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Jaw-dropping coups in media are rare. Sky's poaching of Five's feisty chief executive Dawn Airey from the open arms of ITV was one. Failure to close the deal was a PR disaster for ITV, which was both too open and over confident about Airey's candidature. But perhaps the real story is Sky's success in attracting her to what is described as a lower paid, less high-profile role. It took ITV five weeks to draw up a contract while BSkyB turned round the right offer in 24 hours.

GETTING SERIOUS?

The Mirror's reincarnation as a serious tabloid, complete with dropping the red top and a return to the Daily Mirror brand name, was one of the more interesting developments of 2002. Not least because in the same week as the rebrand, the paper got the exclusive on Ulrika Jonsson's affair with England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

PUPPET GOVERNANCE

ITV Digital fulfilled the prophecies of disaster that had dogged it since launch in 1999. It was a sorry tale all round. When the curtain fell on ITV Digital on May 1, around 1750 jobs were lost and 750,000 subscribers left with a reduced service. The fiasco cost shareholders Carlton and Granada in excess of £1bn and a great deal more in credibility. The only hero of the day was Monkey, star of the ad campaign, and even he was the subject of legal action over who owned him between ITV Digital and ad agency Mother.

GLAMOROUS YEAR

The rivalry between Cosmo, leader of the glossies, and mini upstart Glamour came to a head in 2002. In the August 2001 ABCs Glamour's publisher Conde Nast launched a trade press ad claiming it had outsold Cosmo in the UK. But, when overseas sales were factored in, Cosmo remained on top. In February 2002's ABCs, Cosmo retained the number-one slot, with Glamour losing sales period on period. But in August, Glamour came back with a 19.2% six-monthly increase, putting it 50,000 copies ahead of Cosmo in its 30th anniversary year.

REALITY BITES

This was the year when reality TV came of age. ITV's Pop Idol fanned the flames - the series as a whole averaged 7.4 million viewers, a 37% share and the final between Will Young and Gareth Gates pulled in 13.1 million, a 57% share. Big Brother 3 averaged 5.7 million individuals, a 28% share, 25% up on the performance of BB2. ITV had two more hits with I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here and Pop Star: The Rivals, which respectively averaged figures of 7.3 million, a 34% share, and 6.8 million, a 33% share.

BBC One got in on the act with Fame Academy, but probably shouldn't have bothered.

January
Sunday Business rescued by a deal with the Press Association, and
renamed The Business.
February
Merger talks between Carlton and Granada founder. The BBC launches CBBC
and Cbeebies.
March
BBC One unveils its on-air look and idents based around rhythm and
dance.
April
Mirror Group reveals a £20m revamp of The Mirror, which becomes
the Daily Mirror.
May
ITV and BBC World Cup ads - including dfgw's outstanding 'manga'
animation for the Beeb.
June
Guardian Media Group acquires Jazz FM in a £44.5m deal.

July

BBC, BSkyB and Crown Castle win the licence to operate digital

terrestrial TV in the UK.

August

Glamour overtakes Cosmo as number-one best selling women's glossy.

September

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell gives the go ahead for the youth channel

BBC Three.

October

Carlton and Granada unveil merger plan. Freeview launches. ITV1 unveils

new on-air look.

November

The long-awaited Communications Bill is published.

December

IPC Media's Sly Bailey joins Trinity Mirror Group as chief executive.