Week commencing 16th June 2008
 Ofcom has published proposals for the release of digital
spectrum post-switchover, including the launch of local TV services
for UK cities. Ofcom said the spectrum could be used for new digital
television services covering most of the UK, a UK region or nation,
a city or local area, services in support of programme making or
mobile television and mobile broadband. The move follows last week's
announcement from Ofcom that it will auction the spectrum freed
up by digital switchover from summer 2009 - a move that confirms
its intention not to hand free spectrum to public service broadcasters.
Source: Media Week
UKTV is positioning its new entertainment channel as a
younger, more "high energy" version of its flagship pay-TV
service Gold, as part of an overhaul of its entertainment portfolio.
The broadcaster, a joint venture between the BBC and Virgin Media,
plans to launch the as-yet-unnamed channel in October. It will not
join successful lads' channel Dave on the Freeview platform. The
new channel would have a "distinctive name" but ruling
out repeating the forename formula used by Dave. UKTV is rebranding
the rest of its portfolio, starting with the entertainment channels,
before moving on to factual and lifestyle next year. Gold will retain
its name but will get a new look, while UKTV Drama is to have a
new brand reflecting its new crime focus. Source: Brand Republic
ITV has signed an agreement with Twentieth Century Fox
TV to co-develop and produce programmes, in a deal that will rival
the BBC's transatlantic co-production agreement with HBO, which
has delivered hits like 'Rome'. ITV will also remake some Fox programmes
for a UK audience and vice versa. Fox has made a series of programmes
that have been snapped up by UK broadcasters, including '24', 'House'
and 'Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles'. Fox was also recently
planning to make a US version of Simon Pegg's cult comedy 'Spaced',
but eventually passed on the deal. The tie-up may even see the two
companies produce concurrent US and UK versions of the same series.
Source: Brand Republic
 Newspaper
and magazine ads generate more positive feedback from consumers
than rival media, according to new research. The research, undertaken
by Dynamic Logic, claims that more than half of those surveyed view
magazine and newspaper ads positively, ahead of outdoor, TV and
cinema ads. Newspaper ads topped the survey, with 53% viewing them
positively, ahead of magazines ads ( 51%) and outdoor (50%), while
ads on mobile devices and telemarketing ads came bottom of the survey,
with just 7% and 6% respectively viewing them positively. Source:
Media Week
IPC Media has axed Shoot, the 40-year-old children's football
magazine, four months after relaunching it as a weekly. The publisher
turned Shoot from a monthly into a weekly to compete with BBC Magazines'
Match of the Day, which launched in March. Shoot, which retails
at £1.80, will close at the end of the month, ending its near-40-year
history as a football publication. IPC subsidiary IPC Inspire is
in exclusive negotiations to sell the Shoot trademark to Pedigree
Books, which publishes the Shoot Christmas annual and a range of
Shoot seasonal activity books and annuals. ABC circulation figures
from the last six months of 2007 showed that the magazine sold 35,830
copies each month, a year-on-year rise of 7%. Apart from Match of
the Day, Shoot was competing against market leader Match and new
challenger Kick!. Source: Guardian Media
 The
nominations for the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards 2008 have
been announced, with Classic FM, Magic 105.4 and Xfm Manchester
all nominated for the Commercial Radio Station of the Year award.
The event, organised by The Radio Centre, is now in its 13th year
and the winners will be announced at a ceremony on 7 July in London.
This year sees the introduction of two new awards: The Arqiva Schools
Radio Network Award, in association with Vision Charity, for the
most outstanding audio production produced by one or more pupils
in full-time primary or secondary education in the past year. There
is also The Most Played Artist on Commercial Radio Award sponsored
by PPL, the music industry service company that licences the broadcasts
of sound recordings in the UK, on behalf of record companies and
performers. Source: Media Week
GCap Media's Classic FM is to sponsor a series of classical
concerts at music venues the O2 Arena and IndigO2 in a seven-figure
deal. Partnering with AEG, the owner of The O2, Classic FM will
be both sponsor and media partner for the concerts, between October
this year and February 2009. The sponsorship will be supported by
a multi-platform promotional campaign, which will include full branding
throughout both the IndigO2 and The O2 arena, live on air reads
on Classic FM, as well as pre-recorded trailers and artist interviews.
There will also be promotion in the Classic FM magazine, with a
feature called "Behind the Music", and through the Arts
Daily podcasts online at classicfm.com. The Classic FM Series at
the indigO2 music events will feature artists including mezzo soprano
Sarah Connelly, pianist Boris Berzovsky and Grammy winner Garrick
Olsen. Source: Brand Republic
 Google and Yahoo! have agreed a non-executive advertising
agreement, it has been announced. Yahoo! will now be able to use
Google's search and contextual advertising technology using Google's
AdSense for search and content advertising programs in the US and
Canada. This will mean that Yahoo! can run ads supplied by Google
alongside Yahoo!'s its search results and on some of its web properties.
Yahoo! chief executive and co-founder Jerry Yang said: "We
believe that the convergence of search and display is the next major
development in the evolution of the rapidly changing online advertising
industry." Source: Brad Intelligence
Teen-oriented social networks Bebo and Piczo have
extended their reach in the UK by signing distribution deals with
mobile phone operator T-Mobile.The deal involves T-Mobile adding
Bebo and Piczo to the range of social networks accessible through
its network, which already includes BlackPlanet, LiveJournal and
Xanga. T-Mobile users can check messages for free, but they will
be charged to upload photos, post comments and send messages. Source:
Brand Republic
 Clear
Channel is gearing up for this year's Wimbledon Championships
with the creation of bespoke multi-format ad campaigns. Clear Channel
has identified 6 sheets, 48 sheets and a mega 6 sheet within one
mile of the grounds, in west London, to help advertisers with proximity
targeting. Clear Channel's Taxi Media division is also offering
livery, superside and tip-seat campaigns in the build-up to and
during the tournament. Source: Media Week
 UK
Box Office Top 10
1. The Incredible Hulk
2. Sex and the City
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4. The Happening
5. Superhero Movie
6. Gone Baby Gone
7. Prom Night
8. What Happens in Vegas
9. Iron Man
10. Mongol
Source: IMDB
Edited by Pedro Martin's
Media Team |
