AN
Well it's hardly a surprise. They've been hinting it for months now. I'm happy as long as theres no price increases and download caps!
I wonder what the company will be called. NTL? UK Cable?
Oh and PS, get rid of that long link! Just put this in the link above's place:
[code:1:860ae971a3][url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2005-10-02T122256Z_01_MOR242436_RTRUKOC_0_UK-MEDIA-TELEWEST-NTL.xml]Click Here[/url][/code:1:860ae971a3]
I wonder what the company will be called. NTL? UK Cable?
Oh and PS, get rid of that long link! Just put this in the link above's place:
[code:1:860ae971a3][url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2005-10-02T122256Z_01_MOR242436_RTRUKOC_0_UK-MEDIA-TELEWEST-NTL.xml]Click Here[/url][/code:1:860ae971a3]
NH
Nick Harvey
Founding member
A rather odd piece of sub-editing at Reuters.
The headline says Telewest buying NTL; then the first paragraph says NTL buying Telewest.
The headline says Telewest buying NTL; then the first paragraph says NTL buying Telewest.
BB
Well spotted Nick.
I hope they go Telewest's way rather than NTHell's way regarding download caps. I wonder when we'll see changes.
Well, knowing how some other mergers/acquisitions have taken place (i.e. Safeway's/Morrisons) they may not always act in what's best for the customer (i.e. TW get the internet division, NTL get the telephony etc).
I pity BY Telewest customers (if and when) NTL take over their internet section. NTL are totally inept at providing a working internet service.
Antz posted:
Nick Harvey posted:
A rather odd piece of sub-editing at Reuters.
The headline says Telewest buying NTL; then the first paragraph says NTL buying Telewest.
The headline says Telewest buying NTL; then the first paragraph says NTL buying Telewest.
Well spotted Nick.
I hope they go Telewest's way rather than NTHell's way regarding download caps. I wonder when we'll see changes.
Well, knowing how some other mergers/acquisitions have taken place (i.e. Safeway's/Morrisons) they may not always act in what's best for the customer (i.e. TW get the internet division, NTL get the telephony etc).
I pity BY Telewest customers (if and when) NTL take over their internet section. NTL are totally inept at providing a working internet service.
NH
Nick Harvey
Founding member
Be careful on this story.
Nothing definite, but there are strong hints coming out that it's only a spoof.
Do Reuters pages normally start "http://today.reuters" or "http://www.reuters", does anybody know for sure?
Nothing definite, but there are strong hints coming out that it's only a spoof.
Do Reuters pages normally start "http://today.reuters" or "http://www.reuters", does anybody know for sure?
ST
Ste
Founding member
It seems real as if you go on http://www.reuters.co.uk and search for ntl telewest then this story is shown in the search results:
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newssearchresults.aspx?srch=NTL%20telewest&searchtype=a
Ste
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newssearchresults.aspx?srch=NTL%20telewest&searchtype=a
Ste
NH
Oh well, we'll have to see tomorrow.
I assume we won't know if the shares are suspended till lunchtime, seeing as they're traded in New York, not London.
Nick Harvey
Founding member
Ste posted:
It seems real
Oh well, we'll have to see tomorrow.
I assume we won't know if the shares are suspended till lunchtime, seeing as they're traded in New York, not London.
IS
I hope they go Telewest's way rather than NTHell's way regarding download caps. I wonder when we'll see changes.
Well, knowing how some other mergers/acquisitions have taken place (i.e. Safeway's/Morrisons) they may not always act in what's best for the customer (i.e. TW get the internet division, NTL get the telephony etc).
I pity BY Telewest customers (if and when) NTL take over their internet section. NTL are totally inept at providing a working internet service.
Any integration of systems will be very slow - TW customers will still use the system they do now for a while and the same with NTL customers. After all NTL are still operating 2 systems - Bromley and Langley - even though it's years since they bought Cable & Wireless' service.
The only thing that would change is in terms of customer service
BBC TV Centre posted:
Antz posted:
I hope they go Telewest's way rather than NTHell's way regarding download caps. I wonder when we'll see changes.
Well, knowing how some other mergers/acquisitions have taken place (i.e. Safeway's/Morrisons) they may not always act in what's best for the customer (i.e. TW get the internet division, NTL get the telephony etc).
I pity BY Telewest customers (if and when) NTL take over their internet section. NTL are totally inept at providing a working internet service.
Any integration of systems will be very slow - TW customers will still use the system they do now for a while and the same with NTL customers. After all NTL are still operating 2 systems - Bromley and Langley - even though it's years since they bought Cable & Wireless' service.
The only thing that would change is in terms of customer service
NH
Nick Harvey
Founding member
It WOULD be nice if they took the oportunity to get all the channel numbers the same, but as you say about Langley and Bromley, that'll STILL probably take a while.
The Radio Times could probably print the details of a whole extra channel in the space it uses for all the different cable channel numbers for the current stuff.
The Radio Times could probably print the details of a whole extra channel in the space it uses for all the different cable channel numbers for the current stuff.
IS
That would be a big bonus to the broadcasters too, it makes ads for channels (such as the current More 4 promotion) far more complicated and cluttered to give out 3 channel numbers. Better still they should unify their line ups and then work with the 2 remaining independent cables companies to get their's the same. It would benefit the whole cable industry to be able to promotoe things centrally
Nick Harvey posted:
It WOULD be nice if they took the oportunity to get all the channel numbers the same, but as you say about Langley and Bromley, that'll STILL probably take a while.
The Radio Times could probably print the details of a whole extra channel in the space it uses for all the different cable channel numbers for the current stuff.
The Radio Times could probably print the details of a whole extra channel in the space it uses for all the different cable channel numbers for the current stuff.
That would be a big bonus to the broadcasters too, it makes ads for channels (such as the current More 4 promotion) far more complicated and cluttered to give out 3 channel numbers. Better still they should unify their line ups and then work with the 2 remaining independent cables companies to get their's the same. It would benefit the whole cable industry to be able to promotoe things centrally