The UK media group Pearson this weekend agreed to take a stake in the Spanish media. Through the group’s subsidiary, Recoletos, Pearson is seeking to purchase up to 30% of the shares of Unidad Editorial S.A, publisher of El Mundo, one of Spain’s leading daily newspapers.Pearson steps up its foreign interests in the wake of… Continue reading UK Pearson Invests in Spanish Publisher
According to reports over the weekend, the new owner of Talk Radio, Kelvin MacKenzie’s consortium TalkCo, is in conflict with the original senior management of Talk, who left the group after MacKenzie took over (see Newsline), over redundancy pay-offs. TalkCo bought the radio group for £24.7 million (see Newsline)According to Talk’s new controllers, the contracts… Continue reading More Rumblings At Talk Radio
Channel 5 has announced the promotion of its head of regional independent productions, Adam Perry, to the position of controller, special events.Perry was responsible for the surprisingly welcome return of Miss World on Channel 5 last week, after its 10 year absence. Live overnights from Initial showed that 3.2 million viewers tuned into watch Miss… Continue reading Channel 5 New Special Events Controller
This month’s Broadcasting Standards Commission Bulletin featured complaints against ITV’s The Bill, concerning violent scenes and the use of bad language before the watershed. The Commission decided to uphold the complaints after ruling that the episodes in question would have exceeded family expectations.Eastenders was also in the spotlight after over 20 complaints were received concerning… Continue reading Sex And Violence On TV Gets Complaints
Scottish Radio Holdings has released its preliminary financial results for the year ending 30 September 1998, revealing a 17% increase in turnover, taking it up to £43.8 million for the year.Pre-tax profit rose 30% to £12.5 million, and earnings per share are at 29p, a rise of 26%.The group intends to apply for local digital… Continue reading Scottish Radio Group Announces 17% Increase In Turnover
According to figures just released by GfK Marketing Services, BSKyB sold an estimated 58,300 of its Sky Digital set-top boxes during October, the first month of its launch. During the same period only 3,100 units for Sky’s analogue service were sold.Sky Digital is hoping to have around 200,000 subscribers by the end of this year.… Continue reading Sky Shifts Almost 60,000 Digital Boxes In First Month
Regional newspaper group, Bristol United Press (BUP) has made £2.2 million from Wessex Newspapers, which it bought in October last year, in the six months ending 30 September 1998.BUP has also reported pre-tax profits of £11.4 million, up 64% on the same period last year. Turnover at the publisher stood at £36.7 million of which… Continue reading Bristol United Press Benefits From Wessex Acquisition
Dennis Publishing’s PC Zone has promoted its former deputy editor, Chris Anderson, to editor. The title’s former editor Jeremy Wells has left to go freelance. Channel 5 has announced a theme night called ‘Boyz Night In’, sponsored by Scalextric. It will be broadcast on 2 December and feature classic male orientated programmes including a vintage… Continue reading Newsline Brief
Victoria Wood’s decision to move out from stand-up to situation comedy appears to have paid off handsomely. Dinner Ladies featured the usual Wood suspects (Julie Walters, Celia Imrie and Duncan Preston) and, despite some negative reviews in the media, was watched by 12.24 million viewers. The BBC’s other big new comedy show of the week,… Continue reading TV Viewing Summary W/E 15/11/98
GWR has announced some reshuffles in its management ranks following its consortium – Digital One – being awarded the national commercial digital radio licence multiplex by the Radio Authority (see Newsline).Programme director Steve Orchard also becomes operations director of UK local radio. Orchard is to focus on developing local programming and commercial activities. He commented… Continue reading Re-Shuffle At GWR
