Analogue switch-off is of huge significance to audience share and thus advertising revenue of the existing terrestrial broadcasters (see Analogue Switch-Off [2004-26]). When switch-off occurs, ITV’s audience share will fall, thus affecting revenue from advertising, but its financial impact will be balanced to some extent by an end to ITV’s analogue licence fee payments (see ITV Licence Fees [2004-29]). Where do matters currently stand?

Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS) providers such as One.Tel and Carphone Warehouse are adding thousands of customers for fixed-line voice calls every week. BT has improved its competitive positioning in the course of 2004, but many service providers are still able to provide a discount to BT. As a result, BT lost almost 7% of UK geographic call minutes in the past year.

Our first report of 2005 deals with prospects for music download services to the PC and the mobile handset.