British Telecom has announced that it is to buy a 50% share in US-based Excite Inc’s British subsidiary, Excite UK. The agreement will further BT’s presence in internet advertising and transactions and brings it firmly into competition with the big Net names like Yahoo, Netscape Netcentre, Microsoft Network and America Online (AOL).Earlier today, AOL announced… Continue reading BT In A Partnership To Excite
Media research firm, Arbitron, has begun the first field tests of a new method of audience measurement for television and radio.The new device – the personal portable meter (PPM) – is the size of a pager, and is carried by people listening to the various media. The device picks up an inaudible identification code which… Continue reading Arbitron Test Run New Audience Measurement Device
Breakfast TV station, GMTV, is to see a significant reduction in the fee it pays to the Treasury each year in return for its ITV licence. The station, which is believed to be losing around £15 million a year, will pay a proposed tender of £20 million from January 1999; its Treasury payment last year… Continue reading GMTV Sees Cut In Treasury Payment
Front Row, the company which provides cable customers with a pay-on-demand movie service, has announced this week that it has begun searching for a public relations and advertising agency to spearhead its communications development into the digital era.According to its first set of buy rate figures, the movies-on-demand service was three times more popular than… Continue reading Front Row Seeks New Hands On Deck For Digital Launch
Internet service provider America Online has confirmed it has agreed to buy Netscape for £2.55 billion, spelling a radical shift in the internet industry (see Netscape And AOL May Merge). The agreement will consolidate AOL’s position as the world’s biggest on-line service and as a major rival to Bill Gates’ giant Microsoft. AOL will become… Continue reading Internet Wars Hot Up In AOL Deal For Netscape
Continuing its realignment as a youth radio station, Atlantic 252 has appointed specialist youth PR and marketing agency FFI as part of the station’s revamp.Atlantic is to introduce a number of shows and presenters to strengthen the station’s credibility and awareness amongst younger listeners. FFI won the business on the strength of its work for… Continue reading Atlantic Appoints Youth Marketing Agency For Revamp
‘Tis the season to be jolly and so ITV reveals its Christmas presents and turkeys (and there are quite a few of the latter and not so many of the former). ITV unveiled its Christmas and Winter 99 programme schedules at a packed Fashion Café in the heart of London’s West End. A nice surprise… Continue reading ITV Christmas/Winter Schedule 1998-99
Talk Radio has suffered a further loss of staff since being bought by Kelvin MacKenzie’s TalkCo, as senior sales executive Rachel McHugh leaves to join GWR sales operation, Opus.McHugh joins Opus on 30 November as Classic FM sales executive working under Classic FM group head of sales, Gerry Boniface, who says: “Rachel is an extremely… Continue reading Talk Loses Sales Executive To Classic
Border TV and Chrysalis Radio have set up a joint venture to bid for regional digital radio licences, it has been announced. Together, the groups will apply for the London and key regional digital licences due to be advertised by the Radio Authority over the next few months. Late last week, the two groups announced… Continue reading Chrysalis And Border Create Digital Radio Venture
Agency estimates for October 1998 put total terrestrial TV ad revenue (including GMTV’s) at £277.28 million. Year on year ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 all show increases in their ad revenue and GMTV continues to lose advertising income.ITV’s Adults impacts dropped year on year for October, by 5.4% to 26,387; all categories bar Housewives/Children… Continue reading TV Round-Up – October 1998
