Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Rieman who wrote (28138)	1/15/1998 3:52:00 PM
From: BillyG	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

BSkyB and the EU............. Thursday January 15, 3:19 pm Eastern Time BSkyB shares unchanged by latest EU worries LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - BSkyB's shares stayed littled changed on Thursday after the European Union continued to voice concerns that the company's partly-owned interactive digital TV venture might hurt competition. EU sources in Brussels said the European Commission had reiterated concerns that the venture, British Interactive Broadcasting (BIB), may prevent fair competition in the nascent digital TV market. BSkyB's shares were little affected by the news, firming about one pence to 416 at 1530 GMT. ''We've known that they were concerned for quite some time now. I expect that some aspects of the existing arrangement will be changed, but the launch will eventually go ahead,'' one analyst said. Earlier this week, BSkyB opened the way for a June launch of its 200-channel satellite digital TV service, about one month later than most analysts had expected. BSkyB's statement came after industry sources said some manufacturers were waiting for European regulators to approve BIB before they started producing the set-top boxes needed to receive the services. EU sources said the Commission was particularly worried BIB could use its control of the set-top decoding boxes to keep competitors at bay. BIB, owned by BSkyB, British Telecommunications (BT) (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: BT.L), Matsushita Electric Europe (6991.T) and Midland Bank (0005.HK), plans to deliver interactive services such as home banking and shopping through television sets. The interactive functions will be included in the set-top boxes used for BSkyB's digital TV channels.