Back in August MediaWeek reported on a row between London Underground and their advertising display contractor CBS Outdoor, who they’ve worked with since 2006.
According to the report:
“The contract was expected to end in 2015, but CBS Outdoor is threatening to extract itself only months before the Olympics are staged in the capital next summer.
“In a statement today CBS Outdoor said London Underground (and its parent company Transport for London) has refused to “acknowledge that changes implemented by London Underground have resulted in an adverse event under the contract, requiring that London Underground negotiate new terms reflecting the massive cost over-runs suffered by CBS”.
The row led to CBS giving LU notice that it intended to terminate the agreement “on 31 March 2012 unless the two parties are able to agree new terms.”
themediabriefing.com offers some additional insights into the dispute.
Today a press release from TfL brings the news that the two organisations will “continue to work together” after all.
What the PR doesn’t tell us is whether this patching up of differences was made possible because CBS changed their mind or whether LU bunged them some more cash.
Instead TfL, which is part of an administration Boris Johnson promised would be transparent, insist:
“Further details are all commercially confidential.”
That’s a long way from Boris’s commitment to “Enable Londoners to view all GLA grants, contracts and programmes worth over £1,000 on the Mayor’s website.”