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Spark Response is planning to create up to 300 new jobs at its call centre operations on Tyneside, and a new unit will open at Doxford Park in Sunderland next month. 31-Dec-2001 Just Group, the children's entertainment rights company, has started final attempts to raise financing following the recent suspension of its shares, and staff numbers have been cut from 210 to 85. 24-Dec-2001 ITV Digital is to shed more than 500 of the 970 jobs at its call centre in Plymouth, although some staff will offered relocation to Pembroke or London. 18-Dec-2001 Scottish Radio Holdings has won a 12-year licence to broadcast a digital radio service for the Inverness area from July 2003. 17-Dec-2001 The BBC has awarded a £500m contract to Capita for the collection of TV licence fees over the next ten years, which will involve the transfer of up to 15,000 Bristol-based staff from Consignia to Capita. 14-Dec-2001 Storyland is looking to set up an animation studio in Dundee at some stage in the future. 13-Dec-2001 Highland Council has received plans from Tulloch for the development of a £15m Vincero Productions film studio and visitor centre near Inverness, and work is due to start in March. 13-Dec-2001 Telegraph Group has announced plans to shed about 40 of the 500 jobs in its editorial workforce, following a fall in advertising revenues. 12-Dec-2001 The BBC may be required to spend up to £100m upgrading its transmitter networks, under government proposals to speed up the development of digital TV. 12-Dec-2001 NTL has announced plans to shed a further 2,000 jobs, with the sales, marketing and back-office operations being hardest hit. 11-Dec-2001 Beattie Media is planning to expand its network of nine public relations offices with new locations in Manchester and the US. 10-Dec-2001 Mentorn is to set up a TV production office in Glasgow with the creation of at least 15 jobs. 10-Dec-2001 Morgan Partnership, the Glasgow-based advertising agency with 20 staff, has placed itself in voluntary liquidation following the loss of a major contract, and the business has been transferred to a new company called the Egg. 07-Dec-2001 Findel is planning to shed a further 100 jobs in its mail order and educational supplies business, as part of the integration of the recently-acquired Novara operation. 07-Dec-2001 The Welsh Development Agency is discussing plans for the possible relocation of the International Film School of Wales from the Caerleon campus at the University of Wales College in Newport to larger premises elsewhere. 06-Dec-2001 Oxford Metrics, the supplier of special effects systems for use in films, is planning to increase its workforce from 70 to 100 next year and is seeking larger premises in the Oxford area. 06-Dec-2001 Cordiant Communications is planning to shed a further 400 jobs in its worldwide advertising business, which will involve the merger of some activities and the closure of others. 04-Dec-2001 DDD Group is planning to raise £10m in a flotation on Aim to fund the development of 3D imaging technology for television. 03-Dec-2001 The BBC has submitted plans for the £400m redevelopment of Broadcasting House in London, in order to provide accommodation for BBC Radio & Music, BBC News and BBC World Services, and space for 5,000 staff. 30-Nov-2001 Boots and Granada are to close their Wellbeing Network digital TV channel with the loss of 80 jobs, while Granada has also announced plans to shed a further 400 jobs over the next few months. 28-Nov-2001 West Ferry Printers is to shed up to 100 jobs in London, having lost a number of newspaper printing contracts. 27-Nov-2001 Chrysalis and 365 Corporation are planning to merge their online sports operations into a new jointly-owned vehicle, in order to reduce costs. 26-Nov-2001 Pearson is to shed 49 jobs in its Dorling Kindersley and Penguin book publishing operations, in order to forge closer links between the two businesses. 26-Nov-2001 Chrysalis is to acquire the remaining 50% stake in its Dutch TV production subsidiary from VNU for £4.5m. 23-Nov-2001 Guardian Media Group is to relocate the Edinburgh office of its ScotFM radio station from Leith to a 37,000 sq ft premises at the Baillieston business park. 23-Nov-2001 BBC Worldwide is seeking suitable premises for 120 staff in Bath, which will involve the relocation of the Chivers Press business and the transfer of some jobs from London. 23-Nov-2001 Granada Media is said to be planning to close its Meridian West TV studio in Newbury, in order to centralise the local news operation at the Southampton broadcasting centre. 21-Nov-2001 GWR is considering plans to sell its radio interests in Austria, Hungary, Poland, Finland and the Netherlands, in order to focus on the UK and Australia. 21-Nov-2001 Intasport is planning to recruit 15 additional telesales staff at its new football marketing office at Meir in Staffordshire over the next three months. 20-Nov-2001 Pearson is investing £3.4m in a joint venture with CTV Media to provide English language training programmes in China, in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. 