The Dolan's plan to take Cablevision private is on the brink as ClearBridge Advisors, the largest institutional shareholder in declares it plans to vote against the Dolan family’s $10.6 billion (E7.4bn) bid. A defeat would end a two-year struggle by the Dolans to take private the company, which owns cable systems and the New York […]

Having apparently been outperforming many of its rivals dust during the past year and a half, the world's leading telecommunications equipment maker issued a sales and profit warning. It said its operating profit for the third quarter of 2007 was expected to be down 36 per cent compared with the same period last year. It […]

A dispute has broken out between UK television networks and their and Ofcom over the public service remit of channels such as ITV1 and Channel 4. Ed Richards, chief executive of the media and communications regulator, signalled renewed pressure to finalise the remit of channels such as ITV1 and Channel 4, saying that the public […]

EchoStar Communications Corp shares rose 4 per cent on speculation that US telco giant AT&T could buy the satellite television provider within a year. Echostar’s television service would complement AT&T’s efforts to expand a high-speed fibre network it is building to sell TV services to better compete with cable and telecommunications rivals.

The Dolan family's effort to take Cablevision Systems private is being opposed by a large shareholder and a major proxy advisory firm. Mario Gabelli, a longtime media investor, said that the funds he controls would vote against the proposed transaction at a special shareholders' meeting scheduled for October 24th. Gabelli said he believed his clients […]

From David Del Valle in Madrid The Spanish police has disbanded a network of pay-TV hackers by arresting 27 people across the country who would have defrauded the pay-TV companies of E10 million. Amonsgt the detainees there are 10 distributors of keys and codes through the Internet, nine sellers of manipulated set-top-boxes and eight responsible […]

Discovery Communications has expanded its web presence with the acquisition of online knowledge repository HowStuffWorks for an estimated $250 million (E176m). Discovery will use HowStuffWorks to showcase its existing footage, uploading programme clips into entries on the site. It also plans to create a HowStuffWorks-branded series to air daily on Discovery Channel from next summer. […]

Eagle Broadband, a national provider of IP products and services, has completed an asset purchase agreement with Nighthawk Systems whereby Nighthawk purchased all rights, title, and interest in Eagle Broadband’s set-top box business. As part of this sale, the team of set-top box engineers and support staff formerly with Eagle has now become employees of […]

Channel 4 has held talks with Emap about taking full control of Box Television – owner of seven music channels on digital television platforms such as Freeview, including Kerrang!, Kiss, Q and The Hits, the UK's most popular music channel. The broadcaster, which bought half of Emap's music television division in July for £28 million, […]

Paramount Pictures International has agreed to help fund European cinemas which are installing new generation projectors. Hollywood studios and exhibitors have tussled over who should bear the cost of the upgrade, with cinema owners arguing that studios should pay a “virtual print fee” as it will be cheaper for them to distribute their films electronically […]