Planet media

New regional weekly newspaper the North West Enquirer has signed up the International Herald Tribune to provide news and features, believed to be a first for a regional newspaper. The deal includes a daily double-page spread of IHT news alongside stories elsewhere in its pages. Mediaguardian.co.uk, 26 April

Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square is to carry advertising for the first time in its 163-year history. In a campaign created by Publicis Dialog, financial services company Zurich will run environment-themed ads on three sides of the column as part of a sponsorship of the monument's restoration. Mediaguardian.co.uk, 26 April

Plans to allow product placement in television shows could fail unless TV companies give more forceful backing, the European Commission has warned. Viviane Reding, the commission's media commissioner, singled out Germany in particular for its apparent opposition to the move. Financial Times, 28 April

BSkyB has won three out of the six packages in the auction of live Premiership football rights, with the remaining three going to a second round of bids. The Premier League has come to a swift decision after the deadline for the first round of bids passed on April 27. The League has now invited fresh bids for the remaining three packages in a second round, but said it would make no further comment until the conclusion of that round. Brand Republic, 28 April

Television production company RDF Media, maker of Wife Swap, has called off plans to buy rival firm Olga TV, owned by TV presenter Paul O'Grady. RDF is thought to have been unwilling to pay the £24m asking price and saw the two-year contract as too risky. Daily Telegraph, 27 April

Channel 4 is to follow its online documentary channel with a user-generated comedy channel. The broadcaster also renewed its plea for public support to survive after analogue switch-off in 2012 and highlighted the increasing competition from Google, Yahoo!, BT and the BBC, which last week announced plans to offer more user-generated content on its website. Financial Times, 26 April

Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate has accused the BBC of using taxpayers' money to build a "digital empire" that would compete with commercial rivals. FT.com, 26 April

AT&T, the largest US telephony company, will offer film downloads for its high-speed internet customers after an agreement with Vongo, a new service from Liberty Media's Starz Entertainment. Financial Times, 27 April.

This article was first published on Media Week