That's on top of forecast rises of at least 20% in both April and May. Ad buyers say the World Cup and moving the final of Britain's Got Talent to June are fuelling the ITV surge — with fears of a hung parliament not weighing on advertisers' minds for now. Other broadcasters aren't expected to see such a sharp advertising jump in June.
Spotted: ITV chairman Archie Norman and Daily Mirror editor Richard Wallace, lunching at the Oxo Tower earlier this week.
Was Norman trying to persuade Wallace to give incoming ITV chief executive Adam Crozier an easier time when he starts next Monday? Incidentally, Crozier's new counterpart at Channel 4, David Abraham, no stranger to schmoozing the press, starts work on May 4.
Malcolm Tucker advice for the BBC
The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci, speaking at last month's Broadcasting Press Guild awards, suggested the BBC should hit back at BSkyB boss James Murdoch's relentless criticism of the Corporation:
"Surely at the end of the day with all its skill and expertise and all the talent behind it and loyal following, it could find someone to articulately tell James Murdoch to f*** off?" The BBC has obviously not heeded that advice. This week's Times, owned by the Murdochs, is offering a free download of The Thick Of It.
Wide field for Radio 4 job
Radio insiders say there is no obvious candidate to succeed Mark Damazer as controller of Radio 4.
Among rumoured internal contenders are R4 commissioning editor Mohit Bakaya, head of the newsroom Mary Hockaday (who has a similar news pedigree as Damazer and his R4 predecessor Helen Boaden) and World Service boss of English networks Gwyneth Williams.
One outsider being mentioned is Guardian columnist and ex-Radio 4 editor Jenni Russell, who would be an interesting choice given that her other half, former RDF boss Stephen Lambert, was embroiled in the "Queen in a huff" video scandal in 2007. A really wildcard suggestion would be Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, although it is hard to believe he could be tempted to leave his job.
Where the jobs go at the BBC
BBC staffer Patrick Howse points out in in-house newspaper Ariel that its previous issue carried advertisements for seven journalism jobs, eight in programme-making and 22 vacancies in "business support and management".
Says Howse: "Even allowing for one of them being a real operational job (security adviser), it's hard not to conclude that our overpaid and flabby senior management class cares more for accountants, bureaucrats and managerial posts than it does for programme content and journalism."
Going down with an honours list?
Has Gordon Brown already started on a resignation honours list? Whispers say ex-ITV boss and New Labour supporter Charles Allen, now running record label EMI, could be in line for ermine...
Staying Independent
The Independent, new sister newspaper of the Evening Standard, relaunched yesterday with a daily "viewspaper" pull-out comment section — in time for the general election.
Trevor Beattie's advertising agency BMB will tomorrow launch a new ad campaign, focused on marginal constituencies, to highlight The Indy's political independence and how the UK electoral system is not a level playing-field. 300,000 copies a day will also be given away in marginals during the election. A preview of one of the TV ads is already available to watch on YouTube.
Cannes Film Festival - in pictures
Biggest ever image of the Queen, and she also appears made out of stamps, cheese and BEER
No end to Tube nightmare as commuters warned of MORE chaos tonight
Double dip recession is worse than feared as UK faces ‘hurricane’
They attacked "like a pack" raining fists on a defenceless legal secretary. Yesterday they walked free from court. No wonder their victim says she has been denied justice.
Mayor demands report from Transport for London into Jubilee Line nightmare that left hundreds of commuters trapped for hours underground
Author Will Self flees with his children after roof of £1million Georgian Stockwell townhouse collapses 
Man v Woman v Food: the big burger challenge 
New kids from the Bloc: new wave of Russians settling in London 
London drug dealer pictured himself with bags of cannabis and wearing crown of £20 notes 
BarChick: Janet's Bar 
