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). In exchange for the cash injection, Liberty would have received a 50% stake in NTL. However, NTL’s bondholders are thought… Continue reading NTL Rejects Liberty, But Merger With Telewest Could Still Make Sense

Press reports this morning suggest that Pearson has entered into exclusive talks with a management team concerning the buy out of FT Business, the company’s magazines division. The team, led by ex-FT Group chief exec Stephen Hill, is thought to have made the highest bid following Pearson’s decision to sell (see Pearson Puts FT Business… Continue reading Pearson In Exclusive Talks Over FT Business

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

“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

Mobile services will generate E97 billion in revenue across Western Europe in 2002, just 4% more than in 2001, according to new research by Analysys. Mobile services revenue rose 12% in 2001 but the growth rate has now decreased thanks to fewer new subscribers and a drop in average revenue per user (ARPU). The report,… Continue reading Mobile Services Revenue Will Reach E135 billion In 2007, says Analysys

NTL has taken the first step towards the provision of a digital TV signal that can be received by moving vehicles, with the completion of a successful trial of the technology, which utilises the existing frequency spectrum. NTL’s trials of a rugged form of the established DVB-T transmission took place in the Oxford area. A… Continue reading NTL Trials Digital TV On The Move

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