The Dixons Group announced today that it is launching the UK’s first free internet service.Called Freeserve, it is a fully featured internet service that is available free with no registration or subscription fees and no hourly on-line charges. All Freeserve customers pay is their normal charge for a local rate telephone call.Chief executive, John Clare,… Continue reading Dixons Launches Free Internet Service
Only a third of the population would be annoyed if the News At Ten moved to an early evening slot, but over half of the general public feel that Manchester United should not be sold to BSkyB. These are the findings of two new surveys from CIA Medialab.ITV’s contentious plans to move the evening news… Continue reading News At Ten Can Go, But Man Utd Should Not Sell To BSkyB, Find Surveys
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has announced that the BBC television channels which are distributed across pay-TV networks will be exempt from channel bundling restrictions.In June the Commission decided to discontinue minimum carriage requirements (MCRs) which stated that pay-TV operators must offer a minimum number of available channels (usually 80-100%). This meant that smaller channels,… Continue reading BBC Channel Bundling Exemption
Ian Helsby has rejoined Quadrant, the advertising and marketing group, after leaving Universal McCann, and has taken over from David Moss as managing director. David Moss will continue in a supporting role as non-executive director.Quadrant: 01925 411 217
Digital operators and broadcasters will be permitted to build TV sets that have the software needed to receive their services embedded into the set. This will allow broadcasters to market and sell hardware which is specifically designed to receive their digital services.This ruling is announced by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) this morning and follows… Continue reading Digital Broadcasters Allowed To Build Proprietary TV Sets
Virgin Records UK, www.vmg.co.uk, recorded 5.5 million page impressions, 436,257 users and 742,695 visits from 1-30 June, according to an ABC// electronic audit. This certificate makes Virgin Records the first major record company to have received a web audit.Danny Van Emden commented on the certificate: “This figure shows that we can deliver to a very… Continue reading Virgin Website Scores
Retail company Kingfisher has made a counter bid for the video, music and book publishing company VCI, following the initial offer of £31 million by Scottish Media Group (see Newsline).Kingfisher has offered £46.8 million for VCI, 120p per share, outbidding SMG by 50%. VCI is advising its shareholders to sit tight until SMG reacts to… Continue reading Battle For VCI Mounts
Atlantic 252 continues to shift its focus towards a younger, trendier audience by hiring MTV’s head of music, David Dunne, as its new programming director. Dunne already work’s on the station’s successful weekend evening dance show, bpm, but will join full time next month.Atlantic decided to shift the station’s feel to a ‘cooler, hipper’ approach… Continue reading Atlantic 252 Continues Youth Focus With Appointment Of MTV’s Programme Director
Granada and Littlewoods have today revealed details of their new home shopping television channel, which is dubbed ‘the High Street on TV’ and is called Shop! (see Granada And Littlewoods Plan Home Shopping Channel).From November, Shop! will be broadcast via Sky Digital, ONdigital and analogue and digital cable (from early next year). Accompanying the TV… Continue reading Granada And Littlewoods Launch New Home-Shopping TV Channel
There is a sense at new publisher, Cabal Communications, that they can perhaps do things a little better on their own, away from the larger publishing companies that provided so many of the Cabal crew. Indeed, there is no shortage of experience in Cabal’s Euston Road offices, as managing director Andy Sutcliffe points out. “It… Continue reading Interview – Andy Sutcliffe, Managing Director, Cabal Communications
