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MILAN/PARIS French media group Vivendi (VIV.PA) agreed on Friday to buy the pay-TV operation of Italian broadcaster Mediaset (MS.MI), completing a major step in billionaire businessman Vincent Bollore’s plan to build a southern European content and video-on-de... More »
FRANKFURT Rupert Murdoch’s Sky could win all the live broadcast rights to Germany’s Bundesliga soccer again but would have to give up some of the online rights, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. Germany’s soccer association is ... More »
PARIS/LONDON When French Prime Minister Manuel Valls phoned billionaire Martin Bouygues on Thursday evening in an attempt to save a merger between Bouygues Telecom (BOUY.PA) and state-controlled Orange, it was already too late. The deal would have created the ... More »
TORONTO Canada’s Rogers Communications Inc (RCIb.TO), the primary national broadcaster of National Hockey League games, said on Thursday it will begin selling its top sports channels online without a cable subscription. Taking its cue from services like Netfli... More »
MILAN/LONDON Telecom Italia Chief Executive Marco Patuano officially resigned on Monday, confirming reports at the weekend he was on his way out as top shareholder Vivendi tightens its grip on the Italian phone group. Telecom Italia’s shares rose 4 percent, ad... More »
MILAN French media group Vivendi (VIV.PA) has raised its stake in Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) to 24.9 percent, just below the 25 percent threshold that would force it to launch a takeover bid, according to a filing with U.S. market authorities. Vivendi previously... More »
MILAN Silvio Berlusconi’s broadcaster Mediaset is close to selling its pay-TV unit to Vivendi, three sources close to the matter said, a move that would strengthen the French media group’s grip on Italy. Vivendi is already the top shareholder in Telecom Italia... More »
Little-known San Jose optical-parts maker Oclaro became the face of a U.S. ban on Tuesday as its shares led telecom-components makers lower over restrictions on selling components to China’s ZTE Corp. Shares of Oclaro, the rare component maker to issue a state... More »
DirecTV, the satellite TV provider owned by No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier AT&T Inc (T.N), said all channels have been restored after experiencing loss of audio and video for at least two hours on Tuesday. “All channels have been restored. We apologize for the in... More »
CAIRO Orange Chief Executive Officer Stephane Richard has said he might look into the possibility of a merger deal with Telecom Italia if French billionaire Vincent Bollore invited him to, but does not think that would happen. Bollore is chairman and the bigge... More »
TORONTO Canadian fund Catalyst Capital, a fierce critic of Corus Entertainment Inc’s (CJRb.TO) C$2.65 billion ($2 billion) bid for Shaw Communications Inc’s (SJRb.TO) media assets, on Friday called on the Shaw family that controls both companies to prove the d... More »
BARCELONA Britain’s BT said it would increase investment in superfast broadband, including more fiber to the home, if regulator Ofcom decides against forcing a break-up of the company. Ofcom is examining whether BT’s networks arm Openreach should remain part o... More »
NEW YORK Verizon Communications Inc, which launched its pay TV plan “Fios Custom TV” last year to let viewers choose bundles of channels they want to watch, has redesigned the offering. The revamped Custom TV now offers a choice of one of two packages with ove... More »
MILAN French media group Vivendi has increased its stake in Telecom Italia to 22.8 percent, a regulatory filing showed, further strengthening its position as the top shareholder in the Italian phone group. The filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commi... More »
MILAN France’s Vivendi has tabled an offer for a majority stake in the pay TV unit of Mediaset, Il Corriere della Sera said on Saturday. The offer has been on the table of the Italian broadcaster’s CEO for several days, the newspaper said without citing source... More »
European pay-TV group Sky Plc has struck a deal to screen programs from CBS Corp’s popular Showtime stable, including Billions starring Damian Lewis, as competition for top shows heats up among European broadcasters. The licensing deal will allow Sky to offer ... More »
Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica SA has expressed interest in buying AT&T Inc’s pay TV assets in Latin America, which could be valued at around $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. AT&T bought the Latin American assets as par... More »
