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TeleWest for Recovery (TWT)     

ainsoph - 27 Jan 2003 10:45

I am a trader as well as an investor and hopefully this thread will reflect both aspects ....

We should start by saying this is a highly speculative share and the market takes no prisoners.

Over the last 18 months I made lots twice in the early days - then lost it back - bought a million at 2.6p average - founded the TAG - bought another half a million or so at sub 1p - sold most at average 4.25 - bought back at 2.2p and less - sold most at 3.5p and now buying back - overall a good net profit at this time.

I think the d4e will happen (say 90% chance) and the 3% currently talked about will give or should give a price equating to say 3/5p. Longer term on succcess of d4e and progress in the sales market the shares should move to around 10p - assumming markets are not in freefall.

I am looking to buy at any time and hoping for a war generated dip - when I do I will let you know.

The TAG site is a great place for catching up on the TWT news and I will post here as well.

Currently trading on TWT is light (1.7 million traded) and the price is down a littlw with a wide spread (2.01/2.35p). This is a sets share and you must expect a crtain amount of manipulation in these troubled times - FTSE down over 4% intraday

I have a core holding of at least half a million shares and intend to be a long term investor at this time.


ainsoph


http://www.investoraction.co.uk - currently we have 804 registered members holding around 100 million shares in total

ainsoph - 19 Mar 2003 10:41 - 152 of 396

Seem to be holding their own again -





17:22 GMT, Monday 17th March 2003 -- by James Welsh
Telewest has announced today it is launching a new international calling package designed to undercut arch-rival BT.

For 3 per month, customers can subscribe to "Talk International", lowering standard international rates to 2p per minute for "popular destinations" such as the USA, Germany andthe Netherlands; and 3p per minute for those further away such as Australia and New Zealand. A 6p connection charge applies to all calls.

David Hobday, Telewest's deputy managing director, said: "We're tearing up the rule book once again, demonstrating that people don't have to accept what they're given.

"We're proving it doesn't have to be expensive to keep in touch with friends and family abroad with calls to many international destinations now costing the same as a local daytime call."

ainsoph - 19 Mar 2003 14:31 - 153 of 396

2002 - the first year of broadband

London, March 19 2003, (netimperative)



by Chris Lake

Two new reports have revealed that consumer uptake of broadband exploded during 2002, paving the way for a four-fold surge in connections throughout Europe by 2006.


A report published by the Office of National Statistics discovered the number of households that connected to the high-speed internet in 2002 grew by 256%. 'Always-on' permanent connections now account for more than one in ten internet connections in the UK.

The report linked the growth to the ubiquitous marketing campaigns that have been implemented by the likes of BT in order to increase mass market awareness of the high-speed internet, as well as falling prices.

Meanwhile, the latest Datamonitor study into European broadband adoption suggests there will be a four-fold rise in connections by 2006, when 41m households across Europe will have access to the high-speed internet.

By that time, the UK is likely to have surpassed France to make it the second largest broadband-connected country after Germany.

Datamonitor believes that prices need to fall to the equivalent of $25 per month before consumers adopt the faster internet en masse.

Datamonitor said the online content market, which will be driven by broadband, will be worth about 3.4bn by late-2006, when Europeans will spend an average of $76 per year on content and services. The content market is estimated to be worth about $350m in 2003.

ainsoph - 19 Mar 2003 21:23 - 154 of 396

DTV in more than 40% of UK households

London, March 19 2003, (netimperative)



by Philip Buxton

More than 40% of UK households have digital TV, according to new figures released by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) today.


Though using estimates for DTV penetration by both ntl and Telewest, the new figures point to continued growth in interactive TV, largely boosted by the success of BBC's Freeview, which the Beeb said last month had reached 1.4m households. The ITC confirmed those figures with estimates that 1.3m houses had Freeview by the end of the year.

The Commision also said that the growth, if continued, would mean that DTV would overtake internet penetration in the UK later this year.

