2006 vs. 2005

Consolidation in the Marketing & Interactive Services and Online Media sectors and aggressive competition for acquisitions by private equity buyers led to a flurry of M&A deal activity in 2006 across the 11 media and information sectors tracked by investment banking firm The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc. (JEGI).

The M&A rebound began in 2004 and exploded in 2005, as transaction value for the media and information industries reached $54 billion - but that record high was exceeded in 2006 with 637 transactions valued at more than $60 billion, surpassing 2005 levels by 18 percent in deal activity and 12 percent in total deal value, JEGI said.

The significant rise in M&A deal activity and value was led by the following key sectors: business-to-business magazines (value up 140 percent); marketing and interactive services (activity up 42 percent; value up 69 percent); online media (activity up 55 percent); newspaper publishing (value up 144 percent); consumer magazines (activity up 32 percent); educational and professional publishing (value up 244 percent); exhibitions and conferences (activity up 53 percent).