Week commencing 20th October 2008
 A fifth of people in Britain plan to cut spending on pay TV
channels and additional services amid growing concerns about the economy, according to a study by Continental Research.
The report, TV 3.0: The Digital and Internet TV Report, suggests bad news in 2009 for subscription-based TV channels, including those on Sky and Virgin Media,
many of which are already taking a hit from declining advertising revenues: Source: Brand Republic
Freeview has been boosted by the announcement that ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC are to launch high-definition (HD) channels on the platform next
year and that a regular slot has been sold to Discovery Communications. Source: Marketing
 Associated Newspapers
is breaking a long-standing tradition by merging its Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspaper and digital sales teams.
It is the first time that the 2 papers will be sold by the same team, having previously competed against each other. Source: Media Week
The Sun is promoting its 30p weekday cover price for 3 weeks with a national television campaign. Source: Media Week
Ad revenue at the Financial Times Group grew 1% year-on-year over the first 9 months of 2008. Source: Media Week
 Following last week's newsletter, further news from Rajar reveals Johnny Vaughan's 95.8 Capital
FM breakfast show returned to the number one spot in London. His breakfast show had an average weekly audience of 862,000, placing him ahead of Jamie Theakston & Harriet Scott on Heart 106.2 and Magic's Neil Fox.
Magic however, remained number one overall in London. Source: Media Week
Also from Rajar, figures for the third quarter of 2008 show that the percentage of adults listening to the radio via their mobile phones has risen once again.
Q3 figures show 12.7% now listen to the radio in this way, up from 12.2% in Q2. In Q3 2007 this figure was 9.2%. Source: MediaTel
Bauer Media's £1m marketing investment in its Big City Network is being cited as one of the reasons for the success of local commercial radio in the latest Rajar figures
(last week we reported local share has increased to 32%). Source: Media Week
NME has secured a deal with Virgin Atlantic to provide a range of its print and radio content to the airline's passengers. NME Radio is providing an exclusive show - hosted by Iain Baker - for the airline, boasting a mix of alternative music and classic tracks. Source: Media Week
Digital radio station Planet Rock is refreshing its brand identity as part of its relaunch this autumn. The station is looking to add to its 550,000 weekly listeners through other online platforms. This follows the announcement that Channel 4 has abandoned its DAB plans, raising questions about the future format. Source: Marketing
 Ocean Outdoor has won an estimated £70m 10-year contract for outdoor advertising for the soon-to-launch Westfield shopping centre in London's White City after a competitive pitch. Ocean Outdoor will deliver "cutting-edge" advertising on static and video screens around the exterior of the shopping centre to complement the "luxurious" look and feel of the centre. CBS Outdoor has the separate £60m contract for advertising inside the centre. Source: Media Week
 Social network Bebo is investing in a batch of six new original TV shows next year.
Building on the success of Katemodern and Sofia's Diary, Bebo is developing a commissioning and scheduling policy for 2009 that will broaden out from dramas to shows focused on entertainment, reality or comedy. Source: Media Week
In-game advertising network IGA Worldwide has reached the milestone of 30 million unique users viewing its virtual ad spaces across more than 80 game titles.
A recent Nielsen games study revealed more than 80% of consumers felt games were just as enjoyable with ads as without, and enjoyed having ads for real brands as it enhanced the players' suspension of disbelief while playing the game.
Source: Brand Republic
News International has now merged its digital sales team for a one-stop-shop for TheSun.co.uk, Newsoftheworld.co.uk and Timesonline.co.uk. T
his follows the recent unification of its newspaper sales operations, where the team now sells across its red-top and quality print brands. Source: Media Week
|