20-Nov-2001 Consignia and Opus Trust are forming a Leicester-based joint venture called Optecon, in order to provide direct mail and billing services with a workforce of 120. 19-Nov-2001 Channel 4 is to shed 80 jobs, including 30 redundancies, a reduction in freelance contracts and the closure of unfilled vacancies. 16-Nov-2001 IPC Media is to close six magazine titles and the IPC Live events business with the loss of 115 jobs. 14-Nov-2001 Kingston Communications is launching a new service called Kingston Interactive TV, which will provide video on demand and other broadband TV services to 10,000 houses in Hull and east Yorkshire. 13-Nov-2001 Thomas Cook has announced plans to launch a branded digital TV channel, which will feature its full range of holidays and other travel products. 09-Nov-2001 United Business Media has closed Rapture TV, the Norwich-based cable channel, with the loss of about 40 jobs. 08-Nov-2001 United Business Media is planning to shed about 200 jobs at its Tonbridge-based CMP Information magazine and events business. 07-Nov-2001 Maitland Consultancy is to form an international public relations alliance with Abernathy MacGregor of the US and Euro RSCG Omnium of France, creating a single brand called AMO International Financial Communications. 07-Nov-2001 British Telecom has applied for a licence from the Independent Television Commission to provide TV services such as video-on-demand through ADSL phone lines. 05-Nov-2001 The BBC is to shed almost 130 jobs in its factual and learning division in order to save £6m a year, which will affect sites in London, Birmingham and Manchester. 02-Nov-2001 ITN is to shed almost 100 jobs following the renewal of its contract to provide news services to the ITV network. 02-Nov-2001 Friday-Ad, the classified advertising newspaper, is to close three shops and a warehouse in Sussex with the loss of an unspecified number of jobs. 01-Nov-2001 Distraction Formats, the Canadian media production company, is to relocate its global sales headquarters from Paris to London after securing a capital injection of £0.9m. 01-Nov-2001 The BBC is to merge the World Service radio with the BBC World satellite service to create a combined international news and information division. 31-Oct-2001 First Artist Corporation, the sports agency, is planning to raise about £6m in a flotation on Aim, in order to fund the acquisition of Switzerland-based Fimo. 29-Oct-2001 Capital Radio has paid £3.3m for a 19% stake in Tainside, the operator of the Choice FM radio licences in London, and has an option to buy the remaining 81%. 26-Oct-2001 Pearson is to shed up to 150 jobs in a new cost-cutting exercise at the Financial Times. 18-Oct-2001 Reuters has announced plans for a further 500 job cuts over the next two years, as part of an ongoing cost-cutting campaign. 17-Oct-2001 BSkyB and Ladbrokes have called off plans to create an interactive betting joint venture, citing commercial reasons and the referral of the project to the Competition Commission. 17-Oct-2001 Reed Elsevier is investing £17m in a strategic partnership with Riverdeep of Ireland to develop interactive learning products for children. 15-Oct-2001 Incepta is shedding about 130 jobs in its US public relations offices and a further 25 to 30 in the UK, in order to save £3.5m a year. 11-Oct-2001 Scottish Media Group has offered voluntary redundancy to all 1,700 staff, prompting speculation that hundreds of jobs could be lost in the cost-cutting move. 10-Oct-2001 Music Copyright Solutions is raising £2m in a share offer to fund the expansion of its music royalties collection system and the acquisition of the Leosong catalogue. 09-Oct-2001 News International is planning to relocate its central Peterborough facility to a 40,000 sq ft office at Cygnet Park. 08-Oct-2001 Cambridge University Press is to shed 60 of the 750 jobs in its publishing and printing departments in Cambridge over the next three years. 05-Oct-2001 Access Partnership, the publisher of safety documents for schools, is to create 50 jobs at a new call centre in Hanley this month. 02-Oct-2001 Future Network has announced a £35m rights issue in order to reduce debt and improve the capital structure of its lossmaking magazines business. 01-Oct-2001 Teletext, the on-screen information group, is planning to house 350 staff at new offices on the Chiswick Park business park in London. 01-Oct-2001 BBC Somerset Sound, the local radio station, is planning to move its news headquarters and seven staff to new premises in Taunton. 28-Sep-2001 AnswerCall Direct has announced the creation of 68 new jobs, following a £1m investment in a telemarketing call centre in Portadown. 28-Sep-2001 NTL has shed about 60 of the 700 jobs at its call centre in Cardiff Bay, in order to transfer some work to Belfast. 