23rd September
Culture Secretary has pledged to turn the UK digital by 2012.
MediaCom View: Tessa Jowell has confirmed plans to switch off the analogue signal in 2012. Starting in 2008, the Border region will be the first to go fully digital and then a planned regional programme will be adhered to right up to 2012, when Ulster will be the final region to be switched over.
ITV's new male-orientated channel ITV4 has unveiled its programme line-up.
MediaCom View: ITV4 is focusing upon US programming in an attempt to attract older light-viewing men. The David Letterman show, American Gothic and Dream On should help to establish cult followings, while films such as Full Metal Jacket and Carlitos Way should help them in their attempt to break into the top ten Freeview channels.
The London Evening Standard changes content and axes City section.
MediaCom View: The Evening Standard introduced changes to the paper this week in order to improve their product offering while creating new opportunities for advertisers. The pink city section in the middle pages have been brought forward to the front half of the newspaper and feature new writers such as Neil Collins, who is the former Telegraph City Editor. The move leaves extra space to accommodate lifestyle and entertainment editorial. The Business section, now featured on white paper, paves the way for additional colour advertising within business news. The paper has been stapled for the first time and a number of new columnists have been drafted in to inject new life into this struggling paper.
Heart 106.2 is behind a campaign to encourage Londoners back into the West End.
MediaCom View : 'Celebrate Oxford Street Dress to Impress is the grand finale of The Mayor's multi-million pound campaign, which in association with Transport for London and Visit London, aims to boost the capitals economy with a series of public events and promotions. Heart are the official radio partners which helps to establish them as a genuine part of London culture and a real rival to 95.8 Capital FM.
Guardian Unlimited is partnering with a US technology company to sell advertising based on behavioral targeting for the first time.
MediaCom View : This technology has the capability to significantly limit the amount of ad impressions wasted on the wrong audience. It works by using interest-based keywords which are relevant to the target group, and only delivering ads to users who have been to an area of the site where these words are used. For example, if a campaign is aimed at people who love high end cars, you can create an audience segment based on key words such as Mercedes or BMW.Because ads follow users based on their behaviour and not simply which pages they visit, behavioural targeting gives you access to a highly qualified, customised audience, wherever they are on the Guardian Unlimited site.
