I've seen several announcements in recent days and weeks in the online Yellow Pages space that are worthy of your attention. First, the European directory publishers PagesJaunes Groupe and Seat Pagine Gialle have both launched beta online classified services, offering…
U.K. publisher Yell's online directory operation, Yell.com, has expanded the capability of its mobile directory platform with a new service being offered both in application- and browser-based modes through a deal with the Danish mobile search firm mobilePeople. Here is…
We've written a fair amount recently on the topic of White Pages, specifically whether print White Pages has much of a future in a world that is increasingly mobile and digital. An article in today's Albuquerque Tribune adds to the…
With little time to spare in the current year, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has approved the merger of AT&T and BellSouth. This clears the way for the creation of a US$5.8 billion directory publishing entity, which will cover much…
Just saw this Associated Press article that indicates a compromise may be in the offing to get the AT&T-BellSouth merger approved. The deal had been held up by the objections of Democrats on the Federal Communications Commission. The agreement may…
We got this press release today from YellowPages.com announcing it has added a "send-to-mobile" feature that enables users to text a search result to their mobile phones for future use. The press release illustrates the feature's utility with the example…
The Australian directory publisher Sensis is continuing its efforts to build online destinations for key verticals. Sensis recently unveiled a beta version of CarShowroom.com.au, a site that allows comparative shopping of new cars sold in Australia, according to this report…
We understand that tomorrow morning the U.K. competition commission will release its final report on classified directories in the U.K. The report is expected to reaffirm the commission's earlier recommendations that the longstanding rate cap on Yell be essentially rolled…
Local Insight Media, a company formed by the private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, has acquired 100 percent of CBD Media Holdings, owner of Cincinnati Bell Yellow Pages. Here is the press release. Local Insight has been scooping…
At our recent conference in Philadelphia, Yell Group's Eddie Cheng sought us out to tell us about his company's newly revised online directory, Yell.com, which Yell prefers to call a local search engine. One of the new features Yell is…
R.H. Donnelley issued its 2007 financial guidance today at the Credit Suisse Annual Media & Telecom Conference. The directory publisher is forecasting "positive sales growth" for the full year, with revenues reaching US$2.67 billion, and EBITDA of US$1.44 billion, a…
We noticed with interest a recent news item reporting that the Mexican telecom Telifonos de Mixico (Telmex) has expanded into the directory business in Argentina, with plans to launch a new competitive directory in Buenos Aires. This comes on the…
Several stories today highlighted the decision by Canada's Yellow Pages Group to increase its cash payout to unit holders in the Yellow Pages Income Trust. This is widely read as a signal the company is moving full speed ahead as…
Here is a quick follow-up on the fallout from the Nov. 1 announcement that the Canadian government will tax income trust dividends. Income trusts had become a popular structure in Canada, and one of the leading trusts is the Yellow…
As expected, Telecom New Zealand today confirmed that it will sell its Yellow Pages division, Yellow Pages Group, and plans to complete the deal by the end of the year. The sale is expected to command about NZ$1.5 billion (US$1.01…
Just saw this item on the Canadian government's effort to curtail the income trust, which has gained popularity as a structure for Canadian corporations. The government wants to put the brakes on trusts to stem a drop in tax revenues.…
There are some interesting bits in this article on Telecom NZ's plans to spin off its Yellow Pages Group business for an estimated NZ$1.7 billion (US$1.1 billion). The telecom is expected to update its plans for the Yellow Pages unit…
Many of the world's leading directory operations have released their third-quarter and year-to-date earnings, and as usual the results show a mixed picture. We report these in some detail in our Local Media Journal, as well as in summaries that…
Yell Group has hired a new chief marketing officer, Helen Stevenson, a veteran marketing executive with experience in banking and consumer products. Stevenson replaces Anne Franke, the CMO who left the U.K. directory company earlier this year, after serving as…
We recently learned that Telfonos de Mxico (Telmex) has acquired Enlace Spanish Yellow Pages, the largest independent Spanish-language Yellow Pages publisher in the U.S., for an undisclosed price. Telmex, Mexico's leading telecom and owner of that country's dominant Yellow Pages…