27-Sep-2001 EMI is planning a £100m restructuring programme that will involve the reorganisation of underperforming record labels and the consolidation of administrative functions in Europe and the US. 26-Sep-2001 The BBC is looking into the possibility of selling its 170,000 sq ft BBC Wales headquarters in Cardiff in order to relocate to the bay area of the city. 24-Sep-2001 Scottish Radio Holdings has sold the Irish Sunday newspaper to Associated Newspapers for £7.4m. 20-Sep-2001 Taylor & Francis is seeking acquisitions in Europe and the US to expand its scientific and academic publishing business. 20-Sep-2001 The BBC has announced a £220m property partnership with Land Securities' Trillium subsidiary, which will involve the creation of a media village in London's White City and provide the BBC with a further £35m to invest in programmes. 18-Sep-2001 E3 Media, the Bristol-based digital communications agency, is planning to open new offices in Birmingham and Manchester by next March. 17-Sep-2001 The BBC has won conditional government approval for three new TV and five new radio services, including two digital TV children's channels and a culture channel. 14-Sep-2001 Chime Communications is to shed up to 10% of the 1,000 jobs in its advertising and public relations business, and will delay plans for expansion in the US. 12-Sep-2001 Trinity Mirror has sold its Colmore Circus office in Birmingham to Pillar Property and Parlison Properties for about £8.5m, and will relocate its presses outside the city centre. 10-Sep-2001 Granada Media is discussing plans to launch a TV channel dedicated to Liverpool Football Club. 31-Aug-2001 Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council is to consider plans from Fairfield Properties and Westair Properties for the development of a movie studio complex at Llanilid, with the creation of 2,000 jobs. 31-Aug-2001 The BBC is considering plans to seek joint venture partners for a number of businesses, including magazines, books and videos, following a review of its commercial activities. 28-Aug-2001 Highland Council is in discussions with Aberdeen-based TVP Film & Multi Media about plans to develop a £30m film studio in Inverness, and details are expected to be announced next month. 28-Aug-2001 Telewest has decided to sell or close its Smashed Atom interactive TV joint venture with Atomic Tangerine, due to insufficient demand for broadband TV services. 28-Aug-2001 The Telegraph Newspaper Group is moving its subscriptions department to Chatham in Kent over the next few months, where it will create about 100 jobs. 27-Aug-2001 Channel 5 is looking at ways to develop alternative sources of revenue, which could lead to the introduction of home shopping programmes, merchandising and other direct sales opportunities. 27-Aug-2001 Sportal has secured £5m from investors to fund its internet sports business until the second quarter of next year. 27-Aug-2001 IPC Media is to close three online magazines, including Loaded, BEME and Unmissabletv, with the loss of 90 jobs. 24-Aug-2001 Einstein, the science and technology broadcaster, is to undertake a strategic review following a decline in its cash position, which could lead to the sale of certain assets. 22-Aug-2001 Listening Company, the call centre operator, is planning to recruit a further 200 staff at its Enterprise House office in Portsmouth. 21-Aug-2001 Telewest and Vis are planning to launch a computer-generated interactive horseracing TV channel, which will enable viewers to own and race their own horses. 20-Aug-2001 Granada and Carlton Communications are planning a £4m revamp for their London News Network joint venture, which will result in the loss of about 28 of the 250 jobs. 17-Aug-2001 The BBC has awarded a £40m contract to Interior to fit out its new Midlands headquarters at the Mailbox development in Birmingham. 16-Aug-2001 NTL is to close its cable TV and telecoms call centre in Newport with the loss of up to 134 jobs, although some staff will relocate to its Swansea office. 14-Aug-2001 Video Networks is planning to raise up to £100m over the next year to fund the expansion of its broadband interactive TV service, and has just secured the video-on-demand rights to Premier League football. 14-Aug-2001 Cordiant is planning to cut costs in its advertising and marketing business, prompting speculation that up to 700 jobs could be lost. 14-Aug-2001 Carlton Communications and Sainsbury have closed their Taste Network internet and digital TV food channel with the loss of about 20 jobs. 10-Aug-2001 Ministry of Sound, the London nightclub, has secured a £24m investment from 3i to expand its media and music operations. 09-Aug-2001 Ideal Shopping Direct has raised £3.5m in a share placing to rebuild its TV shopping business following a recent fire at its broadcasting studios in Peterborough. 09-Aug-2001 GWR is to shed 46 jobs from its Koko.com internet service, in order to focus on its local radio stations. 02-Aug-2001 Scottish Radio Holdings has acquired the remaining 60% of Carlisle Radio for £3.2m. 31-Jul-2001 Trinity Mirror is to shed 750 jobs over the next three years, in order to reduce costs and streamline its regional and national newspaper business. 