Mobilising the best of British: How the City can get behind the new-look armed forces October 6, 2014 The Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the annual Lord Mayor’s Show have all showcased the very best of Britain and London. And at the centre of each of these events have been our armed forces. As military operations in Afghanistan draw to a close, our armed forces are changing. We are expanding the role [...]
Virgin urges Ofcom to probe cost of football September 30, 2014 Virgin Media yesterday slammed the soaring cost of Premier League football on TV, as it revealed it had urged broadcast regulator Ofcom to launch a competition investigation into pricing. “Significant consumer harm” had resulted from the skyrocketing cost of live Premier League TV rights, said Virgin Media. Costs jumped 70 per cent to £3bn at [...]
So have they taken their eye off the ball? September 30, 2014 BSkyB has built a strong position in the UK media market to become the largest pay-TV provider in the country with 10.5m subscribers. Football is at the heart of its empire, but recent investments suggest it may be looking more at expanding its other divisions. Football has been key to BSkyB’s growth since its founding [...]
City Moves for 1 October 2014 | Who’s switching jobs September 30, 2014 JLL The real estate-focused professional services firm has appointed Virginia Rothwell as UK HR director. She has previously worked as group HR director at Phoenix and Tribal Group, and has also held senior positions at BT. Rothschild Group Trevor Manuel has been appointed senior adviser to the financial advisory group worldwide and deputy chairman of [...]
Premier League TV deal costs fans too much says Virgin Media in complaint to Ofcom September 30, 2014 Virgin Media has submitted a formal complaint to Ofcom about the way Premier League television rights are auctioned. The company believes fans in the UK are being charged too much to watch games from England's top tier. In 2012 the Premier League sold domestic TV rights to BSkyB and British Telecom (BT) [...]
CityFibre revenue increases but rising costs up fibre firm’s losses September 29, 2014 WHOLESALE fibre operator CityFibre reported a 45.6 per cent jump in revenues during the first half of the year as it secured a number of new long-term public sector contracts for use of its network. Despite the revenue growth CityFibre’s losses widened during the six months to 30 June, rising to £3.6m from £2.96m during [...]
There’s a black hole at the heart of the City: Lack of superfast broadband September 28, 2014 In the twenty-first century, superfast broadband is something we take for granted, like clean water and bright lights. But despite being in the world’s most popular business location, many of the City’s SMEs are still receiving the internet equivalent of rusty, murky water. While our larger businesses are well-served by fibre optic broadband, SMEs and [...]
Sir Mike Rake will no longer take the wheel as RAC chairman after it abandoned IPO plans September 25, 2014 There is a major turnaround at the RAC as City heavyweight and CBI president Sir Mike Rake will no longer take up his position as chairman of the roadside recovery firm, following investment in RAC today from Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC. RAC had announced at the start of September it would appoint Rake [...]
Why Sir Richard Broadbent could be next to checkout at Tesco after £250m profit overstatement debacle September 24, 2014 Things are always unnoticed until they’re noticed.” Those seven Rumsfeld-esque words could seal Sir Richard Broadbent’s fate as Tesco chairman. Responding to questions about the accounting debacle at Britain’s biggest retailer, Broadbent offered a painful reminder of how quickly events can spiral out of the control of even the grandest of grandees. The [...]
From chips to telecoms innovation is the key September 17, 2014 INNOVATIVE COMPANY of the year City A.M.’s Innovative Company of the Year category salutes businesses that are frontrunners in their industry, from micro-chips to car service apps. With London being one of the leading hubs in Europe – if not the world – of innovative technology, our judges have had a hard time choosing a [...]