A number of senior figures in the UK television industry have united to oppose the possibility of an increase in the BBC licence fee which would be used to cover the costs of setting up digital television.Yesterday’s Financial Times included comments by Sir John Birt, director-general of the BBC, that the introduction of a higher… Continue reading UK Broadcasters Oppose BBC Digital Fee Increase
Rupert Howell, chairman and founding partner of HHCL & Partners and joint chief executive of Chime Communications, has been elected as the new president of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA). He takes over from Graham Hinton, chairman of Bates Dorland.In his inaugural speech at the IPA’s annual general meeting, Howell said of the… Continue reading Howell Elected As New IPA President
BSkyB is continuing to perform strongly, despite its recent failure to take control of Manchester United (see BSkyB’s Man Utd Takeover Is Blocked). Shares closed at 571p yesterday, 11˝p up on the previous day and 29p higher than a week ago, before the bid was blocked by the DTI.A recent report by analysts Dresdner Kleinwort… Continue reading Sharewatch
New publisher, Jools Publishing, is launching a new magazine for classic bike enthusiasts. Featuring a team of experienced motorcycle journalists, MotoRetro, will take an international look at the latest bike news. MotoRetro is a 100-page glossy priced £2.95 and launches on 22 April. Since the launch of the Guardian Unlimited network of websites three months… Continue reading Newsline Brief
Talk Radio has signed up Sky News to provide a UK-wide news service, planned for launch in June. IRN’s contract with Talk Radio is expired, and both IRN and Sky pitched for the new contract (see Newsline).Sky Sports secured a deal with Talk Radio late last year to provide the station’s sports results, news and… Continue reading Sky Signs Up As Talk Radio News Provider
Channel 5 is due to launch its official website this Saturday 17 April and promises that it will be a break from the norm and different from the sites of other broadcasters. It is currently the only terrestrial broadcaster not to have an online presence.David Bainbridge, head of marketing at Channel 5, told Newsline this… Continue reading Channel 5 Website To Be ‘Irreverant, Brave And Energetic’
Outdoor company, Maiden, has reinforced its 48-sheet poster advertising business with the acquisition of three regional poster contractors for a combined £3.8 million. Maiden has bought a majority stake in Metro Scotland, ACS, which operates in the Midlands and Yorkshire and Billboard, which holds sites across Manchester and the North-West.Billboard is a completely new acquisition,… Continue reading Maiden Boosts Poster Portfolio With £3.8m Deals
Plans by digital terrestrial broadcaster, ONdigital, to show exclusive editions of programmes such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale (see ONdigital And Bush Offer Digital TV Sets For £500) may spark rifts between the ITV franchise companies that make up the Network .According to a report in this morning’s Guardian a number of ITV senior executives… Continue reading ONdigital Exclusives May Cause Rift With ITV Companies
The ITV groups Carlton and Granada both performed badly yesterday. Carlton Communications lost 13˝p, down to 638p, and Granada fell 34p to 1409p. Figures released by the ITC this week showed that ITV’s majority share of the TV ad revenue market is reducing (see Newsline).Maiden Group, which has announced the acquisition of three regional poster… Continue reading Sharewatch
