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BSkyB is to get rid of its monthly Sky+ subscription charge in an attempt to increase take-up and loyalty amongst its digital customers.The decision comes ahead of the launch of Freeview Playback (see Freeview Overtakes Sky), a new rival in the hard-drive recorder market.Sky has already dropped the £10-a-month subscription fee for customers signing up… Continue reading Sky+ Subscription Charge To End

A private equity consortium headed by the US group Providence Equity Partners could make a £7.5 billion bid for Virgin Media.A report in yesterday’s Observer said that the consortium is considering whether to take advantage of Virgin Media’s current share price of £24.Providence Partners is apparently in talks with its partners Blackstone, KKR and Cinven… Continue reading Consortium Could Bid For Virgin Media

New figures from the Advertising Association (AA) reveal that advertising expenditure in the UK passed £19 billion in 2006. According to the AA figures, the press accounted for by far the largest share of total advertising expenditure (43.7%), with television the second largest medium (24.1%), followed by direct mail (12.2%), internet (10.6%), outdoor (5.7%), radio… Continue reading UK Adspend Passed £19 Billion In 2006

Virgin Media has rebuffed Sky’s attempts to end the channel carriage dispute after James Murdoch, BSkyB CEO, wrote to Steve Burch, chief executive of Virgin Media, suggesting that the companies “meet in the middle”.In a letter released by Sky, dated May 10, Murdoch said: “The speedy return of Sky One, Sky News, Sky Sports News… Continue reading Virgin/Sky Channel Dispute Continues

Five has announced the launch of a new primetime TV quiz programme, which will transmit on weekday nights from Tuesday 29 May at 6.30pm.Produced by Two Four Productions and hosted by radio star Colin Murray, Payday will give eight players the chance of winning one of their fellow contestants’ annual salaries.“What excites me about Payday… Continue reading Five Launches New Weekday Quiz Format

Channel 4 Radio has become the first radio station to launch in the online virtual world of Second Life.The move see the station gain access to the estimated 6 million members of the online population, with Channel 4 Radio providing its own dedicated Second Life radio show, reporting on day-to-day developments.Subscribers will also be able… Continue reading Channel 4 Radio Launches in Second Life

Each week, MediaTel INSIGHT brings NewsLine readers a round-up of the latest news from the City affecting the media industry.This week saw Emap chief executive Tom Maloney quit the group with immediate effect, leading some to speculate that the company could soon be subject to a bid approach (Full Story).ITV also came under the spotlight… Continue reading Media In The City

Yahoo! is understood to be weighing up a $1 billion (£500 million) bid for the social networking site Bebo. The potential purchase comes after it bid for Facebook last year, with discussions on that occasion ending with Facebook rejecting Yahoo!’s advances (see Facebook Rejected Yahoo! Bids). Bebo is the UK’s most popular social-networking site and… Continue reading Yahoo! Could Buy Bebo

Virgin Media could have access to an extra four million homes not currently served by its cable network, after the company signed a four-year agreement with Cable & Wireless to extend its services beyond its cable network over broadband telephone lines.The move could double the company’s potential market in the United Kingdom as Cable &… Continue reading Virgin Media Could Expand Its Reach By Four Million Homes

Virgin Media could be subject to a £7.5 billion bid from a private equity consortium headed by US group Providence Equity Partners. A report in the Observer says that Providence Equity Partners is considering taking advantage of Virgin Media’s share price of £24. Last summer, Providence Equity Partners held talks with the cable group over… Continue reading Consortium Could Bid For Virgin Media