The text message phenomenon continued to prevail in May with 1.7 billion messages sent across the four UK GSM networks, according to the latest figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA).May’s daily average number of text messages was 55 million, compared to 45 million in the year previous and 30 million in May 2001.May’s figures… Continue reading Text Continues To Shine In May
WPP’s plans to buyout Cordiant Communications may be scuppered yet, if intransigent majority shareholder, Active Value, manages to gather together a sufficient holding in Cordiant to block the deal.Active Value has explicitly stated that it would like to see Cordiant remain independent and has proposed to inject more money into the business in order to… Continue reading Active Value Ups Cordiant Stake To Block WPP Deal
The Radio Authority has extended the broadcasting licences of four flagship radio stations operated by the Wireless Group for a further eight years.The stations, Signal 1 and Signal 2 in Stoke-on-Trent, 96.4 FM The Wave and Swansea Sound in Swansea are now licensed to operate until September 2011.Commenting on the renewal, Chris Hurst, managing director… Continue reading Wireless Group Receives Licence Renewals
UBC Media, the UK radio station operator and programme producer, broke into operating profit in its last financial year, the group announced this morning. Before development costs, operating profit was £73,000 for the year ended 31 March 2003, up from a loss of £210,000 the year before.The group moved into the black during the period,… Continue reading UBC Moves Into Profit In 2003, Airtime Outlook Mixed
Up to half a million digital radio sets could be in use by the end of this year, following 170% growth in sales in 2002, according to new figures from the Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB).Also On MediaTel Insight Today…Vivendi To Assess US Entertainment BidsFrench media and telecommunications giant Vivendi Universal will this week assess… Continue reading MediaTel Insight: One Million Digital Radios By 2004
BSkyB was in focus yesterday, falling 1.27% to close at £6.97, following reports it may lose its monopoly on live top-level English football after a decision by the Premier League to split its main media rights package to reflect the competition concerns of the European Commission.Cordiant Communications also remained in the spotlight, slipping 36.84% after… Continue reading Sharewatch: BSkyB Falls As Football Rights Battle Begins
The Government’s plans to relax the media ownership regulations came under increasing threat in the House of Lords yesterday, as support grew for Lord Puttnam’s proposal to impose public interest tests on large media groups wanting to buy Channel Five.Reports suggest that peers from all parties have vowed to vote down the Communications Bill if… Continue reading Government Faces Growing Threat From Rebel Peers
IPC’s market leading celebrity magazine Now is publishing a special edition dedicated to celebrity hairstyles and is supporting it with an interactive TV campaign in hair salons across the UK.Now Celebrity Hair is on sale at the moment and includes a number of specially created features such as Celebrity Cool Cuts and Celebrities Go Back… Continue reading Now Uses iTV To Promote Celebrity Hair Spin-Off
Cunning Stunts has devised a novel way to cut through the increasing amount of advertising clutter and has launched Backsides, a campaign to promote FHM‘s High Street Honey 2003 competition.The creative agency has invited models in coastal resorts around the country to wear a temporary tattoo on their bottoms to raise awareness of the competition,… Continue reading Cunning Stunts Gets Cheeky With FHM Ad Campaign
Live Premiership football matches could return to ITV and the BBC for the first time in over a decade as the Premier League announces major changes to the way it sells its main media rights package.BSkyB has enjoyed a monopoly on live top-level English football since it first secured the broadcast rights to Premiership games… Continue reading TV Giants Battle For Live Premiership Football Rights
