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talkSPORT owner UTV Media has completed the acquisition of free weekly magazine Sport.The magazine was suspended in April after French parent company Sport Media & Strategie went into administration (see Sport magazine suspends publication).It is understood that Sport will be back on London’s streets on 12 June, with 19 of its 22 UK staff staying… Continue reading UTV Media buys Sport magazine

Channel 4 could cut its News at Noon and More4 News programmes in an attempt to cut budgets by 10%.Although the broadcaster said that no decisions have yet been taken, it is understood that several programmes are under threat, with executives ordering a review of its news operations.Earlier this month, Channel 4 chief executive Andy… Continue reading Channel 4 could cut news programming

Pan-European newspaper group Mecom has reported a 14% fall in group revenue for the first four months of 2009. Run by former Mirror Group boss David Montgomery, the company also revealed a 22% drop in ad revenue for the period. In a statement it said: “There are now indications that rates of decline have generally… Continue reading Mecom reveals 14% fall in revenue

BBC Magazines is preventing the closure of Good Homes magazine by selling it to Kelsey Publishing.BBC Magazines announced the closure at the end of last month, citing a drop in circulation (see BBC Good Homes magazine set to close).Staff will be asked if they want to transfer to the new publisher, with Kelsey’s first issue… Continue reading Kelsey Publishing buys BBC Good Homes magazine

Havas saw total revenue drop 6% year on year to €325 million in the first quarter of 2009, with organic growth declining by 8.4%. Its UK division showed “good resistance” however, with organic growth down just 1.6% year on year. Net new business was €507 million in Q1 2009, down from €510 million in the… Continue reading Havas sees total revenue fall 6% year on year

Independent News & Media has agreed a financial standstill deal with its principal banks and bondholders, giving it until late June to negotiate the refinancing of its €200 million (£178 million) bond. The standstill period starts today and runs until 26 June. INM said that to aid the negotiations a committee of bondholders has appointed… Continue reading INM agrees financial standstill agreement

Aegis has reported an 11.6% fall in organic revenue growth for the first quarter of 2009. However, the UK media-buying and research group has predicted a “resilient” performance for 2009 overall. The company said that reported group revenues, which include effects such as a significant exchange-rate benefit, grew by 6.5%, while its Aegis Media division… Continue reading Aegis reports 11.6% Q1 fall in organic revenue

Independent News & Media has agreed a financial standstill deal with its investors, giving it until late June to negotiate the refinancing of its €200 million (£178 million) bond.The publisher of the Independent newspaper has also secured €15 million (£13.3 million) in working capital.The standstill period starts today and runs until 26 June. INM said… Continue reading INM agrees “financial standstill” deal with investors

Semantic search engine Wolfram Alpha has launched today, potentially changing the way users find information online.The service, developed by UK physicist Stephen Wolfram, responds to queries by searching through a database and providing a direct answer, including graphs and charts if relevant, rather than providing a list of links as Google does.Wolfram says that the… Continue reading Semantic “search engine” launches today

UTV Media, owner of the Northern Ireland ITV franchise and talkSPORT, has reported a 19% decline in ad revenues at its TV division and a 15% drop at its radio operation for the first four months of the year. The broadcasting group, which owns more than 20 radio stations across the UK and Ireland, said… Continue reading UTV reports 19% drop in ad revenue