Channel 4 has surprised the broadcasting industry by announcing the appointment of Andy Duncan, BBC director of marketing, communications and audiences, as its new chief executive.Duncan, the man behind the launch of the highly successful Freeview service, had not been named among the frontrunners for the position, which became vacant last month after Mark Thompson… Continue reading Channel 4 Appoints Andy Duncan As Chief Executive

Carat has become the latest agency to respond to the increasing role of new media in the marketing mix with the launch a dedicated department to handle all of its digital planning and buying business.Carat Digital will be headed by Keith Rattray, who takes charge of a 20-strong team handling more than £10 million worth… Continue reading Carat Launched Dedicated Digital Department

The majority of European procurement directors are being kept in the dark about how much their marketing departments spend on advertising, according to new research from spend management company, Ariba.The survey of Europe’s biggest spending companies across a variety of industries found that 40% procurement directors have no visibility of advertising spend, even though the… Continue reading Clients Miss Savings By Alienating Procurement Staff

Guardian Media Group, the newspaper publisher behind the Guardian and the Observer, has reportedly approved a £50 million investment to relaunch its titles in a new compact format.It is understood that the Guardian and the Observer will become the country’s first national newspaper titles to adopt the Berliner size and shape used in France by… Continue reading Guardian Takes Titles Compact With £50 Million Investment

BARB has finally launched a new reporting system capable of measuring the sponsorship of television programmes following ongoing requests from advertisers and agencies.The new tracking system, which has been in development since last year, will commence on a test basis from today, with the intention of going fully operational in the autumn.The service will see… Continue reading BARB Begins Roll-Out Of Sponsorship Tracking System

Express Newspapers owner Richard Desmond has reportedly registered the name London i as the title for his planned free-sheet newspaper which will compete with the Evening Standard and the Metro in the capital.The news ends months of fevered speculation as to what Desmond would call the title, which was first mooted at the beginning of… Continue reading Desmond Eyes New Name For Planned London Free-Sheet

Almost 25 million football fans tuned in to BBC One last night to watch England bow out of Euro 2004 after suffering an agonising defeat at the hands of host nation Portugal.Unofficial overnight figures from BARB show that a peak of 24.7 million viewers stayed at home to watch the game, which saw England drop… Continue reading Almost 25 Million Watch England’s Bitter Euro 2004 Defeat

Almost 25 million football fans tuned in to BBC One last night to watch a triumphant England secure a place in the Euro 2004 semi-finals after trouncing home nation Portugal in a sensational 2:1 victory.Unofficial overnight figures from BARB show that a peak of 24.7 million viewers stayed at home to watch the historic game,… Continue reading Almost 25 Million Watch Spectacular England Victory

Aidan Barclay, son of Sir David, looks set to become chairman of the Telegraph Group following the completion of the £665 million deal to take control of the UK’s best selling broadsheet newspaper.The role of chairman has been vacant since Lord Black was removed from the post earlier this year by disgruntled shareholders. Jeremy Deedes… Continue reading Barclays Not Expected To Shake-Up Telegraph Group

More than 70% of the British population watched at least some of England’s heart-wrenching Euro 2004 clash against France earlier this month, according to the latest research from media agency Carat.The study of more than 1,000 people shows that 74% of men and 68% of women watched the game, which saw France clinch a sensational… Continue reading More Than 70% Of UK Watched England Versus France