30-Jul-2001 Scoot has sold its Scoot Europe online directories business to joint venture partner Vivendi Universal for a nominal sum. 30-Jul-2001 Chrysalis is considering plans to sell off its lossmaking Citipages and Darkerthanblue online operations, in order to focus on the Rivals.net sports website. 30-Jul-2001 NTL has received two approaches for the sale of its broadcast transmission business, and has also announced plans to shed a further 5,000 jobs over the next two years. 27-Jul-2001 Reuters has announced plans to shed 1,340 of the 16,500 jobs in its global news and information business over the next two years. 25-Jul-2001 PeopleNews, the internet-based supplier of celebrity news, has gone into liquidation with the loss of 15 jobs. 24-Jul-2001 CamVista, the Fife-based supplier of webcam equipment, has raised more than £1m of private equity to fund its international expansion plans. 20-Jul-2001 Future Network is to shed 140 jobs at its consumer magazines business in Bath and London, in order to reduce annual costs by £4m. 16-Jul-2001 BSkyB is forming an interactive betting joint venture with Ladbrokes, which will enable viewers to place bets using their TV remote-control devices. 13-Jul-2001 Cube8 has closed its Planet Three web design agency in London, with the loss of 14 jobs. 11-Jul-2001 British Telecom is linking up with BSkyB and ITV to offer bundled TV and telephone packages in competition with cable companies. 11-Jul-2001 BBC Scotland is expecting to create more than 100 broadcasting jobs over the next two years, due to a £14m increase in funding for drama, entertainment and children's programmes. 09-Jul-2001 Guardian Media Group has been awarded a regional radio licence in Yorkshire, and will broadcast to a population of up to 3m listeners from early 2002. 09-Jul-2001 Trinity Mirror is planning to set up a new multi million pound printing facility for the Western Mail & Echo at Pacific Park in Cardiff. 06-Jul-2001 Aardman Animations has laid off 90 staff at its Bristol-based animation business due to a six-month delay in its next film. 05-Jul-2001 Johnston Press is to acquire eight weekly newspapers from Trinity Mirror for £16m. 04-Jul-2001 Media Generation is planning to raise £1m in a flotation on Ofex in order to expand its Quicksilver contract publishing and exhibitions business. 03-Jul-2001 GDS Publishing, the Bristol-based contract publisher, is planning to double its 160-strong worldwide workforce over the next 12 months, partly as a result of its expansion into organising e-business conferences. 02-Jul-2001 Diageo is to sell the Guinness World Records book publishing business to Gullane Entertainment for £45m. 02-Jul-2001 Scoot is to shed 285 jobs and stop any further expansion of its online directories business, while a cash injection is being sought to secure its future. 28-Jun-2001 Amey has acquired a 51% stake in MNN Holdings, the parent company of the Crown Business Communications video technology business, for £9.1m. 27-Jun-2001 Carlton Communications is forming a partnership with the Public Broadcasting Service and Corporation for Public Broadcasting to invest £14m in the production of TV programmes for the US market. 21-Jun-2001 NTL has won a £25m contract to provide digital radio transmission services to MXR, which will involve the creation of a new distribution network using both the internet and radio frequencies. 21-Jun-2001 Sanctuary is in negotiations to acquire Trojan Records for about £10m, in order to expand its back catalogue of music. 20-Jun-2001 Ealing Council has approved plans from Fragile Films and the Manhattan Loft Company for the £50m redevelopment of Ealing Studios, in order to improve the TV and cinema production facilities on the 3.8 acre site. 15-Jun-2001 Tamarind, a new sales and marketing venture, is opening a call centre at Moulton Park in Northamptonshire with the creation of 140 jobs. 14-Jun-2001 BSkyB has announced a deal with Stamford Homes of Peterborough to install satellite TV services in 450 new homes each year. 14-Jun-2001 Granada is to shed up to 100 management jobs in order to save £20m a year, and the group will be reorganised into two divisions - content and broadcasting platforms. 14-Jun-2001 Cordiant Communications is planning to cut up to 400 jobs due to the decline in the technology sector, which will mostly affect its US advertising agencies. 13-Jun-2001 BSkyB is to close its Sky Pictures movie division with the loss of about 17 jobs. 11-Jun-2001 Regional Independent Media has been given the go-ahead to acquire the newspapers of the Galloway Gazette without a Competition Commission inquiry. 08-Jun-2001 Media nan Eilean is to close its Stornoway office and shed five of its 10 staff, following the loss of a number of contracts to produce Gaelic TV programmes. 07-Jun-2001 Reuters is planning to shed a further 500 jobs in its electronic information business, as part of a strategy to make annual cost savings of £150m by 2003. 