TalkTalk boss Dido Harding doesn’t fear quad play UK December 2, 2014 As deal fever sweeps the sector, the head of Britain’s budget broadband business isn’t fazed. Dido Harding feels quite relaxed despite the past two weeks’ explosive telecoms deal talk that foreshadows what could be the largest period of consolidation the sector has ever seen. If anything, the chief executive of Britain’s budget broadband provider – [...]
Sky faces its big match in fight with BT for Premier League TV football December 2, 2014 Sometime early next year – and no one knows precisely when such is the secrecy surrounding the process – the Premier League will launch an auction to decide who will broadcast live matches for three seasons from 2016-17. And analysts are divided over whether Sky, which has held most of the broadcast rights since the [...]
Britons spend less on leisure as rents climb December 2, 2014 BRITISH households are spending less on eating out, hotels, alcohol and smoking, according to the annual official survey of family budgets released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The survey also reveals how rent, gas and electricity are taking up a larger proportion of spending. Total average spending by families in 2013 was [...]
Sky recruits Lazard bank advisers to explore mobile push as BT confirms takeover talks with O2 and EE December 1, 2014 Sky has appointed advisers, including investment bank Lazard, to examine its UK mobile options, City A.M. understands. The move, first reported by the Financial Times, comes as the telecoms sector has lit up with deal talk over the past week since BT confirmed its takeover talks with O2 and EE to enter the mobile [...]
Monk: We’ll sell Bony but only for sky-high fee December 1, 2014 SWANSEA manager Garry Monk has warned Wilfried Bony’s suitors that it would take an “astronomical” offer for them to consider selling the Ivory Coast striker. Bony, 25, has six goals in his last eight games for the Welsh outfit, and 31 in 63 in total since his £12m transfer from Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem in [...]
Tetley takes out £1m insurance for its man with a golden tongue November 26, 2014 A MASTER blender working for Tetley has had his taste buds insured for £1m, after five years of intensive sipping. Sebastian Michaelis can identify any of 1,500 different types of tea in seconds – a rare ability even within the tea community. Michaelis, who has been sipping tea at the company for five years, graduated from [...]
GoPro is going to start making drones November 26, 2014 GoPro is to start manufacturing consumer drones, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The American company, which is already a market leader in personal cameras, markets its product as being able to take pictures in extreme situations. In many ways therefore the sky is the obvious next target for GoPro, especially as [...]
The most expensive tongue in the world? Tetley insures its tea expert’s taste buds for £1m November 26, 2014 A man working for Tetley has had his taste buds insured for £1m, after five years of intensive sipping has given him the title of “master blender”. Sebastian Michaelis can identify any of 1,500 different types of tea within a matter of seconds – a rare ability even within the tea community, it would appear. [...]
George Osborne under fire for seven day current account switching service timidity November 25, 2014 George Osborne is expected to tweak the seven day current account switching scheme to iron out some of the wrinkles in the system, in his Autumn Statement next week. But the changes did not go nearly far enough to open up the market to competition, the Yorkshire Building Society said. And consumer group Which? also called [...]
FTSE closes the day flat as miners weigh on BT and Sky gains – London Report November 25, 2014 BRITAIN’S top share index yesterday steadied near a twomonth high, as stronger banking stocks were offset by a fall in mining companies as metals prices weakened. The blue chip FTSE 100 index closed 1.35 points higher, or flat in percentage terms, at 6,731.14 points. The index reached a two-month high last week. Disappointing earnings from [...]