ADVERTISING revenue at UTV’s Irish radio operations fell by 16% last year, but the group’s business here maintained overall annual revenue levels at £24.8 million (€27.5m).

A former TV anchor tonight insisted he can overturn a landslide majority and win the Westminster seat vacated by disgraced Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson.

An international warrant needed to arrest a brother of Gerry Adams who is wanted on sex abuse charges could take six weeks to obtain, it was revealed today.

A brother of Gerry Adams wanted on suspicion of sexually abusing his daughter has handed himself in to gardaí.

Gerry Adams today admitted he could have done more to stop his alleged sex abuser brother working with children.

The daughter of Gerry Adams’s brother tonight accused her father of subjecting her to years of sexual abuse as a child.

Britain's broadcasting watchdog has revised plans to cut the amount of local programming required at Ulster Television, it was announced today.

TV journalists protested outside their studios in the North today over proposed job cuts.

The North's Labour Relations Agency has been urged to intervene after talks between Ulster Television management and union representatives over threatened job losses broke down today.

Ulster Television faces losing its network backbone if drastic measures to cut costs are adopted, it was revealed today.

The appointment of the North’s first Victims’ Commission will be subject to legal challenge, it was revealed today.

Senior Democratic Unionists are hopeful today that there will be a seamless handover from the Rev Ian Paisley to the next leader of his party, following his decision to stand down after 37 years.

The Rev Ian Paisley announced tonight he is to quit as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The North is to have four victims commissioners after the Rev Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness dramatically ditched a plan to appoint just one.

ONE of the chief suspects in the Omagh bomb massacre is dead, it was revealed yesterday.

Northern Ireland winger Keith Gillespie has apologised for being involved in a punch-up with a team-mate on a flight home from Iceland.

Hugh Orde will stay on as Northern Chief Constable for up to three more years, it emerged last night.

The North's rank-and-file police today lambasted Metropolitan Police Chief Sir Ian Blair over claims he referred to RUC members in the North as members of a paramilitary force.

Capital Radio and Classic FM parent group GCap Media today confirmed it had hired former Virgin Radio head Fru Hazlitt as it struggles to turn its fortunes around.

Ulster Television was today said to have renewed its interest in a merger with Virgin Radio owner SMG.

ITV is rumoured to be considering a bid for Glasgow-based broadcasting and media company Scottish Media Group (SMG), which owns Virgin Radio and STV, the Scottish regional ITV licence, among other things.

Ulster Television announced today it is no longer interested in a merger with Virgin Radio owner SMG.

Virgin Radio owner SMG said today that it had rejected two merger proposals from rival Ulster Television but invited the talkSport owner to come back with a better offer.

AN element of large shareholders in Scottish Media Group (SMG) has urged the company’s bosses to consider a nil-premium merger with Ulster Television (UTV).

The financials were hit hard today as the ISEQ index of shares fell 51.02 points to 7899.81.

The ISEQ fell 16.15 points to 7934.68 by 10.30am today.

THE Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) plans to award a licence to run a commercial radio station in the south-west.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares had a bad day today as it slumped 67.14 points to 7572.71 by close of business.

THE Irish stock market hit a fresh high again yesterday, bursting through the 7,000 point barrier for the first time.

The Dublin stock exchange finished the week in positive fashion as it reached the 7,000 threshold.

SCOTT TAUNTON, managing director of UTV Radio, has been appointed as an executive director to the board of Ulster Television.

IRISH Continental Group chief executive, Eamonn Rothwell is one of the highest paid chief executives in Ireland, earning close to €700,000 last year.

The ISEQ index closed up 32.45 points today at 6843.84.

A mixed day on the Dublin stock exchange ended in a 5.74 point fall to 6,785.97 for the index.

MEDIA group Ulster Television has recorded an 11% rise in profits helped by strong gains from its radio division.

It was a tepid morning on the ISEQ today, with the exchange currently trading at 6799.55, down 9.36 points on opening.

Ulster Television has announced record results for the six months to the end of June this year.

The ISEQ index of shares fell 6.07 points to close at 6207.58 tonight.

Dublin's ISEQ index stood at 6,188.41 by 11am this morning, a fall of 25.24 points.

ULSTER Television has launched a €130 million bid for The Wireless Group, which runs Britain’s largest commercial talk radio station.

The family of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane tonight reacted angrily to reports that the British government is to press ahead with controversial new laws limiting the scope of inquiries.

The ISEQ index continued its bright start from this morning by finishing at 5,703.97 for the day, a gain of 42.44 points, thanks largely to a huge price rise in Warner Chilcott's shares.