Satellite broadcaster BSkyB has acquired a 10% stake in UK computer games portal and community, gameplay.com. As part of the deal, Sky and gameplay have entered into a strategic alliance through which Gameplay will become BSkyB’s computer and video games ecommerce partner across Sky’s online interests, including www.sky.co.uk. The partnership includes Gameplay committing to a… Continue reading BSkyB Buys Into Gaming Portal
Cable company NTL has this morning announced a major carriage contract with pay-TV programme supplier Flextech. The deal gives NTL access to all of Flextech’s channels, including the UKTV portfolio of stations produced in partnership with the BBC. There will also be a joint marketing initiative set up to promote the channels and particularly their… Continue reading NTL Signs Major Carriage Deal With Flextech
Reed International moved to the top of the FTSE yesterday after the publisher laid down its internet strategy. Share prices in the group, which plans to invest between £150-200 million on its net plans, rose 59žp to 443p, despite a profits warning.BSkyB jumped 63p to a record 938˝p after the broadcaster bought a 10% stake… Continue reading Sharewatch
As predicted the recently-merged Trinity Mirror group has consolidated the remainder of its regional newspaper sales into the Amra sales house (see Trinity And Mirror Expected To Merge Sales). Amra, which is owned by Trinity (see Trinity Acquires Amra), is to take over from the Mirror Group’s regional sales operation by handling Trinity Mirror’s 45… Continue reading Trinity Mirror Consolidates Regional Sales Into Amra
The Informa Group has bought the Newsletters division of the Financial Times, adding 60 newsletters, 600 management reports and 24 directories to its portfolio. Informa will pay a total of £13.5 million to Financial Times Business (FTB) for the titles which were put up for sale in September.Informa emerged as one of the likely suitors… Continue reading Informa Acquires Financial Times Newsletters
EMAP has this morning announced plans to develop a new digital media initiative targeting the UK’s television production market. In a joint venture with Channel 5 and netdecisions, EMAP will launch produxion.com in January 2000.The website has been developed over the last six months to provide the UK’s television programming market – estimated to be… Continue reading EMAP To Launch Web Portal For UK TV Production Industry
EMAP is putting together plans to launch a TV channel based on its Kiss 100 FM radio station and Mixmag clubbing title. EMAP is hoping to launch the Kiss Mix channel next year although it is understood that carriage deals have not yet been finalised.EMAP already has some experience of operating a television channel through… Continue reading EMAP To Develop Kiss TV Channel
The UK’s only weekly sports-dedicated newspaper, Sport First, has created two new partnerships to aid its circulation and distribution.In the first, Sport First has developed a tie-in with the Big Issue that will see Big Issue homeless street vendors selling the sports paper around the London ITV region. If this trial proves successful, the scheme… Continue reading Sport First Creates New Distribution Partnerships
Takeover rumours and a broker’s recommendation helped shares in Cable & Wireless soar to close up 81p at 974˝p. Further rumours of a tie between Pearson and AOL pushed shares in the former to an all-time high of 1,781p, a rise of 143p.BSkyB surged up 62p yesterday on the possibility of a resumption of merger… Continue reading Sharewatch
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has given ITV broadcasters the opportunity to reschedule their regional programmes in order to push up audience figures. The Commission has decided that the ITV companies may move regional programmes which currently air at 5:30pm, against BBC1’s Neighbours, to earlier in the afternoon. The decision follows poor ratings for the… Continue reading ITC Allows ITV To Reschedule Regional Programmes
