Week commencing 26th February 2007
 TV and newspapers remain the primary sources of news across all age groups globally, despite explosive growth of new media in recent years, according to a new survey by KPMG International. The survey suggests that while the internet has gained more of a foothold among the younger generation, traditional news sources still dominate. In the UK, where there was a sample size of 1,010, 52% cited TV as their main news source, followed by newspapers with 24% and radio with 15%. Only 8% preferred the internet. Source: Media Week
The Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) is near to agreeing a plan which could see all food and drink advertising, except ads for fruit and vegetables, banned from non-broadcast media. The plan was raised at this week's Department of Health food and drink advertising and promotion forum and, according to a report in the Guardian, it goes much further than Ofcom's ban on TV ads. Source: Mediatel
ABC has launched the Group Product Report, which allows media owners to publicise their ABC audited and verified figures across media platforms on the same report. Publishers and media owners can choose to produce a Group Product Report alongside their usual ABC certificates, with the report being updated every time new data becomes available. Source: Mediatel
The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has launched a new initiative aimed at developing a new measurement standard for newspaper readership across print and digital. It has set up a Media Measurement Integration Task Force to explore the possibility of creating a global standard for combined print and digital measurements. The task force's first project will be to survey hundreds of media buyers worldwide about their need for a global print and digital metric, now and in the future. Source: Mediatel
 Sky and Virgin Media are preparing a marketing blitz to their subscribers following the breakdown of negotiations over the continuing coverage of Sky channels including Sky One and Sky News, on the Virgin Media cable platform. Sky is set to lose between £50m and £60m in carriage and advertising revenue if the channels are pulled and analysts estimate it would need to recruit around 150,000 new subscribers to replace the income loss. Virgin Media chief executive of content Malcolm Wall said an announcement would be made this week regarding plans for replacing the Sky channels with other content. Source: Media week
TV marketing body Thinkbox is to set up a new body to create a swathe of new research and best practice in the effectiveness of TV advertising. The so-called engagement community, mirrors recent moves in the US where the Advertising Research Foundation is studying how TV can beat off threats from online media and other new technology. Source: media Week
Speaking at Thinkbox Experience, Michael Grade, the ITV executive chairman has roundly condemned government restrictions on advertising as "nonsense" and is rallying broadcasters and advertisers to fight off further restrictions together. He said "we have a common cause in resisting this nanny state culture. The restrictions are not going to stop the way people live and behave. It is a complete denial of what TV is about, which is reflecting real life". He says advertising is being made a scapegoat for society's problems. Source: Marketing Week
 Emap, owner of Heat and Magic FM, has in the past few days been surrounded by rumours concerning an imminent restructure, with many at the company fearing job cuts. Emap is holding meetings with its staff over the coming days to discuss matters which arose from its operational review, announced in November, which examined the consumer magazine division and Emap advertising. Source: Mediatel
Dennis Publishing UK has said that it will continue to publish Maxim magazine in the UK under license, despite reports that the Maxim global trademark is planning a strategic review that could lead to the publication's sale. James Tye, chief executive of Dennis Publishing Ltd. UK, said: "Dennis Publishing Ltd. UK and Dennis Publishing Inc. US are entirely separate companies. Source: Mediatel
Emap has clashed with media agencies after demanding a 23% ad rate hike for its fashion weekly, Grazia, to capitalize on the magazine's circulation growth over the past year. The move has angered press directors, who are used to negotiating terms with Emap on all its titles. One agency refused to continue discussions and threw Emap's ad team out of its offices. Source: Media Week
Press buyers may turn their back on thelondonpaper if it goes ahead with planned ad price rises in March, because they do not believe it is different enough to London Lite to justify the higher rates. News International's afternoon free newspaper is due to remove the 33% introductory discount that it offered advertisers at launch.