07-Jun-2001 Emap is to acquire the remaining 50% of Media Nature from Bayard Group for £16m, in order to expand its magazine publishing business in France. 07-Jun-2001 Mersey TV has won planning permission to extend its Childwall site in Liverpool, which will involve new film sets and additional car parking. 31-May-2001 BBC Resources is linking up with BMPtvi, the advertising agency, to produce TV ads for corporate clients, and the profits will be used to supplement the BBC licence fee. 29-May-2001 PrimeEnt is planning to set up a nationwide network of local TV stations starting with the £9m acquisition of Your TV & Radio, which has broadcasting licences in south Wales and the Isle of Wight. 29-May-2001 British Telecom is considering plans to use its telephone network to deliver TV programmes and internet services into homes, which would challenge the market dominance of the leading cable TV companies. 29-May-2001 Yes Television is planning a £23m expansion of its digital TV and internet business in Cardiff, with the creation of 210 jobs over the next four years. 22-May-2001 Grampian Records is planning to invest £2.5m in the expansion of its CD factory at Wick, with the creation of up to 30 new jobs. 21-May-2001 Telewest is planning to close its Bristol call centre and accounts department with the loss of up to 120 jobs, although some staff will be transferred to its new national call centre in Birmingham. 21-May-2001 Victoria Real is planning to shed up to 25 jobs at its digital media business in Brighton. 18-May-2001 SMG has completed the acquisition of Orpheus Publications, the London-based publisher of magazines for musicians. 18-May-2001 The BBC has confirmed plans to move BBC East and Radio Norfolk to the Millennium building in Norwich next year, which will involve the relocation of 120 staff. 17-May-2001 BSkyB has bought British Telecom's 19.9% stake in the Open interactive TV service for £387m. 16-May-2001 VNU is in negotiations to sell its Malmberg education publishing business to 3i for an estimated price of more than £120m. 15-May-2001 Research Solutions, the Stockton-based market research company, is planning to double the size of its current field team to 60. 14-May-2001 Sportal, the operator of sports websites, is looking to raise £6m from investors to rescue the business from administration. 11-May-2001 The BBC is forming a £100m joint venture with Cobalt Media to transform BBC Film into an international movie studio. 11-May-2001 BSkyB is to restructure its Open home shopping service and combine its internet and new media operations into a single division, with the loss of about 300 jobs. 10-May-2001 Telewest and NTL are to combine their advertising sales activities in order to offer a one-stop shop for companies looking to advertise on cable TV, and further alliances are being considered in the procurement of goods and services. 10-May-2001 Zone Vision has secured £8.3m of private equity funding to launch new TV channels and expand into new markets such as Latin America. 09-May-2001 The BBC is to invite bids from the private sector for the collection of the BBC licence fee, and the contract could be worth more than £500m. 04-May-2001 Television Corporation is to raise £5.8m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its TV production business and to develop the UK Powerboat Grand Prix in Plymouth over the next six years. 03-May-2001 NTL, the cable TV operator, is considering plans to shed hundreds of jobs in an effort to make cost savings of £200m over the next two years. 03-May-2001 Haywoods Design is expanding its brand management design consultancy into larger offices in Coventry, and will create an unspecified number of new jobs. 02-May-2001 Money Channel, the business TV station, has had its shares suspended after running out of funds, and may now be closed down. 02-May-2001 Forever Broadcasting has acquired a 10% stake in Somethin' Else Sound Directions, the radio and TV production company, for £1.7m. 02-May-2001 NTL is creating 100 new jobs at its customer call centre in Nottingham, due to rising demand for its digital TV services. 30-Apr-2001 TDI, the advertising group, is planning to relocate its London office to a 32,000 sq ft scheme at Camden Lock early next year. 30-Apr-2001 Scoot has rejected a £100m offer from Vivendi Universal of France for its online directories business. 30-Apr-2001 Future Network is closing its lossmaking magazines business in Germany and European editions of the Business 2.0 title. 30-Apr-2001 Wireless Group is renegotiating its £40m banking facility in order to secure adequate resources for the development of its radio business, which could lead to the sale of some radio licences. 30-Apr-2001 Coltas Group is to create 60 new jobs at its Glasgow-based advertising agency, having won a £40m contract for Tiny computers. 27-Apr-2001 Two Way TV has secured £12m from SMI Media Invest to fund the expansion of its interactive games channel on digital TV. 24-Apr-2001 Granada and Carlton Communications are planning to combine their ITV, pay-TV and internet operations under the ITV brand, which will result in ONdigital being renamed ITV Digital. 