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Gazer
10-11-2006, 01:30 AM
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ITV and the UK's biggest cable company NTL are to hold talks over a possible merger.
The broadcaster, which is currently without a permanent chief executive, told NTL that it was willing to listen to any bona fide proposal. It was responding to NTL's confirmation that it was interested in a possible combination.
The cable firm, which has already bought Virgin Mobile and Telewest this year, has scheduled an initial conversation with the blue-chip company, which has struggled in a weak advertising market.
NTL said: "This process is at a very preliminary stage and there is no assurance that these discussions will lead to any offer being made for ITV."
The deals with Telewest and Virgin created an operator capable of offering customers the "quadplay" of digital TV, broadband internet access, and mobile and home telephone services.
However, analysts said a merger with ITV would strengthen NTL's position in programming. NTL's content division, Flextech Television, specialises in providing TV channels for the UK multichannel television market. Flextech owns Trouble, Bravo, LivingTV, Challenge and Ftn, and is a 50% partner in UKTV, a joint venture with BBC Worldwide. A deal may also strengthen the pair's position when dealing with content and distribution giants in the United States.
Henk Potts, equity analyst at Barclays Wealth, said of the interest by NTL: "Adding content to their platform of services will put them in a powerful position and make then more of a rival to the likes of BSkyB."
He said the timing of the NTL approach appeared to have been driven by ITV's leaderless position, particularly as the cable firm might otherwise have looked to spend time integrating its mergers with Telewest and Virgin Mobile.
Charles Allen announced his departure as chief executive in August - at the same time as ITV's troubles were highlighted with an 8% fall in half-year revenues for its flagship channel to ?654 million. ITV1 - home to Coronation Street and Love Island - accounts for about 90% of the company's total advertising revenues.
ITV was valued at more than ?4 billion after shares rose 6% as investors digested the second takeover episode involving the broadcaster this year. In March, Mr Allen fended off interest from private equity firms who had planned to replace him as chief executive with industry veteran Greg Dyke.

Shipoftheline
10-11-2006, 08:50 AM
I think a major US company will take control and hopefully turn ITV play into a movie channel :)

y2krog2000
10-11-2006, 09:07 AM
If NTL do take over ITV then they will probably stop all the ITV channels being free to view forcing people to pay to watch corry and the bill etc..

Shipoftheline
10-11-2006, 09:35 AM
Well they wont be allowed to encrypt the channnels on FREEview because only the SDN mux is allowed to do this and that mux is full (CH5/Topuptv)

MrManiac
10-11-2006, 09:35 PM
I don't know if this is a good idea.

One of the channels reporting, mentioned the appalling customer service NTL has got at the moment and whether they should be taking on things like these instead of sorting out the mess they are facing internally !

Diablo13
12-11-2006, 07:20 AM
NtHell are also supposed to be bringing out their own pvr receiver recorder to rival the sky box early next year. I think if they controlled ITV they would have to leave it free to air anyway as part of the deal, but it would mean that they could then incorporate an ItV interactive service and use their programms like Corrie and the Bill etc as part of their on demand service as well. Inititially I think this would be a good deal for customers of ntl because of the then even more integrated service. I will be interested to see if anything comes of this because at the moment ITV's desperate search for money by filling nightime television with dire non entities promoting crap phone in compettitions is not fullfilling their license obligations to provide decent varied entertainment. Lucrative as it might be it is not a situation which should be allowed to continue indefinitely, especially since many other channels have jumped on the band wagon leaving nothing for us nocturnals to watch but ****e. :sh: :-?

Hammer
21-11-2006, 12:52 PM
No mention of Mr. Branson? I saw on the news last night that he is planning to buy NTL and ITV and call it (you guessed it) Virgin TV or some such.

But then Rupert 'Mad' Murdoch scuppered his plans by buying a portion of ITV shares...!

Shipoftheline
21-11-2006, 12:56 PM
NtHell are also supposed to be bringing out their own pvr receiver recorder to rival the sky box early next year.

Its already out in Glasgow and Teesside

megaman
22-11-2006, 02:49 PM
Why don't all the members of "WorldOfDigital" club together, I'm sure we could do a better job.

aldo2332
07-12-2006, 06:04 PM
I totally agree I cant stand these phone in comps that are out at the mo.

notanotherone
07-12-2006, 07:43 PM
ntl to buy itv deal now dead it wont be happening

Magnu420
08-12-2006, 06:17 AM
No mention of Mr. Branson? I saw on the news last night that he is planning to buy NTL and ITV and call it (you guessed it) Virgin TV or some such.

But then Rupert 'Mad' Murdoch scuppered his plans by buying a portion of ITV shares...!

i thought rupert murdoch was dead thought he died
about 6 months ago or more

Diablo13
08-12-2006, 06:41 AM
i thought rupert murdoch was dead thought he died
about 6 months ago or more

So did I, but he must just have looked poorly. :sad: I heard that the Branson buyout of Ntl had gone through and was to rebranded next year? Did I hear wrong? :confused:

A friend of mine reported (for good reasons) that he had suddenly got a 10 meg connection which he was'nt paying for, to NTL. Their reply; a rather surprising, "We dont care", it might get sorted out next year. They obviously know something we dont, so fill your boots while you can boys and girls, they deserve it. By the way anyone know where I can get a 150 meg connection, just for a while. :))

notanotherone
08-12-2006, 06:49 AM
So did I, but he must just have looked poorly. :sad: I heard that the Branson buyout of Ntl had gone through and was to rebranded next year? Did I hear wrong? :confused:

A friend of mine reported (for good reasons) that he had suddenly got a 10 meg connection which he was'nt paying for, to NTL. Their reply; a rather surprising, "We dont care", it might get sorted out next year. They obviously know something we dont, so fill your boots while you can boys and girls, they deserve it. By the way anyone know where I can get a 150 meg connection, just for a while. :))
no that went through what hasnt is that branson wanted to buy itv