NEWSLETTER

The Total Media weekly newsletter brought to you this week by Leila's Team

PRESS

The Sun is revamping its Saturday offering by bringing back its TV supplement called TV Magazine, which is to replace its TV Buzz magazine just two years after its launch in September of 2010. The new supplement will hit newsstands this Saturday (7 July). News International, publisher of The Sun, claims it will be its "the biggest-ever TV guide". The move marks an about-turn for the Sun, as it had previously replaced TV Magazine with TV Buzz. Unlike TV Buzz, TV Magazine will be focused on TV and not include a lifestyle element. (Source: Mediaweek)

DIGITAL

Google has angered the powerful gun lobby in the US by not having firearm listings available in its new shopping service. Since the beginning of June, "shopping" is a tab available to people using the search engine alongside news, maps, video and images. The introduction of the service means that all of the listings that appear under shopping are now paid for adverts, and Google has never allowed paid for adverts for weapons. The move has angered some in America because Google's previous "products listing" model was based on an organic search, rather than paid for adverts, allowing links to guns and ammunition to appear. The National Rifle Association have now accused Google of adopting a "new and discriminatory policy with respect to the advertising of firearms, ammunition and related products". Under the second amendment of the US constitution, Americans have the right to own and bear arms but under Google’s new shopping service, all the adverts will be governed by rules that have always applied to its paid adverts. The company's policy states that it does not "allow the promotion of weapons or devices designed to cause serious harm or injury".  (Source: The Telegraph)

Samsung and The Streets frontman, Mike Skinner, have teamed up in an effort to help break emerging band, Man Like Me. The technology giant have produced a video, created by Jam, which features the band members talking about their daily routine and discuss how the Samsung Galaxy Note handset helps them to create music. The video also features the band’s mentor Mike Skinner and Samsung intends to launch one of the band's tracks, supporting the activity with a Twitter campaign. Although many brands have had a long-standing relationship with music, the proliferation of digital music means more of them are turning to the medium to establish a closer and more emotional connection with consumers. (Source: Brand Republic)

TELEVISION

This week Channel 4 launched 4seven, a new catch up channel available on Freeview, cable and satellite. As there is so much choice, viewers were increasingly telling Channel 4 that they sometimes missed their favourite shows, despite having access to PVRs and VOD so Channel 4 felt that a new catch up channel was required. 4seven will show Channel 4’s most popular and talked about programming from the past seven days and viewers will be able to follow it on Facebook, Twitter #4seven and also view TV Listings. (Source: Mediaweek)

YouView chairman Lord Alan Sugar has revealed the delayed internet-enhanced TV service will finally go on sale in shops later this month, and claimed it could have the same impact on British broadcasting as the launch of Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB. The YouView TV service – a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, BT,Channel 4, Channel 5, Arqiva and TalkTalk – will be set at £299 when the set-top boxes hit shelves just ahead of the launch of the London 2012 Olympics at the end of July.

Sugar, who was parachuted in as the new chairman last March to put the problem-plagued service back on track, aims to create a subscription-free successor to Freeview that will take on pay-TV heavyweights such as BSkyB and Virgin Media. Now the service is weeks from launch, BSkyB, which has vociferously criticised YouView and aggressively attempted to block its launch at every regulatory opportunity, has signed up as the first new content partner and will launch its new Now TV service on YouView. Now TV, the new internet TV service from BSkyB, will not appear as a main channel on the YouView electronic programming guide but will be available as a "portal" on the service. Sky is expected to offer live and on-demand programming including Sky Movies, Sky Sports and then entertainment channels such as Sky1 and Sky Living. Sugar said “My audience ... is the Freeview audience that don't want to be tied to a subscription. They only need this box, my ambition is that this replaces the Freeview box." (Source: Brand Republic)

RADIO

Global Radio’s acquisition of Guardian Media Group’s radio assets has been broadly welcomed by Media agency executives, although some have expressed concern that the deal could “lock out” competition in some areas. Responding to Monday’s announcement that Global Radio has bought GMG Radio, senior media agency executives praised the move and said Global Radio has "revitalised" the radio ad market. Competition and consumer body the Office of Fair Trading is expected to invite interested parties to comment on the deal in the coming days and Global Radio could be forced to dispose of parts of the business.

With the addition of the Smooth and Real Radio networks Global Radio would control 55% of the national airtime market, and will have a dominant position in regional areas such as Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff. The deal was delayed last month after a third party – believed to be Bauer Media – made a higher bid for the business. Some rival broadcasters oppose the deal and UTV Media, owner of Talksport, said it “spells bad news for commercial radio” and it failed to see the public justification for it to be allowed to go ahead. (Source: Mediaweek)

EDITED BY THE LEILA'S TEAM