MediaCommunications

MediaCom View: Never far from the media spotlight, Kelvin Mackenzie has bought a stake in the recently downsized publishing house Highbury House, following the recent sale of 38 titles to Future Publishing and Real Homes to Hachette-Filipacchi. Mackenzies latest business venture has raised a few eyebrows, and some feel he will be chasing the position of Chief Executive, although the fact Mike Trey was recently announced as the successor to Mark Simpson, who will be stepping down to Deputy Chairman in September, would suggest otherwise. With 14.99% of shares Mackenzie is believed to be the highest share holder at Highbury, and his presence should raise the profile of Highbury House in the media world.

MediaCom View: With 2 gambling titles already in their portfolio, Dennis Publishing is unquestionably the ideal publisher to take advantage of the massive growth in publicity and popularity of Poker. The monthly magazine will deliver news, features, profiles and strategies, they say it will provide entertainment and education in equal measures. The continued popularity of both online gambling and celebrity poker on TV should give the magazine enough regular content to fill its pages, especially as Five announced plans to launch a nine part series taking novices into the big time as they aim to win a prize of 100,000 at the final table.

MediaCom View: Future will be the second publisher this year to release a monthly Su-Doku magazine, following Bauers launch of Su-Doku Selection in May. Counting to nine has never been so popular as the puzzle craze takes over the country. Justine Wall, the publishing director of Futures puzzle portfolio says Su-Doku is the biggest puzzle craze since the Rubik cube way back in the 1980s and everyone is talking about it, many doing the puzzle on the commute to work or at lunch time. Total Su-Doku will do its bit to satisfy the needs of puzzle junkies each month.

Hitting news-stands on Thursday, 25th August the 68-page monthly title is packed with over a hundred Su-Doku number puzzles, aimed at all levels. Total Su-Doku has full instructions on how to solve the puzzles and has three levels to work through.

Total Su-Doku joins a growing stable of puzzle titles, which includes Puzzle Monthly, Logical Challenge and Portable Puzzles Arrows, all of which sit within Futures Living Group.

MediaCom View : A heavy marketing push for Lost, combined with the Big Brother final was always going to culminate in a strong week for C4. Thrilling Cricket coverage added to the shares as well. C4 is fast becoming the young viewers channel of choice. Jan-July peak impacts for C4 are 75%, as many as ITV excluding Coronation Street . Lost will only increase this, with last nights episode attracting 4.38m viewers, after the new series of Supernanny attaining 4.3m.

MediaCom View : ITV will need to alter the channel and its content to retain its place in the Entertainment section of the EPG. Is the threat to move it to an adult listing just negotiation tactics from Sky for other issues?