MTV Networks Europe is to launch an interactive digital music
television service, M2. Peter Good, a former MTV Europe employee, will
be managing editor of the operation, which will place equal emphasis on
quality videos and music and launch in the UK next spring.
West Somerset is to receive a local commercial radio station for the
first time, after the Radio Authority awarded a licence to Quay West
Radio Ltd. The programming will be based on easy-listening music with
local news and features. The station is looking for a sales house to
handle its small portion of national sales.
The Daily Mail and General Trust has announced a 68 per cent rise in
pre-tax profits to pounds 143.7 million for the year to 28 September.
The results come on the back of a 12 per cent rise in ad revenue and a
fall in the cost of newsprint.
London News Radio is launching a business station on a Restricted
Service Licence during January. City News Radio will broadcast from 5am
to 10am on a frequency which can be received within the Square Mile.
Should the trial be a success, the service will be put up for
syndication across other radio networks.
Roger Luard, the chief executive of Flextech, is understood to have been
offered the post of chief executive of British Digital Broadcasting. The
Granada/Carlton joint venture into digital terrestrial broadcasting is
due to launch next autumn.
TSB has linked up with the Box, the cable music television channel, to
create an interactive sponsorship, ’Get Connected’. The deal will
involve TSB sponsoring the Box’s interactive programming with branded
idents, with the aim of encouraging the core audience of 12- to
24-year-olds to set up bank accounts.
Nestle UK is launching a multi-brand promotion on the Cartoon Network,
with ten brands sponsoring the Nestle Birthday Club. The campaign, which
was developed by the Cartoon Network, MindShare and the sponsorship
company, Vision 40, will feature brands including Smarties, Um Bongo,
Jelly Tots and Nesquik.
UKTV has appointed Dick Emery as its chief executive. Emery, who is
acting chief executive of BBC Worldwide, will take up the role in April,
reporting to the UKTV board.
Barry Vincent, managing director of the More Group UK subsidiary,
Allied, is leaving the company at the end of the year. It is not yet
clear if he has another job to go to.
BSkyB has retained the services of Pittard Sullivan to help develop its
on-air brands as part of an operations and marketing review. The company
has worked with various broadcasters, including HBO, Encore, Lifetime,
DirectTV and Nickelodeon.
Lesley Johnston, the editor of Mizz, is to become the editor of its IPC
stablemate, Options. Johnston has been editing Mizz for ten months, and
has steered the magazine through a relaunch.
The National Magazine Company is to increase the number of published
issues of Esquire, House Beautiful and Zest. Esquire and House Beautiful
will publish 12 issues - previously July/August and December/January
were joint, while Zest will publish 11 issues with separate magazines
for July and August.
A promotion for Emap On Air using free radios which ran in last week’s
Campaign has elicited nearly 500 response calls. The campaign devised by
Emap On Air, Mother and Michaelides & Bednash.
Duckhams is to sponsor Sky Television’s coverage of the Nationwide
League. The package will include two preview programmes each week,
five-second bumpers and branding on the Sky Nationwide League Website.
