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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

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

Carlton and Granada saw shares fall yesterday as press reports suggested that ITV Digital could be closed by Monday unless more money is invested to keep it afloat (see ITV Digital Could Be Closed By Monday). Carlton was down 1.17% to close at £2.53, while Granada slipped 4.21% to finish at £1.25ź, a loss of… Continue reading Sharewatch

BT is to re-enter the wireless market less than six months after de-merging its mobile phone business and plans to launch the UK’s first public wireless broadband network.The telecommunications group is pursuing a two pronged strategy that will see it re-establish its brand in the mobile phone market and set up a public access broadband… Continue reading BT Re-Enters Wireless Market With Broadband Offering