The magazine distributor, Frontline, and WH Smith Retail have
resolved the trade dispute which saw the latter pull Emap Metro’s
entertainment magazine, Heat, from its shelves (Campaign, 24 September).
The magazine has been reinstalled in WH Smith stores and a statement
from Frontline, which is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, Emap and
Haymarket Publishing, said: ’The resolution provides mutual gains and is
of commercial benefit to both parties.’
The Sunday Times is redesigning its Culture magazine next weekend with a
new format, new sections and a new shape. It will have a sub-section
devoted to the internet called Doors, and will include The Sunday Times’
Books section. The magazine’s paper quality will be improved and
pagination will be increased.
Scottish Media Group and BSkyB are reported to be vying for stakes in
Ginger Group, the company founded by Chris Evans. The company has been
given a price-tag of around pounds 200 million and the sale is being
managed by Goldman Sachs.
Emap is splitting off its internet businesses as it looks to increase
investment in new-media opportunities. Emap Digital, which has 94
websites and generates around pounds 10 million in revenue a year, will
report separate results from the magazines division.
BSkyB has signed a deal with Hallmark Entertainment Network to launch a
family orientated TV channel in the UK early next year. The
24-hour-a-day general entertainment channel will be available on Sky
Digital as part of the Family Pack of channels.
Choice FM has won the North London local radio licence as advertised by
the Radio Authority. The service, which already exists in South London,
beat 19 other stations to the job, including the sports-only service,
Fan FM; the GWR-backed service, Raw FM; and the Chrysalis-backed
service, Radio Middlesex.
Rapture TV, the youth TV channel from the United News & Media stable, is
launching a new ad campaign supporting its themed weekend based around
the film, The Blair Witch Project. The campaign, which will run in the
national press, magazines and on outdoor advertising during October, has
been created by the agency, White Door, with media bought by BBJ.
UK Horizons, the factual entertainment channel which is a joint venture
between the BBC and Flextech, launches a pounds 1 million multi-media ad
campaign this month featuring celebrities such as Michael Palin and
Joanna Lumley. The ad, created by Delaney Fletcher Bozell and bought by
New PHD, will run on TV, radio and posters.
BBC Worldwide expects to recoup pounds 100 million a year from its new
children’s series, Tweenies, following a series of international
merchandising deals.
The Teletubbies generated pounds 200 million in revenue for its creators
and distributors. Rupert Gavin, chief executive of BBC Worldwide, said:
’The difference between Tweenies and Teletubbies is that retailers now
commit to multi-million deals in advance.’
Express Newspapers’ ad director, Richard Bogie, has reshuffled his
senior management team. Mark Milner, ad manager on The Express, has been
appointed head of display for The Express, the Sunday Express, Express
Magazines and the Daily Star. Mark Hopkins, ad manager on the Sunday
Express, becomes group ad manager across the daily and Sunday
newspapers, with a merged sales team working on both Express titles.
Motive Communications has launched what it claims is one of the
country’s biggest 6-sheet poster campaigns, for the mobile phone
network, One2One.
The pounds 1 million campaign will run on 11,000 sites from this week
and supports the existing TV, radio and press ads.
