Granada yesterday sold its 6.5% stake in BSkyB, its main rival in the digital television battle. Granada sold its chunk of the group directly to BT Alex Brown, the investment bank, for £429 million.BT Alex Brown are understood to have bought Granada’s BskyB shares for 400p each, and sold them on for 404p to a… Continue reading Granada Sells Stake In BSkyB
The first website for The Annual London Film Festival is to be produced by The Guardian. Already live at www.lff.org.uk, the site is intended to help festival-goers to navigate their way around all of the films featured at the festival, and will expand until the festival starts on 5 November.The site will deliver interviews by… Continue reading The Guardian Puts London Film Festival Online
Following IPC Magazine’s acquisition of Link House Media yesterday (see Newsline), IPC’s chief executive, Mike Matthew, has announced some senior management changes at Link House Magazines.Link House managing director, Peter Cosgrove, is to depart, and Simon Owen, of IPC’s Country and Leisure Group, becomes general manager.Mike Matthew commented on the restructure: “Link House joins the… Continue reading Restructuring At IPC’s Link House
Hopes of further cuts in interest rates have been raised after it emerged that the keenest advocate of high rates at the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee switched his vote to demand a cut in September.Minutes of last month’s meeting, where rates were frozen at 7.5%, showed that while the MPC voted 7-2 in… Continue reading Bank Hardliner’s Switch Raises Interest Rate Cut Hopes
The Department of Trade and Industry has sent to interested parties a Consultative Document “Liberalising Trade in Services” seeking comments and advice on what should be the UK’s objectives and priorities for the new multilateral negotiations on trade in services starting in 2000. Copies of the Document are available from the DTI, 348 Kingsgate House,… Continue reading UK: DTI Consultation on GATS
Future Publishing announced some further appointments this week, following its creation of an advertising director on Friday (see Newsline).David Roberts has been moved to the role of international development publisher, and David Lilley has been made contract publisher.John Weir becomes publisher of Future’s online business, FutureNet, and both Jackie Garford and Rob Price move up… Continue reading Internal Changes At Future
In reaction to the ECJ´s recent criticism of EC inaction, Competition Commissioner Karel Van Miert, has announced that the EC is drawing up a working paper on ‘State Aid to Public Television Stations’. Speaking at a press conference last week, Van Miert said that he intends to draw up guidelines to enable the EC to… Continue reading EU: EC Acts on Public TV Funding
Vice-President of the EP, Georgios Anastassopoulos (Gr, EPP) has recommended that the EP adopts rules to ensure the rights of TV and broadcasting services in respect of satellite and cable. In a report to be presented to the EP, MEPs are expected to vote in favour of measures to govern the use of decoders and… Continue reading EU: Satellite TV and decoders
IPC Magazines has bought Link House Media, of which Link House Magazines is a wholly-owned subsidiary, in the first IPC acquisition since its leveraged buyout in January (see IPC Magazines Gains Independence). The financial consideration for the purchase was not disclosed, although the group was backed by venture capitalists, Cinven, the same group which financed… Continue reading IPC Acquires Link House Media For Undisclosed Sum
Worldwide market research company, Taylor Nelson Sofres, has bought video research specialists Media Vision Research (MVR). TNSofres currently operates the BARB TV viewing measurement research, which is the basis for MVR’s VideoTrak data.Nic Lewisohn, MVR’s UK and Ireland director, said: “The video and its related industries will now benefit from one of the world’s largest… Continue reading Taylor Nelson Buys Video Research Group
