Absolute Radio's owner, Bennett, Coleman & Co, is understood to have recommenced talks with potential buyers, after calling off a sale last year.

Maxus has won the £21m media planning and buying account for Associated British Foods' grocery arm, snatching the business from incumbent ZenithOptimedia in a competitive review that also included MPG Media Contacts.

This week Laurie Benson, director, EMEA for Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg Markets and Bloomberg Pursuits, visits Berlin, prepares for Davos and meets Boris Johnson.

As the inevitability of a move towards an automated online trading model for national press advertising looms, John Reynolds examines how this will impact on the print media selling and buying community.

The direct deal between clients and media owners, cutting out the agency middleman, is often talked about in hushed tones and  'off record', but is becoming increasingly prevalent. Mike Fletcher delves into this often thorny subject.