The ITC has upheld a complaint from Sky Digital regarding advertising by its competitor, ITV Digital, which BSkyB claimed included a misleading comparison.The advertisement said that viewers would not need a dish and “would get all the channels through the ITV Digital box.” BSkyB complained that this was not a fair comparison to digital satellite.… Continue reading ITC Upholds Digital Complaint
Granada has announced that Toyota is to sponsor ITV1’s Formula One coverage for the next four years in a deal worth more than £25m.The deal, thought to be one of biggest in UK sports broadcasting to date, will run from March 2002 and includes full broadcast sponsorship of the racing event, online sponsorship of the… Continue reading Toyota To Sponsor ITV1’s F1 Coverage
BSkyB is rumoured to be in talks with Channel 5 about the possibility of acquiring a stake in the company.BSkyB is the latest of a number of potential investors reported to have been in negotiations with Channel 5 after speculation that the channel is seeking new investment.Rupert Murdoch, who has made no secret of desire… Continue reading BSkyB To Buy Into Channel 5?
ITV partners Carlton and Granada saw shares drop significantly in week on week analysis after Zenith downgraded its forecasts, casting a shadow of pessimism over the media market (see Zenith Cuts Ad Forecasts Again). Carlton saw stock slip 19% to finish at £2.54ž, a loss of 59žp on the previous week, while Granada was down… Continue reading Sharewatch
Alex Riha, group commercial director, central sales at Natmags has been promoted to the position of director of international sales development for the publisher’s parent company, Hearst Magazines International.Riha will continue to be based at Natmags in London, where she has been for the last five years, and will undertake the development of multi-country deals… Continue reading Natmags Director Wins Hearst Position
The well-documented fall-out in the internet market has reached Chrysalis as the company today announced that it will be ending all new media investments bar its sports network Rivals.net. The write down to Chrysalis’ accounts for the year will total £9.6 million and this does not include trading losses incurred by the New Media division… Continue reading New Media Write-Offs Cost Chrysalis £9.6m
The Wireless Group, which announced pre-tax profits of £22.5m yesterday (see Scot FM Sale Boosts Wireless Group), did not escape the gloom effecting the rest of the media market, with shares falling 4.85% to finish at 78˝p, a loss of 4p on the previous day.Telewest saw stock drop to an all time low yesterday with… Continue reading Sharewatch
Matthew Bannister, former director of radio at the BBC, has dismissed digital radio as a costly mistake in an article in today’s Times.This week the commercial digital radio group Digital One announced the launch of its latest phase of transmitter roll-outs, and implied that the BBC was not pulling its weight in trying to make… Continue reading Bannister Dismisses Digital
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has told Channel 4 to broadcast an apology to viewers offended by its satirical documentary on paedophilia, Brass Eye, but has stopped short of fining the channel.The ITC recognised the channel’s right to broadcast the programme, which attracted a barrage of complaints when it was shown in July (see Brass… Continue reading Channel 4 Rapped For Brass Eye
A fifth candidate is reported to be shortlisted for the BBC chairmanship. John Ashworth, a scientist and former chairman of the British Library, joins David Dimbleby, Michael Grade, Baroness Jay and Gavyn Davies in preparing for interviews beginning next week.The decision regarding the appointment will be made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport… Continue reading Fifth Candidate For BBC Chair