The figures are good news for the government which is still hoping to switch off the analogue TV signal from 2006 and wants to offer its own services over iTV.

The ITC said that digital television penetration in the UK was estimated to have increased to 41.4% of households at the end of 2002, the first time digital penetration had exceeded 40% in the UK.

It added that growth in DTV had also been sparked by the continued success of Sky's digital satellite services. Digital satellite added a further 227,000 pay subscribers compared with last quarter and has an estimated 6.3m subscribers in the UK.

Including analogue services, overall multi-channel penetration is estimated to have increased to almost 47% or 11.5m households. By the end of 2003 it is likely that the majority of households in the UK will have access to more than the five terrestrial services.

ainsoph - 20 Mar 2003 23:42 - 155 of 396

shares still in a very tight trading range - wars - markets or sector news seem to have no effect

ains





ENGLEWOOD, CO (AFX) - Liberty Media Corp said it plans to raise some 1.5 bln usd through the offering of 20-year exchangeable senior notes, which are exchangeable into shares of AOL Time Warner Inc, Liberty Media series A common stock, cash or a combination thereof.
Liberty said it may raise a further 250 mln usd through an option granted in connection with the offering.

Liberty plans to use the net proceeds of the offering, which is open to qualified institutions only, for general corporate purposes.

It expects the first issuance under the offer could be consummated as early as next Wednesday.

michael.pai@afxnews.com

ainsoph - 20 Mar 2003 23:49 - 156 of 396

by Neil Wilkes
Continuing its drive to add more channels to its lineup, Telewest has held talks with US news channel FOX News, Digital Spy can report.

Whilst a carriage agreement has yet to be reached, a spokeswoman for the cable company said that "initial discussions" had been held for carriage of the channel, which is currently only available via Sky Digital in the UK.

ainsoph - 21 Mar 2003 07:41 - 157 of 396

: Liberty in bond move
By Peter Thal Larsen in New York
Financial Times; Mar 21, 2003


John Malone yesterday moved to add to his growing cash pile as Liberty Media, the investment company he controls, announced it would raise $1.5bn by effectively mortgaging its shareholding in AOL Time Warner.

Liberty Media said it planned to issue bonds that can be exchanged into shares in AOL Time Warner. The company has a 4 per cent shareholding in the media giant which is worth around $2bn.

The move gives Mr Malone more financial firepower as he considers plans to increase control over some media investments. Liberty has triggered a process that may lead to it buying the shares it does not own in QVC, the home shopping channel controlled by cable giant Comcast. The two must agree a valuation by the end of the month.

Mr Malone has also expressed an interest in making an offer for DirecTV, the satellite TV operator put up for sale by car group General Motors. However, media executives are sceptical whether Mr Malone will ultimately press ahead with a bid against Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Liberty owns 18 per cent of News Corp.

Liberty has long taken a policy of hedging or mortgaging the value of its public investments to raise cash without triggering the tax payments it would incur if it sold the shares.

AOL said Liberty's move provided "more clarity" about its intention regarding the shareholding.

Mr Malone is under pressure to narrow the discount between Liberty's market capitalisation and the combined value of its holdings. The company is also at risk of being classified as a holding company by the US tax authorities if it were to sell any more of the assets it controls. Taking control of QVC or Liberty would reduce that risk.

Liberty expects to complete the bond issue by next Wednesday.

ainsoph - 21 Mar 2003 10:55 - 158 of 396

worth remembering that digital means more income ..... shares coming within trading range maybe


ains


Digital TV set to overtake internet

Dominic Timms INDY
Friday March 21, 2003


Freeview: broadcasts to 1.3m homes

Britain's appetite for digital television is growing so quickly the medium will overtake the internet in terms of penetration by the end of this year, according to the independent television commission.

The ITC said more than 10 million homes - 40% of the population - had digital TV at the end of last year. In comparison, 11 million homes were connected to the internet.

"If current growth rates are sustained, digital TV take-up is on target to exceed internet penetration in the UK later this year," said the ITC.

