BROADCASTERS will be hoping that Newcastle Falcons and England fly half Jonny Wilkinson will be firing on all cylinders in the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.

The fate of the England team will largely determine interest levels in television coverage for the event. Ulster Television (UTV) yesterday echoed the sentiment while signalling an upturn in fortunes for the ITV advertising market as it posted a 14 per cent rise in half-year turnover.

UTV, which also owns radio stations in Limerick and Dublin, said it was cautiously optimistic about prospects after an improvement in market conditions this month following a difficult July and August.

The company said it expected to continue to outperform the rest of ITV with advertising revenues for the three months to September 30, down one per cent on a year earlier, compared with a fall of six per cent across the network.

John McGuckian, chairman, said the Rugby World Cup next month was expected to provide a further boost to advertising sales.