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The Jordan, Edmiston Group announced today that its database of media industry mergers and acquisitions activity shows a big rise from last year, according to MediaBuyerPlanner.com. In the first six months of 2005, JEGI counted 266 transactions, up 15 percent. The value of those transactions was $27 billion, up a whopping 180 percent over the same period in 2004. Most categories showed growth, led by consumer magazines and marketing and interactive services. Online media and business-to-business categories also showed particular strength.

JEGI VP of marketing Adam Gross told MediaBuyerPlanner that his firm helped in nine of the transactions for the half. Those include JDEvents' sale of the AD:TECH conference to DMG and rich media firm PointRoll's sale to Gannett.

Three of the four largest deals for the year's first half involved directory publishers, totallying $5.9 billion for those three transactions alone. Other notables included the DoubleClick, Pulitzer, Shopping.com and Ask Jeeves purchases.

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