RTL has sold Five to Richard Desmond's Northern & Shell for £103.5m. Mr. Desmond has intimated that he will invest heavily in new programming and is already said to be in negotiations to buy Big Brother, currently homeless after being dropped by Channel 4.
Five's schedule will remain as is for a while as its contracts to broadcast shows such as CSI and Neighbours run their course. However, a shake-up in programming is now expected in 2011.
Egyptian tourism revenues rose 17.6% to $5.58bn in the first six months of the year.
Italian news outlets have joined together in initiating a 24-hour content blackout in protest against proposed government legislation.
Rapid online growth in Asia Pacific means that now three-quarters of the world's population are accessing social media websites, according to Nielsen. The Asia Pacific Social Media Report has found that internet users now spend as much as six hours per month on social media services.
A surge in ad spend across Latin America and Asia saw global ad spend grow by 12.5% year-on-year during Q1 of 2010, according to Nielsen's Global AdView.
BBC.com has relaunched with new functionality, design and content, to build on global growth. The new site is designed to offer users better navigation, easy-to-share functionality and greater use of video.
Sky News has announced plans to launch an Arabic language news channel. The news broadcaster is in discussions with a private investor to run a joint venture based in Abu Dhabi, and airing across the Middle East and North Africa region. If all goes to plan, the launch will happen within the next two years.
Fears of a 'double dip' recession for the UK ad industry have intensified after the Bellwether report recorded a return to budget cuts. The Q2 report from national body the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, found that 20% of companies cut ad budgets between April and the beginning of July compared with only 15% that increased them.
Second-quarter revenue at Google exceeded expectations, rising 24% to US$5.1 billion, but rising operating costs led to its overall profit margin being lower than expected: pro-forma operating profit margin dipped to 39% (down from 41% in Q1). Staff headcount rose by 1,200 during the quarter, adding to costs.
DMGT is reported to have drawn up plans to sell off its local newspaper division Northcliffe, most likely to either Johnston Press or Trinity Mirror, whose own stables of local titles would both be a good geographical fit. Talks have been held surrounding the possibility that DMGT may swap Northcliffe for a stake in the enlarged publisher.
