Milestone Group

Milestone Group plc (a.k.a. Milestone) is a British Digital Media and Technology company. Originally a cross media proprietor with holdings in radio, publishing and television, the company now focuses on the digital media and technology sector.^[1]

Milestone has built a range of products and services that cover a range of activities including education, training and publishing. Its flagship product, the Passion Project, has been designed to create a holistic approach to careers advice for young people, involving over 100 organisations across the profit, not-for-profit and third sector. A by-product of the Passion Project’s process is the creation of a social marketplace for its partners. The resulting ecosystem offers a range of commercial and social impact opportunities for the company and its network of clients.^[2]

The company is based in London and is a constituent of the FTSE AIM All-Share Index division of the Alternative Investment Market.

History

Events

Since Milestone’s admission to the AIM on 1 July 2003, the company has progressed from a radio, publishing and television provider^[3] to a digital media and technology company. The following events mark that progression:

2008

• A new Board was formed headed by CEO, Deborah White.

2009

• Milestone entered into an agreement with privately owned American Technology firm, JumpStart Wireless Corporation, obtaining the rights to sell patented and patent pending technologies of Jumpstart in the UK.^[4]

2011

• Acquisition of Oil Productions Ltd^[5][6] and the development of OnSide.
• Milestone’s subsidiary Oil Productions was awarded a contract to deliver a digital art competition for Infiniti.^[7]

2012

• Paul Elliott CBE was appointed Milestone’s Sports and Corporate Social Responsibility Ambassador, bringing his “expertise in community and corporate social responsibility, both locally and nationally” to the company.^[8]

2013

• Milestone launched its flagship product, the Passion Project, with the aim to inspire and empower young people and tackle youth unemployment.^[9]
• Milestone piloted its Winning in the Game of Life™ product in Primary Schools, meeting the UK curriculum for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education, and developed the OnGuard product which went live with Charlton Athletic FC’s Community Trust.^[10]
• The Milestone Foundation was established, a charitable foundation used to underpin the Passion Project and aid the delivery of successful outcomes for young people.

2014

• Milestone acquired Disorder Magazine, which showcases young talent whilst providing training for young people.
• Milestone’s subsidiary Oil Productions was awarded a contract to deliver the construction of a microsite for the Animals Asia Foundation.^[11]

2015

• Milestone formed a joint venture company, “Nexstar”, with Black Cactus Holdings Pty Ltd.^[12] Nexstar was originally launched for the loyalty and rewards sector, but has since expanded to include a range of services including music, film, TV and apps. It was agreed that Nexstar would syndicate content from Disorder Magazine.^[13]

Products and Subsidiaries

According to their respective websites, Milestone Group PLC and its subsidiaries offer a number of products and services to its clients. These include:

Oil Productions Ltd t/a Relative

A creative agency specialising in the creation of digital experiences and brand activations.

The Passion Project

A social engagement programme established to tackle youth unemployment.

Disorder Magazine

A fashion and music-orientated youth magazine.

Winning in the Game of Life

An educational programme designed to develop the emotional intelligence of school-aged children.

Nexstar

A technology provider, delivering solutions to industry leaders within the employee recognition, employee performance, customer loyalty and reward and product promotions market segments.

Mobile Business Solutions

A provider of mobile management tools incorporating:

• OnSide – A mobile-managed monitoring tool for sports organisations.
• OnGuard – A mobile-managed reporting tool used within the security and man-guarding sectors.

Corporate Social Responsibility

In 2013, Milestone Group established the Milestone Foundation, a charitable foundation created to underpin a series of social initiatives and leverage the group’s expertise to maximise commercial and social value. Its flagship product is the Passion Project.^[14]

Its trustees include:^[15]

• Kevin Everett, Charitable Lead
• Prof Lord Patel of Bradford
• Lord Kennedy, Baron of Southwark
• Cmdr Chris Waite
• Paul Elliott CBE
• Wilf Pickles
• Richard Evans
• Deborah White

Former Holdings

Television channels

The Milestone Group had one television channel:

• Six TV (originally The Oxford Channel; operated through Oxford Broadcasting) - was a "free-to-air" channel available in Oxford and Southampton. It closed in 2009.^[16]

Radio stations

The Milestone Group used to outright own three local radio stations in the UK under the Passion Radio branding. One was sold between 2005 & 2006, while the other two were shut down:

• Passion 107.9 - local radio station for the Oxfordshire area (Now under the ownership of Passion Radio (Oxford) Limited; now known as Jack FM 2 Oxfordshire, but referred to on-air as "Jack 2").
• Fusion 107.3 - local radio station for Lewisham (and, on-air, Bromley and Croydon) (Sold to Sunrise Radio Group & re-branded "Time 107.3", then "South London Radio"; ceased operations 4 April 2009)
• Millenium 106.8 - local radio stations for the Thamesmead area (Eventually taken over by Fusion Radio Holdings, who then re-branded it as "Time 106.8", then was sold to Sunrise Radio Group; ceased operations 4 April 2009)

