Broadcaster Five ventures into original British drama
The News Review:
- Broadcaster Five ventures into original British drama
- Ericsson CEO says co benefiting from increased network management…
- Bajans on the march
- Dragon keeping one eye on India
- Sports Round-up
Broadcaster Five ventures into original British drama
Stage – May 10, 2005
A spokeswoman for Five said Webber’s new role – reporting to director of programmes Dan Chambers – was crucial in leading drama development on the channel. She acknowledged that while budgets for the development had yet to be set, it would require significant investment to produce quality programmes that met audience demands. She added: “We hope to take home-grown drama on the channel in a different direction. We want to produce distinctive, rewarding dramas, that engage our viewers. We are continuing to look at other scripts for development which may lead to commissions this year. ” The broadcaster has traditionally relied on films and low-budget programming such as reality TV hit The Farm or celebrity-based documentaries including The Truth About… to fill its schedules. While much of its drama slate is made up of imports from the US, such as crime show CSI and and futuristic spy series Alias, Five has commissioned very few original UK productions to date.
Ericsson CEO says co benefiting from increased network management…
Forbes – May 10, 2005
This gives Ericsson an opportunity to offer operators extensive post roll-out network management services which can sharply reduce their network OPEX (operating expenditure). As such the market is less immediately price sensitive, he said. Speaking at the company’s capital markets day in Stockholm, Svanberg also said operators have discovered they can further reduce OPEX by cutting back on the number of vendors they initially include in their network development and roll out. He said many operators are now insisting on just one vendor, and that Ericsson is also benefiting from this trend. ‘We tend to win more than we lose when operators (choose to) go to just one vendor,’ said Svanberg. Svanberg also said it is inevitable that China will produce sucessful home grown network vendors in the future that will compete for Chinese contracts. However he said the market should not underestimate the time it will take these vendors to be fully competitive, particularly in the area of after sales services.
Bajans on the march
Telegraph.co.uk – May 10, 2005
To say they are in a state of shock down Bridgetown way would be an understatement. Their cricketers, meanwhile, can appear in the World Cup only as part of a combined West Indies XI, even though they could probably have won the competition outright in years gone by. Going into the Caribbean rugby final, the young Bahamas side – all home-grown talent and a credit to the islands’ youth policy – were considered strong contenders but they froze on the night as Barbados showed themselves capable of playing at a higher level altogether. The Bajans ran in eight tries, with two for Coventry’s record-breaking wing Kurt Johnson, another brace for Stephen Miller, and one apiece for Combined Services back Bruno Green, Rugby Lions’ Steven Stewart, former London Broncos player Dom Peters, and Mike Rees. Hiller the hotshot Many thanks to the hundreds of you who entered last week’s Lions quiz. It is amazing how the offer of a ‘freebie’ can spark you into action.
Dragon keeping one eye on India
Australian IT – May 10, 2005
“Do we do everything with them? No, but you need a flexible approach. The bank maintains it does not intend to offshore back-office work, at least in the short term. The stance on IT was seen as in keeping with St George’s home-grown reputation, although it conflicts with the strategy of global banks operating here. HSBC, for example, has a huge back-office presence in Asia. “We have no plans to outsource business processes to India, but we are constantly looking at what’s out there,” a St George spokeswoman said. Mr Lobenstein said St George had no plans to send more IT work offshore, despite recently telling investors it was reviewing IT sourcing. “We are always looking at better ways of doing things,” he said.
Sports Round-up
Telegraph.co.uk – May 10, 2005
The South African replaces Mark Robinson, who took on the new post of first-team manager after the appointment of Peter Moores as the National Academy director. Derbyshire will play a championship match and a one-day fixture at Chesterfield’s Queen’s Park ground next season, returning to the venue after an absence of eight years. Batsman Tom Huggins has become the fifth home-grown player to be released by Northamptonshire. Huggins, 22, follows all-rounder Richard King, seamer Chris Goode and batsmen Tim Roberts and Cameron Wake out of Wantage Road. The Sri Lanka Board secretary Tryphon Mirando has died of a heart attack at the age of 53 while visiting his family in London. Formerly with Tamil Union, he took on the national job in March. Cycling Australian rider Rory Sutherland, 23, was fired yesterday by Dutch team Rabobank for taking an unnamed illegal substance during the Tour of Germany in August.