Regional programming will play a strong role in the digital future, according to the chairman of the Independent Television Commission (ITC), Sir Robin Biggam. Speaking in Birmingham yesterday, he said that regionalism and the importance of regional programming has been strongly endorsed by viewers and must be acknowledged by broadcasters.Increased competition from pay-tv broadcasters in… Continue reading Regional Programming Must Be Preserved, Says ITC Chairman
Consumers continue to use old media to find information about the internet, according to new research from the Telegraph Group. More than half of respondents said that they were as likely to ask friends or consult newspapers to find out information on the internet as they were to use the net itself.Newspapers were the biggest… Continue reading New Media Still Relies On Old Media, Says Survey
The price target for Carlton Communications was reduced by Lehman Brothers yesterday, causing shares in the media group to fall by 11p to £5.20. Merrill Lynch raised BSkyB from “neutral” to “accumulate” which raised its share price during the morning, but selling activity in the US meant the the company ended down 11p at £8.91.On… Continue reading Sharewatch
IPC’s online version of music paper NME has relaunched for the second time in two years and now features improved levels of user interactivity. The NME.com site now includes MYNME, which allows registered users to create personalised scrapbooks of NME articles, sign up for news emails about artists, releases and tickets and have a localised… Continue reading NME.com Relaunches With More Interactive Features
Thanks to recent wrangles over evening news times, calls for a review of the role of BBC governors (see News At Ten Conflict Shows Need For Single Regulator, Says ISBA) could signal change for the Board over the next few years. What won’t change, at least for the next few years, will be the presence… Continue reading Appointments Brief
Future Network is to publish the official magazine for Xbox, Microsoft’s video game console, after winning the exclusive national and international rights. Due to launch in the summer of 2001 in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, it has been described as the “most significant games magazine licence ever granted”.The deal will last for three… Continue reading Future Wins Global Microsoft Contract
The National Magazine Company (Natmags) has announced that it is to merge two of its baby titles, Good Housekeeping’s Having A Baby and Prima Baby. The brand name Prima Baby will be retained as the title of the magazine, as it has been deemed the longer established of the two, and is also associated with… Continue reading Natmags Merges Baby Titles
Chairman of News Corp Rupert Murdoch has hinted that the flotation of Sky Global Networks could be postponed until the beginning of next year. Speaking at the group’s AGM in Adelaide he said that a proposed float by the end of this year is now “an impossibility”.Recent market conditions for media and telecoms stock has… Continue reading News International Performing “Brilliantly” As Sky Global Float Delayed
Cable group NTL has withdrawn its offer to broadcast the pay-per-view rights to Premier League football matches. The group, which was set to pay £328m to screen 40 matches a season (see The Game Isn’t Over Yet, Says Greg Dyke), said it was unable to agree final terms with the Premier League.Barclay Knapp, CEO of… Continue reading NTL Withdraws From Premier League Deal
ONdigital said yesterday that it was on track to reach its target of 1 million subscribers by the end of the year (see ONdigital Prepares For Christmas Rush As Subs Reach 896,000). However, some observers are concerned that the churn rate for the digital television company owned by Granada Television and Carlton Communications could be… Continue reading Sharewatch
