Week commencing 21st May 2007
 April
saw viewing share in all TV homes fall for terrestrial broadcasters,
with Channel 4 faring worst with a drop of over one percentage
point year on year. A similar pattern played out in digital homes
as all terrestrial broadcasters lost share year on year. ITV1 and
BBC One also both lost viewing share year on year, falling by 0.8
percentage points each. April saw both channels go head to head
with their similar West End Star search programmes, with the BBC's
search for a new Joseph regularly beating ITV's Grease is the Word.
Source: Media Tel
The average person now watches television for just
3.85 hours a day, according to the IPA's Q1 figures. First
- quarter television viewing has fallen for the fourth year in a
row and is now at its lowest level for 10 years, according to the
IPA's Trends in Television report. Source: Media Week
Almost half of Europe is now regularly watching TV over the
Internet, according to a new study by StrategyOne for Motorola's
Connected Home Solutions Division. The company surveyed 2,500 broadband
users across the UK, France, Germany and Spain about their use of
video on demand and their predicted use of technology in the future.
The French emerged as the most enthusiastic nation for consuming
video on demand, with 59% watching previews and episodes of their
favourite shows over the web, while the British and Italians were
next. Germans appeared to be the least likely to watch television
online, with only 33% claiming to use the service, preferring the
traditional linear schedules. Source: Media Tel
Five has snapped up the rights to long-running soap Neighbours,
after the BBC decided not to pay the programme's distributor, FremantleMedia,
£300 million for the eight-year deal. The Aussie institution,
which spawned the careers of the likes of Kylie Minogue and Guy
Pearce, has been with the corporation for more than 20 years, but
will from 2008 be aired on Five and digital offering Five Life.
Source: Mediatel
 The
Daily Mail and General Trust has increased half-year pre-tax
profits by 24% to £135.3m, but has warned that the recovery
in its national newspaper ad revenues is fragile. There was a 2%
rise in October-March print ad revenues at its Associated Newspapers
division, the home of the Daily Mail, the Evening Standard, Metro
and London Lite. Source: Brand Republic
Emap's Empire magazine will make history
by delivering 30 different covers featuring different characters
from the six 'Star Wars' films to celebrate 30 years of the saga.
The marketing activity will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the
release of the original 'Star Wars' film, released on May 25 1977.
Source: Brand Republic
BBC Magazines is backing a revamp of Radio
Times with a £1m direct marketing campaign, set to reach 930,000
people and designed to increase frequency of purchase. The new-look
title goes on sale this week with 14 new listings pages and a daily
spread featuring highlights from the five main channels and key
digital stations. Source: Media Week
 JC
Decaux has won the advertising rights for every large format
billboard in Glasgow following a competitive pitch against at least
three major contractors. In a rare move, Glasgow has chosen a sole
contractor for the sites and the outdoor company will now develop
new billboard locations and upgrade existing sites before selling
the 80 key city locations, which will house between 100 and 200
ad spots. The rights were previously owned by several outdoor companies,
including Titan and Clear Channel, as well as Decaux, but the city
council put them out to tender after deciding to consolidate them.
JC Decaux is now preparing to install Premiere 400s, Premiere 200s
and scrolling billboards as well as poster formats new to Glasgow,
such as the Premiere 450. In a separate deal, Ocean Outdoor has
unveiled Scotland's largest digital screen and biggest banner, in
Glasgow's George Square, in what is the company's first foray into
digital boards. Source: Media Week.
 Secretary
of State for the Environment David Miliband welcomed the advent
of Web 2.0 at Google's Zeitgeist conference on Monday, telling
delegates at the private function that it would be an age "to
assert greater power over the things we cannot buy or sell as individuals
- collective goods such as safety, security, national identity and
a stable climate". He added that Web 2.0 is "fundementally
social in nature," asking: "If there is no such thing
as society, why is there such a thing as Facebook?" Other luminaries
addressing the conference included BskyB chief executive James Murdoch.
Source: MediaWeek.
Associated Newspapers is to launch a website for the Evening
Standard's weekly property section, Homes and Property, which will
operate independently of the paper's companion site, This Is London.