23-Apr-2001 Pearson is forming a joint venture with IBM to develop interactive learning services for the home, and trials will take place in the US and a number of European countries. 23-Apr-2001 Guardian Media Group has announced a deal with Emap to expand its Real Radio service across the north of England. 23-Apr-2001 Emap is considering plans to sell its US publishing operations, and is drawing up a list of potential bidders. 23-Apr-2001 Channel 5 has secured a further £6m of investment from major shareholders, and the money will be spent on "high profile" programming. 20-Apr-2001 AirMedia has raised £9m of venture capital to expand its mobile internet marketing business into continental Europe. 19-Apr-2001 Quadriga is planning to install a new digital TV and high-speed internet system in more than 6,000 hotels across Europe and the Middle East. 18-Apr-2001 Hollinger International of Canada is looking to spend more than £400m on acquisitions over the next year, and would be interested in buying a UK regional newspaper group and a European newspaper business. 17-Apr-2001 Excel Publishing is creating 50 new jobs in Manchester following a £2m expansion of its business magazines. 17-Apr-2001 Stream Group is planning to raise £4m in a flotation in order to fund a London sales office and the development of new content for mobile phones and digital TV. 11-Apr-2001 London Underground is linking up with DHJ Media and TDI to install up to 400 advertising screens that use IMAX projection equipment at stations throughout the central zone. 09-Apr-2001 Pearson is to shed 40 jobs in its Financial Times internet business, which will affect the technology, marketing and product management functions. 06-Apr-2001 British Telecom is in discussions to sell its Yell yellow pages business to a consortium that includes Apax Partners for more than £3bn. 05-Apr-2001 LBM Solutions is planning to create 600 jobs in the Manchester area, including 500 at a new direct marketing call centre in Wythenshawe and 100 at its Altrincham headquarters. 03-Apr-2001 Wireless Group is to relocate the 96.3Q FM local radio station from Paisley to a larger studio near Glasgow city centre this summer. 02-Apr-2001 Johnston Press is to close the Southern Web Offset print centre in Burgess Hill next year, but some of the 83 jobs will be transferred to other sites. 30-Mar-2001 Television Corporation has won a £10m contract from BSkyB to provide production facilities for live football coverage over the next three years. 29-Mar-2001 Emap, the magazine and radio group, is to scale back spending on internet activities to £25m this year with the loss of about 90 jobs. 28-Mar-2001 GlobalNetFinancial, the financial information company, is cutting 50 jobs as part of a strategy to reduce annual costs by £3.4m. 27-Mar-2001 Scoot has appointed Merrill Lynch to conduct a strategic review of its online directory business, but has denied the company is seeking a buyer. 26-Mar-2001 The BBC is considering plans to sell its consumer magazine division and a number of cable and satellite TV channels, in order to cut costs and raise funds for new services. 26-Mar-2001 The BBC has selected Land Securities as preferred bidder for a £500m deal to redevelop its central London properties and provide facilities management services. 23-Mar-2001 Capital Radio has confirmed plans to invest £11m in the internet, digital radio and marketing in 2001. 23-Mar-2001 ANT Marketing, the Sheffield-based telephone marketing group, is planning to create a further 200 jobs in Sheffield by setting up a new call centre at the historic Sheaf Quays building. 22-Mar-2001 Diageo is looking to sell its Guinness World Records business, which includes a book, TV shows and websites. 22-Mar-2001 BizNet Solutions, the web design and internet marketing company, has opened a new head office in Belfast and is now looking to open branches in Dublin and Boston. 21-Mar-2001 Chime Communications is planning to make about four acquisitions in direct marketing and media buying this year. 21-Mar-2001 Reuters is said to be considering plans to move from its Fleet Street headquarters in order to combine its various London offices under one roof. 19-Mar-2001 Picardy Media is planning to raise £7m in a flotation on Aim in order to fund the expansion of its digital media business. 19-Mar-2001 Daily Mail & General Trust is to conduct an operational review of its newspaper publishing business, which is expected to lead to a reduction in staff and spending. 19-Mar-2001 Applied Psychology Research has raised £6.9m of venture capital to help with the development of programme finder software for the Independent Television Commission. 19-Mar-2001 TelMe is to close its Birkenhead office with the loss of 15 jobs following a decision to abandon its business information service, while 45 other jobs will be relocated to Chester Business Park. 15-Mar-2001 Excell Multimedia is to create more than 200 jobs at a new £2.5m call centre at the Riverside Business Park in Irvine, which is expected to open in the summer. 