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 (28513)	1/22/1998 9:48:00 PM
From: CPAMarty	Respond to of 50808

FOCUS-Telewestaims for UK digital TV launch zdii.com January 22, 1998 4:44pm Reuters By Jeff Daeschner LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Britain's second largest cable company, Telewest Communications Plc <TWT.L>, predicted on Thursday that some of its cable customers would be able to plug into the digital TV age by the end of the year. Telewest, with just over 605,000 cable TV customers, said it was planning a limited launch of its own digital cable services this year, offering an alternative to rival digital satellite and terrestrial channels that British viewers will also be able to tune into. The switch to digital TV promises viewers up to 200 channels -- compared with the five that most Britons currently watch -- as well as improved video and CD-quality sound. "We're planning right now a soft launch in the third or fourth quarter of this year. But we've got to keep a very close eye on a number of fairly material developments," chief executive Stephen Davidson told Reuters in an interview. "I anticipate launching (digital) in one of my systems first and getting it right, instead of arriving with a big bang and putting it everywhere and introducing it with a huge marketing spree," he said. Davidson's comments came as Telewest reported that the number of new customers for its cable TV and residential phone services fell in the fourth quarter due in part to the one-off impact of a recent restructuring. "We've had an excellent quarter all round given the considerable challenges faced, and we're extremely well positioned for 1998," he said. Telewest's shares edged up 1/2 pence to 79 by 1500 GMT. Britain's cable companies, including market leader Cable and Wireless Communications <CWZ.L> <CW.L>, have been widely viewed as also-rans in the digital TV race. Satellite broadcaster BSkyB <BSY.L> was expected to offer the country's first digital TV services by end-June with up to 200 channels. Meanwhile, terrestrial broadcasters Granada Group Plc <GAA.L> and Carlton Communications Plc <CCM.L> planned to offer viewers 15 digital channels this autumn. Despite this competition, Davidson said Telewest was waiting to resolve questions about programming content and technological specifications. "The thing is not to do it first but to do it right," he said, adding that Telewest was not counting on launching its digital cable services along with other cable companies. "We've liaised closely with each other on our timetables, but there's no formal commitment at this point to launch together. Although as plans firm up, it may well make some sense," he said. Davidson said Telewest was keeping a close eye on developments regarding the decoding devices, or set-top boxes, that will let viewers receive digital channels as well as interactive services over their TVs. Cable firms have criticised BSkyB's part-owned interactive venture, British Interactive Broadcasting (BIB), which has also come under scrutiny by the European Union. Earlier this week, EU competition chief Karel Van Miert said he was concerned about BIB, particularly because it involved two market leaders -- BSkyB and British Telecommunications Plc <BT.L>. Davidson echoed those concerns, although he said Telewest was not actively participating in the current EU review. "I'm not agin (BIB's) existence, but I think it should be very closely scrutinised in terms of how it operates," he said. ((Jeff Daeschner, London newsroom, +44 171 542-7717 fax +44 171 583-3769, uk.equities.news@reuters.com)) Source: Reuters

To: John Rieman who wrote (28513)	1/22/1998 10:01:00 PM
From: CPAMarty	Respond to of 50808

Thanks to you and the others that relayed the play by play action during the conference call today! How does one obtain the number for the conference call? I called CUBE today at about 6:00pm (its starting to get busy at work) central time to find out the number for the playback of the conference call; talked to a Shelia Moore who indicated that there would be no playback. Shelia seemed to think that i was an analyst and she told me to fax her on my firm's stationary (which i did), however i am not holding my breath waiting for her to get back to me.