MADRID Spanish telecoms group Telefonica said on Tuesday its pay TV division had reached a 2.4 billion-euro ($2.60 billion) deal with rival Mediapro that will allow it to offer clients more La Liga and Champions League soccer matches for several seasons. Telef... More »
SAN FRANCISCO/BENGALURU Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook dismissed as “total political crap” the notion that the tech giant was avoiding taxes. Cook’s remarks, made on CBS’ 60 Minutes show, come amid a debate in the United States over corporations avoiding t... More »
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Friday it approved the $9.1 billion sale of U.S. regional cable company Suddenlink Communications to European telecoms group Altice NV. The Dutch firm announced in May its acquisition of a majority stake in Su... More »
MADRID Spain’s Mediapro, which acquired a package of television rights to screen Spanish soccer league matches for the next three seasons in early December, is open to offers for those rights, a source said on Friday. Spain’s La Liga soccer league awarded TV p... More »
MILAN The chief executive of Telecom Italia Marco Patuano has the full support of the board as well as that of the head of its main shareholder Vivendi, a Telecom Italia board member said on Wednesday. Vivendi, whose chairman and top investor is influential Fr... More »
NEW YORK At some Macy’s outlets this holiday season, shoppers who download the retailer’s app will be able to use their smart phones to guide them through the store to products they’re seeking. At JCPenney, customers will be able to take a snapshot of, for exa... More »
NEW YORKVerizon Communications Inc is exploring a sale of its enterprise assets which could be worth as much as $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, as the largest U.S. wireless carrier seeks to focus on its core business. The sale would ... More »
LONDON British police have made a third arrest in connection with a cyber attack this month on telecoms company TalkTalk (TALK.L) in which the company said bank details of more than 20,000 customers were hacked. A 20-year-old man from Staffordshire, central En... More »
LONDON Vodafone UK (VOD.L) said on Saturday hackers had accessed the accounts of 1,827 of its customers this week, the second cyber attack on a British telecoms company this month. The attackers had potentially gained access to the victims’ bank sort codes and... More »
The New York attorney general is probing whether three major Internet providers could be short-changing consumers by charging them for faster broadband speeds and failing to deliver the speeds being advertised, according to documents seen by Reuters. The lette... More »
LONDON British broadband provider TalkTalk said on Sunday it had hired defense company BAE Systems to investigate a cyber attack that may have led to the theft of personal data from its more than 4 million customers. TalkTalk said on Friday it had received a r... More »
LONDON British broadband provider TalkTalk said on Saturday it did not believe the authors of a cyber attack against it this week would be able to steal money from its customers. The firm said on Friday it had received a ransom demand from an unidentified part... More »
LONDON British business leaders on Saturday urged police to make cyber crime an urgent priority following an attack on broadband provider TalkTalk, saying firms face continual security breaches. TalkTalk said the private data of its more than 4 million custome... More »
MADRID Amancio Ortega, who transformed clothing group Inditex from a tiny family dressmaker into Spain’s biggest company, briefly overtook Bill Gates on Friday to become the world’s richest man. Although a 10 percent surge in the share price of Microsoft later... More »
PARIS Vivendi raised its stakes in French video games makers Ubisoft and Gameloft and indicated that it may buy additional shares later and seek board seats. Vivendi sold off its video games business Activision Blizzard in 2013 in the opening salvo of an asset... More »
Cablevision Systems Inc and Viacom Inc have settled an antitrust lawsuit in which Cablevision had accused Viacom of forcing distributors and subscribers to buy channels they did not want. Cablevision and Viacom are simultaneously entering into “mutually benefi... More »
MILAN Telecom Italia said on Friday it would resume talks with the main shareholders of fiber optic company Metroweb over plans to build a broadband network in Italy. At stake in the negotiations is who will call the shots to implement the government’s 12-bill... More »
President Barack Obama’s administration has backed away from seeking legislation that would give U.S. law enforcement agencies access to individuals’ encrypted messages, the White House said on Saturday. “We are actively engaged with private companies to ensur... More »
LONDON Talks between Vodafone and Liberty Global about exchanging assets to better compete in Europe’s converging mobile, broadband and TV markets collapsed on Monday because they could not agree on the value of their businesses. Vodafone, the world’s second-b... More »
LOS ANGELES Premium cable network HBO dominated television’s Emmy awards on Sunday with trophies for best comedy “Veep” and best drama “Game of Thrones,” holding off challenges from the digital upstarts that have shaken up traditional Hollywood. HBO, owned by ... More »
Companies and organizations are pledging to provide funds, goods and services to help thousands of migrants arriving in Europe from war-torn and impoverished countries. Companies are helping through both corporate and employee schemes. Following are some examp... More »
PARIS Altice NV (ATCA.AS), one of the most acquisitive European telecoms groups, made a major move into the U.S. market on Thursday with a deal to buy fourth-largest operator Cablevision Systems Corp (CVC.N) for $17.7 billion including debt. Altice founder Pat... More »
The Walt Disney Co on Tuesday named two executives to newly created positions in its Disney/ABC Television Group to focus on digital media and consumer experience at a time when TV viewing habits are rapidly changing. Cindy Davis, most recently head of global ... More »
PARIS French Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin has ruled out allowing prime time advertising on public TV broadcasters, saying an increase in their funding should come from a slight increase in the TV tax. Last Tuesday Finance Minister Michel Sapin had raised th... More »
BRUSSELS Hutchison Whampoa Ltd (0001.HK) on Friday sought EU approval for its 10.25-billion-pound ($15.82 billion) bid for Telefonica’s (TEF.MC) British mobile unit O2, the same day regulators unveiled a tougher approach towards mergers in the sector. The Euro... More »
Want to own the new iPhone without burning a hole in your pocket every month? Sprint seems to be the cheapest option in the United States. Sprint Corp’s offer for the 16 GB iPhone 6S with a basic data, calling and text plan costs between $3 and $10.50 less per... More »
LAS VEGAS If Verizon’s new mobile video service go90 succeeds in grabbing the attention of millenials who increasingly watch content on mobile devices, a streaming option for TVs could be next. Verizon Communications Inc, the No. 1 U.S. wireless carrier, launc... More »
PARIS French media group Vivendi (VIV.PA) reported higher second-quarter profit on Wednesday, helped by strong growth in its Universal Music division, and said recent asset sales could enable it to consider more acquisitions in the future. The company, with a ... More »
NEW YORK A U.S. judge has ordered Cablevision Systems Corp to stop running advertisements accusing rival Verizon Communications Inc of lying about having the fastest wireless network. The ruling on Monday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Brown in Central Islip, N... More »
NEW YORK Verizon Communications Inc and the unions representing its wireline unit employees on the U.S. East Coast said work will go on and talks continue after their current contract expired. Since June, the unions have been in talks with Verizon over the com... More »
LONDON European pay-TV group Sky said on Wednesday it expects to perform strongly in its new financial year after better-than-expected 2014/15 profits prompted investors to rethink their growth forecasts for the newly-enlarged group. Sky, formed from the combi... More »
LONDON Britain’s telecoms regulator is seriously considering a break up of dominant provider BT, after rivals accused it of abusing its market position and failing to invest in the broadband networks they rely on. Ofcom floated the idea of a forced separation ... More »
MILAN British mobile phone giant Vodafone has reached an agreement with Mediaset to offer pay-TV content of the Italian broadcaster to its customers in the southern European country, the two companies said in a joint statement on Thursday. The offer, which bun... More »
BRUSSELS The European Union reached a preliminary deal on Tuesday to scrap mobile roaming charges across the 28-country bloc by June 2017 as part of an overhaul of the continent’s telecoms market to boost growth and innovation. “Under the agreement, roaming su... More »
SEATTLE Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said on Monday it will hand over its display advertising business to AOL Inc and sell some map-generating technology to ride-hailing app company Uber, as it slims down its money-losing online operations. The moves mean Microsoft... More »
NEW YORK (This version of the story corrects title of analyst in second paragraph, shows Thornburg has reduced, not eliminated currency in 10th paragraph.) The prospect of Greece defaulting on its debt has long been viewed as the recipe for a global stock mark... More »
