DirecTV will merge with John Malone's Liberty Entertainment to simplify its ownership structure and improve its ability to pursue deals; specifically making itself a more attractive target for one of the big telcos. Liberty Entertainment will be spun off from Liberty Media as previously announced, and will now include 54 per cent of the stock […]
Google and Apple are being investigated by the US Federal Trade Commission over a possible breach of US anti-trust laws, according to reports. The FTC is scrutinising the working relationship between the two companies, specifically the influence of Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Apple Corporate Director Arthur Levinson, both of whom sit on each other's […]
The beleaguered pay-TV sports operation has appointed ex Emap CEO Robin Miller as its new chairman as it seeks new financing after losing a tranche of Premier League matches. It badly needs to raise £100m (E113m) of new investment and will seek to have investors back a new business plan concentrating on its position in […]
Discovery Communications reported an $8 million increase in first quarter revenues to $817 million, outstripping analysts expectations for the period and posting $119 million in profit. The company reported only $34 million in profit for the first quarter of 2008. Discovery even bucked the advertising slump, posting a two percent increase in ad revenues. As […]
Bezeq Israel Telecom has said it would merge with satellite TV unit YES. Bezeq, Israel’s largest telco, said it will raise its stake in YES to 58 per cent from 49.8 per cent after agreeing to a number of conditions set by Israel’s antitrust court. Final approval is dependent on Israel’s Supreme Court, which is […]
Telstra will reportedly be taking on Foxtel, TiVo, and any nascent IPTV plays from the broadcast sector in launching a service that will provide a combination of digital FTA, a full PVR, a range of BigPond (its ISP brand) content services via IP, customised web sites like YouTube and Flickr and open access to high […]
Disney has joined News Corp and NBC Universal as a partner in Hulu.com. Disney did not reveal the stake it had purchased in Hulu but reports suggest it had bought a 30 per cent share of the venture launched in 2007. The addition of Disney, which owns US TV network ABC, to the Hulu line-up […]
Toy maker Hasbro has formed a joint venture with Discovery Communications to create a TV network with original programming based on Hasbro brands. Hasbro has licensed its brands for a variety of different entertainments. Under terms of the deal, Hasbro will pay Discovery $300 million in cash for a 50 per cent share in the […]
Australia's biggest investment bank, Macquarie Group, has reported its first fall in full-year profits in 17 years. Net profit in the year to 31 March fell by 52% to A$871m ($635m). It also cut A$2.5bn ($1.8 billion) from the value of its assets because of the global financial crisis. The bank said it had cash […]
French authorities have pushed back a tender for a fourth 3G mobile operating licence in order to examine the terms and conditions of the award. The move follows warnings from incumbents that they would seek redress in the courts if the price set by the government for the concession is too low. French Secretary of […]