The TV regulator said the increase in the number of digital households was the result of a better than expected take-up of Freeview and the continued growth of Sky Digital.

Sales of the boxes used to access Freeview, the BBC service that replaced ITV Digital last autumn, reached 300,000 at the end of last year.

Freeview now broadcasts to an estimated 1.3 million homes, comprising those that have bought Freeview boxes and those that still own the estimated 1 million ITV Digital set-top boxes, which still operate despite the collapse of the service.

Sky Digital added a further 227,000 subscribers in the last three months of last year, taking its total customer base to 6.3 million.

However, the number of homes using services that supply digital TV down high-speed phone lines, such as Video Networks' Home Choice, fell by more than 27%.

Just 12,000 subscribers now use such services, according to the ITC.

The regulator predicted most UK homes - including those with analogue cable services - would have access to multichannel TV within eight months

ainsoph - 21 Mar 2003 14:46 - 159 of 396

Chris Tryhorn Guardian
Friday March 21, 2003


John Malone: looking at possible acquisitions

John Malone's Liberty Media has stepped up its acquisition ambitions by announcing a plan to raise up to 1.1bn in extra funds.
The money would be released through 20-year bonds ultimately exchangeable for some of Liberty's 4% stake in AOL Time Warner.

Liberty's share in the media combine is currently worth 2bn and it could use the money raised from the bond sale to bid for a number of possible targets. These could include the remainder of shopping channel QVC, the US entertainment assets of Vivendi Universal or US satellite broadcaster DirecTV - also an acquisition target of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

"There was an opportunity to sell these debentures at attractive prices and we have additional liquidity to pursue some of the transactions we're looking at," Liberty spokesman Mike Erickson said.

"If none of those transactions occur, we have additional cash we can put to use elsewhere."

The timing of Liberty's move coincides with uncertainty about the future of QVC, in which Liberty has

ADVERTISEMENT

a 42% stake. Liberty announced on March 3 that it would unwind its partnership in QVC with cable operator Comcast, in order to allow both companies to consider their options.

Liberty's plan also comes just two days after News Corp announced a similar $1.35bn bond-share swap, effectively remortgaging its stake in BskyB, and could herald a battle for DirecTV - the US's largest satellite broadcaster with 17m viewers.

News Corporation has long set its sights on DirecTV and last month dropped its plans for a joint bid with Liberty, whose boss, Mr Malone, is an ally of Mr Murdoch and the second largest shareholder in News Corp after the Murdoch family.

Mr Murdoch is now thought to be focusing his energies on a solo deal, and covets DirecTV as the potential missing piece in his dream of creating a global satellite broadcasting business. He has referred to it as "the big exception" to his present policy of eschewing deals.

Last year regulators blocked a bid from Charlie Ergen's Echostar for DirecTV - which is owned by Hughes Electronics, in which General Motors has a 30% stake.

ainsoph - 22 Mar 2003 00:33 - 160 of 396

interesting



Dixons aiming to sell a million Freeview boxes
By Saeed Shah
22 March 2003


Three million Freeview decoders will be sold this year, suppliers and retailers now believe, with Dixons understood to be ready to order 1 million digital terrestrial set-top boxes.

Dixons wants at least 1 million of the Freeview boxes to be sold through its stores in order to maintain its market share.

Sources at set-top box manufacturers yesterday confirmed that the industry now believes there will be 3 million sales this year, as Freeview is proving to be a sensational success. Dixons' buyers are now talking to the main manufacturers, which include Grundig, Nokia and Pace.

A Freeview decoder provides multi-channel television, with 30 channels, through an ordinary rooftop aerial, without households needing to take out a subscription. The service is a joint venture between the BBC, which has eight channels on it, BSkyB, which supplies three stations, and Crown Castle, which broadcasts the signal. To gain access to Freeview channels, consumers need to buy a decoder, the cheapest of which cost about 90.

