Media: Briefs

Channel 4 is seen as the channel of choice for upmarket 16- to

24-year-olds, according to research from ROAR, the ongoing study into

young people’s media habits, lifestyles and attitudes. Educated 16- to

24-year-olds found Channel 4 more adventurous, bold, imaginative and

challenging than any other channel in the UK.

News International may be asked by the Office of Fair Trading to give a

commitment not to introduce further price cutting on its newspaper

titles.

John Bridgeman, director-general of the OFT is understood to be

considering asking NI to give such an undertaking, which would mean no

referral was required from the OFT to the Monopolies and Mergers

Commission over the newspaper group’s strategy. The OFT has been

investigating NI’s price cutting since March last year.

The Independent Television Commission has published guidelines on the

system that allocates points to each terrestrial digital programme

service.

The guidelines establish the points system that places a limit on the

digital programme services any one company can provide.

Outdoor company Mills & Allen is launching a new initiative to lure

clients away from television. M&A is encouraging clients to take a

percentage of spend from their TV budgets and plough it into outdoor. In

return, M&A will boost site schedules by 20% for free.

Carlton Communications has bought independent production company Planet

24, makers of Channel 4’s Big Breakfast, in a deal worth pounds 15m.

Waheed Ali, managing director of Planet 24, will join the Carlton TV

board next month as managing director of Carlton Productions.

The Telegraph is to launch its first separate property supplement, which

will appear on Saturdays from March 27. The 12- to 16-page supplement

will include news stories and property-related features.

Lego is launching a magazine, Lego Adventures, aimed at five- to

eight-year-olds. The magazine is published by Egmont Fleetway in

co-operation with Lego Media International. It launches on March 24

priced at pounds 1.50.

IPC Magazines has appointed Claire Portis as advertisement director for

its SouthBank Publishing Group’s fashion and beauty titles. Currently

advertisement manager of Marie Claire and Marie Claire Health and

Beauty, Portis starts her new role at the end of April.

The British Cycling Federation is to launch a new magazine, British

Cycling, published by Space Matters, the contract publisher formed at

the start of the year. The first issue is out on March 18 and the title

will be bi-monthly. Space Matters won the contract after pitching

against Cabal Communications and GE Magazines.

Cathy Dewhurst has been appointed managing director of TARA Television,

the Irish entertainment channel. Dewhurst was formerly director of

programming and operations at the channel.

The More Group UK has acquired a controlling stake in the London-based

billboard contractor Postermobile, and is making an offer for all

remaining shares. The management of Postermobile will continue to run

the company as well as the regional sales for all More Group’s 48-sheet

portfolio in the Carlton, Anglia and Meridian TV regions. The company

will also take control of the estate and operations management of the

More Group’s entire billboard operation in the same area.

Estelle Hughes, head of acquisitions and development at the Disney

Channel UK, is leaving the TV station. Hughes follows director of

programming and acquisitions Joan Lofts and head of creative Amelia

Johnson, who both resigned at the beginning of February.

More than half of all advertisers believe bus advertising is better

presented than before, according to a survey by TDI. The research also

found an awareness level of 62% of the increased number of FMCG

campaigns on buses.

Nickelodeon UK, the company behind The Rugrats television series, has

brokered a deal with brands such as Anchor, Heinz Soups, Kia-Ora, and KP

Skips, to coincide with the launch of The Rugrats Movie.

Banking giant HSBC has appointed Zenith Media Worldwide as its lead

media agency internationally. Zenith will co-ordinate media campaigns

for HSBC Holdings and its group of companies across the 79 countries and

territories within which it operates. Billings are reported to be pounds

100m.

1576, the Edinburgh-based advertising agency, did not pitch for the

Daily Record account as was reported in last week’s issue of

Marketing.

Two Can is an independent publisher, and is not owned by The Telegraph

as reported in Marketing, February 27.

This article was first published on Marketing