US cable advertising revenues will increase from $4 billion to $4.5 billion in the 2002/03 season and to $5.5 billion in 2003/04, according to forecasts from Discovery Networks’ sales chief, Bill McGowan, as reported by Jack Myers Report today. McGowan also predicted that basic cable audience share would surpass that of the four leading broadcast… Continue reading US Cable Upfronts Look Stronger, Whilst Network TV Sales Remain Weak

Indebted UK cable company, NTL, this week rejected a $2 billion bid from US company Liberty Media, preferring instead to restructure and refinance with its own bondholders (see NTL Is Close To Refinancing, Says Report). Liberty Media already holds a 25% stake in Telewest Communications, the UK’s second largest cable operator and is known to… Continue reading NTL Merger With Telewest Could Still Make Sense

BSkyB has denied press rumours that it is interested in making further investment in Premiere World, the pay-TV business of Kirch. Sky already holds a 22% stake in the KirchPayTV operation (see Murdoch In ‘Make Or Break’ Talks Over Kirch), but has made it clear that it will not be seeking any further investment in… Continue reading BSkyB Denies Further Investment In KirchPayTV

European consumers’ inclination to buy goods and services has been significantly dampened in the first two months of 2002, after the introduction of the Euro was used by many retail and service companies as justification for a hike in prices. This is one of the key findings of a study by GfK, carried out on… Continue reading Euro Introduction Curtails Consumer Spending In Europe

Online retail sales in the UK fell for a second consecutive month, according to data from the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), as reported by NUA Internet Surveys. Total online retail sales for February reached £397 million – down 4.4% on January, but showing a slowing rate of decline when compared to the 17%… Continue reading UK Online Sales Slow In February, But Growth Is Ten Times That Of US

Wireless communications spending in the US will continue to grow in 2002 reaching $116 billion according to the report 2002 Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast from the US Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). This represents an increase of 8.5% in 2001 despite the economic slowdown. Consumer spending on wireless services is expected to increase by 20%,… Continue reading US Wireless Communications Spending To Grow 8.5% In 2002, Says TIA

According to reports in this morning’s press, ITV Digital may be closed as soon as next Monday unless Carlton and Granada pledge more money to keep the service afloat. Figures released to the Football League by the High Court, as part of their attempt to recover rights money owed by ITV Digital, supposedly reveal that… Continue reading ITV Digital Could Be Closed By Monday

NTL may avoid forced liquidation (see NTL May Take Temporary Bankruptcy As Refinancing Is Finalised), according to report on FT.com today, which claims that the indebted cable group could sign a deal with its bondholders as early as this week. The paper reports that a debt-for-equity swap with the bondholders is now on the table;… Continue reading NTL Is Close To Refinancing, Says Report

Reed International and Elsevier NV chairman, Morris Tabaksblat, this morning told the Reed Elsevier AGM that trading conditions have changed very little since the group released its financial results in February (see Reed Delivers Strong Results And Reaffirms Growth Expectations For 2002). Tabaksblat reiterated the double-digit earnings and revenue market-outperformance targets for the Anglo-Dutch publishing… Continue reading Little Change In Trading Since February, Says Reed Elsevier

“British firms are guilty of taking a short-term, quick fix approach to cost-cutting, characterised by investment cuts, recruitment freezes and staff layoffs,” according to a new global study from PricewaterhouseCoopers, published today. Demonstrating the short-termism in British business’ actions, the research reports that two-thirds (66%) of UK chief financial officers – the highest in the… Continue reading British Firms Guilty Of Short-Termist Cost Cutting, Finds PWC Survey