Ofcom launches probe into bill hikes from mobile phone firms October 18, 2012 THE BROADCASTING regulator is investigating mobile phone companies over price hikes, after concerns surfaced about networks raising bills mid-contract without notifying customers. Ofcom said yesterday that a review into the fairness of contract terms “identified a number of issues with the effectiveness of the current rules with which communications providers have to comply”. Under current rules, [...]
Maria Miller clears Global Radio’s GMG takeover in blow to Bauer October 11, 2012 GLOBAL RADIO’S takeover of GMG Radio, the owner of the Smooth and Real stations, was cleared by culture secretary Maria Miller yesterday, in a significant victory for Britain’s biggest commercial radio operator after former culture head Jeremy Hunt had ordered an investigation into the deal. The acquisition, which has an estimated value of £70m and will [...]
What the other papers say this morning October 8, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES TNK-BP partner look to sell stake BP’s billionaire partners in TNK-BP say they want to sell or list their 50 per cent stake in the business, creating more uncertainty over the future of Russia’s third-largest oil producer. Total arm warns over inaccuracies Total Oil Trading, one of the largest groups of its kind, [...]
Telecoms peace deal brings 4G to Britain October 2, 2012 BRITAIN’S four major mobile companies will all be able to offer high-speed mobile internet networks from as soon as next summer, after government-brokered talks between broadcasting regulator Ofcom and the operators last night moved forward the date that fourth-generation (4G) airwaves will be cleared for use. Culture secretary Maria Miller brought together the heads of [...]
Culture secretary to broker 4G accord with mobile operators September 30, 2012 BRITAIN’S mobile networks will meet tomorrow to negotiate a government-brokered ceasefire over Ofcom’s auction of 4G spectrum, as culture secretary Maria Miller draws a line under litigation that has delayed a rollout of high speed mobile internet. The auction of 4G-approved bands of mobile airwaves is due to take place at the end of the [...]
TalkTalk tops tables for Ofcom tiffs but overall complaints fall September 26, 2012 TALKTALK has kept its title as the most complained-about communications firm for the sixth consecutive quarter, watchdog Ofcom revealed yesterday, though the number of customer grievances with the industry overall is falling. TalkTalk, whose customer base fell three per cent to 4.05m in the last quarter, yesterday conceded “there is still work to do” after [...]
James Murdoch eyes promotion despite critics September 20, 2012 JAMES Murdoch will be given more responsibility over News Corp’s US television operations more than a year after he became a central figure in the company’s telephone hacking scandal in the UK, two sources familiar with the matter said. News of the promotion comes on the heels of a ruling earlier yesterday that BSkyB is [...]
Virgin Media in talks to run 4G mobile internet September 20, 2012 VIRGIN MEDIA is in the running to become the UK’s second mobile operator to offer 4G mobile internet, with the company in talks with Orange and T-Mobile owner EE to use EE’s network to offer the service. City A.M. understands Virgin Media – which already runs a “virtual” mobile network using EE infrastructure – is [...]
BSkyB is a “fit and proper” broadcaster September 20, 2012 BSkyB is “fit and proper” to hold a broadcasting licence, watchdog Ofcom said today. The watchdog launched an investigation last year after allegations of phone hacking at BskyB’s biggest shareholder News Corp. The investigation by Ofcom, which has clashed repeatedly with BSkyB in the past, had hung over the hugely successful group and raised the [...]
Ofcom pays out on redundancy September 18, 2012 ■ Ofcom spent millions on redundancies over the last five years, even as it hired more staff than it let go, The Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA) revealed yesterday. The communications regulator spent £9.4m on redundancy payments, in a period when it hired 598 staff and only made 223 redundant. “Poor planning by Ofcom has left taxpayers [...]