At least 600,000 of the boxes are now believed to have been bought since Freeview was launched at the end of October. There are also up to 1 million boxes of the defunct ITV Digital service in households, which should allow consumers to pick up the new service.

The Freeview boxes sold out in the lead up to Christmas. Retailers and manufacturers were caught out by the popularity of the new service, which seems to be attractive both to "digital virgins" and to some pay-TV subscribers.

Dermot Nolan, director of TNS, a media consultancy, said: "The evidence is that Freeview is hammering basic cable [subscriptions]. It offers something very similar to the basic cable package. Also, it is proving popular in pay-TV homes, including Sky homes, for second and third [TV] sets."

BBC research shows that 15 million homes do not want to take pay-TV but everyone will have to switch to a digital service over the next few years. The analogue service is due to be switched off by 2010.

A spokesman for Dixons declined to comment on its set-top box order. However he said: "Freeview boxes are very popular. At this price, they fall into the category of an impulse buy."

The two other big set-top box retailers are Argos and Comet. The Iraq war is thought to be another reason why the Freeview boxes are proving a hit, as the service offers three 24-hour rolling news services, from the BBC, Sky and ITV.


ainsoph - 23 Mar 2003 10:19 - 161 of 396

Technology UK
03/23 08:29
Murdoch's News Corp Plans $7 Bln Bid for DirecTV, Observer Says
By Elisa Martinuzzi


London, March 23 (Bloomberg) -- Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. will bid to buy DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite broadcaster, for about $7 billion as soon as this week, the U.K.'s Observer newspaper reported, without naming sources.

Hughes Electronics Corp. is seeking a buyer for its satellite business, whose Latin American unit filed for bankruptcy last week. Murdoch is set to bid for DirecTV with Liberty Media Corp.'s John Malone, who owns an 18 percent stake in News Corp., the paper reported.

News Corp. earlier tried to buy General Motors Corp.'s 30 percent stake in Hughes Electronics Corp. News Corp. withdrew its offer in October 2001 when it was outbid by EchoStar Communications Corp., the No. 2 satellite service after DirecTV. EchoStar in December abandoned its purchase of Hughes after it was rejected by federal regulators.

Liberty Media last week said it may use the $1.5 billion it raised in a convertible bond sale to fund acquisitions. Executives at News Corp., which last week also raised $1.5 billion by selling equity-linked bonds, have said they might buy a controlling stake in Hughes.

ainsoph - 23 Mar 2003 11:39 - 162 of 396

hmmmmmm

DISGRACEFUL Mar 22 2003 D Record


Telewest death card is bad deal for Scots





CABLE TV giants Telewest have scrapped a 1million advertising campaign that "cursed" customers.

They sent out 50,000 ace of spades playing cards - traditionally known as the death card.

Superstitious Scots swamped operators and advertising watchdogs with complaints.

Now Telewest will instead send out the ace of diamonds, which is linked with good luck.

Gillian Love, 34, of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, thought she was the victim of a prank when she received her Telewest cards. She said: "I opened the letter from Telewest and found the cards advertising their TV packs.

"But when I turned them over, all 16 of the cards had the ace of spades on the back of them.

"I got a real fright. I have always linked the ace of spades with bad luck or even death.

"I'm not surprised Telewest are scrapping the idea because it seems to me to be in pretty bad taste. Someone hasn't done their homework by the sounds of it.

"I thought the meaning of the card was pretty well known."

A spokeswoman for Telewest admitted they had no idea of the significance of the ace of spades.

She said: "The advertising campaign featured cards with the ace of spades on the back.

"But we started receiving calls from customers who pointed out the significance of the card. We have replaced the card with the ace of diamonds which we are assured symbolises good luck.

"We apologise to any of our customers who may have been upset by the cards and hope we haven't caused any alarm."

Astrologer Lynne Ewart said: "The ace of spades is held with suspicion because it always used to be associated with the spade you use to dig a grave.

"It represents a fateful encounter and is the card with most potential for negativity."

