Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

The most threatened media sectors: consumer magazines and newspapers, and ad funded TV

FitchRatings to present its views on the media sector at MediaFinance 2007

At 11.00am on Wednesday May 9th Alex Griffiths, Director in Fitch Ratings’ TMT group, will present a review of the Media Sector to top-level executives from the worlds of media, investment banking and private equity, who will be gathered for the inaugural MediaFinance 2007 conference.

Alex Griffiths comments, ‘Structural shifts in the media industry are affecting all media sectors, but the most threatened are consumer magazines and newspapers, and ad-funded television. The key for companies in these sectors is to select strategies to work around and, where possible, extract benefits from these shifts. For market commentators it is to be able to identify what is and is not an effective strategy.’

Fitch Ratings’ Key Media Trends:

•Technological changes will continue to shape media consumption patterns. We will see continued increases in broadband penetration across Europe, progress in IPTV and Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), greater access to time-shifting TV, and improvements in the delivery of content to mobile devices.

•The pace and nature of change in media markets will vary from country to country. While changes to media consumption patterns will generally occur slowly, in some markets these will have sufficient impact at the margin to threaten some businesses.

•Convergence of TV with telecoms and broadband offerings will continue, although Fitch does not view consolidation of creative media with telecoms content providers as beneficial or very likely.

MediaFinance 2007 will have sessions to various sectors including broadcasting, publishing, new media and digital marketing and ecommerce. Attendees at this rich networking event include senior executives of media businesses, TMT investment bankers, media law practices, deal intermediaries, private equity, venture capital and other fund advisors.

About MediaFinance 2007

MediaFinance 2007 is being held at 4 Hamilton Place, Mayfair, London on May 9 and builds on the success of Telecom Finance 2007, which in just two years has established itself as the premier brand for telecoms executives and deal makers in the EMEA region and has been described as ‘The Davos of Telecom Finance.’ The event will be sponsored by Linklaters and is researched and organised by Media Finance magazine and the consultancy, BroadGroup.
(www.tmtfinance.com/mf07)

About Fitch Ratings

Fitch Ratings is a leading global rating agency committed to providing the world's credit markets with independent, timely and prospective credit opinions. Built on a foundation of organic growth and strategic acquisitions, Fitch Ratings has grown rapidly during the past decade gaining market presence throughout the world and across all fixed income markets.

Fitch Ratings is dual-headquartered in New York and London, operating offices and joint ventures in more than 49 locations and covering entities in more than 90 countries, including insurer financial strength ratings on over 2,000 insurance companies. Fitch Ratings is a majority-owned subsidiary of Fimalac S.A., an international business support services group headquartered in Paris, France.

(www.fitchratings.com)

BroadGroup and Media Finance 2007 press contact:

Rebecca Jones
VP Communications
Tel: 020 8964 0260
Email: rebecca@vp-pr.com

Fitch media enquiries:

Peter Fitzpatrick,
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7 417 4364,
Email: Peter.fitzpatrick@fitchratings.com