A few short weeks ago it seemed that the only way Channel 4 got over 3 million viewers was by screening expensively imported US sitcoms in prime Friday night slots or setting fire to another set in disaster-soap Brookside. Who would have thought that 70 grand in prize money, an East-end lock-up full of cameras… Continue reading Big Brother Is Watching Audience Figures Go Up
The monthly cost of Blueyonder, Telewest’s high speed internet service, has been cut by a third, the company has announced. Launched in March this year, the high speed broadband internet service for home PCs originally cost £50 per month (see Telewest And Flextech Report Losses Ahead Of Merger). It will now cost £33 per month,… Continue reading Telewest Cuts Price Of Internet Service
The Competition Commission is holding a hearing as part of its inquiry into the proposed acquisition of newspaper group Regional Independent Media. Bids put forward by Gannett, Johnston Press and Guardian Media Group will be scrutinised and evidence from interested parties examined.The three groups submitted proposals to the Commission last month (see Competition Commission Invites… Continue reading Competition Commission Holds Hearing As Part Of RIM Inquiry
A report last week showed that Sunday newspapers have enjoyed a 10% increase in total advertising revenue over the past year, with broadsheet Sunday Business increasing from £1.5m to £2.5m, or 61%, and both the Sunday Times and the Sunday Telegraph registering a year on year increase of 16% (see Ad Revenues Up For Sunday… Continue reading Feature: Sunday Newspapers Continue To Prove Fertile Ground For High Income Advertisers
Ecast Ventures, the new media arm of GWR Group, has signed a deal with UBC Media Group who will provide entertainment content for the new internet portal, koko.co.uk. UBC already supplies content to the radio group’s 38 FM and AM radio stations.The new deal involves text, audio and video internet packages for the koko brand,… Continue reading GWR Signs New Media Deal With UBC Media
As rumours of a possible bid for Telewest Communications resurfaced (see Cable Industry Mulls Consolidation As Telewest Stock Tumbles) shares in last week’s worst media share performer rose 10p to £1.70 yesterday.Other good performers yesterday included Chrysalis, which ended up 12½p at £2.90, and Pearson which rose 59p to £19.90.On a less positive note, Cable… Continue reading Sharewatch
NTL has announced operating statistics for the second quarter of the year which show that the company is still on course to reach its digital television subscriber target by the end of the year.The company says that the number of subscribers by the end of the second quarter was around 230,000. The target for the… Continue reading NTL Ends Second Quarter Nearly Half Way To Digital Subscriber Target
The BBC is to change the name and remit of its two digital channels, BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge, so that if and when analogue switch-off occurs in 2010, the four BBC channels would each be themed for a specific audience. The change has been anticipated for some time (see E4 Forces Broadcasters To Consider… Continue reading BBC Plans Themed Future For TV Channels
Telewest’s set-top box shortage woes (see Set-Top Box Shortage Puts Telewest Three Months Behind) eased a little on Friday, as shares rose 4¼p to £1.60. However, the company was the worst performer among media shares for the week, having dropped from £1.73 at the same time last week.The market seemed unaffected by the news that… Continue reading Sharewatch
Monday MediaTel’s weekly media focus and analysis, Media Track, is featured in Campaign Media Business.Wednesday Anglo-Dutch publishing group Reed Elsevier releases its interim results.Thursday Bright Station reports its interim results today. The company was created in March this year from the remaining e-commerce and web solution assets of Dialog (see Dialog To Sell Core Services… Continue reading The Week Ahead