Earlier this week, a poll revealed that Scots are the most superstitious people in Britain.

ainsoph - 23 Mar 2003 11:43 - 163 of 396

Must admit I prefer and expect later rather than sooner .... the two networks are not always compatible and both had previous problems in integrating past mergers and acquisitions

ains



NTL goes cool on Telewest tie-up
By Jason Nissand Heather Tomlinson INDY
23 March 2003


The long-awaited merger between NTL and Telewest, the two heavily indebted cable TV groups, won't happen this year and may not happen at all.

NTL has told its cable TV rival it is not interested in pursuing a merger at the present time. The two had been expected to resume their on-off merger talks once Telewest completes its debt restructuring. But Telewest will not be able to give a firm date for completing the complex debt deal when it announces full-year figures this week. Meanwhile NTL, which recently emerged from US Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has gone cool on the merger plans.

One reason for this is that NTL has hired three senior managers, including former Orange finance director Simon Duffy. There is also opposition from banks that think two troubled companies merging will mean double trouble.

One source close to NTL said: "There is unlikely to be a deal this year. The management will want to get bedded in at NTL. The banks might not support a merger, because they have limits on one single exposure."

NTL had a bad experience merging Cable & Wireless Communications and is reluctant to take on another large integration job in the near future.

ainsoph - 24 Mar 2003 10:29 - 164 of 396

Telewest orders new iTV games

London, March 24 2003, (netimperative)



by Chris Lake

Flextech, Telewest's content division, has licensed a six new interactive television formats from Two Way TV in a bid to keep audiences hooked during programmes.


Flextech will add five new titles to its Games Lounge channel, including racing, cards, puzzle and dice games, as well as a new programme-linked format called Cash Call Bonanza.

With the ability to be overlaid on top of programmes, Cash Call Bonanza encourages viewers to collect and match a series of icons that appear on screen during shows - players pay a small fee to give them a chance of winning a prize.

The cable television operator has indicated that it will use the Two Way TV-devised game on channels including Challenge And Living. Two Way TV, a developer of content for interactive television, has already created play-along games for programmes such as Play Your Cards Right, TV Scrabble and 100%.

Flextech and Two Way TV have been working closely to develop interactive features for audiences for the past year.

quidnunc - 24 Mar 2003 10:33 - 165 of 396

I see they are down quite a lot today ains, are they cheap enough to buy yet do you think? Is 2.5p a good price to get in with a spread of 10%, is this a trading chance?


Dave

ainsoph - 24 Mar 2003 10:42 - 166 of 396

At 2.5p to buy - they don't apear down to me but you must make your own decisions on when or if you trade them .....


Markets are down nearly 3% on war news


ainsoph

ainsoph - 25 Mar 2003 09:45 - 167 of 396

Helps to increase the customer spend which virtually all goes into the bottom line


ains




Telewest to trial 2Mb home service
By Tim Richardson Register
Posted: 25/03/2003 at 07:52 GMT


Telewest is to trial a 2Mb broadband cable service aimed at home users.

The cableco is looking to recruit around 1,500 customers of its existing 1Mb broadband service and upgrade them to the 2Mb service.

If the trial proves successful, then the 2Mb service could be made available for people in Telewest franchise areas later this year.

Pricing for the new service has yet to be confirmed.

In a statement Gavin Patterson, MD of Telewest Broadband, said: "We've already proven there's a need for speed, with ten per cent of our blueyonder Internet customers taking the 1Mb service.

"Not every internet user will want a 2Mb connection, but we're now well on the way to offering a menu of broadband services to suit different requirements, while BT perseveres with its one trick pony."

Telewest described the 1Mb service when it launched last June as being like "viagra for your PC, providing a mind-blowing Internet experience." Which is nice.

ainsoph - 25 Mar 2003 10:30 - 168 of 396

2Mbps broadband on the way from Telewest
10:15 Tuesday 25th March 2003
Graeme Wearden


The cable firm is keeping up pressure on broadband rivals with a service that's four times faster than BT's consumer ADSL product
Telewest announced on Tuesday that it is planning to offer a 2Mbps broadband service later this year.