The website, homesandproperty.co.uk, will be updated with exclusive
content every Thursday, the day after the print supplement. Aimed
at AB Londoners, it will feature property news, a homewares shop
and areas for users to ask experts for advice and share their experiences.
The launch coincides with the second series of a spin off TV show,
also called Homes and Property, which begins in the London region
on ITV1 this week. Production has switched from Reef TV to talkbankThames,
which also makes Channel 4's Grand Designs and will produce video
content for the website. The six part series of 30 minute shows
is fronted by Charlie Luxton and property expert Sunita Shroff and
will ask viewers to name London's five best and worst buildings.
The show will also reach a national audience on the 3 mobile network.
Source: MediaWeek.
The proportion of time people spend on the internet compared
to other media levelled out in 2006, soon to be published research
will claim. Jupiter Research said that its upcoming annual report
into media consumption will show that the proportion of time spent
on the internet compared to other channels has remained the same,
in a major change from previous years. In 2004 and 2005, internet
time doubled from the previous year and a large portion was down
to broadband. Source: MediaWeek.
 Xfm has confirmed a dramatic programming shake up handing over control
of its airwaves to listeners. The station has confirmed that from
Tuesday 29 May, between 10am and 4pm every weekday, Xfm will be
asking its listeners to interact via SMS, phone and online to create
playlists and vote for the artists they want to hear. The decision
to ditch DJs from the six-hour slot is being billed by the station
as a response to today's more tech savvy audience who want greater
control and influence on radio output. However, some may see the
move as a cost-cutting exercise, shedding some of the expense of
presenters and earning more money for the station via texts and
phone calls, as well as via increased website traffic. Source: Mediatel
The commercial radio trade body RadioCentre is to appeal
to Ofcom to substantially relax local content requirements as part
of its response to the regulator's Future of Radio consultation.
Speaking at the Broadcast 3.0 conference, RadioCentre chief executive
Andrew Harrison argued that the current minimum requirements for
locally produced content made life too difficult for the ad-funded
sector. Harrison said this harmed the sector's ability to secure
and retain talent, acquire entertainment rights and benefit from
economies of scale. Source: Brand Republic
UK Music Week, the annual event set up to champion British
music on commercial radio stations, will kick off on Monday 21st
May with an exclusive live gig from Welsh retro-rockers Stereophonics
on the Contemporary Hit Radio network of 120 stations. The concert
will be supported by performances from Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs
and Corrine Bailey Rae, split between four other commercial radio
networks. The programming, which will be shared by Contemporary
Hit Radio, Adult Contemporary, Gold, Rock and Rhythmic, will involve
a series of gigs, special events and phone-ins across more than
250 commercial radio stations in support of UK Music Week. Source:
Brand republic.
Emap radio has denied it is selling its Scottish radio assets
amid sepculation their collective revenues are down more than 50%
year on year. The radio industry is rife with rumours that Emap
Radio is looking to offload some of its stations north of the border,
together with the Irish stations that are currently under review.
Source: Media Week
Radio advertising revenues were down 1.6% year on year to
£148.9m in the first quarter of 207, according to figures
released by the Radio Advertising Bureau. Local revenues are up
0.3% to £39.4m while national revenues fell 2.8% to £87.4m
compared to January to March 2006. Source: Media Week
An auction for last-minute radio airtime is being launched in the
UK in conjunction with radio specialist, RadioWorks. Bid4Spots
is bringing the reverse auction concept to this country from the
US with an official launch on 28 June and every Thursday therefafter.
The auctions enable radio stations to compete for advertsiers' pounds
and bid the ad rates down, allowing advertisers and agencies access
to radio at competitive rates. In return, broadcasters are able
to offload last-minute airtime, increase revenue and attract new
advertisers. Source: Media Week
 UK
Top 10 Weekend (Friday 18th - Sunday 20th May 2007)
1 Spider-Man 3 £2,549,712
2 28 Weeks Later £882,692
3 Zodiac £818,369
4 Bridge to Terabithia £460,301
5 Magicians £366,188
6 Lovewrecked £223,400
7 Wild Hogs £194,613
8 Mr Bean's Holiday £143,094
9 Next £135,204
10 This is England £127,263
Edited by Anna Kilborn, Andy Travis and Sze
Yeung |
