SMG plc
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| SMG plc | |
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| Type | Public - LSE |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1957 as Scottish Television plc |
| Headquarters | Glasgow, Scotland Aberdeen, Scotland London, England |
| Key people | Donald Emslie, (Acting CEO); Chris Masters (Chairman) |
| Industry | Media |
| Products | Television, Radio, Advertising, Internet |
| Revenue | £210M GBP |
| Employees | 700 |
| Website | smg.plc.uk |
Scottish Media Group plc is a Scottish media company. Originally formed as Scottish Television plc, it changed to its current name in 1996 when it acquired Caledonian Publishing, owners of Glasgow-based newspapers The Herald and Evening Times (both of which have since been sold). It then went on to acquire its fellow Scottish-based ITV license holder Grampian Television in 1997. In 1999 it launched a new Sunday broadsheet newspaper, the Sunday Herald. The company finally renamed itself as "SMG plc" in 2000 by which time it had expanded further through the acquisitions of Primesight (outdoor advertising, Pearl & Dean (cinema advertising) and Ginger Media Group, which included Ginger Television and the national radio station, Virgin Radio.
ITV plc now holds a 16.9% stake in the business.
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[edit] Television
[edit] stv
- Main article : stv
SMG owns the two Scottish ITV licences, Scottish Television, which covers Central Scotland, and Grampian Television, covering Northern Scotland.
On 2 March 2006, it was announced by SMG plc that Scottish Television would revert to using its former brand name of "stv", which it previously used from the start of colour broadcasting in 1969 until 30 August 1985, and which the station is still informally known as in parts of Scotland. At the same time, Grampian Television would also become known as stv, so one identity will serve the two SMG licences. The name change took place on 30 May 2006. The stations are the most popular peak-time stations in Scotland and broadcast a mix of network shows such as Coronation Street and The X Factor alongside local programming such as Scotland Today and North Tonight and the UK's longest-running sports programme, Scotsport.
Digital channels
- SMG also ran its own digital channel. S2 was a station broadcast throughout the Scottish and Grampian ITV regions. S2, which aired on the Digital Terrestrial platform, was launched April 30, 1999 and replaced with ITV2 just over two years later - as part of a deal with ITV Digital - on July 27, 2001.
- Sky Scottish was a short lived satellite television channel operating on the analogue Sky TV service between 1 November, 1996 and 31, May 1998.
The service was a joint venture between British Sky Broadcasting and SMG plc. It initially broadcast between 6.00pm and 8.00pm in Scotland. The channel was closed due to poor ratings.
[edit] SMG Productions
- Main article : SMG Productions
SMG Productions is the network television production arm of SMG plc. With bases in Glasgow and London, its output includes drama, factual/factual entertainment, entertainment and children’s programming. With a client list that includes all the UK terrestrial networks as well as the major satellite and cable channels, the company is one of the key programme suppliers to the UK television market.
[edit] Ginger Productions
- Main article : Ginger Productions
Ginger Productions, alongside its big brother production company, SMG Productions, is part of the network production arm of SMG plc. Based in Waterhouse Square in London, its output focuses on Entertainment and Factual Entertainment.
Ginger was acquired as part of SMG’s acquisition of the Ginger Media Group in 1999.
[edit] Radio
- Main article : Virgin Radio
SMG owns Virgin Radio, a British commercial music radio station based in London.
Virgin Radio was launched as 'Virgin 1215' nationally on 1215 kHz (although some regional transmitters used other frequencies) at 12.15pm on 30 April 1993 by Richard Branson as part of his Virgin brand. It has since been sold to Ginger Media (which was subsequently bought by SMG plc) but has kept the Virgin name.
[edit] Advertising
SMG plays a major part in British advertising, owning outdoor billboard advertiser Primesight, and cinema advertiser Pearl & Dean, whose rival Carlton Screen Advertising is owned by ITV plc.
Primesight and Pearl & Dean were also purchased in 2000 as part of Ginger Media Group.
In September 2006, SMG plc announced today its decision to dispose of the cinema and outdoor advertising businesses, Pearl & Dean and Primesight. [1]
Lucid is a new breed of production company. SMG now have an advert production company, working with companies such as Careers Scotland, S1 Jobs, Velux and many more.
[edit] Internet
[edit] peopleschampion.com
peopleschampion.com is a consumer advice page with targeted on a wide array of subjects from choosing energy suppliers to getting good mortgage deals.