A trial version of the product will be launched this week. Telewest is inviting existing users of its 1Mbps service to join this trial at no extra cost, but only 1,500 places are available.

Pricing details for the commercial service were not available at the time of writing. A Telewest spokeswoman explained that the company plans to analyse feedback from its triallists before setting a price.

According to Telewest, a 2Mbps connection will allow home Internet users to "experience a business-class Web connection, with blistering downloads for music, films and software, an ability to effortlessly share large files and potential for near-TV quality video pictures."

Last year the cable company launched a 1Mbps broadband service, which has been taken up by around 10 percent of its users.

"Now it's time to shift up another gear, offering our customers the option of going even faster with the natural bandwidth benefits of a cable connection," said Gavin Patterson, managing director of Telewest Broadband, in a statement.

NTL also currently sells a 1Mbps cable broadband service, while Bulldog recently launched a consumer ADSL service that gives a 4Mbps connection at off-peak hours, but is only available in London.

BT Wholesale, though, currently only offers a 512kbps consumer broadband product and appears to be devoting its attention more towards launching slower products rather than faster ones, given its recent focus on Midband and a forthcoming 256Kbps broadband product.

Telewest users who are interested in joining the 2Mbps trial should click here for more information.

ainsoph - 25 Mar 2003 10:53 - 169 of 396

Malone makes homecoming plans

Legendary deal-maker is turning his focus back on US

David Teather in New York and John Cassy
Tuesday March 25, 2003
The Guardian

Behind (almost) every powerful media mogul is another powerful media mogul - and his name is John Malone. In the UK he is best known as a major shareholder in Telewest and a possible kingmaker in a merger between the cable group and rival NTL. However, he is beating a retreat from a European cable industry that buckled under multi-billion pound debts last year and is refocusing on the US, where he is expected to wield his legendary deal-making skills in a looming round of consolidation in the media sector.

The future ownership of satellite broadcaster DirecTV and Vivendi Universal's entertainment assets is rarely discussed without John Malone's name being mentioned. The publicity-shy Mr Malone is one of the most prolific investors in the industry. Through his Liberty Media company he holds 18% of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, 4% of AOL Time Warner, 3% of Vivendi Universal and 20% of Barry Diller's USA Interactive. But recent moves by the billionaire tycoon, despite setbacks in Europe, suggest he is once again as interested in the mundane business of owning and operating assets as he is in being a financial engineer.

Last week he announced plans to raise $1.5bn (960m) by effectively mortgaging his AOL stake, raising expectations that he might seek greater control over some of his investments or launch a bid for assets that have been up for sale by debt-laden media groups.

The holder of a doctorate in mathematical modelling, he is also well known for the bewildering complexity of his deals. Liberty Media, spun out of telecoms group AT&T in August 2001, is the fourth version of the business. It has twice been a tracking stock since being created in a rights issue by Mr Malone's Tele-Communications Inc in 1991 (and then reacquired by TCI in 1994).

Mr Malone, 62, was one of the first pioneers of the cable industry, setting up TCI in 1973 before selling it with astute timing in March 1999 to AT&T for $54bn. During that time he earned the sobriquet Darth Vader for his ruthless negotiating. He has also been described as an "inscrutable hard-ass".

Liberty has been linked to a possible bid for the US film and television assets of Vivendi Universal alongside Mr Diller, who stepped down as chief executive of Vivendi's entertainment arm last week. It is also preparing a bid for Hughes Electronics, parent of DirecTV. A bid would set Mr Malone in direct competition with News Corporation, which could make an offer as soon as this week, according to reports.

Mr Malone, who owns the Starz Encore and Discovery cable networks, wants DirecTV for much the same reason as Mr Murdoch. Cable channel owners need their own distribution networks to use as a strategic weapon against other cable or satellite firms.

