Week commencing 7th July 2008
 Freeview is to re-brand its Freeview Playback digital TV recorders (DTRs)
as Freeview+. The Freeview+ name will roll out across retail and
packaging over the coming months, marking the start of Freeview's
increased marketing efforts to drive awareness and sales of its
DTR equipment. Freeview+ boxes will offer a variety of integrated
digital recording features including series record, one touch record
from an eight-day programme guide and functionality to pause live
TV. Source: MediaTel
 City
AM could go national at the end of this year, according to Lawson
Muncaster, the title's managing director. Muncaster spoke about
possible plans for expansion to the rest of the UK - outside of
its current London positioning - and spoke about whether the US
would be its next target. Muncaster said: "If the UK economic
climate stays where it is right now, I see UK expansion this year
- I don't see New York this year." Looking at the next five
years, Muncaster said that the way forward for the industry is creating
good content, packaging the content properly so that it transcends
platforms and making it readily available to audiences. He said:
"It's very, very simple words - content, packaging and availability
- it's hard to work and do properly." The morning business
freesheet saw its circulation grow by 2% month on month in May,
according to the latest ABC figures. Source: MediaTel
Touch the urban music magazine produced by The Colour House
has closed following what it described as "shrinking advertising
revenues". The June issue of the magazine, which featured an
exclusive interview with R&B star Usher, is the last to be published.
David Crowe, manager of The Colour House, is said to be in talks
with potential new backers about bringing the magazine back. However,
no further decisions about the publication have been reached. The
London-based magazine, which specialises in covering hip- hop and
R&B music, confirmed that the magazine has been "suspended".
Source: Media Week
 London's Magic 105.4 has
been named station of year at the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards,
an event organised by RadioCentre - the industry body for commercial
radio. Source: MediaTel
BBC Radio 4 is launching
a new weekly media programme presented by journalist and former
TV executive Steve Hewlett, to be broadcast from October. The Media
Show will be broadcast live all year round from October 1 every
Wednesday at 1.30pm and will focus on media in all its forms. Subjects
such as creativity, culture and censorship within the media will
be discussed alongside those of business and ethics. Source: MediaTel
 Sky's
online sales house, Sky Digital Media, is set to offer a
wider range of ad formats following a deal with Adjustables. Adjustables,
a video ad specialist, will build a new range of ad formats for
Sky, including traditional banner formats, logos and ticker text,
according to a report in the trade press. Paul Wright, director
of sales at Sky Digital Media, said: "Within our growing portfolio,
video is clearly something that differentiates Sky's online offering."
The new platform is expected to be rolled out across Sky Sports,
Sky News, Sky Showbiz, Sky Travel, Sky Motoring and Sky Style as
well as to third parties. Sky Sports has recorded 8.75 million paid-for
video ad impressions since January this year, while Sky News has
reported more than 4.75 million. Sky Digital Media now represents
more than 180 websites. Source: MediaTel
Microsoft has released a statement confirming it is willing
to renew a deal with Yahoo! if it replaces its board of directors
at its annual meeting next month. The software giant has reinstated
its interest in acquiring Yahoo!, saying: "Microsoft would
be interested in discussing with a new board a major transaction
with Yahoo!, such as either a transaction to purchase the 'search'
function with large financial guarantees or, in the alterative,
purchasing the whole company." This comes just a month after
Yahoo! reportedly ended all merger talks with Microsoft after Microsoft
said it had no interest in buying the company outright. Microsoft
and Yahoo! have been trying to strike a deal since January, with
Yahoo! turning down a $33-a-share deal offered in May. Microsoft
said today: "We have never been able to reach an agreement
in a timely way on acceptable terms with the current management
and Board of Directors at Yahoo!." Source: MediaTel
The BBC management has started a consultation into launching
a pre-booking function into the iPlayer, allowing users to order
downloads ahead of broadcast. It may involve delivering the file
to users before the scheduled broadcast time, however the BBC has
confirmed it will still be in control of when the programme is delivered
and when users will be able to access it. The iPlayer, which launched
in December 2007, currently allows users to download BBC TV programmes
that have been broadcast in the last seven days. If the new service
launches it will be in direct competition with services such as
Sky+, which also lets users download full TV series. However, the
BBC has said it does not believe it will it impact on other video-on-demand
services, according to a report in the trade press. The industry
and members of the public will have until June 30 to submit their
comments on the proposed new service. Source: MediaTel
Mobile phone operator Orange plans to launch a new social networking
service in the UK this summer, combining MySpace, Facebook, Pikeo,
Bebo and other social networking sites onto its Orange World mobile
portal. The service, which has already launched in France, combines
the sites' functions into one area. Members of MySpace, Facebook
and Bebo will be able to view their profile updates and recently
uploaded pictures on Orange mobile phones. The Orange service works
by displaying popular functions of multiple social networks together,
so that they can be accessed with one click, rather than have users
log into separate sites. Source: Media Week
 Titan
Outdoor is embarking on a £2m rollout of more than 100
digital screens across its rail estate and also plans to extend
digital to its shopping malls. Currently, Titan's digital presence
comprises 17 Transvision digital screens in 16 UK rail stations.
However, by November this year, the company plans to install 106
digital six-sheet screens across London rail stations, such as Victoria,
Charing Cross and Waterloo. Beyond what it termed "phase one"
of the rail digital rollout, it intends to launch digital in rail
stations beyond London. Source: Media Week
Infolines is launching a new payphone kiosk with two six-sheet
facades available for outdoor advertising - twice as many as the
conventional high street phonebox. The third largest public payphone
operator in the phone boxes sector of outdoor, Infolines Public
networks, is set to refurbish and sell six-sheets on its own kiosks,
which have been redesigned as a new and larger form of disabled
friendly phonebox. New kiosks have already been installed in central
London boroughs including Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden
and the City - as well as Bristol and Brighton. Infolines currently
has over 500 kiosks across major UK cities, with plans to install
or refurbish 300 kiosks in London as well as extending the programme
to Birmingham and Manchester. Source: MediaTel
 UK
Box Office Top 10
1. Hancock
2. Kung Fu Panda
3. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
4. Wanted
5. Sex and the City
6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
7. Adulthood
8. The Mist
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. The Edge of Love
Source: Carlton Screen
Edited by Sarah Halliday |
