Dublin-based radio station, Radio Nova , has put out a statement this evening denying that it has attempted to take advantage of the recent civil unrest in the UK by releasing a citywide advertising campaign featuring the Kaiser Chief song ‘I Predict a Riot’. The move follows complaints both to the radio station itself, and to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland. The advertisement for the rock music station on buses and 48 sheets over the past number of days has created somewhat of a stir. Pictures of the offending adverts have also been posted on various news-related Twitter feeds and websites. “The advert was posted as part of an outdoor advertising…

RTÉ Television delivered 48 out of the 50 most watched programmes on Irish television in the first six months of 2011. Out of these a total of 44 of these were home-produced. The Eurovision Song Contest, the General Election coverage, the visits by US President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, and comedy Mrs Brown’s Boysare the top television moments of the year to date. Jedward’s performance at the Eurovision topped the list, with a whopping 1.18 million viewers on average tuning into the final, according to figures from AGB Nielsen Media Research. The Frontline featuring the leaders’ debate on 14 February was the second most watched programme in the…

Zurich Insurance is to sponsor ‘La cour de Célimène’, the French opera which will officially open the 60th Wexford Festival Opera in October and November. The 1850’s opéra-comique by Ambroise Thomas will run for four performances during the festival. Zurich Insurance employs over 120 people in Wexford and its chief executive officer Ken Norgrove said the volunteering aspect of the festival was important in its decision to be sponsor. “ Wexford Festival Opera plays an integral role in its local community, from the opening of the new state-of-the-art Opera house, to the 350 local volunteers who dedicate considerable time and effort to ensure the continued success and promotion of the festival. “2011 is the European Year…

Keeping it social: 10-step guide to developing a social media process In their recently-published book ‘Marketing Communications – integrating offline and online with social media today’, PR Smith and Ze Zook have put together a 10-step guide to developing a social media process that can be applied to any organisation. Social Media’s Impact as a Marketing Game Changer Over the past couple of years, social media has emerged as a marketing game changer that puts customers back at the centre of the organisation and provides marketers with a new set of tools to listen to and converse with these consumers and to encourage them to engage with their brands. Social…

The launch today of a new global BBC iPlayer app will enable iPad users across Europe to access a mix of classic and contemporary British TV programmes, including Doctor Who, Top Gear, Fawlty Towers and EastEnders. The video-on-demand-service, which is available exclusively on the iPad, costs €6.99 a month or €49.99 for an annual subscription and is initially available in 11 markets in Western Europe, namely Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland. According to BBC Worldwide, the broadcaster’s commercial arm, subscribers will be able to access English language programmes across eight genres: news specials & documentaries; entertainment; drama; comedy; science & nature; family…