TiVo : Should Virgin Media and Cable & Wireless Worldwide merge?

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by Alan Fry

In light of competition by BT and Sky in the Phone/Broadband/TV market in the UK, I feel that Virgin Media and Cable & Wirless Worldwide merge to form a company to rival BT and Sky, it would help Virgin Media provide more capacity!

But what do you think

Alan, you may or may not know that Cable & Wireless owned a UK cable tv company in the 90s.

Cable & Wireless were the "original" competitor to BT as envisaged by Thatcher's government. C&W set up a rival phone company to BT called Mercury and this was pretty successful. There were even C&W phone boxes in the streets!

As all the North American companies who had funded the UK cable tv industry pulled out in the 90's, three of them: Bell Cablemedia, Nynex and Videotron were merged with C&W's Mercury to form a new telecom's/tv powerhouse to rival BT and Sky under C&W's control. That was in 1997, it lasted three years...

C&W were quite frankly useless, they knew it and so did everyone else. They sold their cable tv/Mercury (as was) telephone business to ntl in 2000. That's why we have still, in part, have three legacy cable tv networks today, ntl's, telewest's and c&w's.

In short, I do not think Cable & Wireless' reentry into the cable tv market would be a good idea, although I like their name, it's kind of relevant!

As for competition to Sky and BT, I tend to look at what's happened in the past, particularly in the States to give a possible indication as to what will happen here.

Being a small country, we cannot sustain the same quantity of media giants that the US has, but there will probably be (once the blood letting has finished) be 3 or 4 big providers. BT, Sky, VM (or whatever it may be called in the future) and another provider. All four companies will provide tv, telco, broadband and mobile services on their own networks.

Again looking at the States and what almost happened here, I expect all four providers to own a "network" tv channel. Sky already has its, VM wants ITV, but I think BT will get that and CH4 (if privatised) and CH5 will be gobbled up by the others.

[m419]

Originally Posted by Horizon

Alan, you may or may not know that Cable & Wireless owned a UK cable tv company in the 90s.

Cable & Wireless were the "original" competitor to BT as envisaged by Thatcher's government. C&W set up a rival phone company to BT called Mercury and this was pretty successful. There were even C&W phone boxes in the streets!

As all the North American companies who had funded the UK cable tv industry pulled out in the 90's, three of them: Bell Cablemedia, Nynex and Videotron were merged with C&W's Mercury to form a new telecom's/tv powerhouse to rival BT and Sky under C&W's control. That was in 1997, it lasted three years...

C&W were quite frankly useless, they knew it and so did everyone else. They sold their cable tv/Mercury (as was) telephone business to ntl in 2000. That's why we have still, in part, have three legacy cable tv networks today, ntl's, telewest's and c&w's.

In short, I do not think Cable & Wireless' reentry into the cable tv market would be a good idea, although I like their name, it's kind of relevant!

As for competition to Sky and BT, I tend to look at what's happened in the past, particularly in the States to give a possible indication as to what will happen here.

Being a small country, we cannot sustain the same quantity of media giants that the US has, but there will probably be (once the blood letting has finished) be 3 or 4 big providers. BT, Sky, VM (or whatever it may be called in the future) and another provider. All four companies will provide tv, telco, broadband and mobile services on their own networks.

Again looking at the States and what almost happened here, I expect all four providers to own a "network" tv channel. Sky already has its, VM wants ITV, but I think BT will get that and CH4 (if privatised) and CH5 will be gobbled up by the others.

Channel 4 to be privatised? It already is and they own quite a few channels anyway and they also own 50% of the popular music channels.

Virgin Media and ITV lost that opportunity ages ago and previously NTL had some kind of hold over the ITN News channel, it was a disaster! Virgin Media has made it quite clear they don't want to be in the content providing that's why they sold off Virgin Media Television and there stake in UKTV.

BT hasn't got a clue when it comes to Cable TV let alone Digital TV and TV channels, first they had some crap cable franchises that you can't do anything with them, then they had a share in BskyB they fell out and now they come up with BT Vision

[Alan Fry]

VM merging with C&W Worldwide would allow it it serve areas were it currently serve and it would expand its broadband capacity!

Also Channel 4 is still owned by the Government!

[Hugh]

"It would allow it to serve areas were(sic) it currently serves"???

Anyone understand this?

Anyone?

[dodgem22]

used to be cable and wireless in my area then it was nynex or it may have been nynex then cable and wirless so its a big NO im out from me. Would be a massive step backwards imo.

---------- Post added at 22:38 ---------- Previous post was at 22:36 ----------

just read Horizons post it was Nynex first

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Hugh

"It would allow it to serve areas were(sic) it currently serves"???

Anyone understand this?

Anyone?

Nope, I think someone has been having one to many in the pub

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by m419

Channel 4 to be privatised? It already is and they own quite a few channels anyway and they also own 50% of the popular music channels.

Virgin Media and ITV lost that opportunity ages ago and previously NTL had some kind of hold over the ITN News channel, it was a disaster! Virgin Media has made it quite clear they don't want to be in the content providing that's why they sold off Virgin Media Television and there stake in UKTV.

