Amra to move into radio sales

Mediaserve moved a step closer to its goal of becoming the leading regional multimedia sales specialist this week after opting for a stake in Manchester-based Sales & Marketing Service (S&MS).

The company, which owns Amra, the largest regional newspaper sales house, confirms it is taking a controlling interest in S&MS, which handles regional sales on behalf of Independent Radio Sales.

S&MS’ clients include Atlantic 252, London Radio and the East Anglian Radio group. It also works on behalf of magazines such as Radio Times and Time.

S&MS’ declared billings amount to more than 2.5m.

The purchase is part of Media-serve’s long-term plan to develop its business laterally and become a regional, multimedia sales representative, says Mike McCormack, chief executive of Mediaserve and Amra.

“Advertisers are increasingly looking at the performance of their products regionally and we want to be there offering a cross-media mix,” he says.

S&MS was launched five years ago by former CIA Media Solutions media group head Sandra Pressman. The company needed “the additional resources and support of a larger organisation to reach its full potential and continue to attract blue-chip clients”, she says.

Pressman becomes managing director of S&MS, which will continue to operate under its own name and report to a management board headed by McCormack.