More Industry News articles

Diet Pepsi is to sponsor this autumn’s London Indoor Tennis Championship at Wembley. Pepsi has the option to extend the deal for future years.

Metro Radio’s long running bid for the Yorkshire Radio Network looks close to victory following the announcement yesterday that 75% of YRN’s shareholders have accepted Metro’s £15.6m offer. (Newsline 27/9) For the takeover to go ahead shareholders must now approve an alteration to YRN’s articles of association, at present any one shareholder is prevented from… Continue reading YRN Close To Metro Takeover

Robert Maxwell announced last night that he is to sell his TV interests, including his 20% stake in Central Television. The sale of Maxwell’s stake in Central could result in a change of ownership in the run-up to the next franchising round. Maxwell also intends to sell off his 12.5% stake in France’s TF1, his… Continue reading Maxwell To Sell TV Interests

Oftel yesterday made “formal orders” under telecomms legislation requiring four cable companies to “remedy delays in completing their networks”. The four companies, with franchises covering Coventry, north-west Glasgow and Clydebank,Guildford and Westminster have been given new deadlines to meet, and if they fail to do so they could have their licences revoked. Oftel acknowledged that… Continue reading Cable Operators Reprimanded

The bi-monthly men’s magazine For Him has appointed Geoffrey Aquilina-Ross as new editor to replace Eric Musgrave. (Newsline 13/9)

Saatchi is continuing its moves to raise capital by selling its US agency McCaffrey & McCall and looking at ways of restructuring its £212m Euroconvertible preference issue.

Poor response from sponsors and broadcasters (particularly satellite TV stations) has led to the cancellation of the World Cup team snooker championship.

“Due impartiality” must continually be observed on “individual issues” states a new amendment to the Broadcasting Bill announced yesterday. The legislation, which will apply to both television and radio, produced a heated reaction from broadcasters. The amendment was described as “constructive censorship”, and David Elstein, Thames Televsion’s director of programmes, claimed that the move “will… Continue reading Broadcasting Bill “Bias” Amendments

Home secretary David Waddington yesterday affirmed that the BBC’s licence fee increases will be set at less than rises in the RPI after next April. The Home Office is to appoint independent consultants to assess the way in which the Corporation spends its licence fee income. In response to the announcement, BBC director general Michael… Continue reading BBC Licence Fee Examination

British Telecom is to sell its 25% stake in the Children’s Channel to Flextech, a UK oil-services group which is currently diversifying into the media. United Artists Entertainment had originally hoped to acquire the share. The move reflects BT’s decision to move out of the cable industry.