CurrantBun.com founder Ellis Watson’s ambitious internet venture
Talkcast will soon begin recruiting sales staff.
Watson said he was unable to go into details about the venture prior to
its cash placing of pounds 20 million, which is expected to go ahead
this week, but confirmed it would need ad sales people.
Speculation about Talkcast has been rife since Watson quit News
International last month vowing to create a pounds 30 billion media
group. Few hard facts are available, but various reports suggest the
internet operation will offer financial information, entertainment and
e-mail services.
Observers suggest it will aim to compete with online spin-offs of
traditional media companies, such as IPC Electric and Emap Online, but
will create its own brands rather than relying on existing magazine
titles to draw in consumers.
Watson’s partner in the venture is Toby Constantine, the former
marketing director of Times Newspapers. The EastEnders star Ross Kemp is
also thought to be an investor.
Constantine and Watson worked together at sales promotion agency Option
One handling the News International account before they moved into the
Murdoch fold in the early 1990s.
