Granada has sold its 6.5 per cent stake in BSkyB for pounds 429
million to the investment company, BT Alex Brown, because of its
conflicting investment in ONdigital. Next month, ONdigital will launch a
digital TV service which will directly compete with BSkyB’s Sky Digital
offering. BT Alex Brown sold the shares on for an estimated pounds 4.5
million profit minutes after the initial deal was struck. - The
Times
IPC Group has announced its acquisition of LH Media, of which Link House
Magazines is a wholly owned subsidiary. Link House currently operates in
eight markets and publishes 27 regular titles and 13 annual holiday
guides. The portfolio includes a range of niche motoring and boating
magazines and some outdoor and hobby titles. - General release
The Daily Star’s editor, Phil Walker (left), has stepped down after five
years in the post. He will be succeeded by the deputy editor, Peter
Hill, who is charged with returning the paper to economic viability with
the help of a pounds 3 million injection from Express Newspapers. -
General release
The Financial Times Group has appointed Olivier Fleurot managing
director of the Financial Times newspaper. His most recent position was
as chief executive of the Les Echos Group which includes France’s
leading business newspaper, Les Echos. Fleurot will take the helm on 1
January and will report to Stephen Gill, the chief executive of the
Financial Times Group. - General release
The portfolio director of Guinness, Gary Haigh, has stepped in as its
marketing director, replacing Julian Spooner. Haigh will take up the
role at the end of the month, which includes responsibility for the
marketing and advertising of other Guinness Brewing brands, such as
Kilkenny and Enigma. Spooner moves to be operations director at Guinness
Africa. - Marketing
W. H. Smith is supporting the National Year of Reading with an offer of
40 per cent off favourite children’s books, supported by a new TV ad
starring Nicholas Lyndhurst. The spot shows a doctor looking into a
child’s ear where he sees monsters, sky divers, pirate ships, space
shuttles, tigers and bears. The doctor is amazed and when he tells the
boy’s mother, she attributes the symptoms to the books he has been
reading. - General release
Dulux’s parent company, ICI Paints, has appointed a new marketing
director, Magdalena Teare, in a bid to strengthen the brand’s leading
share of the UK home decoration market and to boost its overseas
presence. Teare was formerly the marketing director of Tambrands, which
she left in October 1997 after it was acquired by Procter & Gamble. -
Marketing
Emap has restructured its management to develop links between its
magazines, TV and radio businesses. Tom Moloney, chief executive of Emap
consumer magazines, takes on the new post of head of UK consumer
affairs, to whom Tim Schoonmaker, the chief executive of Emap Radio,
will now report. The post will give Moloney overall responsibility for
consumer magazines, radio and television. - General release
Duncan Edwards (left) has been appointed deputy managing director of the
National Magazine Company from his previous position as director of
corporate business development. He is being groomed to replace the
managing director, Terry Mansfield, when he retires. Edwards joined the
company in 1989 as the ad director of Company magazine. - General
release
The Government is investigating the pounds 95,000 sponsorship deal
between the high street sports chain, JD Sports, and Siddal Moor High
School in Lancashire. Although it was officially a ’no-strings’ deal,
children must buy their PE kit - emblazoned with the JD Sports logo - at
the store, while the school’s new indoor gymnasium bears the company’s
name on a large sign at the front. - Daily Express.
