The US Federal Trade Commission has dropped its investigation into Google's collection of data through Street View cameras, saying it was satisfied the internet giant had adequately addressed the issue internally.
The US giant is still facing ongoing investigations by individual state attorneys, as well as in Canada and Europe.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5dc89048-e1e3-11df-b18d-00144feabdc0.html
The Morning Briefing - 28.10.10
Intelligence from the TMT sector
Today's headlines:
· Q3 Rajars reveal 1.1m increase in UK radio listening to 46.8m…(B’cast)
· …as listening via digital grows 15.4% year-on-year, at 20.4m (B’cast)
· Google report finds UK internet worth £100bn-a-year to economy (Net)
· Bailed Black refuses to rule out return to newspaper ownership (Print)
· US Federal Trade Commission drops Google Street View probe (Policy)
What’s breaking now…
· Pay-TV technology specialist Pace gives interim management statement for four months since June, saying board is confident in full-year outlook. CEO Neil Gaydon says: "Our consistent delivery against a clear strategy has enabled Pace to deliver excellent operational performance, building further on our market leadership position. Pace remains on track to deliver a second half performance as strong as the first half."
· SK Telecom posts preliminary third-quarter net profit down from $369.9m a year ago to $323.6m on revenues up from $2.72bn to $2.83bn.
Internet
A survey commissioned by search giant Google revealed that the internet is worth £100bn annually to the UK economy, comprising 7.2% of the gross domestic product, which is expected to reach 10% within five years. This is a higher proportion than the construction, education and transport industries. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said 60% of the £100bn came from ‘internet consumption’ - via online shopping and the cost of devices and connections to access the internet. The remaining £40bn comprised internet infrastructure investment, government IT spending and net exports. The survey also revealed this country exported £2.80 of e-commerce goods and services for every £1 imported, and that 250,000 people are employed in the e-commerce sector. The survey also placed Britain in sixth pace on the ‘e-intensity index’ - which calculates the reach and depth of the internet in the world's major economies. Denmark leads the way by this measure, with the UK above the likes of the US, France and Germany.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iwERBPXxDop-ei4fNZntr9wD3Asg?docId=N0022621288238216107A
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/28/net-worth-100bn-uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11635318
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/nation-of-internet-shopkeepers-pumps-163100bn-into-the-economy-2118518.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a7b635f8-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss
The BCG survey for Google also revealed that 19m UK households have an internet connection - 73% of all homes, and that broadband penetration has doubled in the past five years. It also found that 62% of all adults had bought goods or services online in the past year - 31 million people.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iwERBPXxDop-ei4fNZntr9wD3Asg?docId=N0022621288238216107A
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/28/net-worth-100bn-uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11635318
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/nation-of-internet-shopkeepers-pumps-163100bn-into-the-economy-2118518.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a7b635f8-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss
Following its Q3 results yesterday, Virgin Media confirmed it has opened registrations for its 100Mbps service, which will go live across four locations in December. CEO Neil Berkett said: “The launch of our 100Mbps service is a significant milestone in the UK’s broadband evolution and a vivid illustration of the power of our next generation network. We have already seen a massive uptake in the number of customers watching video-rich services and bandwidth-hungry high definition programmes and clips.”
Source:
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/10/27/virgin-begins-100-mbps-broadband-rollout/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/virgin-media-superfast-100mb-broadband
Mike Jones, CEO of News Corp-owned social network MySpace, told the FT the relaunched site offered a "drastic change" with an increased focus on entertainment content. He said: "It’s a completely new website. We felt that over time MySpace had become very broad in what it was offering. We believe that companies with a very singular focus have very happy users." The FT said the move was aimed at repositioning the company ahead of a decision on its future by News Corp.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b07250d0-e153-11df-90b7-00144feabdc0.html
A New York court has ordered file-sharing website LimeWire to close down permanently after it was found liable for “massive” copyright infringement earlier this year.
Source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303341904575577192244735152.html
Broadcast
Third-quarter radio listening figures announced today by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd) reveal 46.8 million UK adults listen to the radio each week, a 1.1 million year-on-year climb. This equates to 90.6% of the UK population over 15-years-old. The weekly reach for listening via a digital platform has increased 15.4% year-on-year, to 20.4 million (Q3 2009: 17.7m.) Digital listening hours for Q3 reached a new high of 262 million hours per week, up 22.8% year-on-year. The Rajars showed DAB radio accounts for 61.8% of all digital hours, but listening via DTV (digital television) - up 27.1%, and the internet - up 35.2%, both saw significant gains. Listening via digital now has an almost quarter share of the total listening hours - 24.8%.
Site:
http://www.rajar.co.uk/
Other key figures in the Q3 Rajars revealed a 10.3% growth in DAB set ownership, with now one third of the UK population (18.3 million adults) owning one. Radio listening via mobiles achieved a 2.3% quarter-on-quarter rise, with 12.8% of adults aged 15+ having tuned in this way.
