MIRA.L Regulatory News (MIRA)

13 Jun 2006 07:01

Yoomedia PLC13 June 2006 YooMedia plc / Ticker: YOO / Index: AIM / Sector: Media 13th June 2006 YooMedia plc ("YooMedia" or the "Group") Agreement with Virgin Radio to Launch Virgin Radio Station on Freeview YooMedia, the AIM-traded interactive content and services provider, has signed amulti-year agreement with leading commercial national rock and pop music stationVirgin Radio, to provide bandwidth for the transmission of Virgin Radioprogramming on Freeview, the UK's Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) system. Under the agreement Virgin Radio will be available to over seven million homeswith Freeview set top boxes in the UK. YooMedia and Virgin Radio will alsojointly explore value-added interactive services for delivery alongside VirginRadio programming. YooMedia's Group Managing Director Neil MacDonald said: "With nearly 44 millionpeople in the UK tuning in each week to various radio services, radio cannot beignored. We are therefore delighted to be working with Virgin Radio to deliversome of the best available rock and pop content to millions of Freeview homes." Fru Hazlitt, Virgin Radio's CEO said: "In order to achieve maximum growth it iscritical that Virgin Radio is accessible across every available platform so I'mpleased to announce the launch of Virgin Radio on Freeview in conjunction withYooMedia. This will extend our reach to millions of Freeview customers and isanother example of our commitment to high-quality radio across multipleplatforms." The Virgin Radio station will operate alongside YooMedia's DTT datacastingservice, which is provided to tvtv, a branch of Sony United Kingdom Ltd,Gemstar-TV Guide International and Electra Entertainment Limited. The Directorsexpect to deliver annualised incremental earnings in excess of £700,000 by theend of 2006 from the provision of DTT datacasting and other DTT services. Virgin Radio is the UK's only commercial rock and pop music station. It can beheard on 105.8FM in London, on 1215AM nation-wide, on any DAB Digital radio, viaSky Digital and the cable TV networks and via WorldSpace. Virgin Radio is theworld's most listened to station on the internet and can be heard atwww.virginradio.co.uk. Virgin Radio Classic Rock, Virgin Radio Xtreme and VirginRadio Groove extend the brand across the internet and on DAB in London. VirginRadio is wholly owned by SMG plc. * * ENDS * * Contacts:YooMedia plc Neil MacDonald Tel: 020 7462 0870St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Isabel Crossley Tel: 020 7242 4477Virgin Radio Rhiannon Clarke Tel: 020 7432 3418 Notes on YooMedia plc:YooMedia is one of the fastest growing interactive entertainment companies inthe UK. Essentially, it develops and delivers premium interactive content andservices to households and individuals via TV, the web, telephony and mobilephones. It has four main divisions: • YooMedia Dating - manages dating brands including Dateline and Avenues from over 20 locations throughout the UK. Operates across traditional media, digital TV, internet and mobile phones. • YooMedia Gambling & Games - interactive fixed odds, play for fun casino and poker related games services for digital TV, the web and mobile phones. Brands include Channel 425, while it also manages YooPlay, the only interactive games channel found on all four Digital TV platforms in the UK and Avago, which was established by YooMedia and is now managed on behalf of Gala Group. • YooMedia Enhanced Solutions (YES) - delivers interactive content that enhances consumer and audience experiences. Customers include the BBC, Nestle, Celador, William Hill, Channel 4, The Cartoon Network and HR Owen. • YooMedia Public Sector - provides digital solutions/media services to leading public sector organisations including the NHS Direct Interactive TV service for the Department of Health, the Learning and Skills Council TV Kickstart service and a range of local authority TV services. The Group's experienced management team includes: Chairman, Dr. MichaelSinclair, who holds a number of directorships in both the UK and the USA havingpreviously founded Lifetime Corporation; and Managing Director, Neil MacDonald,whose career spans 11 years in multimedia and interactive sectors plus a further19 years in the retail industry. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange