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Unlicensed file sharing services will continue to thrive until record labels allow internet users to download music legitimately, according to a new report from The Yankee Group. Consumers aged 14 and above downloaded 5.16 billion audio files in the US via unlicensed file-sharing services such as KaZaa, Morpheus and LimeWire in 2001. This is set… Continue reading Unlicensed Music Downloads To Peak In 2005, Says Yankee Group

The joint publishing venture between EMAP and French group Hachette Filipacchi is likely to be discontinued following Hachette’s acquisition of Attic Futura (see Hachette Buys Attic Futura For ), according to reports. The addition of Attic Futura’s magazines to the Hachette portfolio brings it into competition with the titles published in the UK by the… Continue reading EMAP/Hachette Venture Expected To Be Ditched

Revenues at debt-laden cable company, NTL, remained pretty flat in the second quarter of the year, dropping slightly by just 1.1% to £627 million, according to the company’s financial results released today. Earnings rose by 51.3% to £174 million over the period. These results are posted against a backdrop of debt and impending recapitalisation which… Continue reading NTL Revenues Fall Slightly As Recapitalisation Approaches

VNU, the multinational publisher and information company has bucked the trend of disappointing media financial results and announced a robust growth in profits for the first half of 2002. Net income increased from â‚Ź75.5 million to â‚Ź93 million in the space of a year and VNU was able to reduce its debt from â‚Ź4.2 billion… Continue reading VNU Posts Strong First Half Results

UK radio operator, Wireless Group, has halved its losses and is currently enjoying strong ad revenue growth, according to financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2002, released this morning. Pre-tax loss at the group halved, down from £17.5 million for H1 2001 to £8.9 million this time. The group also produced its… Continue reading World Cup Gives Wireless Group First Profit

Male internet users in Britain are twice as likely to pay for online content than females, according to a new study by the service provider, BT Openworld. In the survey, over 50% of male respondents admitted to buying online content, compared to just 26% of women. Men in the 20 to 30 age group are… Continue reading UK Men More Willing To Pay For Online Content

Digital music, currently regarded with some suspicion by record labels, will prove a godsend to the industry and generate more than $2 billion in the US by 2007, according to a new report from Forrester Research. Piracy has widely been blamed for the 15% fall in music sales in the past two years but this… Continue reading Digital The Way Ahead For Music Business, Says Forrester

Weak advertising conditions have pushed down revenue growth at French ad network Publicis, according to the group’s first half financial results. Ad revenues fell by around 6.0% in H1, resulting in an overall organic growth of -3.6% for the half, according to analysts at ABN Amro. Net new business wins were reasonably strong at E700… Continue reading ‘Total Lack Of Visibility’ In Ad Market, Says Publicis

European broadcaster, RTL Group, is to acquire the TV and radio assets of the German publishing group Georg von Holtzbrinck in deal worth E170 million. Under the terms of the agreement, RTL will take control of Holtzbrinck’s 47.3% stake in the leading German commercial news channel, n-tv as well as the group’s activities in 12… Continue reading RTL Acquires German Media Group

Telewest Communications, the heavily indebted UK cable operator, is seeking to sell its stake in SMG, the Scottish media company. Telewest, which is expected to imminently undergo a financial restructure (see Telewest Debt Waiver Is On The Cards), has requested shareholder approval to divest of the 16.9% stake in SMG. There will be an extraordinary… Continue reading Telewest Seeks To Divest Of SMG Stake