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To: BillyG who wrote (33230)	5/16/1998 11:42:00 AM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

Kirch makes new offer....................................... infoseek.com Full story Kirch, Bertelsmann in offer to cable TV firms 11:23 a.m. May 14, 1998 Eastern BRUSSELS, May 14 (Reuters) - German media groups Kirch and Bertelsmann AG have offered to let cable television operators other than Deutsche Telekom market their digital TV platform, Premiere, to win EU approval for their alliance... ...But according to one of the cable companies, the letter went a long way to meeting the concern of rival cable companies that they would be excluded altogether from the powerful Germany pay-TV alliance. ''If they were ready to make some more efforts it could be...that the problem is solved as far as the cable operators are concerned,'' the cable source told Reuters. German cable operators and TV broadcasters have led the fight against the proposed television alliance between Bertelsmann, Kirch and Telekom, which the Commission has threatened to block if competition concerns are not met. The source said some of the conditions attached to the latest offer were unacceptable. As an example, he cited a clause forcing the cable companies to use set-top decoder boxes owned by Leo Kirch until he was able to rid himself of one million Nokia boxes bought for a high price three years ago. Only after that would they be able to use other decoder boxes.

To: BillyG who wrote (33230)	5/16/1998 12:20:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

Inventories building because of increased demand?????????????????? The Company's operating activities generated cash of $32.3 million in the first quarter of 1998, mainly from operating income, reduced accounts receivable and increased accounts payable, partially offset by an increase in inventory. The increase in accounts payable was due to receipts of inventory near the end of the quarter. Inventory was increased to support future demand. Accounts receivable decreased as a substantial portion of the Company's shipments were made on letters of credit in March 1998 and collected before the quarter end. Shipments made in December 1997 followed a more normal pattern and thus days outstanding decreased from 41 days at year end 1997 to an abnormally low 30 days at the end of the first quarter of 1998. Shipments in the first quarter of 1998 were also more linear throughout the period where as in the past the Company shipped a substantial portion of its product in the last month of thequarter.