AA wins licence to enter legal services sector November 4, 2013 THE AA has become the latest company to enter the legal market after being granted an alternative business structure (ABS) licence. The motoring services giant announced today it has won approval from the Solicitors Regulation Authority to operate its own legal services arm, AA Law. The new business, a joint venture with solicitors Lyons Davidson, [...]
Sky high costs expected as key football bid due November 4, 2013 EUROPEAN Champions League television rights could be a case of winner-takes-all between rival bidders BT, Sky and ITV, according to analysts. Bids for the prized football broadcast rights from 2015-18 are due to be filed today, and the bidding could be the most competitive, and expensive, ever. “We believe Sky could go for complete exclusivity, [...]
BT is accused of making £5bn in excess profits November 4, 2013 VODAFONE and TalkTalk will hit out at BT and Ofcom today, accusing the regulator of being asleep on the job while BT’s stranglehold on Britain’s digital infrastructure has allowed it to make £5bn in excess profits over the past eight years. BT called the report “ludicrous” and disputed the accusation that it had made profits [...]
BT Sport scores strong result in battle with Sky October 31, 2013 BT DECLARED its £1bn investment in sports a huge success yesterday, as the company stemmed customer losses for the quarter and enticed the majority of new broadband customers to sign up its new service. “BT Sport has made a confident start and is already delivering for viewers,” said chief executive Gavin Patterson. The investment in [...]
Analyst Views: What did you make of BT’s second quarter financial results? October 31, 2013 JERRY DELLIS | JEFFERIESUnchanged outlook suggests new chief executive plans an evolutionary approach. Early impact from BT Sport is encouraging. Consumer line loss reduced more sharply than expected, retail broadband net adds nearly double the second quarter last year. ROBIN BIENENSTOCK | BERNSTEINThese are the first set of results presided over by new chief executive [...]
City Moves for 01 November 2013 | Who’s switching jobs October 31, 2013 Legal & General Property The property business has announced the appointment of Imogen Ebbs as a senior asset manager to support its limited price inflation income property fund. She was most recently at Lloyds Banking Group, where she was an associate director in its property solutions division. Baker Tilly The accountancy firm has recruited Winn Faria [...]
The CBI boss on why political risk is now the biggest threat to business October 31, 2013 John Cridland tells Allister Heath and Elizabeth Fournier that investors are beginning to worry about the UK AFTER more than two decades spent inhabiting the CBI’s offices in Centre Point, the shockingly ugly high-rise just off Tottenham Court Road, John Cridland is on the move. When not kept busy preparing his submission to the chancellor [...]
BT sees profits down but strong demand for new BT Sport October 31, 2013 BT has announced this morning that it saw a 13 per cent fall in half year pretax profits to £948m. But the telecoms company's second quarter trading (to 30 September) was ahead of forecasts. (Release) It also saw a two per cent decline in adjusted earnings to £2.7bn in the quarter, but BT Sport, which [...]
BT revamps TV offering with a la carte bolt-ons October 28, 2013 BT IS stepping up its efforts to win television subscribers from rivals by giving customers the ability to build their own TV packages. The telecoms giant, which has been going head to head with Sky after launching its own sports channels in August, said yesterday it would offer new entertainment and kids bolt-ons to its [...]
BT ramps up Sky rivalry with launch of two TV bolt-on packs October 28, 2013 BT has announced the launch of two new channel bolt-ons in addition to its core "Entertainment pack". At £3 a month each, the bolt-on offering HD Extra and Kids Extra are available to all cutstomers with BT Infinity who take the Entertainment pack. A deal was agreed with Sky a fortnight ago – allowing BT [...]