Carlton and Granada have announced that they have entered into advanced merger talks that could lead to the creation of a single ITV.The news ends months of speculation about the future of ITV, which has been hard hit by the ongoing advertising downturn and the departure of chief executive, Stuart Prebble, earlier this year (see… Continue reading Carlton And Granada Enter Advanced Merger Talks
The news that Carlton and Granada, the UK’s two largest independent broadcasters, have entered advanced merger negotiations has received a mixed reception from advertisers, but concerns remain that a single ITV could prove anti-competitive.ITV companies have been hit hard by the advertising downturn and their audience share has slipped as a result of increased competition… Continue reading ITV Merger Must Clear Regulatory Hurdles
Publishers have shown considerable faith in the internet and are beginning to reap the rewards of their web investments. That is the conclusion of a new study from the Newspaper Society which examined the online spending and strategies of trade, national and regional publishing groups. The report, written by consultancy Blue Rubicon on behalf of… Continue reading Newspapers Look To Harness Power Of The Net
The number of mobile phone subscribers in Western Europe is set to level off around the 300 million mark, according to a new study from telecoms consultancy Analysys. The report forecasts mobile subscriber growth of 6% for 2002, well down on the 17% growth achieved last year and the 53% growth in 2000. However, there… Continue reading European Mobile Market Reaching Saturation Point
The number of digital TV homes in the leading seven countries will double in the next six years, according to a new report from Informa Media Group. Digital Broadcasting Revolution – Fifth Edition claims that the top countries accounted for a total of 56 million digital homes at the end of 2001. This is set… Continue reading Digital TV Set For Take Off In Major Markets
The media industry can expect to see no let up in the advertising downturn with the situation likely to get worse before it gets better. That is the disheartening conclusion to be drawn from research by WestLB Panmure as reported by The Guardian. The investment bank cited the prospect of conflict in the Middle East… Continue reading New Forecast Warns Of Continuing Ad Slump
European broadband users are twice as likely to use illegal file-sharing services than dial-up users, according to a new report from Jupiter Media. The study found that 39% of broadband users across Europe use their high speed connection for swapping files, compared to only 18% of narrowband users. This is not surprising given the time… Continue reading Broadband Driving Up Online Music Downloads
Although there are only a small number of products on the market, advanced set-top boxes have the potential to significantly enhance our viewing and online experiences. A new report from Strategy Analytics claims that sales of these boxes, known as “thick clients” will reach 33.5 million by 2008. The report, entitled Set-Top Box Evolution: From… Continue reading Advanced Set-Top Boxes To Inspire Satellite Sector
Media stocks struggled again on Wednesday as investors anxiously awaited further profit warnings and continued to eye events in Iraq.The media sector was seen in focus after German Bank, West LB, downgraded the entire sector citing the weakness in the US advertising recovery. UK traders are also awaiting the interest rate decision from the bank… Continue reading Sharewatch
Two of the UK’s leading newspaper groups have been priced out of the bidding for the publishing assets of SMG, according to a report in today’s Independent.The Daily Mail & General Trust and Guardian Media Group were seemingly unwilling to match SMG’s valuation of the titles which include The Herald and Sunday Herald. Eight other… Continue reading Major Publishers Withdraw From SMG Auction