Visit the site
[edit] stv.tv
The URL stv.tv is the address of the main website of stv. The website currently offers News, Sport, Weather, Competitions, Bingo, Romance, and stv programme information, and TV listings.
Visit the site
[edit] scotlandontv.tv
SMG has launched a broadband television service in the autumn of 2006, which will make thousands of hours of programmes, such as High Road, available over the web.
The Glasgow-based media company says the new channel, called Scotlandontv.tv will make use of a back catalogue stretching back 50 years.
Visit the site
[edit] virginradio.co.uk
Virgin Radio runs well-known and established internet websites, offering live streaming, on-demand audio, and a variety of well-regarded services.
Visit the site
[edit] Studios
The SMG studios in Glasgow were located on Renfield Street in Cowcaddens, Glasgow since Scottish Television's launch in 1957, but moved to new studios in Pacific Quay, a development situated next to the River Clyde, in July 2006, alongside BBC Scotland's new studios and the Glasgow Science Centre. SMG's Aberdeen studios are based at a new purpose-built site in the city's Tullos area.
The image on the right is of the SMG headquarters, with the new stv van in front.
[edit] SMG's performance on the stock market
- Under former chief executive Andrew Flanagan, SMG plc handed out pledge cards in 1999-2000 stating its aim to be "a £2 billion media company by 2003". Even though its market value briefly touched £1 billion in 2000, the company's market capitalisation was in November 2006 langishing at £183 million. The media group fell out of favour with City of London investors after it overpaid for acquisitions, including a stake in Scottish Radio Holdings and Chris Evans's Ginger Media, under Flanagan's leadership at the peak of the technology, media and telecoms boom. The company had borrowed heavily to finance these deals, and was crippled with around £400 million of debt at a time when its lifeblood - advertising revenue - was slumping due to the bursting of the dot-com bubble and of 9/11, and because revenue was already drifting away to alternative TV channels and to the internet. The company has since effectively been forced to dismember itself, selling its newspaper and magazines to Newsquest in April 2003 and is looking for buyers for poster company Primesight and cinema advertising company Pearl & Dean. A sale of these assets is expected to raise about £70m. Investors including Fidelity have long been concerned about the company's management, and the Boston-based fund manager was recently said to be seeking to oust chairman Chris Masters. This followed a profits warning in October 2006 which saw the company's share price fall by 20 per cent.
- SMG plc has had a turbulent relationship with ITV plc and both Carlton and Granada, the predecessor companies that merged to create it. ITV plc owns the ITV franchises in England, Wales and the Scottish Borders and operates, or has operated, several operations using the ITV name, such as ITV Digital and the ITV Sports Channel. SMG threatened to take legal action over the use of the name 'ITV' because it is the name of the Independent Television network, which Scottish and Grampian are both part of. One of the problems facing SMG is that ITV is the senior partner when it comes to its two TV stations, since London-based ITV effectively controls most of the scheduling and is also responsible for selling stv's advertising airtime.
- In September 2006, SMG officially rejected a merger offer from Northern Irish ITV franchise holder UTV. The merger approach from would have given SMG shareholders a 52% stake in the combined company. The Scottish group said its board had examined a revised merger proposal from UTV - which operates the ITV franchise in Northern Ireland - but did not believe it reflected the value of the company. [2]
- ITV is considering making an offer for SMG plc, the Mail on Sunday reported. The newspaper quoted an ITV source as saying John Cresswell, acting chief executive at the broadcaster, was most interested in SMG's television franchises but that any deal would be for the whole group, including Virgin Radio, which SMG also owns. An ITV spokesman declined to comment on the report.
SMG said earlier this month its 2006 profit would be materially behind expectations, sending its shares down more than a quarter in value to a 15-year low. [3]
[edit] External links
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Companies: ITV plc | SMG plc | UTV plc | Channel Television Ltd Franchise Holders Northern Scotland: Grampian | STV • Central Scotland: Scottish | STV • Scottish/English Border and Isle of Man: Border News: ITN | ITV News • Sport: ITV Sport • Children: CITV • Online: ITV.com • Mobile: ITV Mobile Channels: ITV1 | ITV2 | ITV3 | ITV4 | CITV Channel | ITV Play | ITV HD | Men & Motors See also: British TV | British TV Channels | ITV Channels |
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stv • Grampian Television • Scottish Television • SMG Productions • Ginger Productions • Virgin Radio • Pearl & Dean |
