Sky News could be sold January 19, 2011 News Corp could be prepared to dispose of Sky News or other assets to smooth its path to taking full control of BSkyB, it emerged last night. Rupert Murdoch’s media group has approached the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the body responsible for approving the takeover of BSkyB, with a range of options [...]
Competition Commission called on bid for BSkyB January 13, 2011 MARKET regulator Ofcom has recommended a full Competition Commission enquiry into the approach for British Sky Broadcasting by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp should take place, according to reports. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport received the regulator’s report on the impact on media plurality the £7.5bn deal could have on the 31 December last [...]
How to ensure you get the best value deal for your mobile phone January 12, 2011 IT’S ALMOST a cliché that when you are trying to negotiate your mobile phone bill down you should threaten to leave the company, and insist to be put through to the retentions department, where deals can be struck. These days things are more complex. A few years ago when pay-as-you-go or 12-month contracts were the [...]
News Corp calls off MPs’ meeting January 10, 2011 RUPERT Murdoch’s News Corporation, which is attempting to buy the 61 per cent shares in BSkyB it does not already own, has cancelled a meeting it was due to hold with the influential Culture, Media and Sport select committee tomorrow. Sources close to News Corp, whose proposed deal is under intense scrutiny, said the media [...]
Cable demotion cheers Murdoch December 21, 2010 James Murdoch, the chairman of British Sky Broadcasting, was said to be “cock-a-hoop” last night, after Vince Cable was stripped of his role in deciding whether the satellite broadcaster can be taken over by News Corp. Sources close to Murdoch, who is also chief executive of News Corp in Europe and Asia, said Cable’s demotion [...]
News Corp could bring legal action against Cable December 21, 2010 NEWS Corp was last night taking legal advice on whether to challenge Vince Cable’s decision to refer its bid for BSkyB to the media watchdog. Cable asked Ofcom to examine the deal on the grounds of public interest on 4 November – less than 24 hours after News Corp notified the European Commission of its [...]
Culture secretary to rule on BSkyB December 21, 2010 THE OUTCOME of News Corp’s bid to buy a majority stake in BSkyB will be decided by Jeremy Hunt, in the wake of Vince Cable’s comments that he had “declared war” on Rupert Murdoch. The business secretary, who has been stripped of his power to rule on the takeover, will no longer play a role [...]
Ofcom warns BT on competition December 21, 2010 Communications regulator Ofcom has warned BT it has infringed on competition law over its wholesale calls prices. The telecoms giant strongly denies the claims it squeezed margins by setting the price charged to other providers for its wholesale service at a level that would hit other operators between July 2008 and April 2009.
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 [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 16, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES CLEGG WARNING TO BANKS ON BONUSES Nick Clegg has warned Britain’s banks that the government would not stand on the sidelines if they paid out lavish bonuses and failed to increase lending, increasing pressure on David Cameron to toughen his stance on the City. “They don’t operate in a social vacuum,” he told [...]