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From Business Plus:

Channel 4 has said it has reached a “crossover point” between linear and digital viewing.

The British State-owned, advertising-funded broadcaster saw digital advertising revenue increase 10% to £280m last year while linear advertising revenue declined 16% to £642m.

The company recently launched its ‘Fast Forward’ strategy with the aim of becoming a digital-first public service streamer by 2030.

Digital now accounts for 27% of Channel 4 revenue and is on track to make up 30% in 2024.

Overall, revenues declined 10% to £1.02bn, and CEO Alex Mahon said the broadcaster’s £52m deficit was the “intentional result of financing our transformation from linear to digital.”

“We chose to prioritise investment in content and recorded a significant deficit in 2023 as a result,” Mahon said, noting that surpluses and deficits are part of the “natural ebb and flow of Channel 4’s unique model”.

Channel 4 achieved 1.6bn streaming views in 2023, up 14% year-on-year, and expects to surpass 1.7bn this year.

From The RadioCentre:

Limited spaces remain for Radiocentre Ireland’s Sounding Out 2024 event.

The  event will take place on Thursday, the 10^th of October and will feature Robert Heath, author of the seminal book “The Hidden Power of Advertising”.  Renowned strategist Craig Mawdsley (Founding Partner Craig + Bridget) will also talk about attention and whether it really matters for brands.

There will also be a focus on effectiveness where you will hear from Bridget Angear (Craig + Bridget) using IPA data to talk about the business case for humour in advertising.  Andrew Tindall, System1 will summarise Radiocentre’s  Listen Up! research which highlights how brands can create audio advertising that stirs passions and drives profits, and he will assess how well Irish audio ads fare at implementing best practice.

Ralph van Dijk will show why brands which define their audio strategy, both media and creative, enjoy strong business outcomes.  And you will hear from the U.S. market with Steve Keller, SiriusXM talking about how in today’s media rich environment, sound is quickly emerging as a primary driver for brand identity, discovery, and experience.

This event will also feature a new research study, commissioned by Radiocentre Ireland which reveals insights on the role audio plays in driving mental availability. And Jess Kelly, Newstalk will host a panel on busting the myths around digital audio.

The event takes place on Thursday, the 10th of October 8.30am to 1pm in The Round Room at The Mansion House and it is an event not to be missed.

Now that the Sale has ended….New Offers on the homepage for October to December.

Note the RTE late Late Toy Show offer, but also, digital, Press, Radio and Outdoor.

Always, this time of year, please, please, please, book early because availability traditionally, becomes an issue.

From Irish Times (bold is ours):

Broadcasting group enjoys stronger performance overall in 2023, a year when it reached its highest ever audience

Virgin Media Television (VMTV) substantially narrowed its after-tax loss to €578,000 last year, accounts filed at the Companies Registration Office show. This compares to a net loss of €6.1 million in 2022.

Accounts for the company behind the Virgin Media One channel and the Virgin Media Player recorded a 7.2 per cent climb in its revenue to almost €59.2 million in 2023.

The directors of the company – owned by telecoms group Virgin Media – said this was mainly due to an increase in digital advertising revenue from the Virgin Media Player, its on-demand app, which attracted a record 48 million streams last year. It was recently replaced by a new service called Virgin Media Play.

The directors also cited growth in what is known as addressable advertising, which is when advertisers pay to target particular audiences based on their location or lifestyle attributes. (Adsmart)

The accounts for Virgin Media Television Limited show that the company’s operating loss narrowed 69.2 per cent to €1.4 million in 2023 after both the revenue increase and a fall in the cost of sales.

A separate set of accounts for Channel 6 Broadcasting Limited, the company vehicle for Virgin Media Two, show that its net profit fell 4.2 per cent to €8.1 million last year.

Its revenue softened 3.4 per cent to about €14.2 million after spot advertising declined slightly on the channel, which is Virgin Media Two is VMTV’s linear television home for Love Island, Big Brother and other imported reality series.

Operating profit fell 2 per cent to almost €8.4 million with net profit down 4.2 per cent to €8.1 million.

Meanwhile, the company showing the performance of Virgin Media Three, Cullen Broadcasting Limited, made a small loss (€23,000) last year, down from €1.8 million in 2022. Its revenue rose 21 per cent to €4.7 million.

The ultimate parent of each of the companies is the John Malone-controlled cable giant Liberty Global, which bought the former TV3 Group in 2015 and later rebranded the original TV3 channel as Virgin Media One.

The main channel recorded its highest ever audience in its then 25-year history in 2023 when Ireland’s defeat to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup attracted 1,384,000 viewers.

Year-end figures from ratings body TAM Ireland and research firm Nielsen also show that VMTV channels grew their share of viewing among adults aged 15-plus to 19.8 per cent in 2023, a record for the group.

But we’ll have new offers on the homepage for Q4 2024.

Keep an eye and notably, for The Late late toy Show but also radio, digital, press…

Spending on advertising in the US is expected to increase 11.4% to $377bn this year, according to Magna.

