The news that Carlton and United News & Media (UNM) were to call off their merger plans (see United “In Talks” As Deal Collapses) had a major effect on share prices for the companies involved in the ITV merger situation. The city seems to be behind UNM as the most likely candidate for take over… Continue reading Sharewatch
Monday MediaTel’s weekly media focus and analysis, Media Track, is featured in Campaign Media Business.A TV Market round-up for June will appear on Newsline.Wednesday Satellite broadcaster BSkyB announces its annual results.RTL, the television company formed out of the merger between Pearson TV, CLT-Ufa and Audiofina lists on the London stock exchange (see Pan-European Broadcaster Announces… Continue reading The Week Ahead
UK cinema admissions showed a 30% drop in year-on-year admissions for June this year. The witholding of releases due to the Euro 2000 football tournament and the particular success of films including Notting Hill and The Matrix last year (see Cinema Achieves Best June Admissions In 27 Years) are being blamed. In June 1999, admission… Continue reading Cinema’s Gladiators Can’t Compete With Last Year’s Sci-Fi And Londoners
A new chief executive officer has been appointed at Carlton Communications. Gerry Murphy, the former chief executive of freight distribution group NFC, will take up the position with immediate effect as the TV company prepares for the final round in the bidding war for consolidation within ITV.He will take the place of Steven Cain, who… Continue reading Carlton Appoints New CEO, Looks For Partnership With Granada
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has added its voice to those calling for a single regulatory board for the whole of broadcasting and the internet. As the countdown to the Government’s White Paper on communications reform begins, the commission has published its own submission paper.It supports the creation of a single Office of Communications, dubbed… Continue reading ITC Calls For Single Broadcasting Regulator
Carlton Communications and United News & Media have called off their plans to merge in the wake of the DTI’s decision on their proposals a week ago (see DTI Clears Way For ITV Merger). The merger was given the go-ahead by Stephen Byers, provided United divest of its Meridian licence, a condition which the groups… Continue reading Carlton And United Call Off Merger Plans
The battle for consolidation within the UK television industry reached its final round this morning when Carlton and United abandoned their plans to merge. The stage is now set for Granada Media to step in and create a duopoly within ITV.Stephen Byers’ condition that United sell its Meridian licence, which serves the south and south-east… Continue reading United “In Talks” As Deal Collapses
Telewest Communications has been forced to put its digital plans on hold due to a shortage of set-top boxes. The cable group said that it has stopped actively marketing its digital services until the problem is resolved.The whole of the cable industry is being affected by the shortage, as demand for services increases. There is… Continue reading Telewest Puts Digital Strategy On Hold As Box Shortage Affects Cable Industry
Programmes June must have been torture for those people who don’t enjoy sport. If you somehow managed to avoid football’s Euro 2000 tournament on either of the main two terrestrial channels, you probably couldn’t miss Test Match cricket, Formula One grand prix or the first week of Wimbledon 2000.Surprisingly, considering how badly England played and… Continue reading TV Viewing Round Up – June 2000
ITV has dominated the news this week, with yesterday’s insistence by the ITC that the Nightly News must be moved (see ITC Says ITV Must Reschedule Nightly News) and the aftermath of the approval of the proposed franchisee mergers last Friday (see DTI Clears Way For ITV Merger) ending in this morning’s announcement that Carlton… Continue reading Sharewatch
