MEDIA: FOR THE RECORD

BSkyB has signed up around 800,000 subscribers to its Sky Digital

service, for which it is giving away free set-top boxes. The company

originally aimed to have one million subscribers by October, but is now

expected to reach that figure within weeks.

GWR Group is to launch its own free internet access service on 1 July.

The initiative is a joint venture with breathe.net, and will launch

through two portals - the Classic FM and 2CR FM websites. The service

aims to put schools online, with initiatives such as Music Teacher of

the Year. It will also target amateur ensembles, providing a chat forum.

A CD-Rom with the software will be cover-mounted on Classic FM

magazine.

Fox Kids Europe has promoted Leanne Sharman to the position of head of

marketing and sponsorship. Sharman, previously marketing manager, will

develop marketing opportunities, cross-promotions and launch strategies

for new channels.

The Digital Broadcasting Company has appointed Bernadette O’Reilly as

sales director for its new pay-on-demand movie channel, uO’Reilly, who has been acting as a consultant to the channel, will

manage an in-house sales team and liaise with the media sales house,

Katz.

Granada Media Commercial Enterprises has signed a new sponsorship deal

for LWT Weather bulletins. The updates will be sponsored by Seeboard

Energy from 25 June in the company’s first foray into TV sponsorship.

The deal was negotiated by Designate Advertising.

Blacksheep, the Chester-based advertising agency, has been appointed by

GWR to handle the creative work for a new bus advertising campaign after

a four-way pitch against undisclosed agencies. The creative work builds

on the role that GWR’s local stations play in listeners’ lives.

Haymarket Magazines has agreed terms to buy Gramophone Publications,

whose interests include Gramophone magazine as well as guides, books,

quarterly publications and electronic media. Haymarket’s publishing

director, Kevin Costello, said: ’It is a strong brand with a 75-year

heritage in the classical music arena. With its emphasis on in-depth

reviewing, it already has great synergy with other titles in our group

such as What Hi-Fi?.’

United News & Media has bolstered its presence in the US parenting

publications market, spending dollars 6.2 million on acquisitions that

include Northwest Parent Publishing, Minnesota Parent and Arizona

Parent. UN&M, led by its chief executive, Clive Hollick, has invested

dollars 34 million in US parenting titles, and this figure is expected

to rise to more than dollars 50 million in the next year.

A new series of Centrica’s Goldfish Guides, Holiday Guides, will launch

in August. The first two guides cover short-haul and long-haul holidays.

Guides to European city breaks, activity holidays, skiing and cruises

are planned for later this year.

The regional newspaper group, Johnston Press, has been given clearance

to buy Portsmouth & Sunderland Newspapers following its pounds 266

million offer last month. The acquisition will increase Johnston’s total

circulation by just under 3 per cent, which the Competition Commission

regarded as a minor increase.

The rebranded contract publishing company, Citrus, has appointed Mark

Winthrop as advertising director. Winthrop was advertisement manager for

Redwood Publishing’s Sky Digital TV Guide.

Emap Active is relaunching its monthly golf magazine, Golf World, this

month, backed by a three-month, pounds 100,000 brand advertising

campaign created by BBH Unlimited and bought by Motive Communications.

The magazine is to include more opinion-forming articles.

This article was first published on Campaign