Week commencing 20th August 2007
 The Q2 report reveals that average daily viewing hours are showing signs of beginning to grow again. Viewing hours were at 3.46 hours, its highest level for a second quarter since 2004, compared with 3.43 for the same period last year. The viewing increase is largely attributed to "some really successful big programmes for the major players such as ITV and Channel 4", speculates David Brennan, research and strategy director of television marketing body Thinkbox. In addition, digital channels are also continuing to record a rise in overall viewing share, which is up 36.4% compared with 34.6% for the first quarter of this year. The report reveals that three out of four homes now have some form of digital reception. Although digital channels' increase in viewing share has had a negative effect on the shares of all terrestrial channels, the percentage of total viewing to all commercial channels remains fairly constant at 61.6% compared with 61.8% in Q1. Source: Media Week
Channel 4 launched its new repeats channel Channel 4+1 on digital platforms on August 20. The new channel will replace repeats channel Film 4+1 on Freeview and Virgin Media, but will take up a new slot on the Sky platform. The channel will give Freeview, Sky Digital and Virgin Media viewers the opportunity to watch the entire Channel 4 TV schedule on a one-hour delay. Channel 4+1 will be available on Freeview slot 13, on the Sky electronic programme guide number 135 and on Virgin Media channel 143. Andy Barnes, Channel 4's sales director, said that the additional channel would benefit advertisers by giving them "additional access to high-quality audiences Channel 4 already delivers." Channel 4 already has a range of +1 channels, including E4+1 and More4+1. Source: Media Week
 Sky is relaunching its customer magazine next month with a new name, skymag, and a new strapline: "Britain's No 1 entertainment magazine... every month!" . Additionally, Skymag will be repositioned towards a more affluent target audience, ABC1 women. It will be promoted through ads on Sky channels from September, supported by a trade print campaign later this month and a national press campaign next month. There are also plans to start looking at its online strategy.The September relaunch issue features an exclusive interview with Billie Piper talking about her role in the ITV2 drama Secret Diary of Call Girl. Source: Media Week
Motoring magazines have recorded growth among monthlies and weeklies. There were strong performances from BBC Top Gear, which put on 8.8% year on year, to take it within less than 5,000 copies of the 200,000 mark. Emap's Car and Dennis' Evo both put on increases of their own, but it was the former, overtaking the latter with period-on-period growth of 8.9%, that impressed. The clash of the weeklies is one of the more intriguing contests, as Haymarket's redesigned Autocar goes up against Dennis' market leader Auto Express.Autocar found 4.2% growth this period to post a circulation of 59,427 to Auto Express's 85,374. Source: Media Week
 AC Nielsen conducted national research on public attitudes towards outdoor media. The study showed almost 90% of people were supportive of, or neutral towards outdoor advertising, and 87% thought it was important commercial advertisers continued to subsidize public infrastructure. In addition, Price Waterhouse Cooper's Entertainment & Media Report showed "out-of-home" media grew 7.1% in 2006 against the advertising industry average of 5.5%, and predicted continued above average performance for the sector. Helen Willoughby, CEO of the Outdoor Media Association, said the new research figures signaled a change in community attitudes towards outdoor advertising, given that a survey in 2000 indicated 32% of people disliked outdoor advertising. Source: Outdoor Media Association
Titan Outdoor has won the outdoor advertising contract at the O2, formerly the millennium dome, in a three-year-deal - the first for the venue. The company will work with the o2's owner, AEG Europe, to develop a series of digital sites that will build on the six digital screens, backlit sites and banners already in place at the venue. The o2 as well as housing an 11 screen cinema and more has 20 bars and restaurants, holds 20,000 people in its main arena and 2,350 in a smaller venue, offering advertisers access to specific audiences at given times. Source: Media Week
 Music Week, the influential music industry trade title, will this week publish a chart based on the internet listening habits of the social networking site Last.fm, the first time the magazine has included data from an online supplier. The move is an indication of the increasing influence of online social networks on the charts, and an acknowledgement of the ability of a group of musical tastemakers to predict future stars. Last.fm has become something of a cult among music obsessives since it was founded five years ago. Users download a desktop program that tracks every song played through their computer's music player. They can then build their own customised "radio stations" based on tracks they like, and link to similar artists recommended by others. To music industry watchers, however, it's the data generated by the site's 20 million enthusiasts that is priceless. Last.fm's weekly charts, the site claims, are much more significant for the industry than reviews or even sales data, which cannot trace how often tracks are listened to once they have been bought. In addition, they say, they are less subject to huge marketing spends and targeted buying which critics say can distort the traditional charts. Source: MediaUK
Publishing house H Bauer is attempting to cash in on its one-million-plus market-leading women's weekly Take a Break by launching the magazine's first website before the end of the year. The development is not expected to be a replication of the magazine's printed material however. Puzzles and short articles tailored specifically for the website will be the main features on the site. The latest ABC's saw Take a Break hang on to its one-million-plus status, selling 1,018,423 copies from January to June 2007. This move is likely influenced by the increased revenues from digital that have forced many publishers to rethink their strategies and focus more on the internet. Emap's celebrity title Heat was the last major consumer title to debut online and other publishers, such as Future and IPC, are concentrating on launching web-specific projects of their own in an attempt to gain a larger slice of buoyant online ad spend. Source: Media Week
 Radio Centre said today that commercial radio revenues rose slightly to almost £150m in the second quarter of the year, Radio Centre said today. The sector made £149.4m in the three months to the end of June, up 0.8% from the £148.2m it chalked up last year. Revenues from national advertising were up 3.4% year on year to £85m, while local revenues increased by 1.2% to £40.4m. However, revenues from sponsorship and promotion fell by 7.8% to £24m, reflecting a tough comparison with last year, when the football World Cup boosted figures. Source: Media Guardian
 UK Top Ten (Friday 17th - Sunday 19th August 2007)
1 The Bourne Ultimatum
2 The Simpsons Movie
3 Rush Hour 3
4 Bratz
5 Transformers
6 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
7 Surf's Up
8 Hairspray
9 Evan Almighty
10 Shrek the Third
Edited by Imogen Sellers and Rebecca Wilson |
