BBM Canada announced on April, 28th that it has selected a joint bid by Arbitron Inc. and TNS Media Research to deploy Portable People Meter technology for electronic measurement of television in Canada.

BBM issued the request for proposals in June 2007 and received bids from three organizations as well as a joint bid from Arbitron/TNS. The submissions were reviewed by a committee of BBM members and after ten months of evaluation a recommendation was made to select the Arbitron/TNS bid. The subcommittee was appointed by BBM’s Board of Directors and had broad representation from conventional television, specialty television and agency members.

“BBM’s goal is this process was to ensure that our electronic television measurement system was employing the most efficient and cost-effective technology available,” said Jim MacLeod, President and CEO, BBM Canada. “I am confident that BBM’s Board of Directors has chosen a technology solution that will not only meet the audience measurement needs of today but will also anticipate and adapt to the needs of the future.”

“We’re delighted that the Portable People Meter will be an integral component of the world’s most advanced, single source, radio and television ratings system which the BBM is now creating for Canada’s radio and TV broadcasters, agencies and advertisers,” said Steve Morris, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Arbitron Inc. “We designed the Portable People Meter to be a robust and adaptable technology. That’s why the PPM is the ideal solution for single source media measurement where one panel of consumers is used to measure many channels of media distribution.”

“BBM blazed the trail in portable measurement when it adopted PPM for TV audience currency in Montreal and Quebec in 2004,” said Richard Marks, Global Head, TNS Media Research. “Since then the system has been adopted as currency in a number of countries so we are delighted that the PPM is ‘coming home’ to the rest of Canada. We are looking forward to partnering with BBM and Arbitron to roll out what will be the world’s largest meter panel providing both TV and Radio currency.”

The new PPM television service is currently scheduled to begin installation in early 2009 with a commercial launch in Fall 2009.

For more information please contact:
Tom Jenks
Director, Communications
Phone: 416.847.2078
Email: tjenks@bbm.ca

About BBM Canada BBM Canada, Sondages BBM in Québec, is a not-for-profit, member-owned tripartite industry organization, which has been operating since 1944. It supplies radio and television audience ratings services to the Canadian advertising industry. BBM’s membership includes television and radio stations and networks, advertising agencies, and advertisers.

BBM’s services include an electronic measurement system and diary surveys for our 100+ radio and television markets. BBM is located in Toronto, Ontario with operations in Moncton, Montreal, and Vancouver. Find out more about BBM at www.bbm.ca.

Another very successful year for RTL Group

• Reported EBITA of EUR 898 million, up 5.5 per cent

• Reported Group revenue up 1.2 per cent to EUR 5,707 million, despite the sale of TPS; underlying revenue up 3.2 per cent

• Reported EBITA margin improved to 15.7 per cent

• Net profit attributable to RTL Group shareholders down to EUR 563 million (2006: EUR 890 million). This is due to a number of negative one-offs in 2007 (the goodwill impairment and the German cartel fine) and positive one-offs in 2006 (the gain on disposal of TPS and recognition of a deferred tax asset)

• Net cash from operating activities of EUR 860 million resulting in an operating cash conversion of 110 per cent

• EUR 5.00 proposed total dividend payout, up 67 per cent compared to total dividend payout for 2006

• Improved advertising conditions in most countries

The major profit centres with significant contributions to RTL Group’s EBITA

• German family of channels increased its audience lead over ProSiebenSat1 to 4.6 percentage points, EBITA up 11.6 per cent

• EBITA of Groupe M6, adjusted for the sale of TPS, up 4.9 per cent

• Worldwide production arm FremantleMedia with another year of strong performance across its main markets, EBITA up 4.8 per cent, driven by higher earnings from the US

• Five group in the UK with positive EBITA of EUR 10 million, net advertising market share increased to 9.3 per cent, driven by additional sales from the digital channels Five US and Five Life

• RTL families of channels in the Netherlands and in Belgium with strong advertising business, both profit centres with record EBITA

• French radio family has regained market leadership, with RTL Radio gaining more than 600,000 additional listeners in one year

Focus on core businesses by further developing the families of channels and production, expansion of digital activities and cost control

• Best ever audience share for the German family of channels, with all channels reporting higher audience shares in the 14 to 49 target group

• Digital pay-TV channels in Germany already with more than 2 million subscribers one year after their launch

• Dynamic growth of Groupe M6’s digital channels, W9 the most-watched ‘new channel’ on free DTT in France in the second half of 2007