Site:
http://www.rajar.co.uk/
The Q3 Rajars revealed the UK’s most listened-to breakfast show continues to be Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 programme, but that he had lost 1.4m listeners (weekly reach now 8.14m) since debuting with a record high of 9.5m for the first three months of 2010. But nearest rival Chris Moyles’ Radio 1 show also had a drop on the previous quarter, down 600,000 to 7.1m - a marginal year-on-year gain. Radio 2 retains its position as the most listened-to UK station, with a 13.68m weekly reach, with Radio 1 in second place, with 11.65 million listeners. The biggest fall among Corporation stations was Radio 5 Live’s, down 6.9% on Q2 to 6.29m, but the previous quarter did include the general election and World Cup. Reprieved digital station BBC 6 Music had a 91.7% year-on-year rise in listeners, to 1.12 million.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/28/rajars-radio
The Q3 Rajars brought general good news to commercial radio stations, which now have a combined 43.4% market share compared to the BBC’s 54.3%, narrowing the gap on the Corporation. This gain was led by TalkSport, which increased listeners by 19.6% year-on-year to its highest ever level - 2.96 million.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/28/rajars-radio
Private equity group Apax is expected to put Thomas the Tank Engine owner Hit Entertainment up for sale for up to $1.5bn, the Telegraph reported, following interest from US groups including toy maker Mattel and media giant Disney.
Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8091811/Hit-Entertainment-circled-by-US-toy-and-media-giants.html
Shine Group confirmed its dispute with Five over the reported £1m it was owed for entertainment show Don’t Stop Believing has been resolved, with a spokesman confirming “payment of all remaining instalments…[has] now been received”.
Source:
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/broadcasters/c5-pays-shine-1m-debt/5019831.article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/channel-5-elisabeth-murdoch-dispute
Proposed rule changes by radio audience research body Rajar will allow stations to compare their own digital take-up with rivals, MediaGuardian reported.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/digital-radio-listening-figures
Print
Jailed former Telegraph owner Conrad Black, now on bail in the US after appealing against his six-year fraud sentence, has hinted he may at some stage return to ownership of newspapers. He told a BBC Radio 4 interviewer: "Not as a chief occupation and not in a public company - but it might happen...I think they [newspapers] have been so devalued that some of them are bargains now. Many of these great American newspapers are now in the hands of receiver managers, if they can be had for almost nothing they are a bargain." And he dismissed any suggestion of the demise of printed news, stating: "There is a utility in having a printed word in front of you. A great many people, not just elderly ... do prefer to read on paper. Even a lot of young people do."
Source:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2010/10/27/conrad-black-return-media-ownership.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/conrad-black-media-ownership
Associated Press president and CEO Tom Curley said the US co-operative expects newspaper revenues, which have fallen to about $140m this year - just over 20% of the total - to decline by $5m-$7m per year for the foreseeable future, adding AP’s other businesses now effectively subsidise its newspaper offerings.
Source:
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=123&aid=193367
Archant is to centralise production of six of its north London papers at its Ilford offices, with Archant London editorial director Bob Crawley saying: “We believe the proposed common production unit will allow us to introduce uniform standards; deliver efficiencies; have greater flexibility for covering illness and holiday periods, therefore reducing freelance costs; share relevant content easier; introduce more cross-title platforms and develop editorially-led commercial projects.”
Source:
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=46197&c=1
General Media
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell revealed the advertising giant, which publishes Q3 results tomorrow, has just enjoyed its strongest quarter for organic growth in a decade, buoyed by increased spending by retailers and consumer goods companies.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/26/martin-sorrell-luv-shaped
The Telegraph reported photos have emerged on blog sites purporting to show a Sony Ericsson phone handset combined with a PlayStation Portable games console, quoting Engadget as saying the device "is the PlayStation Phone you've long been waiting for". Sony refused to comment.
Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/sony/8090001/Sony-to-launch-PlayStation-phone.html
Nintendo is reportedly planning to launch a shopping service for its Wii console in Japan, offering consumers more than 10,000 products.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nintendo-reportedly-to-add-shopping-to-wii-2010-10-26
Media Policy
The US Federal Trade Commission has dropped its investigation into Google's collection of data through Street View cameras, saying it was satisfied the internet giant had adequately addressed the issue internally. The US giant is still facing ongoing investigations by individual state attorneys, as well as in Canada and Europe.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5dc89048-e1e3-11df-b18d-00144feabdc0.html
Ofcom has ruled mobile operators can now repurpose their existing spectrum to offer 3G services, a move that paves the way for an auction of spectrum currently used by analogue TV broadcasts. O2 and Vodafone, owners of the 900MHz spectrum, and Everything Everywhere, which owns most of the 1800MHz spectrum, have so far only been allowed to use their allocation for 2G services. Ofcom added: "In the interests of consumers and citizens, our advice to government is that 2G spectrum should be made available for 3G mobile services as soon as possible."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/737e082e-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html
Telecoms
Protesters yesterday blockaded the entrance to Vodafone's flagship Oxford Street store, accusing the mobile giant of failing to pay £6bn in taxes. Vodafone was ordered to pay HMRC £1.25bn following its €180bn takeover of German engineering group Mannesmann in 2000, and critics claimed the true tax bill was likely to be at least £6bn. But Vodafone said: "It is incorrect to suggest that there was an outstanding tax bill of £6bn, as this was never the case." HMRC added: "There is no question of Vodafone having an outstanding tax liability of £6bn. That number is an urban myth."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61f291de-e1d7-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim's America Movil reported third-quarter net profit up 9% on a year ago to $1.96bn, lower than expected. Revenues rose by 5.3% to $12.36bn.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2727456720101028
US mobile operator Sprint Nextel posted a third-quarter net loss of $911m, widened from $478m a year ago, citing the continuing loss of subscribers from its Nextel service and the higher cost of handset subsidies aimed at winning new business. Revenues rose by 1% to $8.15bn. Chief financial officer Robert Burst said: "An important factor in turning around the company’s financial performance is growing our customer base and as a result improving revenue. Next year, if our subscriber results continue to improve, we expect to start seeing revenue growth."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9af09de-e1d6-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
Indian telecoms minister A Raja revealed Research In Motion could be given more time to devise ways to allow security services to monitor traffic sent via its BlackBerry device, saying the situation will be reviewed at the end of this month.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rim-may-get-more-time-for-india-solution-2010-10-26
T-Mobile said it will show a three-minute version of its latest ‘flashmob’ commercial across more than 80 TV channels, including ITV, Channel 4, Five, Sky1 and ITV2, in the first break after 10pm tomorrow evening.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/t-mobile-flashmob-ad
Technology
Chipmaker Broadcom posted third-quarter net profits up from $85m a year ago to $327m, on revenue 44% higher at $1.8bn. The US group also announced the acquisition of femtocells chip developer Percello for $86m cash.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/broadcom-earnings-jump-forecast-beats-estimates-2010-10-26
Ahead of a San Francisco court hearing next week to determine damages SAP must pay Oracle after admitting it stole software, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said he intends to demonstrate that former SAP chief executive Leo Apotheker, who was recently poached by Hewlett-Packard to replace the sacked Mark Hurd, was aware that the theft was taking place.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69Q08520101027
South Korea's LG Electronics reported a record third-quarter operating loss of $163.7m, in line with expectations, hit by a struggling handset business and a lack of major product launches.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE69P01R20101028
Computer equipment maker Logitech posted a second-quarter net profit of $41m, up 95% on a year ago and beating expectations, with sales up 17% to $582m. The company raised its full-year sales outlook from $2.3bn-$2.35bn to $2.35bn-$2.4bn.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2727585920101028
Shares in Cambridge-based semiconductor group CSR fell by more than 10% after the firm cut fourth-quarter revenue estimates to $170m-$185m, down from $198m a year ago. For Q3, the company posted pre-tax profits up from $10.7m to $30.5m, on revenues up from $209.9m to $222.1m.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/366cf3be-e197-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
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The Morning Briefing - 28.10.10
Intelligence from the TMT sector
Today's headlines:
· Q3 Rajars reveal 1.1m increase in UK radio listening to 46.8m…(B’cast)
· …as listening via digital grows 15.4% year-on-year, at 20.4m (B’cast)
· Google report finds UK internet worth £100bn-a-year to economy (Net)
· Bailed Black refuses to rule out return to newspaper ownership (Print)
· US Federal Trade Commission drops Google Street View probe (Policy)
What’s breaking now…
· Pay-TV technology specialist Pace gives interim management statement for four months since June, saying board is confident in full-year outlook. CEO Neil Gaydon says: "Our consistent delivery against a clear strategy has enabled Pace to deliver excellent operational performance, building further on our market leadership position. Pace remains on track to deliver a second half performance as strong as the first half."
· SK Telecom posts preliminary third-quarter net profit down from $369.9m a year ago to $323.6m on revenues up from $2.72bn to $2.83bn.
