A new magazine from BBC Worldwide’s arts and factual publishing
group is set to launch early in the new year. A spokesman denied it
would be the news magazine that has been in development for six months.
An editor for the new title has been appointed and an associate
publisher is being sought to manage its commercial operations, including
ad sales, distribution and subscriptions.
Sky’s interactive service, Open, officially launches this week. The
service will offer online banking, shopping, entertainment and e-mail
via TV screens and remote control. The launch is being supported with a
terrestrial TV ad campaign.
Virgin’s Hot Air has been voted best in-flight magazine for the fifth
time in six years. The award was presented at the World Airline
Entertainment Association convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Hot
Air is published by John Brown Publishing.
BridgeWorks and the Jones Britton Breckon Company have teamed up to
handle the media for the launch of United News & Media’s website,
uTravel.co.uk. BridgeWorks will handle strategy and JBBC will take on
buying for the campaign, which is being backed by a spend of pounds 2.5
million.
UK web companies are increasingly turning to offline advertising in a
bid to raise their profile, according to research from outdoor
specialist TDI. Net users are a particularly difficult group to reach -
a recent survey in the US found that online adults spend 36 per cent
less time watching TV than those without internet access at home. To tap
this market, web companies are turning to outdoor advertising.
Coldseal Windows has signed a pounds 6 million deal with radio network
GWR. Coldseal is the fourth biggest radio advertiser in the UK.
WH Smith and Frontline have resolved the dispute which resulted in Emap
Metro’s Heat being removed from the retailer’s shelves. Frontline is
partially owned by Emap. Heat was singled out for delisting because of
its fragile status as a recent launch with disappointing sales. The
title’s latest ABC of 65,552 is well short of its 100,000 target.
IPC Magazines has formed a strategic partnership with Caxton
Publications and Printers, South Africa’s largest print media company.
The deal allows Caxton to take content from IPC’s titles and gives it
access to IPC’s publishing expertise.
Miller Freeman has agreed a 50 per cent ownership deal with Haymarket
Exhibitions for Live, the biennial UK consumer electronics show held at
London’s Earls Court. Miller Freeman retains responsibility for sales,
while Haymarket takes charge of operational and marketing
activities.
CIA Medianetwork has picked up the pounds 2 million planning and buying
brief for Ladbrokes’ planned online betting service, bet.co.uk. It will
go live with football gambling and regular news updates and will extend
to other sports next year.
The final of the NABS Battle of the Bands takes place on 28 October at
the London Hippodrome. The five finalists represent MindShare, Craik
Jones, Tequila/AIS, The Teds Agency and TBWA GGT Simons Palmer/M&C
Saatchi.
