Lib Dems gear up for a bumpy ride with Cable on the ropes December 21, 2010 EVEN as the story of business secretary Vince Cable’s indiscretions broke late on Monday, campaigners linked with the the office of Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes were frantically sending out press releases. Surely an example of an impressive scale-up of the famously scatty Lib Dem media operation? Er, not quite. “Don’t use King’s Stairs [...]
Cable to rule on Sky after EU approval December 19, 2010 THE EU is set to approve News Corporation’s £7.8bn takeover bid for the rest of BSkyB this week, bringing the firm a step closer to a buyout of the 61 per cent of Sky that it doesn’t already own. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has been forced to wait for the European Commission to confirm that [...]
Title rivals are hard to split in massive match December 16, 2010 CHELSEA vs MANCHESTER UNITED SUNDAY, 4.00PM, SKY SPORTS CARLO Ancelotti was much happier with his team’s performance at Tottenham on Sunday, but how he must wish that Didier Drogba had converted his injury-time penalty. A draw was probably a fair result in the end and taking a point from White Hart Lane is never a [...]
England’s Aussie mentality makes them dangerous December 15, 2010 WEAK, lacking the stomach for a fight and content simply to lose with a smile on their faces – all insults directed at England’s cricketers before the last Ashes series. But the man who ripped into James Anderson’s personality ahead of the 2009 contest, Justin Langer, accepts there has been a sea change in the way [...]
EXPRESS YOURSELF, WITH UBS’S STYLE GUIDE December 15, 2010 THE Swiss are famous for their precision, but only when The Capitalist got hold of UBS’s 43-page dress code for its branch staff did it become clear just how highly the bank values exactness. The dress code has been doing the rounds for a few days now, but you might not have had a chance [...]
Rivals eye up Virgin Atlantic December 14, 2010 RICHARD Branson’s Virgin Atlantic could fall into American hands after several rivals including US-based Delta approached the company about a merger or tie-in deal. A handful of airlines have made enquiries about an eventual partnership with the carrier, according to Sky News, and Virgin has asked Deutsche Bank to help examine its options. Virgin Atlantic [...]
Orchid invests £3.6m in Sky 3D December 12, 2010 The Orchid Group yesterday announced it will invest £3.6m upgrading all of its TV content to Sky 3D and Sky+HD. The move will see the technology installed in all 300 of its premises, which include Bar Room Bar, The Oriental Restaurant Group and The Living Room. Rufus Hall, chief executive of The Orchid Group said: [...]
Home advantage can give United the edge December 9, 2010 MANCHESTER UNITED vs ARSENAL Monday, 8.00pm, Sky Sports ARSENAL forced their way to the top of the Premier League table last weekend with a 2-1 win against Fulham. Samir Nasri was the hero with a brace against the Cottagers and he has now scored four goals in his last three league games. Manchester United’s game [...]
Martin Broughton poised to bet against Reuben brothers on Tote December 8, 2010 MARTIN Broughton, who oversaw the recent sale of Liverpool Football Club, is putting together a bid to buy the Tote. Broughton is assembling an offer for the state-controlled betting firm through Sports Investment Partners (SIP), the private equity firm he recently launched with his son, Michael. The racing fan, who is a former chairman of [...]
Fat lady sings as Sky Songs plays last tune December 7, 2010 BSKYB has closed its iTunes rival Sky Songs after it failed to attract enough subscribers. One industry source told City A.M. the service could have had fewer than 10,000 subscribers. Sky Songs offered users unlimited streaming, plus download-to-own tracks and albums from £6.49 a month. A Sky spokesman said: “Although we are extremely proud of [...]