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Hutchison 3G, holder of the UKÂ’s largest third-generation mobile phone licence and BBC Technology have agreed a deal which will see the BBC providing content for Hutchison’s 3G wireless service. BBC Technology will provide content, including news and entertainment, for Hutchison and will also be responsible for processing and formatting the content so as to… Continue reading BBC Technology To Provide Content For Hutchison 3G

An attempt by Vivendi to reduce its debt level by selling off 55 million shares held in treasury stock failed yesterday when more than a third of the stock was left unsold. The offer was backed by Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs and aimed to raise E3.3 billion for Vivendi Universal. Its announcement, however, precipitated… Continue reading Bankers Count The Cost Of Vivendi Flop

AOL Time Warner offered a conservative outlook for 2002 as it revealed preliminary results for 2001 which failed to meet expectations. For the full year 2001, AOL Time Warner said it expects to post EBITDA growth of around 18% to just under $10 billion. Revenues for the full year are expected to grow approximately 5%… Continue reading AOL Time Warner Assumes No Recovery In 2002

Following the ‘the deepest advertising recession in living memory’, Aegis has revealed in a pre-close trading update today that new business wins for 2001 amount to over $1.5 million. This success, coupled with cost-cutting measures imposed in September, means that Aegis will deliver profits growth in 2002 despite heavy losses brought about by the crisis… Continue reading New Business Wins Will Boost Aegis In 2002

According to a report in the Observer yesterday, Anglo-Dutch publishing giant Reed Elsevier is considering a merger with its closest rival, Amsterdam-based Wolters Kluwer. Following Reed’s acquisition of Harcourt last year (see Reed Elsevier Completes Harcourt Acquisition), a merger with Wolters would produce one of the largest publishing groups in the world with an estimated… Continue reading Reed Elsevier Considers Merger With Wolters

The Competition Commission has today raised concerns about the acquisition by Johnston Press of eight local newspaper titles published by Trinity Mirror across the East Midlands. The Commission has raised a number of issues in its letter to the two parties, including the question of whether there is sufficient competition in the publishing areas to… Continue reading Regulator Questions Johnston’s Latest Acquisition

The Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has said that if the slowdown in advertising in the country continues, the Government will introduce extraordinary measures to help the media sector. Berlusconi confirmed his intention whilst speaking to the annual meeting of the FIEG, the Italian Federation of newspaper publishers, according to a report from ABN Amro.… Continue reading Berlusconi Will Take Government Action If Italian Ad Revenue Decline Continues

” ‘How did you go bankrupt?’ Bill asked. ‘Two ways,’ Mike said. ‘Gradually and then suddenly.’ “ Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, 1926. And so it was in 2001 that we inched towards recession month by month until the events of 11 September. Media giants who had previously boasted that their size and diversity… Continue reading 2001: The Year In Brief

UK media group Pearson has this morning agreed the sale of its 22% stake in European broadcaster RTL to German group Bertelsmann for E1.5 billion. The deal, worth E44-a-share, sees Pearson depart from the commercial television market whilst Bertelsmann strengthens its position. Bertelsmann now owns 89% of RTL and has made an offer to buy… Continue reading Pearson Agrees Sale Of RTL Stake

Troubled German media group Kirch Gruupe (see International News) has today posted strong results for the nine months to September 2001 for its KirchMedia division. KirchMedia posted increased revenues of DM 4,597, a 7% increase on last year, and EBITDA down only 4% to DM 469 million despite significant losses in the commercial TV division,… Continue reading KirchMedia Posts Strong Results Despite TV Losses