Internet
A survey commissioned by search giant Google revealed that the internet is worth £100bn annually to the UK economy, comprising 7.2% of the gross domestic product, which is expected to reach 10% within five years. This is a higher proportion than the construction, education and transport industries. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said 60% of the £100bn came from ‘internet consumption’ - via online shopping and the cost of devices and connections to access the internet. The remaining £40bn comprised internet infrastructure investment, government IT spending and net exports. The survey also revealed this country exported £2.80 of e-commerce goods and services for every £1 imported, and that 250,000 people are employed in the e-commerce sector. The survey also placed Britain in sixth pace on the ‘e-intensity index’ - which calculates the reach and depth of the internet in the world's major economies. Denmark leads the way by this measure, with the UK above the likes of the US, France and Germany.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iwERBPXxDop-ei4fNZntr9wD3Asg?docId=N0022621288238216107A
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/28/net-worth-100bn-uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11635318
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/nation-of-internet-shopkeepers-pumps-163100bn-into-the-economy-2118518.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a7b635f8-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss
The BCG survey for Google also revealed that 19m UK households have an internet connection - 73% of all homes, and that broadband penetration has doubled in the past five years. It also found that 62% of all adults had bought goods or services online in the past year - 31 million people.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iwERBPXxDop-ei4fNZntr9wD3Asg?docId=N0022621288238216107A
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/28/net-worth-100bn-uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11635318
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/nation-of-internet-shopkeepers-pumps-163100bn-into-the-economy-2118518.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a7b635f8-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss
Following its Q3 results yesterday, Virgin Media confirmed it has opened registrations for its 100Mbps service, which will go live across four locations in December. CEO Neil Berkett said: “The launch of our 100Mbps service is a significant milestone in the UK’s broadband evolution and a vivid illustration of the power of our next generation network. We have already seen a massive uptake in the number of customers watching video-rich services and bandwidth-hungry high definition programmes and clips.”
Source:
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/10/27/virgin-begins-100-mbps-broadband-rollout/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/virgin-media-superfast-100mb-broadband
Mike Jones, CEO of News Corp-owned social network MySpace, told the FT the relaunched site offered a "drastic change" with an increased focus on entertainment content. He said: "It’s a completely new website. We felt that over time MySpace had become very broad in what it was offering. We believe that companies with a very singular focus have very happy users." The FT said the move was aimed at repositioning the company ahead of a decision on its future by News Corp.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b07250d0-e153-11df-90b7-00144feabdc0.html
A New York court has ordered file-sharing website LimeWire to close down permanently after it was found liable for “massive” copyright infringement earlier this year.
Source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303341904575577192244735152.html
Broadcast
Third-quarter radio listening figures announced today by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd) reveal 46.8 million UK adults listen to the radio each week, a 1.1 million year-on-year climb. This equates to 90.6% of the UK population over 15-years-old. The weekly reach for listening via a digital platform has increased 15.4% year-on-year, to 20.4 million (Q3 2009: 17.7m.) Digital listening hours for Q3 reached a new high of 262 million hours per week, up 22.8% year-on-year. The Rajars showed DAB radio accounts for 61.8% of all digital hours, but listening via DTV (digital television) - up 27.1%, and the internet - up 35.2%, both saw significant gains. Listening via digital now has an almost quarter share of the total listening hours - 24.8%.
Site:
http://www.rajar.co.uk/
Other key figures in the Q3 Rajars revealed a 10.3% growth in DAB set ownership, with now one third of the UK population (18.3 million adults) owning one. Radio listening via mobiles achieved a 2.3% quarter-on-quarter rise, with 12.8% of adults aged 15+ having tuned in this way.
Site:
http://www.rajar.co.uk/
The Q3 Rajars revealed the UK’s most listened-to breakfast show continues to be Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 programme, but that he had lost 1.4m listeners (weekly reach now 8.14m) since debuting with a record high of 9.5m for the first three months of 2010. But nearest rival Chris Moyles’ Radio 1 show also had a drop on the previous quarter, down 600,000 to 7.1m - a marginal year-on-year gain. Radio 2 retains its position as the most listened-to UK station, with a 13.68m weekly reach, with Radio 1 in second place, with 11.65 million listeners. The biggest fall among Corporation stations was Radio 5 Live’s, down 6.9% on Q2 to 6.29m, but the previous quarter did include the general election and World Cup. Reprieved digital station BBC 6 Music had a 91.7% year-on-year rise in listeners, to 1.12 million.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/28/rajars-radio
The Q3 Rajars brought general good news to commercial radio stations, which now have a combined 43.4% market share compared to the BBC’s 54.3%, narrowing the gap on the Corporation. This gain was led by TalkSport, which increased listeners by 19.6% year-on-year to its highest ever level - 2.96 million.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/28/rajars-radio
Private equity group Apax is expected to put Thomas the Tank Engine owner Hit Entertainment up for sale for up to $1.5bn, the Telegraph reported, following interest from US groups including toy maker Mattel and media giant Disney.
Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8091811/Hit-Entertainment-circled-by-US-toy-and-media-giants.html
Shine Group confirmed its dispute with Five over the reported £1m it was owed for entertainment show Don’t Stop Believing has been resolved, with a spokesman confirming “payment of all remaining instalments…[has] now been received”.
Source:
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/broadcasters/c5-pays-shine-1m-debt/5019831.article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/channel-5-elisabeth-murdoch-dispute
Proposed rule changes by radio audience research body Rajar will allow stations to compare their own digital take-up with rivals, MediaGuardian reported.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/digital-radio-listening-figures
Print
Jailed former Telegraph owner Conrad Black, now on bail in the US after appealing against his six-year fraud sentence, has hinted he may at some stage return to ownership of newspapers. He told a BBC Radio 4 interviewer: "Not as a chief occupation and not in a public company - but it might happen...I think they [newspapers] have been so devalued that some of them are bargains now. Many of these great American newspapers are now in the hands of receiver managers, if they can be had for almost nothing they are a bargain." And he dismissed any suggestion of the demise of printed news, stating: "There is a utility in having a printed word in front of you. A great many people, not just elderly ... do prefer to read on paper. Even a lot of young people do."
