MediaCommunications

MediaCom View: The long-awaited cable re-brand has finally started. Once Telewest and NTL had managed to finalise their merger plans they set about acquiring Virgin Mobile earlier this year, and under plans devised at the time of purchase, the company is set to re-brand within the Virgin group. Virgin Media will officially be launched in the first quarter of 2007 and Virgin Mobile will integrate within the new Virgin Media group. In September of this year the group embarked on their first venture with the launch of 'quadplay', a service that offers digital TV, broadband, mobile phone and landline phone under one umbrella offering.

MediaCom View: Yahoo! already has a deal in place as 3's partner for mobile search and so this latest announcement is a clear indication of an early landgrab strategy. It's very much a future investment at this point, as advertising dollars are not currently pouring into this area as yet. Search online has been the key driver of advertising growth, largely down to direct response advertising in finance, business, travel and recruitment. What mobile brings to the party is the potential to make search really local - 'Find my nearest' style services should flourish.

MediaCom View: Channel 4 has become the first radio station to air on the 'Second Life' virtual gaming platform. This is a further extension of Channel 4's ongoing plans to extend its roots into new technology following the launch of their online radio station earlier this year. The virtual 'society' has 1.2 million participants currently, and the radio station will be accessible to users through Second Life's internal broadcast network. Channel 4 is keen to reach new audiences in original ways - focusing specifically on listener interaction. The channel currently has an online station and investments in digital station Oneword, but plans to bid for a share of the second digital radio multiplex.