Keys quits over sexism row January 26, 2011 Face of Sky Sports bows to pressure but blames ‘dark forces’ for forcing him out PRESENTER Richard Keys last night bowed to pressure and resigned from his high-profile role as Sky Sports football anchor over the storm caused by leaked footage of him making sexist comments. Keys’ resignation was accompanied by an apologetic statement and [...]
OFT won’t report banks January 26, 2011 THE OFFICE of Fair Trading has decided not to report London’s investment banking industry for anti-competitive practices, according to reports last night. The OFT has spent six months looking at whether equity underwriting practices stifle competition, but does not have enough evidence to make a formal referral to the Competition Commission. The watchdog said in [...]
Gray breaks silence over Sky sacking January 26, 2011 SACKED pundit Andy Gray insists he had intended to apologise on Monday night for making sexist comments. “Sadly I was unable to do so as I was suspended from the show by Sky Sports and have now been sacked,” said Gray. “Football is my life and I am devastated by losing the job that I [...]
Agius warns EU rules could hurt recovery January 26, 2011 MARCUS Agius, the chairman of the British Bankers’ Association and Barclays, has warned the government that regulators could hinder the recovery by adopting new banking rules more quickly than other countries. In a letter to chancellor George Osborne, Agius argued the UK risks tipping the playing field of global commerce in favour of rival financial centres. He [...]
Hunt delays decision on News Corp bid January 25, 2011 CULTURE minister Jeremy Hunt has stalled his decision over the future of News Corp’s £7.8bn bid for Sky. Hunt says he will give News Corp more time to prove its bid will not have an adverse affect on media plurality before referring it to the Competition Commission. Media watchdog Ofcom has filed a report highlighting [...]
The Cloud wi-fi network is target for Sky January 25, 2011 SKY is on the brink of snapping up wi-fi hotspot provider The Cloud in a deal analysts say could be worth around £100m. Sky is desperate to compete with rival BT, which offers its subscribers free access to its Openzone wireless network covering most of the country. The Cloud has around 22,000 hotspots across the [...]
WHAT THE TWO SIDES SAY January 25, 2011 Sky “Ofcom’s analysis is deficient. The deal will have minimal impact on consumers and would not enhance News Corporation’s ability to influence the news” “News Corp alleges that Ofcom did not have an open mind when considering the issue of plurality. This allegation is without foundation.” TIME LINE | TWISTS AND TURNS OF THE BID [...]
Sky sack Gray after 20 years for unacceptable behaviour January 25, 2011 SKY PUNDIT Andy Gray was sacked yesterday after further allegations of sexist behaviour emerged. The 55-year-old was stood down from Monday night’s coverage of Chelsea’s match at Bolton, following comments made about female referee Sian Massey (below) before Saturday’s match between Wolves and Liverpool. But after fresh evidence emerged yesterday, Sky felt compelled to take [...]
An SUV with a conscience January 25, 2011 Here’s Kia’s new Sportage, an SUV crossover that confirms the massive changes that SUVs have undergone over the last five years. An ugly, boxy, polluting gas guzzler this ain’t. In fact it’s not even a 4×4 (though there is an All-Wheel-Drive version). This one is 2WD and has Kia’s all new 1.7 CRDi 114bhp diesel [...]
Should Sky sack star presenters over sexism row? January 24, 2011 DAVID HELLIER YES WHEN it came to the most important offside decision of Liverpool’s win over Wolves, Sian Massey got it right – despite the jibes of presenters Gray and Keys. Now Sky Sports has done the right thing in suspending Keys and Gray – but bosses ought to go further and sack them. Their [...]