not Breach EU Rules
Shares in BSkyB jumped 8p yesterday ahead of the group’s A.G.M today in which healthy subscriber figures for its satellite television services are expected to be announced. Prices closed at 611˝p.Advertising group WPP made gains after a large programme trade was placed by a US broker. Shares were up 9p to 623p.Shares in United News… Continue reading Sharewatch
Six of Britain’s largest regional newspaper groups have joined together to launch a classified advertising network on the internet. Under the umbrella brand Fish4, three online services will provide sites dedicated to selling and buying vehicles and homes and finding jobs.The sites – fish4cars, fish4homes and fish4jobs – are the joint venture of Newsquest, Northcliffe,… Continue reading Regional Press Groups Launch Classified Ad Network
ITV has signed a £1 million sponsorship deal with Ambrosia Splat! Custard for its Saturday morning kids’ television programme, SM:TV Live. The sponsorship is the first television deal for Bestfoods, owner of the Ambrosia Custard range.The Splat! Custard brand will be associated with SM:TV for one year under the deal, which was negotiated by BMP… Continue reading ITV Signs £1m Custard Sponsorship For SM:TV
BARB has developed a new version of its measurement system to collect digital television audience data. A probe inside viewers’ set-top boxes will allow the research board to measure audience data for digital channels.Channels are currently measured by checking the frequency being received by a television set. With digital broadcasts however the frequency is identified… Continue reading New Measurement Device For Digital Data
Stuart Feather, managing director of Edinburgh-based media agency Feather Brooksbank, has denied that his company is in talks with the Carat group. A report in this week’s trade press claimed that a deal, either a merger or an alliance, is close to completion. However, Feather claimed that the article is incorrect and that there is… Continue reading Feather Brooksbank Denies Merger Talks With Carat
Shares in Reed International bounced back after reaching their lowest point for four and a half years on Tuesday. Rumours were circulating that the publishing group may reopen merger talks with Wolters Kluwer. Prices closed up 8˝p to 361žp.BSkyB rose 6p to 603˝p amid merger speculation as the chief operating officer of Vivendi, the French… Continue reading Sharewatch
