NTL launched the rollout of its digital cable services yesterday, saying it hoped to attract 300,000 digital customers by the end of this year. Digital Plus is now available in NTL’s franchises in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Customers will be offered digital TV and NTL internet and telephony services in the form of a… Continue reading NTL Launches Digital Cable Services
BSkyB has entered an exclusive long-term partnership with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to manage its worldwide broadcast and internet rights. The deal will see Sky become the board’s exclusive net partner with immediate effect and broadcast host from 2004.Sky will revamp, develop and manage the official WICB internet service over an 8-year period… Continue reading Sky Bags West Indies Cricket Deal
The Mirror and Sunday Mirror have put on 5% in year on year advertising revenues in the first four months of 2000. These figures were announced by Trinity Mirror chairman Sir Victor Blank at the group’s AGM yesterday.Blank also said that the Racing Post had achieved double digit growth in advertising revenues, while the regional… Continue reading Trinity Mirror Announces Advertising Revenue Growth In First Quarter
BSkyB’s stake in German pay-TV group Kirch has received clearance. The deal will see the satellite broadcaster take a 24% stake in the group and Dieter Hahn, vice-president of KirchGruppe, will become non-executive director of BSkyB.The deal was announced, subject to clearance, at the end of last year, following months of discussions (see BSkyB Moves… Continue reading BSkyB/Kirch Deal Receives Clearance
There has been a further increase in the overall decline in national newspaper readership, according to the latest figures from the National Readership Survey (NRS). A year-on-year analysis shows the whole sector falling 4.4% – or 3.2m readers – for the six month period ended March 2000.The largest falls came from the Sunday People (down… Continue reading National Newspaper NRS Round Up – March 2000
The new publishing company set up by former editor of Loaded and GQ, James Brown, is believed to be seeking a stock market listing as it unveils its first magazine launch. I Feel Good is planning to float on the Alternative Investment Market to raise money for its publishing ventures.Details of the company’s plans are… Continue reading Ex-Loaded Editor Plans To Float New Venture
Former Sun editor Kelvin McKenzie has taken the first steps in a flotation of his radio company The Wireless Group (TWG). It is hoped that the move will generate funds with which the loss-making company can repay existing debts and finance further acquisitions and new media developments.TWG was formed when McKenzie bought out The Radio… Continue reading TWG Prepares For Flotation
Jeff Henry, chief executive of Granada Sky Broadcasting, is to leave the company in the near future, after assisting shareholders in finding a replacement. After his appointment to the company he created a strategy for the redefinition of the Plus, Breeze and Men & Motors brands. He now says he wants a new challenge. Colin… Continue reading Appointments Brief
Channel 4’s new digital entertainment channel, E4, is still awaiting board approval but expectation of its launch has already forced other major broadcasters to look carefully at their digital entertainment offerings. BSkyB decided to reposition Sky One after it lost the rights to Friends and ER to the new venture (see Sky One To Compete… Continue reading E4 Forces Broadcasters To Consider Digital Entertainment Offerings
An announcement made yesterday that Elisabeth Murdoch is quitting her post at BSkyB to pursue other ventures (see Elisabeth Murdoch To Quit Sky) helped shares in the company drop by 32p to £17.06.Meanwhile Pearson which, along with other media companies, had seen a jump in shareprices on Tuesday (see Sharewatch) yesterday fell again, by 174p… Continue reading Sharewatch
