9th Jan 2007 07:01
UBC Media Group PLC09 January 2007 Embargo: 0700hrs, Tuesday 9 January 2007 UBC announces an additional 29 Radio Stations to receive Sky News Radio UTV and CN Radio Group sign up to service UBC Media Group plc (UBC: LN) today announces that it has reached agreement withtwo radio groups to supply them with the Sky News Radio syndicated package.Both UTV Radio (GB) and CN Radio Group have signed three-year deals to receivethe service. Under the terms of its deal with Sky News Radio UBC Media will supply the SkyNews Radio service to UTV's 20 UK analogue and digital radio stations whichinclude national radio station talkSPORT, and local radio stations includingSignal One, Juice FM and Talk 107. UTV's 20 UK stations have a weekly reach of3.6 million listeners. CN Radio Group's nine local music and news channels will receive the Sky NewsRadio service. The stations include Belfast City Beat, Touch 962 FM and LakelandFM. These nine stations have a combined weekly reach of 383 thousand listeners. Since launching the airtime package supplying the Sky News Radio service onlyfive months ago, three radio groups have come on board, together totaling 57radio stations. Today's deal will see a further 29 stations receiving theservice. The stations give UBC commercial airtime in exchange for the service, which itthen sells, to national advertisers. These deals increase the impacts UBC willbe able to offer on its Network News package by 35%. The company expects to seethe full benefit in financial year 2007/8 Simon Cole, CEO of UBC Media commented: ""I am delighted that UBC has secured these contracts from UTV and CN Radio. Asanticipated the premium service provided by Sky News Radio is proving hugelypopular. Trading in radio airtime remains tough and unpredictable, with thelast two months of 2006 particularly difficult. The importance of these newstations is that it will allow UBC to build its commercial business in thischallenging marketplace and show growth in 2007/8." Andy Ivy, Editor of Sky News Radio said: "Sky News Radio has built up a strong track record. Our partnership with UBCMedia has helped us bring the service to a greater sector of the radio industry". Scott Taunton, Managing Director of UTV Radio (GB) said: "We were already taking our news service for talkSPORT from Sky and it madesense to align all our news provision into one supplier to cover our ILRrequirements as well. We have enjoyed working with IRN and they have provided aterrific service for us. Our decision to move our news provision is purely acommercial one and we will continue to do significant business with IRN in otherareas. However we look forward now to developing our relationship with Sky andUBC." - ENDS - For further information, please contact: Jenny Donald, Finance Director UBC Media Group plcTel: 0207 453 1669 John Quinn, Group Commercial Director UBC Media Group plc:Tel: 020 7453 1600 Diane Barnes, PortlandTel: 020 7404 5344 Notes to Editors About UBC Media Group plc UBC is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market. The Group is themarket leader in the supply of audio content and broadcast data software to theradio industry in the UK. In addition to the entertainment, traffic and traveland national news services provided to commercial radio, the Group is thelargest independent producer of radio programming for the BBC and the UK'sleading supplier of digital radio scrolling text and EPG software. The Groupalso has significant digital radio broadcasting interests including Classic GoldDigital, the nationally distributed classic hits format and a partnership withChannel 4 Television in national speech station Oneword. It is also part of theMXR Regional Multiplex consortium. About UTV Radio (GB) Limited UTV plc acquired The Wireless Group (TWG) in June 2005.and re-branded it as UTVRadio (GB) Limited. UTV owns and operates the successful national commercialservice talkSPORT and twenty local commercial radio stations under licences fromOfcom UTV Radio (GB) Limited is also a leading participant in the following digital multiplex operators: Switchdigital (Central Scotland); Switchdigital (Aberdeen); Switch Digital (London); Digital Radio Group (London); TWG-EMAP Digital (Bradford& Huddersfield); TWG-Emap Digital (Swansea), TWG-Emap Digital(Stoke-on-Trent). Owner of UTV Radio GB, UTV plc, owns and operates the ITVfranchise for Northern Ireland and is broadcast in Northern Ireland and Ireland.UTV also operates four commercial radio stations in Ireland under licencesfrom the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. About CN Group CN Group Ltd has a wide range of business activities including newspaperpublishing, radio broadcasting, commercial print, magazine & niche products aswell as an active Internet Division. Based in Carlisle, Cumbria, the Group's history stretches back to 1815 when thefirst issue of the Carlisle Patriot was published on the 3rd June. About Sky News Radio Sky News Radio is the second biggest news supplier to UK commercial radio. Adedicated team of radio journalists currently provides scripts, audio andbulletins to forty client stations including two UK national stations, talkSPORTand Virgin Radio, as well as Chrysalis Radio, GMG, and Immedia Broadcasting.Together they have more than 15m listeners. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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