More Media Business articles

Advertising and marketing conditions in the second quarter are shaping up to be similar to Q1, with positive trends in the US whilst elsewhere remains mixed and quite weak, according to analysts at Merrill Lynch. Indications are of an upward momentum, with improved trading at the media companies likely to be followed by a similar… Continue reading Merrill Lynch Tweaks Advertising Forecasts

Roger Parry, head of Clear Channel International, has hit back at Capital Radio’s David Mansfield for ruling out a potential take-over by the American radio giant. Speaking at last week’s Radio Academy Festival in Birmingham, Mansfield said there would be a “major clash” if the worldÂ’s largest radio operator tried to swoop on Capital following… Continue reading Clear Channel Boss Hits Back At Capital Radio

The online music sector will experience only limited growth in the near future, due to the lack of co-operation between broadband service providers (BSPs) and the recording industry, according to a new report. A survey by Jupiter Research has found that 43% of consumers are still not convinced of the need to pay for internet… Continue reading Music Industry Must Embrace The Net, Says Study

Active Value, the UK investment fund, seems intent on wresting control of Cordiant Communications from WPP, despite being unable to court the support of French advertising group Publicis. In a statement today, Publicis admitted that on Saturday it had met representatives from Active Value who “made a proposal regarding Cordiant and Cordiant’s shareholding in ZenithOptimedia… Continue reading Active Value And Publicis In Talks On Cordiant

A slowing of demand in the UK’s digital television market has caused sales at set-top box manufacturer, Pace Microtechnology, to fall by 41% over the last year to just 1.3 million units. Announcing its year-end financial results this morning, the group reported revenues down by 52.6% to £166.6 million for the twelve months to 31… Continue reading Pace Sales Dip 40% As UK Digital TV Market Stabilises

UK publishing group Highbury House Communications (HHC) has made a £32 million offer for Paragon Publishing, which produces magazines in the videogames, personal computing and internet and home entertainment sectors. Highbury says that the deal will create one of the UK’s leading special interest consumer publishers and the third largest publicly-quoted consumer magazine publishing group.… Continue reading Highbury House To Buy Paragon Publishing For £32m

The French advertising group Publicis has moved to refute speculation that it plans to make a takeover attempt for Cordiant Communications. The company has a long held interest in Cordiant’s 25% shareholding in ZenithOptimedia and made a bid for the parent group last month (see Cordiant Shareholder Rules Out Deal With WPP). However, it lost… Continue reading Publicis Denies Designs On Cordiant

Emap is on track to meet end of year targets, with healthy revenues flowing into the company, according to chairman Adam Broadbent. The cross-media corporation held its AGM today and there was general satisfaction at performance in the year to date. Broadbent said that Emap had been “performing reasonably well” given the state of the… Continue reading Emap In Line To Meet Full-Year Expectations

Future Network, the specialist consumer magazine publisher, has reported a 7% increase in turnover for the first five months of 2003 with growth occurring in both circulation and advertising. Since May’s AGM (see Future Lifted By Bright Start To Year), steady progress has been maintained with revenues from circulation up by 8% while advertising revenue… Continue reading Gaming Points Way Ahead For Future Network

Nahed Ojjeh, the Syrian-born chess promoter, has increased her stake in Cordiant Communications to more than 10%, it was revealed last night. The crisis-torn advertising group has told the stock exchange that Mrs Ojjeh, the widow of a Saudi billionaire, had “built a stake in the company during the period 10 June 2003 to 4… Continue reading Mystery As Chess Queen Raises Cordiant Stake