15-Mar-2001 Acxiom is to create a further 200 jobs at its 2Touch telesales outsourcing call centre in Sunderland. 15-Mar-2001 Trinity Mirror is considering plans to sell off its ic24 internet service business and its business magazines and exhibitions division. 15-Mar-2001 Express Newspapers is planning to shed 145 of the 540 jobs in its editorial department, in order to reduce costs. 15-Mar-2001 Civilian Content has increased its stake in The Sales Company to 75%, in order to expand the film distribution side of its business. 14-Mar-2001 Visual Gold, the Telford-based computer animation company, has secured a £2.7m capital investment from Aberdeen Murray Johnstone to expand its TV and film production, with the creation of 35 jobs. 13-Mar-2001 AnswerCall Direct is to create 60 jobs at its telemarketing call centre in Portadown, having just moved to larger premises. 13-Mar-2001 QVC, the TV shopping channel, is planning to create a further 1,000 jobs on Merseyside by expanding its Knowsley call centre and warehouse complex over the next two years. 12-Mar-2001 Interoute is to invest £7.6m in Virtue Broadcasting in order to help with the development of TV-quality video services for the internet. 12-Mar-2001 Direct Solutions International, the print-to-post and distribution service, is to expand its call centre in Jarrow, Tyneside, with the creation of 200 jobs. 09-Mar-2001 Cordiant Communications, the advertising group, has said it is open to takeover offers but is not currently in formal merger talks. 09-Mar-2001 AOL Time Warner of the US is planning to expand its internet and media business in Europe this year by making a series of acquisitions and strategic investments. 09-Mar-2001 Music Choice Europe is planning to expand its digital music business by making acquisitions and extending its interactive TV service across Europe. 09-Mar-2001 BSkyB is planning to move into digital radio by acquiring a stake in Radio First. 09-Mar-2001 Bertelsmann Services is to create 60 new jobs at its CD distribution business in Warley this year, with vacancies for IT staff, project managers and manual workers. 07-Mar-2001 Channel 5 has bought a minority stake in Petspyjamas.com, the online retailer of pet products, in return for advertising airtime worth £2m. 07-Mar-2001 TotalFinaElf and Texaco have reached agreement with Forecourt Television for the installation of TV advertising screens at 1,500 petrol stations. 07-Mar-2001 Invaluable Group, the information provider to the antiques market, has raised £1m to further the development of its products ahead of a planned flotation this summer. 06-Mar-2001 Vitec is seeking acquisitions to expand its broadcasting and photographic services business. 06-Mar-2001 Telewest is investing £15m in SitUp, the interactive TV company that is developing a home shopping network. 06-Mar-2001 Chrysalis has raised £60m in a debt restructuring programme, which will enable the group to make further acquisitions in music and book publishing. 02-Mar-2001 SMG is considering plans to make acquisitions in cinema and outdoor advertising, and is also applying for analogue radio licences and building up a stake in Scottish Radio Holdings. 28-Feb-2001 United Business Media is planning to spend up to £1.5bn on acquisitions in the US, and is particularly interested in news distribution, market research and professional media. 28-Feb-2001 BSkyB has acquired a 20% stake in Digital News Network, the radio news service with shareholders that include Chrysalis and Capital Radio. 28-Feb-2001 Online Classics is launching a satellite TV channel to show music and the performing arts. 26-Feb-2001 New Media Industries is planning to raise £5m in a flotation on Aim in order to expand its advertising and creative services business. 23-Feb-2001 Channel 4 is to help fund the creation of jobs at independent TV production companies around the country, following a trial scheme in Glasgow. 21-Feb-2001 BSkyB is to invest about £2m connecting council estates in the London boroughs of Enfield and Newham to digital TV. 21-Feb-2001 Future Network is to close or sell 20 of its 134 magazine titles with the loss of 350 jobs, in order to reduce debt and increase profitability. 19-Feb-2001 MEPC has won support from the Film Council and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to set up a major new film studio at Leavesden near Watford, as part of a £400m film and media business park. 19-Feb-2001 Capital Radio is forming a joint venture with UBC Media and Command Audio of the US to launch on-demand digital radio services later this year. 15-Feb-2001 NDS Group is to relocate 180 staff to a new interactive TV research centre in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire, later this year. 14-Feb-2001 IPC Media is to invest about £5m in a new events and exhibitions business called IPC Live. 13-Feb-2001 VTR has acquired a 22.5% stake in Mission Television, the producer of music programmes, for undisclosed terms. 