X-TRA AD MONEY January 19, 2010 ITV’s last hope for easing restrictions on its advertising rates was dashed yesterday when UK competition regulator Ofcom said the company would have to stick to its six-year old price cap. The move will limit the supply of advertising minutes in its top rating show, The X-Factor (above). Ofcom said that ITV’s new proposal on [...]
Miners lend muscle to FTSE as banks shake off US blues January 18, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading share index took on 0.7 per cent yesterday, as heavyweight mining issues rallied with firmer metal prices, while banks moved higher awaiting further earnings news from US peers. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was 39.02 points higher at 5,494.39, albeit in subdued trade with US markets closed for Martin Luther King [...]
Sky vows to fight plans to force it to wholesale premium content to rivals January 17, 2010 SKY yesterday vowed to fight “through every avenue possible” attempts to force it to sell its premium channels to rivals at regulated prices. Media regulator Ofcom is meeting tomorrow to discuss plans to make Sky wholesale its movies and sports channels to competitors like Virgin and BT Vision. It will give a final decision in [...]
Mobile tie-up December 17, 2009 THE proposed merger of Orange and T-Mobile could curb competition and hurt consumers, regulator Ofcom has warned. Ofcom said it was satisfied that consumers were well served thanks to competition between the country’s five mobile carriers, but this situation could change if the merger were to go ahead. The regulator has no direct authority to [...]
BT may hike rivals’ bills to cut its pension deficit December 1, 2009 THE telecoms regulator may allow BT to charge its rivals more for using its broadband and telephone lines to help it cut its £9.4bn pension deficit. Ofcom said it would consult on whether to take into account BT’s payments to cut its deficit when setting prices for its wholesale arm Openreach. Charges to firms such [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING November 30, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES CARLYLE SUED OVER COLLAPSED FUNDA prominent Kuwaiti conglomerate is suing the Carlyle Group in a local court, alleging that the US private equity firm misrepresented the safety of its affiliate, Carlyle Capital Corp (CCC), a public debt fund that collapsed in 2008. The firm, National?Industries Group, invested $50m in CCC, which was marketed [...]
New ITV boss meets with City approval November 18, 2009 Troubled broadcaster ITV saw its shares lift by 3.5 per cent yesterday after it announced the appointment of City high-flier and former Tory MP Archie Norman as its chairman. After months of speculation, analysts applauded the selection of a big-hitting turnaround specialist, with strong links to the Tories, to guide ITV’s strategy moving forward. Norman [...]
Ofcom backs local media consolidation November 17, 2009 An era of consolidation is on the cards for local media, after the industry watchdog Ofcom proposed a relaxation of ownership rules. The regulator has written to the government recommending that radio operators be allowed to consolidate around a local area, helping independent commercial operators compete with the state-funded BBC. They would also liberalise cross-media [...]
‘Teflon Terry’ to take the reins as C4 chairman November 4, 2009 ABBEY National chairman Sir Terry Burns is expected to be the new chairman of state-owned Channel 4, with Ofcom set to make an announcement imminently. The former permanent secretary to the Treasury is understood to be the watchdog’s choice to replace Luke Johnson, who steps down in January. Burns is also said to be Whitehall’s [...]
Virgin Media: Why City A.M. is wrong about TV market November 1, 2009 IN his article last Friday about the pay TV market, City A.M.’s David Crow suggested that, by forcing Sky to wholesale its premium sports and movie channels to competing pay TV retailers, media regulator Ofcom is punishing Sky’s success. He compares Sky’s investment in sports and movies to car maker Toyota’s investment in hybrid fuel [...]