Singer: Telewest Considering Disposal Of Flextech

The topics of content and distribution were raised on a number of occasions at Tuesday’s Dow Jones’ Fourth Annual European Media and Entertainment Summit. Adam Singer, group chief executive of Telewest was put on the spot regarding his company’s ownership of both, via Telewest and Flextech. Would they be selling Flextech?

Singer felt the answer possibly lay in predicting Government attitude going forward towards the merger of content and distribution. Nigel Walmsley, former chairman of Carlton TV, believed that the US market offered some clues. That market let content and distribution come together; now it’s so consolidated that many anticipate regulation to split the two within the next few years.

Thomas Hesse, executive VP, Corporate Strategy at Bertelsmann, said his company’s strategy was clear – better to stay separate, focus and look for partnerships.

Emily Bell, editor-in-chief of Guardian Unlimited believed that the government would have to tackle Sky’s role in content and distribution, and Tessa Jowell – in a largely uninspiring interview at the conference – did give some hints that this would be the case.

The European Media and Entertainment Summit is a Dow Jones conference in association with PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

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