BT and Vodafone shares rise on cut-price 5G spectrum auction March 17, 2021 Shares in BT and Vodafone pushed higher today after the mobile networks secured bargain deals in the latest auction of 5G airwaves. Regulator Ofcom this morning said that it had raised £1.4bn from the sale of additional capacity to support 5G mobile coverage. The figure was well below analyst forecasts, leaving the telcos with more [...]
SSP plots £475m rights issue to patch up battered balance sheet March 17, 2021 Upper Crust owner SSP today said that it would raise £475m through a rights issue to shore up its battered finances amid the ongoing pandemic. The travel food provider announced the raise as part of a suite of measures to tackle problems on its ailing balance sheet, warning that revenue would not return to pre-pandemic [...]
Screenshot: Does the UK media have a racism problem? March 12, 2021 This week: **Media Moment of the Week: GMB gets a new frontman **Does the UK media have a racism problem? **Deliveroo’s IPO giveaway; BT gets in a bind Media Moment of the Week: GMB gets a new frontman What a week it’s been for ITV. In the space of 24 hours it racked up bumper [...]
ITV shares fall after Piers Morgan quits broadcaster March 10, 2021 Investors switched off ITV today after Piers Morgan resigned from breakfast show Good Morning Britain. Shares are down nearly six per cent this afternoon. The controversial broadcaster stepped down from the programme last night amid a furore over his comments about Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Shares in ITV are currently [...]
UK regulators unveil ‘joined-up’ approach ahead of Big Tech crackdown March 10, 2021 Three major UK watchdogs have outlined their “joined-up” approach to digital regulation this morning as authorities prepare to crack down on Big Tech. The Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DCRF), which includes Ofcom, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), today unveiled its first annual plan for co-ordinating new regulation across online [...]
Piers Morgan quits Good Morning Britain after Meghan Markle comments March 9, 2021 Piers Morgan has quit ITV’s breakfast show Good Morning Britain shortly after Ofcom launched an investigation into his comments about Meghan Markle. A spokesperson for ITV said: “Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain. ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add.” [...]
Goldman-backed broadband firm Cityfibre plots major stake sale March 8, 2021 Challenger broadband firm Cityfibre is preparing the sale of a major stake to a new investor in a deal said to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds The London-based company has tapped bankers at UBS and Rothschild to identify a third backer, Sky News reported. The buyer would join the two existing investors West [...]
BT denies boardroom rift led to chairman’s resignation March 8, 2021 BT has hit back at reports that a boardroom row led to its chairman’s resignation, insisting there was “no misalignment” over the company’s strategy. Sky News last week reported that chief executive Philip Jansen threatened to resign unless Jan du Plessis stepped down as chairman. The veteran South African director announced his departure a week [...]
Businesses of all stripes have stepped up to the Covid-19 challenge March 6, 2021 The private sector has already played a crucial role in the fight against Covid-19. Not only have some of the world’s largest companies developed crucial vaccines and life-saving treatments, but the private sector more broadly has also played a more indirect – yet still highly important – role in supporting the public sector as it [...]
BT boss Philip Jansen ‘gave ultimatum’ over chairman’s departure March 5, 2021 BT chief executive Philip Jansen is said to have given the board an ultimatum over his own future at the company that led to the departure of the chairman this week. Jansen told fellow directors that he was prepared to resign unless the telecoms behemoth replaced Jan du Plessis as chairman, Sky News report. Du [...]