Nigel Griffiths, UK consumer affairs minister, has published a consultation paper – sent to the credit industry and consumer bodies – aimed at clarifying and simplifying British consumer credit law. Several recommendations relate to advertising, including: the advertising of an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for mortgages aimed at people with low incomes should “reflect the… Continue reading UK: Credit Advertising
The US TV network broadcaster CBS has seen poor ratings for the Winter Olympic Games at Nagano, Japan, and is offering advertisers free extra time as compensation. CBS paid $375m for the rights to broadcast the Games – on which it hoped to make $60m profit – but so far it appears that audience figures… Continue reading US: Winter Olympics Flop
The long-awaited follow-up to the European Commission’s Green Paper on Commercial Communications is about to emerge from interservice consultation within the Commission. The paper is likely to go before the Commission within the next two weeks. A draft obtained by the Advertising Information Group confirms that the Commission remains determined to implement the proposals of… Continue reading EU: Green Paper Follow-Up
WPP has announced the acquisition of Management Ventures Inc (MVI), a US-based consulting, information and management training firm specialising in the retail trade sector. Its clients include the majority of global consumer marketing companies.WPP commented: “As our clients’ customers become concentrated among fewer and fewer global retailers, MVI delivers insight and opinion leadership in an… Continue reading WPP Acquires Global Retail Consultancy
British Digital Broadcasting, the UK consortium which will be launching digital terrestrial television in the Autumn, has chosen SECA to provide the set-top box encoder which will allow viewers access to its channels.This is a blow to Rupert Murdoch who hoped BDB would choose the News Datacom system, which is owned by his News Corporation… Continue reading BDB Snubs Murdoch In Decoder Choice
CIA MediaLab’s research director Anthony Jones will be joining Optimedia as its new head of European research.Jones will head-up the agency’s Research Council, which draws together the different research findings from all of Optimedia’s European offices.Optimedia: 0171 935 0040
Venture capital group Candover is rumoured to be the favourite bidder for United News & Media’s northern titles, which have been up for sale since December (subscribers see UPN Titles Up For Sale – Again). According to reports in the weekend broadsheets a deal for the titles, which include the Yorkshire Post , is set… Continue reading Candover Favourites To Buy Northern UNM Titles
“Healthy” advertising growth of 5.3% is expected at the Mirror Group in 1998, according to a report published by Merrill Lynch.The firm has also put an Accumulate rating on the media group’s shares, due to its current low value and projected solid earnings growth of 7.5% per annum to the year 2000. However, Merrill Lynch… Continue reading Good Ad Growth Expected At Mirror
The ITC has today published the revised Channel 4 licence which extends and clarifies the channel’s remit and its public service commitments.Many of the changes arise from the decision by the Government to phase out the C4 Funding Formula (subscribers see C4 Funding Formula To End) which allows increased resources to be deployed in programming… Continue reading ITC Revises C4 Licence
The Modern Review has allegedly been put up for sale by its shareholders. According to a report in the Sunday Business private investors are in discussion with a number of publishing companies who are interested in the magazine, which was relaunched in September last year (subscribers see Relaunch First Issue Review – Modern Review).Those involved… Continue reading Modern Review “Up For Sale”
