Bottom Line: Time for Colao to hunt bigger fish March 17, 2014 VODAFONE’s chief executive was crystal clear when asked yesterday whether he was planning bids for either ITV or Channel 5. No. But Vittorio Colao was less crystal clear when a tie-up with BSkyB was hinted at, saying the company was in talks with potential partners on commercial deals. Vodafone customers already have access to Sky [...]
End to Euro rugby row in sight as clubs and unions close in on deal March 17, 2014 EUROPEAN club rugby looks all but certain to remain on the calendar next season amid growing optimism that a deal to establish a successor to the Heineken Cup will be signed this week. Officials representing clubs and the unions of the Six Nations met for further talks in Paris yesterday in an attempt to finalise [...]
Britain’s real debt iceberg is getting scarily little attention March 17, 2014 WITH Budget day upon us tomorrow, we can expect to be told that we are almost half-way through the government’s planned fiscal consolidation. Politicians will talk about how they are eliminating the deficit and getting our debts under control. Yet the whole debate seems to assume that, when the deficit is finally gone, perhaps later [...]
Richard Desmond mulls Channel 5 float March 17, 2014 MEDIA tycoon Richard Desmond is considering a flotation of Channel 5 as an alternative to selling the station. Bidders are offering up to £700m for the broadcaster, which Desmond bought for just over £100m in 2011. But according to Sky News, Desmond is also working with Goldman Sachs bankers on a potential listing. Desmond, who [...]
Morrison confirms staff personal data theft March 14, 2014 Another big blow for supermarket Morrison. After yesterday’s profit warning, the store’s now had to admit that data from its staff payroll system, including bank account details, has been stolen and published on the internet. In an email seen by Sky News, the company described to staff an “illegal theft” of data. The information has [...]
Thomas holds on to yellow jersey March 13, 2014 CYCLING: Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas retained his three-second lead in the Paris-Nice race at the end of yesterday’s fifth stage. The eight-stage race concludes on Sunday.
Inside Track: Co-op board spat highlights need for change March 12, 2014 COMPANIES usually ban the use of social media sites to stop employees idling away work-time on frivolous gossip. In the case of the Co-operative Group, it might have been better advised to put a filter on the internet access of Euan Sutherland, its now-former chief executive. Sutherland took to Facebook on Sunday to denounce the [...]
Union leader Bob Crow passes away March 11, 2014 The 52 year old leader of the Rail Maritime Transport (RMT) union Bob Crow has passed away. He died at Whipps Cross hospital from an aneurysm and heart attack according to initial reports. Geoff Martin of the RMT said in a statement: It is with the deepest regret that RMT has to confirm that our [...]
Co-op’s Sutherland writes letter of resignation March 11, 2014 Co-op Group’s chief executive Euan Sutherland has penned a letter of resignation, reports the BBC’s Robert Peston. Sutherland says in the letter that he believes the group to be “ungovernable”. Sky News understands he's resigned on a point of principle. Speaking on Radio 4, Peston said the group's board are trying to persuade him to [...]
Fidelity slams Barclays over £2.4bn payout March 10, 2014 INVESTOR group Fidelity has become the first City firm to criticise Barclays’ £2.4bn bonus pool for 2013 – an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year, despite a 32 per cent drop in profits. Fidelity’s global chief investment officer Dominic Rossi told Sky News last night: “It is disappointing that a year after [...]