The government has rejected plans for the introduction of an extra charge to the licence fee to fund the BBC’s digital television plans, but has announced instead an across the board £3 increase to the licence fee.From 1 April the current television licence will rise to £104 which is equal to an increase of 1.5%… Continue reading BBC Digital Licence Fee Plans Rejected
Scottish Media Group has become the latest company to unveil its internet strategy when it announced plans today to spend £10 million on the web. Reporting its year-end results today the group, which owns Grampian TV and the Glasgow Herald, said that the money will be spent increasing its online presence over the next 18… Continue reading Scottish Media To Spend £10m On Web Plans
The Daily Mail & General Trust issued a share split yesterday at a ratio of 4:1. Peter Williams, finance director at the group, said that the stock was trading at too heavy a price. Prices closed yesterday at £11.25.Shares in BSkyB took a tumble, falling 133˝p to £15.96˝. The group welcomed the Government’s decision not… Continue reading Sharewatch
ONdigital is considering making a bid for the Premiership football rights, the terrestrial broadcaster confirmed today. The group, which is joint-owned by Carlton Communications and Granada, confirmed that it had held meetings with the Premier League board to discuss a planned bid.Rights to the games become available at the end of the 2000/01 season and… Continue reading ONdigital Considering Bid For Premiership Rights
ITN and NTL have announced they are to launch a joint venture news channel. The ITN-branded channel will roll out across the NTL network later this year.ITN chief executive Stewart Purvis said: “IN NTL we have found a prefect partner to exploit the opportunities offered by new technology and digital broadcasting, including interactivity and enhanced… Continue reading ITN And NTL To Launch News Channel
Carlton Communications saw one of the greatest falls on the FTSE on Friday, dropping 68p to 728p. In the midst of a planned merger with United News & Media prices have been volatile but the group intends to boost stock with an outline of its internet strategy this week.Jazz FM jumped 20% after a bulk… Continue reading Sharewatch
Monday MediaTel’s weekly industry focus, Media Track, is featured in Campaign Media Business.Tuesday Culture secretary Chris Smith is due to announce the Government’s decision on the proposed digital television licence fee. It is expected that the fee will be raised slightly across the board, for both analogue and digital viewers, in order to provide the… Continue reading The Week Ahead
It is understood that the bidding for Trinity Mirror’s Belfast Telegraph newspaper has been reduced to just three suitors – Guardian Media Group, US group Gannett and Independent News & Media. According to a report in this morning’s Times, other possible bids by Regional Independent Media and a management team appear to be out of… Continue reading Final Three Suitors Line Up For Belfast Telegraph
The Guardian Media Group has announced plans to launch the first 24-hour “internet-only” radio station in the UK. The group’s Variety brand will broadcast on the web ahead of its formal applications for the West Midlands and Yorkshire analogue licences.The group began trials of its Variety FM brand in the Selby area this month (see… Continue reading Guardian Group To Launch Radio Brand On The Web
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has warned Living to take more stringent checks regarding references to commerical products, after it found the pay-TV channel to be in breach of the Programme Code on a number of occasions. During three editions of Fashion Emergency, promotional references to products and magazines were broadcast.Living explained that the programme… Continue reading ITC Warns Living Channel About Promotional References