• M6 Mobile by Orange continues its rapid expansion, customer base up 52.5 per cent year-on-year to 1.17 million subscribers

• Major growth initiatives to expand RTL Group’s production business: launch of FremantleMedia Talent Fund and UFA Cinema in Germany

• Asset deal with Talpa Media to strengthen RTL Nederland: integration of Radio 538 and of successful Talpa programmes implemented, launch of fourth free-TV channel RTL 8

• New joint venture to enter the fast growing Russian satellite and cable TV market

• Launch of digital radio stations RTL L’Equipe and RTL Autrement in France

“We are guiding the company into a new phase”

Gerhard Zeiler, Chief Executive Officer of RTL Group said:

“2007 was the most successful business year in RTL Group’s history. By maintaining a firm focus on our core businesses, we grew our operating result for the sixth consecutive year, and generated our highest EBITA margin ever. Our families of channels in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Groupe M6 in France - adjusted for the sale of TPS - in particular contributed to the increased operating result. Our worldwide production arm FremantleMedia again made significant contributions to the Group’s EBITA.

Following our strong results in 2007 and based on our consistently strong cash flows, we recommend the distribution of a gross dividend per share of EUR 5.00, up 67 per cent compared to the total dividend payout for the fiscal year 2006.

More than ever, RTL Group’s success is founded on numerous businesses across Europe. Building on this strong foundation, we are guiding the company into a new phase. We are developing our broadcasting operations into digital TV families with a presence on all new platforms. We will systematically meet the rising demand for attractive content and expand our production arm FremantleMedia, with new talent, new formats and by doing business in new markets.
 
Television will remain the key medium. And RTL remains the quality brand in commercial European TV.

With regard to advertising sales, we have - despite the current economic climate - no reason to be pessimistic. Nevertheless, we remain cautious given the continued low visibility in most markets.”

In a 50/50 joint venture with South African partner Kagiso Media, LARI (Lagardère Active Radio International) announces the acquisition of Acceleration Media, a leading online advertising-media agency.

A leading player in the South African market, Acceleration Media specializes in online media strategy, planning and buying to help advertising agencies and advertisers maximize their Internet use. Its customer portfolio is a veritable Who’s Who of South African business. Currently staffed by a team of 14 Internet specialists, the company saw 40% growth in 2007.

LARI has operated in South Africa for more than 10 years through its participating interests in Jacaranda FM, South Africa’s leading private radio station, and Radmark, the country’s top radio sales-house.

According to LARI CEO Jean-Christophe Lestra, “The acquisition of Acceleration Media reflects our strategy of bolstering our development in growth markets like South Africa, particularly in the digital sphere. This transaction will involve a skills transfer thanks to Lagardère Active’s accumulated experience.”

According to Murphy Morobe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kagiso Media, “For some time now, we have been looking for new opportunities in the digital sphere, which is expanding rapidly in South Africa. The acquisition of Acceleration Media gives us a strategic outlet in one of the digital economy’s most dynamic market segments: online advertising. This deal will also allow us to build our business on a solid foundation of talent in coming years.”

Jacques van Niekerk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Acceleration Media, said the following: “After negotiating with many candidates for acquisition of the company, we are delighted to be 100% consolidated into this Lagardère Active-Kagiso Media structure, which is perfectly in sync with Acceleration Media’s development strategy.”

• LARI has a presence in seven countries through 23 radio stations, which are heard by over 33.5 million listeners per day, and is Eastern Europe’s leading radio station operator.
  
• Lagardère Active is one of Lagardère SCA’s four major corporate brands, alongside Lagardère Publishing, Lagardère Services and Lagardère Sports. It aims to become a global leader in content production and aggregation for all platforms, with activities that include magazine publishing, radio stations, television channels (production, distribution and special-interest channels), digital media and media buying.
  Established in 41 countries outside France, and with some 235 magazine titles, 26 radio stations and 10 TV channels, Lagardère Active generated consolidated sales of 2.329 billion euros in 2007. It is the No. 1 French media group and the 10th-ranked French group in terms of digital audience.
  
• The Lagardère group also has a presence in the high-tech sector through its 12.51% participating interest in EADS.
  Lagardère shares are traded on the Eurolist market of Euronext Paris (Compartiment A).
  
• Kagiso Media is listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange in the media sector. A key player in South African radio, it holds direct interests in Jacaranda (80%), East Coast Radio (100%), OFM (24.9%), Heart 104.9 (33.3%), iGagasi 99.5 (33.3%) and the radio media-buying agency RadMark (50%), plus an indirect interest in Kaya (25.1%).