‘The world of Cat TV is more cut throat than you would ever imagine’ – inside the strange business of TV… for cats
FSAunder fire as building societies fight rules boost September 6, 2009 CITY financial watchdog the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has come under fire from building societies over its proposals to clamp down on their ability to lend to consumers. The lenders are understood to have teamed up and sent a fierce letter, through the Building Societies Association, to warn the FSA the rules will hamper their [...]
Telefonica and China Unicom exchange shares as strategic partnership begins September 6, 2009 SPAIN’S Telefónica and China’s Unicom have struck a deal which will see the twin telecoms giants buy $1bn (£610m) worth of each other’s shares. The agreement will see the Spanish firm build its stake in Unicom to just over eight per cent, while Unicom will end up with between 0.885 per cent and 0.892 per [...]
London Midland cancels trains September 6, 2009 Train company London Midland yesterday caused chaos on the rail network as it cancelled all but one of its Sunday services, causing extended disruptions to thousands of passengers. The firm, which operates over 1,200 services per day to 149 stations across the country, said the crisis came about after not enough of its drivers agreed [...]
Five’s landmark gambling deal September 6, 2009 Broadcaster Five has inked a landmark deal with Netplay the interactive gambling group, that will allow viewers to bet thousands of pounds on a live real-time roulette show from their own homes. The shows will be broadcast three nights a week between midnight and 4 am, and extended to six nights in October and every [...]
Why holding its nerve has paid off for Britain’s top accountancy firm September 6, 2009 LOOKING out of the window of his Embankment office, Ian Powell points at the sky above the London Eye. “It’s a bit cloudy,” he says. “But there’s sun on the horizon.” The same could be said of the outlook for PricewaterhouseCoopers, the largest of the “big four” professional services firms, which Powell has chaired since [...]
Summer sales data to reveal retail outlook September 6, 2009 RETAILERS are set to provide fresh evidence of consumer confidence this week in a series of market updates. In a bid to revive the ailing retail sector the West End is launching High Street Fashion Week today in an effort to attract a predicted 2.4m shoppers to Oxford Street. ABF Foods, Primark’s owner, will today [...]
Aquascutum lures bid from Jaegar veteran September 6, 2009 JAEGER fashion chain chairman Harold Tillman is considering a bid for 158-year-old fashion brand Aquascutum. The tailoring company, famous for its trench coats, would likely fetch less than the £100m its current owners – the Japanese clothing manufacturer Renown – paid for it in 1990. Alan Lewis, the owner of clothing brand Crombie, is also [...]
BAE given just weeks to file a guilty plea September 6, 2009 DEFENCE giant BAE Systems has until the end of the month to plead guilty to international bribery allegations or face a lengthy and damaging criminal trial, industry sources have said. It is understood that the allegations, part of a six-year Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation, involve contracts worth over £2.5bn for the sale of equipment [...]
Alchemy plays down Moulton damage September 6, 2009 ALCHEMY Partners is holding frantic talks with its investors to persuade them to stay on as clients at the firm, after the spectacular resignation of its managing partner Jon Moulton last week. The private equity firm is telling investors that Moulton, the investment guru who founded it in 1997 but slammed it in a scathing [...]
WORKAHOLIC MYNERS IS FORCED TO CALL TIME ON HIS GREAT LOVE September 6, 2009 MIXING one’s other half with one’s work has always been a risky affair, largely because loved ones have a tendency to be prone to letting things slip – and The Capitalist imagines that City minister Lord Myners won’t be hugely enamoured to read his wife Alison’s upcoming interview with Tatler magazine, which hits newsstands on [...]