It also held stake in four other radio stations alongside the stations' other investors. Eventually, Milestone's stake in these was sold off between 2005 & 2006:

• Kestrel FM (54%) - local radio station for Basingstoke and the surrounding area of north Hampshire. (Sold to the Tindle Radio Group, then Celador; now known as The Breeze (Basingstoke)
• Kick FM (51%) - local radio station for West Berkshire, broadcast from Newbury. (Sold to the Tindle Radio Group, then Andover Sound, then eventually Celador; now known as The Breeze (Newbury).)
• Reading 107 FM (37%) - local radio station for the Reading area of Berkshire (originally owned by a consortium, then taken over by Guardian Media Group, before finally sold to Madejski Communications Ltd.; now known as 107 JACK FM (Berkshire))
• 107.1 Rugby FM (52%) - local radio station for the Rugby area of Warwickshire (Sold to CN Group, then Quidem).

Newspapers & Magazines

The Milestone Group used to own multiple publications through its former Tri-Media Publishing subsidiary, ten of them under the Courier Newspapers brand:

• Auto Weekly - information on the buying and selling of cars in Oxfordshire.
• Breakout! - published immediately before school holidays, a publication distributed in primary schools to children.
• South Oxfordshire Courier - free newspaper for southern Oxfordshire, formerly "Courier Journal".
• Oxford Journal - free newspaper for northern and central Oxfordshire, formerly "Oxford City Journal".
• Oxfordshire Living - free monthly publication distributed in Oxfordshire.
• Property Weekly - free publication advertising property for sale in Oxfordshire.
• Oxford Courier - free newspaper for Oxfordshire
• Thames Valley Life - monthly lifestyle magazine for Thames Valley
• Basingstoke Property Weekly - weekly supplement distributed with the Basingstoke Observer by real estate agents in northern Hampshire.
• West Berkshire News - free newspaper for West Berkshire.

Another was operated in association with then local radio station Kestrel FM in 2000:

• Basingstoke Observer - local free newspaper in Basingstoke

Auto Weekly & Property Weekly are currently owned by The Oxfordshire Guardian Group, operated in conjunction with the Oxfordshire Guardan.

The South Oxfordshire Courier, after coming under the ownership of the paper's managing director in 2006, was retired in 2008 in favor of the branding of its sister publication, the Oxford Journal, which itself was retired soon afterwards, before being re-launched in 2012 under Taylor Newspapers, but was once again retired for the second & final time in 2014 in favor of an extension to the Oxfordshire Guardian.

Breakout!, Oxfordshire Living, Oxford Courier, Thames Valley Life, & Basingstoke Property Weekly are no longer published.

Basingstoke Observer was sold in a management buyout in September 2006. Following several changes in ownership, it now operates under the ownership of Taylor Newspapers. In June 2015, the Observer brand was extended to publications in Newbury & Thatcham.

External links

• Milestone Group PLC official website

References

1. ↑ "Milestone completes a rebranding". Shareview. 19 June 2012. 
2. ↑ "Milestone passionate on adding social and shareholder value". ProactiveInvestors. 11 December 2014. 
3. ↑ "First day of dealings". Trustnet. 1 July 2003. 
4. ↑ "Milestone Invests In Florida Based wireless technology firm and agrees UK Distribution Deal". ProactiveInvestors. 8 October 2009. 
5. ↑ "Milestone Group acquires Oil Productions". Enforbusiness. Retrieved 6 January 2016. 
6. ↑ "Acquisition of Oil Productions Limited". Investegate. 15 August 2011. 
7. ↑ "Milestone Group wins "significant" digital art contract". ProactiveInvestors. 24 November 2011. 
8. ↑ "Former Chelsea captain Elliott OnSide with Milestone Group". ProactiveInvestors. 6 September 2012. 
9. ↑ "Milestone launches social engagement programme". The Telegraph Investor. 29 January 2013. 
10. ↑ "Milestone Group's OnSide product goes live with Charlton Athletic Community Trust". ProactiveInvestors. 23 January 2013. 
11. ↑ "Milestone Group subsidiary wins animal welfare micro-site gig". ProactiveInvestors. 22 April 2014. 
12. ↑ "Milestone's Joint Venture, "Nexstar", signs first contract". ProactiveInvestors. 5 October 2015. 
13. ↑ "MSG agrees to licence Disorder Content to Nexstar". InteractiveInvestor. 16 December 2015. 
14. ↑ "Milestone passionate on adding social and shareholder value". ProactiveInvestors. 11 December 2014. 
15. ↑ "Milestone appoints trustees for Passion Project charity". ProactiveInvestors. 10 July 2014. 
16. ↑ Oxford Mail