Yan Huybrechts, the former director of Media-Vest, has joined
Railtrack as commercial advertising manager. Huybrechts’ brief is to
grow Railtrack’s outdoor advertising business over the next three years.
Railtrack’s poster advertising sites account for around 10 per cent of
the UK market.
GWR Group has restructured in order to prepare the group for the onset
of mainstream digital radio. The changes concentrate on the local
stations, with Steve Orchard, the programme director, also becoming
operations director of UK local radio. Simon Ward, the sales and
marketing director, becomes the commercial director.
IPC Magazines has appointed Mary Frances as editor of Woman’s Realm.
Frances was editor of Eva magazine until it was folded last month. The
magazine was given a new look earlier this year, and now focuses on the
40-plus age group.
The Express has poached an investigative team from the Observer to beef
up its news. Jonathan Calvert, David Connett, Michael Gillard and Lucy
Johnston will form the investigative unit which will work across seven
days of the Express.
Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Ice brand will sponsor free travel on London buses
and the Tube over New Year’s Eve. The sponsorship package includes 5,500
posters across the Underground and Docklands Light Railway, 600 bus
supersides, 11,000 bus interior panels and 1,350 bus-shelter panels. The
deal was put together by BMP Optimum and Outdoor Connection and runs for
a month.
The contract publisher, Brass Tacks Publishing, has appointed Trudy
Culross as publisher of the Somerfield Magazine, while Caroline Singer
has been made editor of the Department of Trade and Industry’s new
magazine, Connect Egypt. Culross was group editor for the Bath-based
contract publisher, Box Office Publications, while Singer has returned
from Oman where she edited a number of business publications.
The Radio Authority has rejected allegations made by BBC2’s Newsnight
last week that it had behaved improperly over the award of the East of
England regional licence in 1997 and in other matters. Sir Peter
Gibbings, the authority’s chairman, said in a statement: ’It is
significant that the authority is concerned with an industry that is in
fierce and increasingly effective competition with the BBC ... The
authority is confident that it acted wholly properly.’
The Media Circle has appointed Iain Jacob, a founding director of Motive
Communications, as its chairman. Jacob takes over from Unity’s Andy
Tilley, who has held the post for the past two years. Fiona Smedley, the
joint managing director of Universal McCann, has been appointed
vice-chair.
Atlantic 252 has completed the changes to its programming which were
designed to boost awareness and credibility among its target 15- to
25-year-old audience. The success of Atlantic’s dance show, bpm,
prompted the addition of more shows dedicated to dance and alternative
music. The changes take effect from 14 December.
Scottish Radio Holdings has earmarked a major boost to its acquisitions
fund as it seeks to expand its local radio and newspaper portfolio. The
company will ask shareholders to sanction an increase in borrowing
limits to almost pounds 70 million to add to the pounds 8.9 million in
cash it already has on the balance sheet. Scottish Radio, owned by the
group, will bid for digital radio licences in Glasgow, Edinburgh and
Northern Ireland.