Source:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2010/10/27/conrad-black-return-media-ownership.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/conrad-black-media-ownership
Associated Press president and CEO Tom Curley said the US co-operative expects newspaper revenues, which have fallen to about $140m this year - just over 20% of the total - to decline by $5m-$7m per year for the foreseeable future, adding AP’s other businesses now effectively subsidise its newspaper offerings.
Source:
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=123&aid=193367
Archant is to centralise production of six of its north London papers at its Ilford offices, with Archant London editorial director Bob Crawley saying: “We believe the proposed common production unit will allow us to introduce uniform standards; deliver efficiencies; have greater flexibility for covering illness and holiday periods, therefore reducing freelance costs; share relevant content easier; introduce more cross-title platforms and develop editorially-led commercial projects.”
Source:
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=46197&c=1
General Media
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell revealed the advertising giant, which publishes Q3 results tomorrow, has just enjoyed its strongest quarter for organic growth in a decade, buoyed by increased spending by retailers and consumer goods companies.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/26/martin-sorrell-luv-shaped
The Telegraph reported photos have emerged on blog sites purporting to show a Sony Ericsson phone handset combined with a PlayStation Portable games console, quoting Engadget as saying the device "is the PlayStation Phone you've long been waiting for". Sony refused to comment.
Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/sony/8090001/Sony-to-launch-PlayStation-phone.html
Nintendo is reportedly planning to launch a shopping service for its Wii console in Japan, offering consumers more than 10,000 products.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nintendo-reportedly-to-add-shopping-to-wii-2010-10-26
Media Policy
The US Federal Trade Commission has dropped its investigation into Google's collection of data through Street View cameras, saying it was satisfied the internet giant had adequately addressed the issue internally. The US giant is still facing ongoing investigations by individual state attorneys, as well as in Canada and Europe.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5dc89048-e1e3-11df-b18d-00144feabdc0.html
Ofcom has ruled mobile operators can now repurpose their existing spectrum to offer 3G services, a move that paves the way for an auction of spectrum currently used by analogue TV broadcasts. O2 and Vodafone, owners of the 900MHz spectrum, and Everything Everywhere, which owns most of the 1800MHz spectrum, have so far only been allowed to use their allocation for 2G services. Ofcom added: "In the interests of consumers and citizens, our advice to government is that 2G spectrum should be made available for 3G mobile services as soon as possible."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/737e082e-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html
Telecoms
Protesters yesterday blockaded the entrance to Vodafone's flagship Oxford Street store, accusing the mobile giant of failing to pay £6bn in taxes. Vodafone was ordered to pay HMRC £1.25bn following its €180bn takeover of German engineering group Mannesmann in 2000, and critics claimed the true tax bill was likely to be at least £6bn. But Vodafone said: "It is incorrect to suggest that there was an outstanding tax bill of £6bn, as this was never the case." HMRC added: "There is no question of Vodafone having an outstanding tax liability of £6bn. That number is an urban myth."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61f291de-e1d7-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim's America Movil reported third-quarter net profit up 9% on a year ago to $1.96bn, lower than expected. Revenues rose by 5.3% to $12.36bn.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2727456720101028
US mobile operator Sprint Nextel posted a third-quarter net loss of $911m, widened from $478m a year ago, citing the continuing loss of subscribers from its Nextel service and the higher cost of handset subsidies aimed at winning new business. Revenues rose by 1% to $8.15bn. Chief financial officer Robert Burst said: "An important factor in turning around the company’s financial performance is growing our customer base and as a result improving revenue. Next year, if our subscriber results continue to improve, we expect to start seeing revenue growth."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9af09de-e1d6-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
Indian telecoms minister A Raja revealed Research In Motion could be given more time to devise ways to allow security services to monitor traffic sent via its BlackBerry device, saying the situation will be reviewed at the end of this month.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rim-may-get-more-time-for-india-solution-2010-10-26
T-Mobile said it will show a three-minute version of its latest ‘flashmob’ commercial across more than 80 TV channels, including ITV, Channel 4, Five, Sky1 and ITV2, in the first break after 10pm tomorrow evening.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/t-mobile-flashmob-ad
Technology
Chipmaker Broadcom posted third-quarter net profits up from $85m a year ago to $327m, on revenue 44% higher at $1.8bn. The US group also announced the acquisition of femtocells chip developer Percello for $86m cash.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/broadcom-earnings-jump-forecast-beats-estimates-2010-10-26
Ahead of a San Francisco court hearing next week to determine damages SAP must pay Oracle after admitting it stole software, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said he intends to demonstrate that former SAP chief executive Leo Apotheker, who was recently poached by Hewlett-Packard to replace the sacked Mark Hurd, was aware that the theft was taking place.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69Q08520101027
South Korea's LG Electronics reported a record third-quarter operating loss of $163.7m, in line with expectations, hit by a struggling handset business and a lack of major product launches.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE69P01R20101028
