Fledgling media planning consultancy Unity has announced that it has won the planning account for Carphone Warehouse, which has an ad budget of around £14 million.The win adds weight to the argument, first espoused by Martin Sorrell, that specialisation is the way forward for the advertising industry (subscribers see MRG Conference Dublin 1997 – Opening… Continue reading Unity Wins Major Account
BSkyB has taken legal action against British Digital Broadcasting (BDB) over the extent of compatibility of the two companies’ set-top box receiver equipment. Sky is claiming that BDB has broken a contractual stipulation agreed when BSkyB was forced to leave the BDB consortium in June last year (subscribers see BSkyB Leaves The Alliance). BDB questions… Continue reading BSkyB Issues Writs Over BDB Set-Top Boxes
Future Publishing has announced that it will be relaunching its Total Bike! magazine from the May issue, which goes on sale tomorrow.The new-look magazine, which will have a new logo and increased pagination, will now include a range of lifestyle features. These will include items on health and fitness, star profiles, fashion, travel and each… Continue reading Future Relaunches Bike Magazine
A new pay-per-view film service service is being planned by St. James’ Investment Partnership and will run under the name of Digital Broadcasting Company (DBC). St. James is run by two former BSkyB executives, Richard Dunn and Richard Brooke; DBC is also part-funded by the venture capital group, MediaVentures.Planning to launch on the digital networks… Continue reading Digital Broadcasting Company Plans ‘Distinctive’ Movie Service
Telewest this morning announced that it would be buying up rival cable operator General Cable for an agreed £649 million. This will mean Telewest overtaking Cable & Wireless Communications as the UK’s largest cable operator.At present Telewest owns and operates 28 franchises which, along with stakes in other operators, means that its networks cover 4.4… Continue reading Telewest Buys General Cable For £649m
The ITC has announced that from 1 January 1999 ITV and Channel 4 will no longer be required to cross-promote each other’s programmes.The Commission said that the practice was open to question due to the phasing out of the Channel 4 funding formula, which will also end next year. All respondents to an earlier ITC… Continue reading ITV And C4 To End Cross-Promotions
The Radio Authority has announced the applications for the new small-scale Independent Local Radio (ILR) licences within Tayside; the closing date for applications was 7 April. Each licence is being offered for small-scale coverage of a location within the former Tayside region comprising the areas of Angus, City of Dundee, and Perth and Kinross.The following… Continue reading RA Receives 4 Applications For Tayside Small-Scale Licences
Worldwide media group News Corporation has created a new division which will offer advertisers the opportunity to plan campaigns across the whole of the Corporation’s network of media. The division is called News Corp One and will be headed by senior vice-president Kayne Lanahan.News Corp’s president and COO, Peter Chernin, says: “Working with News Corp… Continue reading News Corp Forms Group-Wide Marketing Arm
The Internet Advertising Bureau’s Advertising Revenue Reporting Programme has found that internet ad revenue for 1997 reached $906.5 million (£538 million). The survey, which was conducted by Coopers & Lybrand, reported that online advertising revenues continued their upward trend with the fourth quarter of the year showing a 48% increase on the third quarter.IAB’s chairman,… Continue reading Report Says 1997 Online Ad Revenue Reached £538m
Ron Mudge, DMB&B’s communications director, will be leaving the agency to rejoin Saatchi & Saatchi as media director. He left Saatchi in November last year (subscribers see Appointments Briefs) when he held the position of group media director.Mudge will replace Mike Gorman, who will be leaving the agency in June.Saatchi & Saatchi: 0171 636 5060