BT hasn't got a clue when it comes to Cable TV let alone Digital TV and TV channels, first they had some crap cable franchises that you can't do anything with them, then they had a share in BskyB they fell out and now they come up with BT Vision

I'm waiting to see what they do with their IPTV service before passing judgment.

As for Vm and ITV, don't think we've heard the last of that yet. VM has spent a lot of money and time in court to reduce Sky's shareholding in ITV. I think the fact that VM tried to buy ITV indicates that they're very interested in their own content, the right content. They were junior to the BBC in the UKTV partnership (junior in running the venture, that is) and VMtv was simply rubbish.

Ch4 is public, not private but is funded commerically.

[Maggy J]

Where the hell did this idea come from? Why would C&W want to come back into the UK cable business after leaving it in the first place?

I think that it's a pointless thread and a waste of time even having a poll.It's not going to happen.

[Alan Fry]

Originally Posted by Hugh

"It would allow it to serve areas were(sic) it currently serves"???

Anyone understand this?

Anyone?

I meant that It would allow Virgin Media provide their full service to areas outside the VM Cable Network

---------- Post added at 23:59 ---------- Previous post was at 23:55 ----------

Originally Posted by Horizon

I'm waiting to see what they do with their IPTV service before passing judgment.

As for Vm and ITV, don't think we've heard the last of that yet. VM has spent a lot of money and time in court to reduce Sky's shareholding in ITV. I think the fact that VM tried to buy ITV indicates that they're very interested in their own content, the right content. They were junior to the BBC in the UKTV partnership (junior in running the venture, that is) and VMtv was simply rubbish.

Ch4 is public, not private but is funded commerically.

Is it more likely that Sky will end up buying ITV plc (along with STV and UTV) than Virgin Media, times have changed, Virgin has deisided that they should no longer be a content provider, Sky would have to do the same over time!

---------- Post added 04-02-2012 at 00:01 ---------- Previous post was 03-02-2012 at 23:59 ----------

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Where the hell did this idea come from? Why would C&W want to come back into the UK cable business after leaving it in the first place?

I think that it's a pointless thread and a waste of time even having a poll.It's not going to happen.

I was talking about it in the tread about Virgin TV Price rises, so I moved it here!

[m419]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Where the hell did this idea come from? Why would C&W want to come back into the UK cable business after leaving it in the first place?

I think that it's a pointless thread and a waste of time even having a poll.It's not going to happen.

Actually it would be Virgin Media taking over the UK operation of Cable and Wireless Worldwide but the news document lists Virgin Media could be interested however the Vodafone and O2 were mentioned to bid if it ever goes ahead.

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Where the hell did this idea come from? Why would C&W want to come back into the UK cable business after leaving it in the first place?

I think that it's a pointless thread and a waste of time even having a poll.It's not going to happen.

I think iy's one of Alan's ideas

[m419]

Originally Posted by Tim Deegan

I think iy's one of Alan's ideas

The thread is about should Virgin Media takeover Cable and Wireless UK, it is on its way out and it will probably be sold off on the cheap. Not really saying Cable and Wireless Worldwide should go into the Cable industry, they are finished!

---------- Post added at 02:03 ---------- Previous post was at 01:55 ----------

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...dwide-break-up

Someone in this suggested Virgin Media could be interested

---------- Post added at 02:15 ---------- Previous post was at 02:03 ----------

Originally Posted by Horizon

I'm waiting to see what they do with their IPTV service before passing judgment.

As for Vm and ITV, don't think we've heard the last of that yet. VM has spent a lot of money and time in court to reduce Sky's shareholding in ITV. I think the fact that VM tried to buy ITV indicates that they're very interested in their own content, the right content. They were junior to the BBC in the UKTV partnership (junior in running the venture, that is) and VMtv was simply rubbish.

Ch4 is public, not private but is funded commerically.

Well that is what they should do with the BBC instead of keep sending constant letters for getting a TV Licence, never had one, never will! Already pay a high price for Virgin TV and forced to pay nearly £3.80 per month for a TV aerial/IRS system provided by the council that I don't use, when it was not necessary to have installed as they now realise that the old aerial is suitable for Digital. They don't know what I have in my house and I don't answer the door to anyone unless i'm expecting someone, I think the TV licence fee is a slap in the face after the BBC has commercial assets like UKTV and after we pay enough council tax,income tax,Digital TV subscription ect....

[Alan Fry]

The BBC need both a licence fees and commercial services just to keep running!

A merger of Virgin Media and Cable & Wireless Worldwide would create a major rival to BT and boost the Virgin Media Business operations!

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Alan Fry

A merger of Virgin Media and Cable & Wireless Worldwide would create a major rival to BT and boost the Virgin Media Business operations!

But that is not going to happen Alan.

[Alan Fry]

Originally Posted by denphone

But that is not going to happen Alan.

I am not saying if it will happen, but should it happen!