The new Virgin Mobile group has cut a sponsorship deal with Associated Newspapers. Today Richard Branson covered the Metro with a red supplement about the launch of his new product.Aiming to “paint the town red” the Virgin boss introduced his new mobile phone service to Londoners today with all copies of the Metro, the city’s… Continue reading Virgin And Metro Paint The Town Red
US research group, Forrester Research, has acquired UK internet specialists, Fletcher Research, for an undisclosed, the two companies announced today. Fletcher specialises in internet research and recently launched the Internet User Monitor, the UK’s largest Net usage survey undertaken so far (see Fletcher Launches Largest Ever Poll Of UK Internet Users). Forrester is an independent… Continue reading Forrester Acquires Fletcher Research
Tina Goes Shopping, the gritty, realistic one-off drama shown on Channel 4 in September, has led to a number of complaints to the Independent Television Commission (ITC) about some of the programme’s more graphic and disturbing scenes. The programme was centred around life on a Leeds council estate and used the area’s actual residents as… Continue reading Gritty Channel 4 Drama Causes Taste Complaints
Shares in Emap were up 40p today at 890p as the magazine publisher prepares to announce its interim results.Prices have been affected by Stephen Byers’ decision to investigate some recent mergers within the media industry. BSkyB tumbled 19˝p as the government decided to refer it to the Competition Commission over Vivendi’s recent purchase of a… Continue reading Sharewatch
Monday The UK’s first national digital radio stations launch on the Digital One multiplex today. The stations are also being carried across the Sky Digital satellite television platform, as well as the internet (see GWR Unveils Multi-Million Pound Digital Radio Stations Launch).The latest national newspaper circulation figures, for October 1999, are released by the ABC… Continue reading The Week Ahead
Today sees the launch of digital radio in the UK. The Digital One consortium, which won the award for Britain’s national commercial digital multiplex licence over a year ago (see Radio Authority Awards Digital Radio Multiplex To Sole Applicant) begins broadcasting today.Over the last year the group, a joint venture between GWR and NTL, has… Continue reading Digital Radio Launches In The UK
Kirsty Young is to move from Channel 5 to ITV in an exclusive deal. Her unique style of presentation has influenced the news across all the main channels. She will take up her new position on 1 January 2000 and will present the ITV Lunchtime News with John Suchet and the science series What Will… Continue reading Kirsty Young Moves To ITV
Carlton Television is attempting to halt the recent trend in advertising which means peak time programming takes the chunk of ad revenue. It is trialling new initiatives which depart from traditional spot advertising to increase ad revenue during daytime viewing.Managing director of sales Steve Platt explained the reasoning behind the planning: “In recent years the… Continue reading Carlton Looks At Initiatives To Increase Daytime Ad Revenue
Cable & Wireless Communications released a statement today in which it declared its disappointment at Stephen Byers’ decision to refer the cable group’s proposed merger with NTL to the Competition Commission. The secretary of state issued referrals to two recent media purchases to prevent further consolidation within the industry.French group Vivendi’s recent proposed acquisition of… Continue reading Cable & Wireless Communications “Disappointed” By Stephen Byers Move
Emap reported a rise of 17% in pre-tax profits in its interim results released today. The publishing and media group defied analysts expectations by posting profits of £89.1 million, excluding exceptional items, but admitted that it had had a bad year overall.Shares in the group have fallen dramatically during this period from a high of… Continue reading Emap’s Profits Beat Expectations
