Ex-MPC member Barker takes private equity role October 17, 2010 FORMER Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Kate Barker has snapped up her second high-profile corporate appointment in just a few weeks, having agreed to take up a role as a non-executive director on the board of Electra Private Equity. Electra, which has investments in household names such as insurer Esure and feminine hygiene [...]
Government wields axe on nearly 200 quangos and plans to merge many others October 14, 2010 ALMOST 200 quangos face the axe as part of government proposals to save millions of pounds while a further 481 face reform, the Cabinet office revealed yesterday. The closures will lead to thousands of job losses and are likely to create a substantial redundancy bill for the government, although it claimed yesterday in the long [...]
BT must give access to its fibre network October 7, 2010 OFCOM yesterday said it will force BT to allow its rivals access to the former state phone firm’s superfast fibre broadband network. BT will also have to wholesale its infrastructure of telegraph poles and underground ducts in a bid to increase competition for superfast internet to rural areas. The decision supports government plans laid out [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS September 29, 2010 Tullett Prebon The inter-dealer broker has re-hired Tory MP Michael Fallon as a non-executive director, just a few months after he resigned to pursue an unsuccessful campaign for the Treasury Select Committee chairmanship. Fallon, who lost out to Andrew Tyrie, rejoins Tullett a week after he replaced Lord Ashcroft as deputy chair of the Conservative [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 16, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES VODAFONE BALKS AT BEING FORCED SELLER Vodafone’s chief executive has warned that he will not be “forced” into selling the UK group’s minority stakes in four mobile phone operators. Vittorio Colao insisted that the sale this month of Vodafone’s 3.2 per cent stake in China Mobile for £4.3bn ($6.7bn) was not done in [...]
No review due for BSkyB deal September 16, 2010 THE government has not yet decided whether to refer for review the proposed takeover of pay-TV group BSkyB by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, it said, responding to a report a review was likely. The BBC said business secretary Vince Cable was likely to ask the media regulator Ofcom to look at the impact of any [...]
Ofcom could probe BSkyB September 15, 2010 OFCOM could be asked to review News Corporation’s bid for BSkyB if a formal offer is made with business secretary Vince Cable likely to issue an “intervention notice”. The notice would order the watchdog to look at the impact of the takeover. News Corporation wants to take over the remaining 61 per cent of BSkyB [...]
Capital London to become national station September 13, 2010 Capital London will become a national station under audacious new plans by its owner Global Radio. Galaxy Radio and 10 other stations will be subsumed into the national brand as the firm ramps up its rivalry with the BBC. The move will create the largest commercial radio brand in the UK, with bosses calling it [...]
Canvas called poison pill for internet TV August 31, 2010 OFCOM has received a third competition complaint about BBC-backed video-on-demand service Project Canvas. Regional broadcaster Six TV joins Virgin and Sky in claiming the joint venture will unfairly dominate the online TV market. Virgin lodged an official complaint earlier this year and now Six TV has branded the venture a “poison pill” for the local [...]
Start-ups affected by internet debate August 26, 2010 IF YOU haven’t heard of the net neutrality debate then you soon will. The debate centres on whether internet service providers (ISPs) have the right to charge different prices for various services on the internet. For example, downloading a video might cost more than just opening a web page. The debate stepped up a gear [...]