Improving macroeconomic conditions and high consumer demand for digital, streaming and cyclical events, including the Olympics and the presidential election, caused the media agency to revise its forecast up from June when it projected annual growth of 10.7%.

“Even without the incremental advertising spending generated around cyclical events, 2024 already looks like a strong year for the US ad market, growing by almost +9%,” said Vincent Létang, executive vice president of global market intelligence at Magna.

“This is due to strong demand from brands, in a stable economy, and supply-side innovations — e.g., the rise of ad-funded streaming and retail media – offering more scale and return-on-investment to marketers.”

Digital advertising including search, retail, social and short-form video will account for 72% of the market at $264bn, representing annual growth of 13.6%.

Advertising revenues for traditional media owners will increase 5.1% to $11bn. Without cyclical spending, however, revenues would decline 1.5%.

The Advertising Standards Authority, the independent advertising self-regulatory body responsible for promoting, regulating and enforcing the highest standards of marketing communications in Ireland, has appointed Ann Marie Lenihan, Clare Mulcahy, and Michael O’Keeffe to its Board.

The appointments of Clare Mulcahy and Michael O’Keeffe to the Board represent a significant milestone for the Advertising Standards Authority, introducing independent, non-industry perspectives that will enhance its mission to ‘Foster Trust in Advertising for all’.

Ann Marie Lenihan is CEO of NewsBrands Ireland, a representative body for national news publishers. Since her appointment to the role in 2016, Ann Marie has led the organisation in successful lobbying for the abolition of VAT on both print and digital newspapers, a change reflected in the 2023 Budget. More recently, she spearheaded efforts that resulted in the publication of the Defamation (Amendment) Bill, which aims to reform Ireland defamation laws.

Ann Marie is a member of the supervisory board of the World Association of News Publishers and vice-chair of its directors committee. She is also a director of News Media Europe, the voice of the news media industry in Europe, and serves on News Media Europe’s copyright and media freedom task forces.

With over 25 years’ experience in media and communications across Ireland, the UK and South Africa, Ann Marie is a UCD graduate of Psychology and holds a Diploma in Counselling from Maynooth University.

Clare Mulcahy is Head of Consumer Affairs at the Irish Aviation Authority and was also previously a member of the Advertising Standards Authority Complaints Committee. An accomplished leader in consumer protection and regulatory compliance, Clare has also worked with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, where she managed compliance for water, electricity and gas markets. Clare also served as the Retail Regulatory Operations Manager for a major telecommunications operator, where she ensured regulatory compliance in product development, retail operations and advertising campaigns.

In her current position, Clare plays a pivotal role in ensuring that airlines, airports and the broader travel industry comply with aviation consumer laws. She also handles escalated consumer protection issues within Ireland and across the EU, collaborating with European counterparts to ensure the effective application of consumer protection laws.

Clare holds a Law Degree (LL.B) from Trinity College Dublin, a Master’s in International Business from University College Dublin, and an MBA from Trinity College Dublin.

Michael O’Keeffe is the former Chief Executive of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), having worked in this role for the BAI and its predecessors between 1991 and 2021. While in this role, Michael served as a member of the Advertising Standards Authority Complaints Committee.

Michael worked with Coimisiún na Meán (formally the BAI) in a consultancy role from May 2023 – June 2024 to oversee the administration and management of the Commission’s Commercial Radio Licensing Plan and a range of the Commission’s broadcasting compliance functions.

Michael has separately undertaken selection interviewing processes with the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and the Houses of the Oireachtas, where he has acted as Independent Chairperson of the Board on a number of senior management selection processes. He is also a member of the Greyhound Racing Controls Committee of Rásaíocht Con Éireann having being appointed by the Minister for Agriculture in 2022 to serve a four year term.

Commenting on the appointments, Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Ann Marie, Clare and Michael to the Board. Each appointee brings a wealth of expertise to the role. Their insights will be invaluable to the wider Board of the Advertising Standards Authority and their combined knowledge will offer expert guidance on the dynamic advertising landscape.

Commenting on the appointments, Miriam Hughes,(Chair of the Board said

“We are very much looking forward to working with Ann Marie, Clare and Michael in the future. Clare and Michael’s appointments, in particular, are an important milestone for the organisation. Their independent voices will bring fresh perspectives to the Board’s deliberations, enriching our decision making process and strengthening our commitment to safeguarding consumers from advertising that is harmful, offensive, or misleading.”

The Board is responsible for oversight of the Advertising Standards Authority’s business activities and performance. They also contribute towards drawing up and implementing the Code of Standards for Advertising and Marketing Communications in Ireland.

Visit adstandards.ie to learn more about the Advertising Standards Authority

To keep up to date on Advertising Standards Authority activity, follow the organisation on:

X                      @AdStandardsIRE

Instagram        @adstandardsireland

LinkedIn          @Ad-Standards-Ireland

You’ll see the Sale offers on the homepage and just click and book. Once you book at today’s prices, the Ads can appear anytime. Including 2025! so you avoid any media price increases.