Computer equipment maker Logitech posted a second-quarter net profit of $41m, up 95% on a year ago and beating expectations, with sales up 17% to $582m. The company raised its full-year sales outlook from $2.3bn-$2.35bn to $2.35bn-$2.4bn.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2727585920101028
Shares in Cambridge-based semiconductor group CSR fell by more than 10% after the firm cut fourth-quarter revenue estimates to $170m-$185m, down from $198m a year ago. For Q3, the company posted pre-tax profits up from $10.7m to $30.5m, on revenues up from $209.9m to $222.1m.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/366cf3be-e197-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
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The Morning Briefing - 28.10.10
Intelligence from the TMT sector
Today's headlines:
· Q3 Rajars reveal 1.1m increase in UK radio listening to 46.8m…(B’cast)
· …as listening via digital grows 15.4% year-on-year, at 20.4m (B’cast)
· Google report finds UK internet worth £100bn-a-year to economy (Net)
· Bailed Black refuses to rule out return to newspaper ownership (Print)
· US Federal Trade Commission drops Google Street View probe (Policy)
What’s breaking now…
· Pay-TV technology specialist Pace gives interim management statement for four months since June, saying board is confident in full-year outlook. CEO Neil Gaydon says: "Our consistent delivery against a clear strategy has enabled Pace to deliver excellent operational performance, building further on our market leadership position. Pace remains on track to deliver a second half performance as strong as the first half."
· SK Telecom posts preliminary third-quarter net profit down from $369.9m a year ago to $323.6m on revenues up from $2.72bn to $2.83bn.
Internet
A survey commissioned by search giant Google revealed that the internet is worth £100bn annually to the UK economy, comprising 7.2% of the gross domestic product, which is expected to reach 10% within five years. This is a higher proportion than the construction, education and transport industries. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said 60% of the £100bn came from ‘internet consumption’ - via online shopping and the cost of devices and connections to access the internet. The remaining £40bn comprised internet infrastructure investment, government IT spending and net exports. The survey also revealed this country exported £2.80 of e-commerce goods and services for every £1 imported, and that 250,000 people are employed in the e-commerce sector. The survey also placed Britain in sixth pace on the ‘e-intensity index’ - which calculates the reach and depth of the internet in the world's major economies. Denmark leads the way by this measure, with the UK above the likes of the US, France and Germany.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iwERBPXxDop-ei4fNZntr9wD3Asg?docId=N0022621288238216107A
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/28/net-worth-100bn-uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11635318
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/nation-of-internet-shopkeepers-pumps-163100bn-into-the-economy-2118518.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a7b635f8-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss
The BCG survey for Google also revealed that 19m UK households have an internet connection - 73% of all homes, and that broadband penetration has doubled in the past five years. It also found that 62% of all adults had bought goods or services online in the past year - 31 million people.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iwERBPXxDop-ei4fNZntr9wD3Asg?docId=N0022621288238216107A
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/28/net-worth-100bn-uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11635318
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/nation-of-internet-shopkeepers-pumps-163100bn-into-the-economy-2118518.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a7b635f8-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss
Following its Q3 results yesterday, Virgin Media confirmed it has opened registrations for its 100Mbps service, which will go live across four locations in December. CEO Neil Berkett said: “The launch of our 100Mbps service is a significant milestone in the UK’s broadband evolution and a vivid illustration of the power of our next generation network. We have already seen a massive uptake in the number of customers watching video-rich services and bandwidth-hungry high definition programmes and clips.”
Source:
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/10/27/virgin-begins-100-mbps-broadband-rollout/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/virgin-media-superfast-100mb-broadband
Mike Jones, CEO of News Corp-owned social network MySpace, told the FT the relaunched site offered a "drastic change" with an increased focus on entertainment content. He said: "It’s a completely new website. We felt that over time MySpace had become very broad in what it was offering. We believe that companies with a very singular focus have very happy users." The FT said the move was aimed at repositioning the company ahead of a decision on its future by News Corp.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b07250d0-e153-11df-90b7-00144feabdc0.html
A New York court has ordered file-sharing website LimeWire to close down permanently after it was found liable for “massive” copyright infringement earlier this year.
Source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303341904575577192244735152.html
Broadcast
Third-quarter radio listening figures announced today by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd) reveal 46.8 million UK adults listen to the radio each week, a 1.1 million year-on-year climb. This equates to 90.6% of the UK population over 15-years-old. The weekly reach for listening via a digital platform has increased 15.4% year-on-year, to 20.4 million (Q3 2009: 17.7m.) Digital listening hours for Q3 reached a new high of 262 million hours per week, up 22.8% year-on-year. The Rajars showed DAB radio accounts for 61.8% of all digital hours, but listening via DTV (digital television) - up 27.1%, and the internet - up 35.2%, both saw significant gains. Listening via digital now has an almost quarter share of the total listening hours - 24.8%.
