7DIG.L Regulatory News (7DIG)

11 Dec 2006 07:02

UBC Media Group PLC11 December 2006 11th December 2006: 07.00am UBC Media Group plc GMG Radio expands content supply contracts with UBC Media, joins Sky News network UBC Media Group plc (UBC:LN), today announces an expansion in its content supplydeal with GMG Radio in the form of a new contract for all of the groups stationsto take UBC's syndicated Sky News Radio service, and an extension of theexisting agreement to broadcast UBC's syndicated traffic, travel andentertainment service to its newly acquired Century stations. Under the terms of UBC's deal with Sky News Radio, UBC Media will supply the SkyNews Radio service to GMG Radio's 11 regional FM digital and analogue stations.The new service will be broadcast alongside GMG's existing news service providedby IRN. This deal brings into UBC's Network News package, smooth fm in London and theNorth West and the Real Radio services in Wales, Scotland and Yorkshire, as wellas the two Century stations in the North East and North West of the Country. This deal adds an additional 10 million impacts to the 26 million UBC iscurrently able to offer on its Network News package. Simultaneously, UBC hasalso re-signed GMG Radio to its traffic and travel service and entertainmentnews package, extending the services across all GMG stations. Commenting on the contract wins, Simon Cole, UBC's CEO, said, "I am delightedthat UBC has been awarded this contract by GMG. As anticipated the premiumservice provided by Sky News Radio is proving hugely popular, and I expect toannounce that additional groups will be coming on board in the near future." GMG Radio's Group Sales Director Julian Carter added: "It's a good commercialdeal for us and allows us to provide a service to our listeners that has realvalue. UBC are performing well for us and we are happy to extend ourrelationship, whilst also maintaining a strong IRN relationship.'' Sky News Radio provides a 24-hour service of bulletins, scripts and audio to 40radio stations with a combined audience of more than 15 million listeners eachweek. -end- For further information, please contact: Simon Cole, CEO, 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 GMG GMG has significant and expanding activities in UK radio. Our radio division wasfounded in July 1999 and since then the group has won two Real Radio licenses inSouth Wales and Yorkshire and acquired six others; Scot FM (now Real RadioScotland) and two JAZZ FM licenses in London and the north west (JAZZ FM Londonand north-west are now Smooth FM London and north-west). The group has alsorecently acquired the two Century FM stations in the north east and west ofEngland as well as Q96 in Scotland which will become 96.3 Rock Radio on the 8thJanuary 2007. GMG are partners in the MXR consortium developing digital radio services. MXR have won digital licenses in South Wales, the north-east, north-west andWest Midlands 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 thirty client stations including two UK national stations,talkSPORT and Virgin Radio, as well as Chrysalis Radio, GMG, the Wireless Group,DNN and Immedia Broadcasting. Together they have more than 14m listeners. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange