Referendum on EU splits the coalition July 1, 2012 PRIME Minister David Cameron yesterday reopened the battle lines within the coalition over Britain’s membership of the EU by signalling he might yet hold a referendum. “For me the two words ‘Europe’ and ‘referendum’ can go together,” Cameron wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. But he added: “The problem with an in/out referendum is that it [...]
Ramsgate: a characterful, atmospheric seaside gem July 1, 2012 RAMSGATE has an unglamorous reputation – people are quick to associate it with drunken Kentish folk hanging about its harbourside and, of course, it is distinctly not its cooler neighbours Margate (Tracey Emin’s hometown and home to a Turner Gallery), or ritzy Broadstairs, where Charles Dickens summered and where the well-heeled denizens of Kent go [...]
Slap in the face for UK as News Corp plans split June 28, 2012 RUPERT Murdoch delivered a stinging blow to the UK yesterday as he outlined plans to split his businesses in two. Asked about the ongoing investigations into several of News Corp’s British subsidiaries, including News International and BSkyB, Murdoch implied his UK-based assets are not crucial to the success of his company. The News Corp boss [...]
TalkTalk tops telco complaints table June 27, 2012 TALKTALK is again the most complained about telecoms provider, according to data published yesterday by Ofcom. The regulator said it is sent over 300 grumbles a day about telecoms services, which it publishes in a bid to promote competition and assist customers in choosing the right provider. In the first quarter of 2012, TalkTalk generated [...]
Murdoch’s plan to divide seen as a path to conquer June 26, 2012 THE Sky’s the limit once again for News Corporation. It took the first step in what looks like a bold new strategy to acquire the remaining 61 per cent of BSkyB yesterday. The media giant confirmed that it is “considering a restructuring to separate its business into two distinct publicly traded companies” – understood to [...]
BT Vision gamble might be costly June 26, 2012 Group’s football move must win customers from BSkyB BT VISION’S surprising capture of the rights to 38 live Premier League matches from the beginning of the season after next is described as “the largest thing we have done in television to date” by the group’s chief executive Marc Watson. The problem for BT Vision is [...]
Ofcom takes new steps to crack down on piracy June 26, 2012 ILLEGAL downloaders could be reported to copyright owners under a new system unveiled yesterday by communications regulator Ofcom. The draft code – still subject to a consultation period, European approval and the governmental green light – requires the major internet service providers (ISPs) to notify their customers of allegations that their internet connection has been [...]
Online blunder puts Hester’s bonus under threat again June 25, 2012 As the computer meltdown at NatWest entered another week, pressure mounted yesterday to make senior management pay the price for the disruption. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott told Sky News that there was “no question that [RBS boss] Stephen Hester should not be eligible for a bonus after this fiasco.” Interviewed yesterday, Hester said management [...]
LOVEFILM SIGNS FIRST CLASS DEAL WITH FOX June 25, 2012 Lovefilm, the Amazon-owned movie rental service, yesterday unveiled a deal which will give its users exclusive access to Twentieth Century Fox films – such as X-Men: First Class and Black Swan (above) – in the so-called second pay window, with Sky owning rights to the first pay period. Fox joins Warner Bros, Universal and Sony in [...]
Carr apologises for ‘terrible error of judgement’ June 21, 2012 COMEDIAN Jimmy Carr said he made “a terrible error of judgement” in using a legal offshore tax scheme to reduce his payments to HMRC. “I appreciate as a comedian, people will expect me to ‘make light’ of this situation, but I’m not going to in this statement,” Carr said on Twitter. “Although I’ve been advised [...]