Pace secures loans to snap up 2Wire September 1, 2010 PACE, the world’s largest set-top box maker, has agreed loans of $450m (£291.1m) to fund its acquisition of US broadband technology firm 2Wire. A $300m term loan and $150m of revolving credit were underwritten by HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland. An existing £35m credit line with RBS was cancelled. The acquisition, which Pace hopes [...]
Wenger’s lack of keeper activity beggars belief August 31, 2010 OF all the deals penned during another hectic deadline day yesterday, it was the one transfer that wasn’t completed which raised the eyebrows the most. With a scouting network to rival almost any club in Europe, it beggars belief why Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger still can’t sign a goalkeeper, despite being linked with so many. [...]
Canvas called poison pill for internet TV August 31, 2010 OFCOM has received a third competition complaint about BBC-backed video-on-demand service Project Canvas. Regional broadcaster Six TV joins Virgin and Sky in claiming the joint venture will unfairly dominate the online TV market. Virgin lodged an official complaint earlier this year and now Six TV has branded the venture a “poison pill” for the local [...]
BORIS OUT FOR A RIDE WITH KELLY BROOK TO LAUNCH BIKE SCHEME August 31, 2010 Boris Johnson’s love affair with two wheels continued yesterday with the launch of his driver-frustrating Sky Ride scheme, where roads are cleared throughout central London to allow cyclists to take in the sights. But The Capitalist can’t help but think bikes weren’t the only thing on the mind of the red-blooded Mayor. Accompanying him on [...]
After a slump and a court case the Virgin airline boss is ready for more August 30, 2010 Virgin Atlantic boss Steve Ridgway is still dealing with the fallout from the collapse of a price-fixing trial involving his airline. Despite not actually facing any charges, his firm, which has always styled itself as the people’s champion, was battered and bruised by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) case, which alleged collusion between Virgin [...]
CITY VIEWS: DO YOU THINK YOU WILL WATCH MORE TV ONLINE? August 26, 2010 BEN ARAM | KENNEDYS “I am from Germany and so I use such websites to catch up on shows I have missed. I am also a frequent YouTube user. Websites such as BBC iPlayer strike me as very useful and I see myself using them more in the future.” TOM SPILLER | WILKINS BEAUMONT AND [...]
Hard to separate sides in key Villa Park clash August 26, 2010 ASTON VILLA vs EVERTON SUNDAY – 4.00PM SKY SPORTS 1 ASTON VILLA and Everton were involved in arguably the most exciting tussle in the Premier League last year, the race for the fourth Champions League place. Both ultimately fell short – Everton finishing eighth behind Villa’s sixth. Two weeks into the new season then and [...]
Champions League money soars higher August 24, 2010 CHAMPIONS League revenue has rocketed once again, ensuring the richest teams in the world continue to get even richer. Liverpool, who were humiliatingly knocked out of the tournament in the group stages this year, received €28.6m (£23.4m) in prize money and TV revenue. When they stunned the footballing world in 2005 by coming from three [...]
Pub footie fans could spoil BT’s sports plans August 23, 2010 NEW research shows that more than a third of 18-34 year-olds who are planning to watch Premier League football on TV this season will not watch the games at home. The research, carried out by YouGov, does not bode well for BT, which has launched a new football package in a desperate bid to compete [...]
M&S lines up new chairman to replace Rose August 20, 2010 Marks & Spencer is to name Robert Swannell as Sir Stuart Rose’s successor as chairman, according to Sky News. It said Swannell, currently a senior advisor of Citi Europe and chairman of HMV Group, the music and books retailer, would take up the role when Rose steps down next year. A spokeswoman for M&S declined [...]