13-Feb-2001 The Radio Authority has awarded the digital radio licence for the West Midlands to the MXR consortium, which includes Guardian Media Group, Chrysalis, Capital Radio, Jazz fm, Psion and UBC Media. 12-Feb-2001 Pinewood is to merge with Shepperton Studios in a £35m deal backed by venture capitalist 3i, to create a major new film and TV production business. 12-Feb-2001 Express Newspapers is looking to sell its West Ferry printing site in east London for about £125m, in an alliance with Galliard Homes. 08-Feb-2001 Channel 4 has announced plans to set up a new company called 4 Ventures to take over its digital channels and other commercial operations. 06-Feb-2001 Daily Mail & General Trust has acquired a 25% stake in Western Exhibitors of the US for £7m, in order to expand its international exhibitions business. 06-Feb-2001 The BBC is to shed a further 750 jobs as part of an ongoing cost-cutting campaign. 05-Feb-2001 Peer Digital of the US is planning to create 70 jobs at its new teleconferencing centre in Glasgow over the next two years. 31-Jan-2001 Granada Media is to shed 30 jobs at Anglia Television, in order to transfer the production of wildlife programmes from Norwich to Bristol. 31-Jan-2001 Advanced Alchemy, the marketing and research group, has set up a new office in Bicester and is looking to recruit up to 40 new staff. 31-Jan-2001 Maitland Consultancy is planning to sell a minority stake in its financial public relations business to Havas Advertising of France, which will enable Maitland to expand its services into continental Europe. 31-Jan-2001 Energis Interactive, the joint venture between Energis and Graham Technology of Glasgow, is to launch a new interactive digital satellite channel called BrightBlue, which will include shopping, travel, banking and recruitment. 29-Jan-2001 MediaWave, the online broadcaster of pop concerts and business events, is to create 50 new jobs in Derby. 29-Jan-2001 Granada Media is discussing plans to merge its internet operations with those of Carlton Communications, in order to maximise the value of the ITV brand name. 29-Jan-2001 The BBC has begun recruiting 80 staff for a new £4m TV and radio news broadcasting facility in Sevenoaks. 26-Jan-2001 The Radio Authority has granted the multiplex service licence for the South Wales and Severn Estuary region to the MXR Consortium, which includes Capital Radio, Ford, Chrysalis and Guardian Media Group. 24-Jan-2001 Saga Radio has won a licence from the Radio Authority to set up a new FM radio station for the over-50s in the West Midlands. 24-Jan-2001 Talkcast is shedding a further 30 jobs as part of a strategy to refocus its internet media business on short messaging system marketing. 23-Jan-2001 The BBC has announced plans to invest £326m in digital TV and radio over the next two years, with the largest investment going to the BBC3 entertainment channel for 16 to 34-year-olds. 19-Jan-2001 Trinity Mirror is considering plans to build new printing presses in Cardiff, Ireland and the Midlands, while facilities in Teesside, Newcastle and Glasgow may be upgraded. 18-Jan-2001 Radio First is planning to launch a digital radio station for the east Midlands in partnership with Derby County Football Club. 18-Jan-2001 Mean Fiddler, the music venue operator, is to get a stock market listing in a reverse takeover by Aim-listed Meanfiddler.com, and funds will be raised to launch a digital TV channel. 17-Jan-2001 VTR has acquired a 35% stake in Music Copyright Solutions and is now looking to buy the Leosong catalogue of 80,000 music titles. 16-Jan-2001 The BBC and Granada Media are planning to merge their production facilities in Manchester by forming a new joint venture company called 3sixtymedia, and similar deals are expected in other regions. 15-Jan-2001 NTL is planning to outsource its IT operations to IBM, which will involve the transfer of about 600 staff. 12-Jan-2001 ITIS has acquired the UK rights to use the Radio Data Service Traffic Message Channel in order to launch a new commercial traffic information service on FM radio. 12-Jan-2001 The BBC has won a licence from the Chinese government to broadcast its BBC World news service in hotels and foreign residential compounds. 09-Jan-2001 RMR is to shed up to 75 of its 160-strong workforce in order to stem losses in its online conference business. 05-Jan-2001 Pilat Technologies of Israel is planning to demerge Pilat Media, its UK-based TV airtime management division, which will allow the business to benefit from the growth in digital channels and interactive services. 04-Jan-2001 AdVal Group is to invest £1.5m in a new joint venture with FT Knowledge, in order to increase the number of training titles offered by its online learning business. 02-Jan-2001 United Business Media is considering plans to sell off its Exchange & Mart and Daltons classified advertising newspapers for up to £180m, as part of a strategy to focus on business titles. 02-Jan-2001
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