Retail company Kingfisher has made a counter bid for the video, music and book publishing company VCI, following the initial offer of £31 million by Scottish Media Group (see Newsline).Kingfisher has offered £46.8 million for VCI, 120p per share, outbidding SMG by 50%. VCI is advising its shareholders to sit tight until SMG reacts to… Continue reading Battle For VCI Mounts
Atlantic 252 continues to shift its focus towards a younger, trendier audience by hiring MTV’s head of music, David Dunne, as its new programming director. Dunne already work’s on the station’s successful weekend evening dance show, bpm, but will join full time next month.Atlantic decided to shift the station’s feel to a ‘cooler, hipper’ approach… Continue reading Atlantic 252 Continues Youth Focus With Appointment Of MTV’s Programme Director
Roger Lewis, the worldwide president of Decca Records, has been appointed as managing director and programme controller of Classic FM. He will also take a seat on the board of GWR Group, Classic’s owner.Ralph Bernard, GWR chief executive, says: “During his [Lewis’] tenure at both EMI and Decca, he has successfully challenged traditional precepts about… Continue reading Roger Lewis Joins Classic FM As MD
The Dixons Group announced today that it is launching the UK’s first free internet service.Called Freeserve, it is a fully featured internet service that is available free with no registration or subscription fees and no hourly on-line charges. All Freeserve customers pay is their normal charge for a local rate telephone call.Chief executive, John Clare,… Continue reading Dixons Launches Free Internet Service
The Guardian Weekly has appointed Brann London as its first ever global marketing agency. Brann won the account after a four-way pitch in which it beat Outpost, Burnett and Guy Morgan Associates.Brann’s role will be to “build and develop” the existing readership through a multimedia campaign; the agency will also concentrate on building the newspaper’s… Continue reading Guardian Weekly Appoints Marketing Agency
Market information company, Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), has today announced financial results for the six months to 30 June, which show a rise in pre-tax profit from £3.9 million to £9.4 million. On the same period last year, turnover is up by 250% to £159 million.The company, formerly known as Taylor Nelson AGB, has seen… Continue reading Taylor Nelson Profits Up £5˝m For First Half
The website www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk, the online edition of the Gloucestershire Echo, has been awarded the first best regional newspaper internet site award.Presented by the Newspaper Society at its annual advertising awards ceremony in Brighton, the site was praised for its strong news presentation, its marketing strategy, and its commitment to electronic publishing.Managing director Colin Davison said… Continue reading Best Regional Website Goes To Gloucestershire
Granada and Littlewoods have today revealed details of their new home shopping television channel, which is dubbed ‘the High Street on TV’ and is called Shop! (see Granada And Littlewoods Plan Home Shopping Channel).From November, Shop! will be broadcast via Sky Digital, ONdigital and analogue and digital cable (from early next year). Accompanying the TV… Continue reading Granada And Littlewoods Launch New Home-Shopping TV Channel
There is a sense at new publisher, Cabal Communications, that they can perhaps do things a little better on their own, away from the larger publishing companies that provided so many of the Cabal crew. Indeed, there is no shortage of experience in Cabal’s Euston Road offices, as managing director Andy Sutcliffe points out. “It… Continue reading Interview – Andy Sutcliffe, Managing Director, Cabal Communications
Jonathon Holborow, editor of the Mail On Sunday, has been dismissed from his post after six years with the paper. He will be replaced by the current deputy editor of the Daily Mail, Peter Wright.Holborow is currently on holiday but will not go back to Associated Newspapers when he returns. It is understood that the… Continue reading Mail On Sunday Editor Dismissed
