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The administrators of ITV Digital have announced a dramatic U-turn on their decision to charge customers £39.99 for their set-top boxes, which they will now be allowed to keep as a gift. The climb down follows the unpopular move by ITV Digital’s liquidators, Grant Thonton, to collect over 1 million set-top boxes or ask the… Continue reading ITV Digital Subscribers To Keep Set-Top Boxes

The UK consolidated its position as Europe’s leading e-commerce market in the run-up to Christmas 2002 with 60% of the online population accessing a retail site during December. Nielsen//NetRatings calculates that 12.8 million UK internet users visited an e-commerce site at some point last month, an increase of 3.7 million on the figure for December… Continue reading UK Acclaimed As European ‘Capital Of E-Commerce’

The board of AOL Time Warner has elected Dick Parsons to both the post of chairman and chief executive, following the departure of Steve Case (see AOL Chairman Quits Following Shareholder Unrest). Analysts have suggested the decision reflects a shift in the balance of power within the company, as Case who headed up the America… Continue reading AOL Time Warner Puts Faith In Old Media

Almost half of marketers expect to increase their budgets this year, with just 19% predicting a reduction, according to a new survey from the US-based Patrick Marketing Group (PMG). The report has found a markedly different sentiment from marketing executive at the beginning of this year as compared with that of 2002 when the attitude… Continue reading Majority Of Marketers See Budget Increases And Action In 2003

News Corporation has made conciliatory overtones to Brussels in a bid to gain regulatory approval for its takeover of Telepiù, the Italian pay-TV arm of Vivendi Universal. Rupert Murdoch has agreed to pay in the region of E900 million for the operator which he plans to merge with News Corp’s own pay-TV venture, Stream to… Continue reading Murdoch Makes Concessions On Telepi

The current advertising outlook is one of cautious optimism, with most forecasters predicting the start of a slow and steady improvement in growth rates this year. In the US, revenue growth is on course to outperform the global average, leading the way to recovery. Radio has had a very good recent run and television is… Continue reading Current Ad Growth Bubble May Not Hold, Warns Myers

Two of Spain’s largest cable operators have announced plans to roll out digital TV services this year, according to a report on Europemedia. ONO and Auna Cable had been expected to launch operations in late-2002 but the uncertain state of the DTV market led to a delay. Both services will carry up to 100 channels… Continue reading Spanish Viewers To Get New DTV Services

Advertising and public relations company, Chime Communications, is to sell 49% of its Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury (HHCL) advertising agency to WPP, the group announced this afternoon. WPP will pay £3.5 million in cash for the stake in HHCL, which will become part of WPP’s international Red Cell network. Chime will have the option of… Continue reading Chime Communications Sells 49% Of HHCL To WPP

Indebted UK cable company, Telewest Communications, this morning said that it has reached a non-binding agreement with its senior lenders and bondholders over the terms of its new bank lending facilities (see Telewest Positive On Restructuring Plan). The amended bank facilities total £2.2 billion and will provide Telewest with ‘substantial liquidity’ that should meet the… Continue reading Telewest Agrees New £2.2bn Bank Lending Terms

The acquisition of Galaxy Radio Wales by Vibe Radio Services has been referred to the Competition Commission for investigation. Competition minister, Melanie Johnson, said that she is concerned that the deal, already completed (see Chrysalis Takes GWR’s LNR And Sells Galaxy 101), might reduce competition for local radio advertising in the Bath and Bristol areas.… Continue reading GWR Questions Competition Referral Of Vibe’s Galaxy Acquisition