Reorganising


Earlier this month Liberty triggered a clause that will reorganise its interests in QVC, the home shopping channel. Liberty has given its partner in the channel, cable company Comcast, notice that it either wants out of the venture or full ownership. Liberty could sell its share to Comcast for around $6bn, a sum it could add to its war chest. It already has around $10bn in cash and non-core assets that it could easily muster.

Alternatively, Liberty could take full ownership of QVC at a time when valuations are depressed and Comcast is under pressure to reduce its debts - a typically opportunistic strike by a wily investor. The shift in strategy appears to be driven by Liberty's flagging share price. The company is trading at a steep discount to the shares in its portfolio. Analysts also believe that owning operating businesses will make the company a more attractive investment.

Shares in Liberty have lost roughly a third of their value in the past 12 months. But there are also tax reasons for wanting to bulk up. Companies with more than 40% of their assets in investment securities need to register as an investment firm, making them subject to tighter restrictions and higher taxes.

Liberty is refocused on the US after a frustrating foray into the European cable industry that has dulled some of the edge of Mr Malone's reputation. That perhaps won't disappoint Mr Malone too much - he lives on a ranch in Colorado, hates flying and rarely travels outside the US. Liberty's head office in a suburb of Denver is far from the media hubs of New York and Los Angeles, let alone London.

An attempt to bludgeon his way into the German market was prevented by regulators while his investments in cable companies in Britain and the Netherlands have turned sour. Amsterdam-based UPC, the largest cable company in Europe, is going through a financial restructuring that will leave Mr Malone with a 50% share.

"When we were first looking at Europe the pie was quite big; unfortunately it isn't anymore," said Mike Erickson, head of investor relations at Liberty. "Fundamentally we're an opportunistic company and opportunities are now cropping up in the US that weren't there before." Mr Erickson said Hughes and the Vivendi assets were both "something we are looking at" ahead of what appears to be a busy year of deal-making.

In Britain Mr Malone attempted to drive a merger between Telewest and NTL but backed off after being sued by their respective bondholders. He is likely to emerge with 11% of Telewest after it too comes out of a financial restructuring. He could again make an attempt to dominate the British cable industry if the two attempt a merger next year. At that point a fresh injection of capital would be welcomed. "We'd evaluate that opportunity just like any other investment," Mr Erickson said. "If the price and future value-creation opportunity was right we might participate."

But there is another reason why Liberty might be cleaning up its balance sheet. Tidying the QVC relationship, buying operating businesses and cutting stakes in companies where it can not exert control could be a wise move in a post-Enron environment where transparency is a virtue.

The difficulty of understanding Liberty Media could be a further reason why the shareholders who were happy to climb aboard for the ride in the late 1990s, when fewer questions were asked, are now staying away.

Liberty Media's tentacles spread across the world. John Malone's business interests include:

Europe

Telewest, UK cable (of which he holds about11%)
Chorus Communications, Irish cable (50% holding)
The Wireless Group, UK radio (30%)
UPC, pan-Europe cable (50%)

US

Sprint, telecoms (20%)
AOL Time Warner (4%)
Viacom, cross-media group (an undisclosed percentage)
Vivendi Universal (3%)
News Corporation (18%)
Discovery Communications, owner of Discovery Channel (50%)
USA Interactive, e-commerce operation (20%)
QVC, shopping channel (42%)
Hughes Electronics, owner of DirecTV (under 1%)

Japan

Jupiter Programming, cable (50%)
Jupiter Telecommunications (36%)


South America

Sky Latin America, satellite (9%)
Cablevision, Argentina cable (39%)
Pramer, Argentina satellite (100%)


Sue 42 - 25 Mar 2003 14:12 - 170 of 396

Why is it only ainsoph posting on this thread? Does anyone care?

quidnunc - 25 Mar 2003 14:24 - 171 of 396

What a way to speak of ains, he is head of TAG , that`s how much he cares,
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