The Times and Sunday Times promotion with Easy Jet, which ran from
7 September to 12 October, led to the largest number of commercial
transactions ever carried out on a website in Europe within a 24-hour
period. More than 100,000 flights were sold to 12 UK and European
destinations with 40 per cent of seats bought through the Internet on
the first day of the promotion.
Anthony Sethill, the commercial director of ONdigital, has left the
company just weeks before its consumer launch to return to the
manufacturing industry. Sethill will be replaced by Jim Radcliffe from
Granada Home Technology.
Classic FM has signed a sponsorship deal with Trans World Airlines which
will see TWA sponsoring Classic Newsnight. The programme is broadcast
every weekday evening between 6.30pm and 7.00pm. The deal includes two
sponsorship credits per day within the programme and three promotional
trails broadcast throughout the day.
The Commercial Radio Companies Association has published a document
highlighting the public service element of commercial radio and the role
it plays in the local community. Janet Anderson MP, the minister for
tourism, film and broadcasting, has written the foreword, in which she
comments: ’I believe it is important both to recognise and raise
awareness of the activities undertaken by the industry in the public
service.’
The Guardian’s overseas edition has had a makeover this week, changing
its name from Guardian International to Guardian Europe and featuring a
redesigned masthead, more colour and increased pagination. The name
change has been carried out to reflect the paper’s emphasis on sales and
distribution in western, central and eastern Europe. Simon Tisdall, the
editorial director, said: ’This is the first stage of a new strategy to
raise the Guardian’s profile abroad, particularly in Europe.’
Attic Futura is to launch two titles in the next four months. A
children’s magazine introduced next month will feature celebrities and
real-life photo stories. A women’s title, codenamed Project Silver, will
appear in Feburary aimed at women in their 20s and will be edited by
Lucy Bulmer, former deputy editor of Prima.
Andrew Jaspan is to edit the Scottish Sunday newspaper to be launched
next spring by Scottish Media Group. Rob Brown, former media editor of
the Independent and business editor of Scotland on Sunday, will look
after comment and opinion while Kristy Milne, assistant editor of the
New Statesman, will be political editor. It is rumoured that the paper
will aim for a circulation of around 50,000.
The Sci-Fi Channel is to launch a brand identity next month designed to
promote the channel’s mix of movies, dramas and fact-based
programming.
The new look incorporates live-action idents and a redesign of on- and
off-air promotional material.
Steve Jackson, Kiss 100’s breakfast show presenter, picked up the Best
Radio DJ award at last week’s Mobo (Music of Black Origin) Awards.
Earlier this year he picked up the Sony Award for best breakfast show
ahead of Chris Evans and Terry Wogan.
IPC Magazines is forming a 50-50 joint venture with Australian
Consolidated Press to publish magazines in Australia and New Zealand.
The new company, with a name of IPC-ACP Australia Pty, will take over
the publication of IPC’s Australian titles Bride to Be, Practical
Parenting and English Women’s Weekly and launch titles licensed from
IPC’s UK Portfolio.
William Reed, publisher of the Grocer, has moved into the food
manufacturing sector with a new magazine, Inside Food & Drink. It is the
publishing company’s first launch outside retailing. The monthly
magazine will have a controlled circulation of 12,000.