Source: Media Week
 Women's celebrity glossy Hello! has just launched a new digital edition, available online as soon as the print edition hits newsstands. A user friendly format, accessed through hellomagazine.com, replicates the print version, even allowing users to flick through its virtual pages. The digital mag also includes a search feature, enabling readers to track down a specific story or celebrity, and a save facility so the readers can store back issues on their computers. Source: Mediatel
BBC Staff, together with a group of MPs, has written a letter to the BBC Trust urging it to reject proposed advertising on its BBC.com international website. The letter, published this week in national newspapers, was signed by 10 MPs and follows an Early Day Motion submitted by Labour MP Austin Mitchell. The MPs are concerned that hosting ads on the site would lead to accusations of impartiality in the broadcaster's output, and fear the measures would eventually lead to ads appearing on the BBC's domestic news and entertainment services. Source: Mediatel
The number of internet users climbed to over 29 million during the fourth quarter of 2006, according to figures released by BMRB. This represents a 9.34% growth from the same period last year. The total number of people going online is now around 5.5 million more than it was two years ago. Source: Mediatel
 Outdoor advertiser Streetbroadcast has turned on its first ever digital screen ahead of a planned 1,000-screen roll-out in May. The unit, which is called Communicator and can show static content by the roadside or full motion video in pedestrian areas, has been installed in the centre of Liverpool to complete testing of communication speeds ahead of commercial installations. All the Communicators will come with Bluetooth capabilities, as well as the facility to broadcast sound. Source: Media Week
JCDecaux has secured a partnership with Outdoor Plus to market and sell all 20 of its Premier 500 backlights in London. Outdoor Plus pioneered the format, which provides 450 square-feet of back-illuminated display, and JCDecaux entered the market last October with 10 sites of its own. Spencer Berwin, managing director of sales at JCDecaux said there had been "huge demand" for the super-sized 18 sheet format. The deal adds the 20 Outdoor Plus sites to JCDecaux's portfolio, giving the contractor sole control of the market. Source: Media Week
With the expansion of the Congestion Charging zone in central London, CBS Outdoor has said the move will substantially increase Outdoor audience growth. The company, formerly Viacom Outdoor, has brought together a number of data sources to assess the predicted change in public transport usage in the capital. According to the analysis, the number of journeys made by Tube are set to increase by 56 million in 2006/2007, whilst the number of journeys made by bus in London are up by 23 million over the past year. Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, estimates that the introduction of the western extension to the charging zone will reduce the number of vehicles on the roads in London by 10-15%. The original Congestion Charge zone in central London has reduced vehicle numbers by 20% since its introduction in 2002. Source: Mediatel
 Chrysalis Radio's Heart 106.2 FM has launched a campaign for its sister-station, LBC 97.3 FM, marking the first ever cross-promotion of stations within the Chrysalis Group. Chrysalis will launch its cross-promotional strategy with a campaign for LBC 97.3 FM on Heart 106.2, supported by press and viral. Chrysalis says that its decision to encourage listeners to try another of their stations is a new approach. Commenting on the cross-promotion, David Lloyd, managing director of LBC said: "There is already crossover between audiences of the two brands, given our entertainment credentials. Source: Mediatel
Graham Dane has been recruited by GMG Radio to front the breakfast show on its soon to be relaunched London station Smooth Radio. Dene will be part of the new look Smooth as it changes format from a jazz and soul station to an easy-listening one aimed at the over-50s on March 26. Smooth applied to Ofcom in October about the format change, with the regulator finding that the proposed change would not narrow the range of programmes available to listeners in the London area. The format change will also see the station's name switch from 102.2 Smooth FM to Smooth Radio. Source: Mediatel
 UK Top 10 (Fri 23-25 Feb 2007):
1 Hot Fuzz £3,297,539
2 Charlotte's Web £1,304,946
3 The Number 23 £1,206,087
4 Music and Lyrics £938,046
5 The Good Shepherd £629,863
6 Epic Movie £550,916
7 Arthur and the Invisibles £494,662
8 School for Scoundrels £340,984
9 Notes on a Scandal £334,661
10 Blood Diamond £317,532
Edited by Anna Kilborn and Sze Yeung |