Site:
http://www.rajar.co.uk/
Other key figures in the Q3 Rajars revealed a 10.3% growth in DAB set ownership, with now one third of the UK population (18.3 million adults) owning one. Radio listening via mobiles achieved a 2.3% quarter-on-quarter rise, with 12.8% of adults aged 15+ having tuned in this way.
Site:
http://www.rajar.co.uk/
The Q3 Rajars revealed the UK’s most listened-to breakfast show continues to be Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 programme, but that he had lost 1.4m listeners (weekly reach now 8.14m) since debuting with a record high of 9.5m for the first three months of 2010. But nearest rival Chris Moyles’ Radio 1 show also had a drop on the previous quarter, down 600,000 to 7.1m - a marginal year-on-year gain. Radio 2 retains its position as the most listened-to UK station, with a 13.68m weekly reach, with Radio 1 in second place, with 11.65 million listeners. The biggest fall among Corporation stations was Radio 5 Live’s, down 6.9% on Q2 to 6.29m, but the previous quarter did include the general election and World Cup. Reprieved digital station BBC 6 Music had a 91.7% year-on-year rise in listeners, to 1.12 million.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/28/rajars-radio
The Q3 Rajars brought general good news to commercial radio stations, which now have a combined 43.4% market share compared to the BBC’s 54.3%, narrowing the gap on the Corporation. This gain was led by TalkSport, which increased listeners by 19.6% year-on-year to its highest ever level - 2.96 million.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/28/rajars-radio
Private equity group Apax is expected to put Thomas the Tank Engine owner Hit Entertainment up for sale for up to $1.5bn, the Telegraph reported, following interest from US groups including toy maker Mattel and media giant Disney.
Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8091811/Hit-Entertainment-circled-by-US-toy-and-media-giants.html
Shine Group confirmed its dispute with Five over the reported £1m it was owed for entertainment show Don’t Stop Believing has been resolved, with a spokesman confirming “payment of all remaining instalments…[has] now been received”.
Source:
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/broadcasters/c5-pays-shine-1m-debt/5019831.article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/channel-5-elisabeth-murdoch-dispute
Proposed rule changes by radio audience research body Rajar will allow stations to compare their own digital take-up with rivals, MediaGuardian reported.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/digital-radio-listening-figures
Print
Jailed former Telegraph owner Conrad Black, now on bail in the US after appealing against his six-year fraud sentence, has hinted he may at some stage return to ownership of newspapers. He told a BBC Radio 4 interviewer: "Not as a chief occupation and not in a public company - but it might happen...I think they [newspapers] have been so devalued that some of them are bargains now. Many of these great American newspapers are now in the hands of receiver managers, if they can be had for almost nothing they are a bargain." And he dismissed any suggestion of the demise of printed news, stating: "There is a utility in having a printed word in front of you. A great many people, not just elderly ... do prefer to read on paper. Even a lot of young people do."
Source:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2010/10/27/conrad-black-return-media-ownership.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/conrad-black-media-ownership
Associated Press president and CEO Tom Curley said the US co-operative expects newspaper revenues, which have fallen to about $140m this year - just over 20% of the total - to decline by $5m-$7m per year for the foreseeable future, adding AP’s other businesses now effectively subsidise its newspaper offerings.
Source:
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=123&aid=193367
Archant is to centralise production of six of its north London papers at its Ilford offices, with Archant London editorial director Bob Crawley saying: “We believe the proposed common production unit will allow us to introduce uniform standards; deliver efficiencies; have greater flexibility for covering illness and holiday periods, therefore reducing freelance costs; share relevant content easier; introduce more cross-title platforms and develop editorially-led commercial projects.”
Source:
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=46197&c=1
General Media
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell revealed the advertising giant, which publishes Q3 results tomorrow, has just enjoyed its strongest quarter for organic growth in a decade, buoyed by increased spending by retailers and consumer goods companies.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/26/martin-sorrell-luv-shaped
The Telegraph reported photos have emerged on blog sites purporting to show a Sony Ericsson phone handset combined with a PlayStation Portable games console, quoting Engadget as saying the device "is the PlayStation Phone you've long been waiting for". Sony refused to comment.
Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/sony/8090001/Sony-to-launch-PlayStation-phone.html
Nintendo is reportedly planning to launch a shopping service for its Wii console in Japan, offering consumers more than 10,000 products.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nintendo-reportedly-to-add-shopping-to-wii-2010-10-26
Media Policy
The US Federal Trade Commission has dropped its investigation into Google's collection of data through Street View cameras, saying it was satisfied the internet giant had adequately addressed the issue internally. The US giant is still facing ongoing investigations by individual state attorneys, as well as in Canada and Europe.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5dc89048-e1e3-11df-b18d-00144feabdc0.html
Ofcom has ruled mobile operators can now repurpose their existing spectrum to offer 3G services, a move that paves the way for an auction of spectrum currently used by analogue TV broadcasts. O2 and Vodafone, owners of the 900MHz spectrum, and Everything Everywhere, which owns most of the 1800MHz spectrum, have so far only been allowed to use their allocation for 2G services. Ofcom added: "In the interests of consumers and citizens, our advice to government is that 2G spectrum should be made available for 3G mobile services as soon as possible."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/737e082e-e200-11df-a064-00144feabdc0.html
Telecoms
Protesters yesterday blockaded the entrance to Vodafone's flagship Oxford Street store, accusing the mobile giant of failing to pay £6bn in taxes. Vodafone was ordered to pay HMRC £1.25bn following its €180bn takeover of German engineering group Mannesmann in 2000, and critics claimed the true tax bill was likely to be at least £6bn. But Vodafone said: "It is incorrect to suggest that there was an outstanding tax bill of £6bn, as this was never the case." HMRC added: "There is no question of Vodafone having an outstanding tax liability of £6bn. That number is an urban myth."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61f291de-e1d7-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim's America Movil reported third-quarter net profit up 9% on a year ago to $1.96bn, lower than expected. Revenues rose by 5.3% to $12.36bn.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2727456720101028
US mobile operator Sprint Nextel posted a third-quarter net loss of $911m, widened from $478m a year ago, citing the continuing loss of subscribers from its Nextel service and the higher cost of handset subsidies aimed at winning new business. Revenues rose by 1% to $8.15bn. Chief financial officer Robert Burst said: "An important factor in turning around the company’s financial performance is growing our customer base and as a result improving revenue. Next year, if our subscriber results continue to improve, we expect to start seeing revenue growth."
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9af09de-e1d6-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
Indian telecoms minister A Raja revealed Research In Motion could be given more time to devise ways to allow security services to monitor traffic sent via its BlackBerry device, saying the situation will be reviewed at the end of this month.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rim-may-get-more-time-for-india-solution-2010-10-26
T-Mobile said it will show a three-minute version of its latest ‘flashmob’ commercial across more than 80 TV channels, including ITV, Channel 4, Five, Sky1 and ITV2, in the first break after 10pm tomorrow evening.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/27/t-mobile-flashmob-ad
Technology
Chipmaker Broadcom posted third-quarter net profits up from $85m a year ago to $327m, on revenue 44% higher at $1.8bn. The US group also announced the acquisition of femtocells chip developer Percello for $86m cash.
Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/broadcom-earnings-jump-forecast-beats-estimates-2010-10-26
Ahead of a San Francisco court hearing next week to determine damages SAP must pay Oracle after admitting it stole software, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said he intends to demonstrate that former SAP chief executive Leo Apotheker, who was recently poached by Hewlett-Packard to replace the sacked Mark Hurd, was aware that the theft was taking place.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69Q08520101027
South Korea's LG Electronics reported a record third-quarter operating loss of $163.7m, in line with expectations, hit by a struggling handset business and a lack of major product launches.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE69P01R20101028
Computer equipment maker Logitech posted a second-quarter net profit of $41m, up 95% on a year ago and beating expectations, with sales up 17% to $582m. The company raised its full-year sales outlook from $2.3bn-$2.35bn to $2.35bn-$2.4bn.
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2727585920101028
Shares in Cambridge-based semiconductor group CSR fell by more than 10% after the firm cut fourth-quarter revenue estimates to $170m-$185m, down from $198m a year ago. For Q3, the company posted pre-tax profits up from $10.7m to $30.5m, on revenues up from $209.9m to $222.1m.
Source:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/366cf3be-e197-11df-b71e-00144feabdc0.html
© 2010 Press Association. All rights reserved. See site for terms, and privacy policy.
Editor: Howard Foster To subscribe, apply here. To unsubscribe send an email by clicking here. If you are moving on, wanting to give us feedback, or recommend a friend, e-mail us now!
If you have any questions, or need assistance, please contact Stephanie Creaby
+44 (0) 1430 455301 or email stephanie.creaby@pressassociation.com
For details of other business products from the Press Association please see Business Information. For specialist information regarding the business of sport please contact our Sport Briefing team today for a free trial of the service.
Press Association 292 Vauxhall Bridge Road London SW1V 1AE
T +44 (0)20 7963 7000 F +44 (0)20 7963 7090
info@pressassociation.com
http://www.pressassociation.com
This email is from the Press Association. For more information, see www.pressassociation.com. This email may contain confidential information. Only the addressee is permitted to read, copy, distribute or otherwise use this email or any attachments. If you have received it in error, please contact the sender immediately. Any opinion expressed in this email is personal to the sender and may not reflect the opinion of the Press Association. Any email reply to this address may be subject to interception or monitoring for operational reasons or for lawful business practices.