INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS: A Media World to Conquer; In Europe, Giants Are on the Rise
Date: 07 July 1999
By John Tagliabue
John Tagliabue
Europe's television industry is suddenly in grip of American-style consolidation; European media companies are forging cross-border links, and American giants like Microsoft Corp are buying into action; resulting corporate alliances are providing gateway for advertisers to reach wider mass audiences and opportunity for Europe to challenge America's supremacy in television programming; Fininvest, parent of Mediaset of Italy, paid $210 million for stake in Leo Kirch Group of Germany, forming joint venture in film distribution, advertising and local TV; News Corp has acquired management control of Stream of Italy, pay-per-view company formerly run by Italian phone company; News Corp paid about $430 million for rights to broadcast German soccer through TeleMunchen of Germany; United Pan-Europe Communications of Amsterdam paid $635 million for At Entertainment of Warsaw, leading Polish provider of cable and satellite television; United Pan-Europe Communications of Amsterdam paid about $106 million for 13 percent stakein SBS Broadcasting of Luxembourg, which had earlier acquired Central European Media Enterprises, chain of TV and radio stations set up by Ronald S Lauder in Central Europe after fall of Communism; map; table (L)
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Plenty of Dirty Jobs in Politics And a New Breed of Diggers
Date: 06 July 1999
By Douglas Frantz
Douglas Frantz
Special report, Private Spies, on increasingly larger role being played by private investigators in public arena--digging up dirt on everyone, from regulators to elected national and small-town officials; new breed includes former police officers, former FBI agents, ex-CIA employees, former prosecutors and ex-journalists who can tap old news contacts to get negative information published; operating with little regulation or accountability, they spy on opponents by posing as reporters or by sending in operatives who work as volunteers in campaigns; many routinely obtain protected information, like telephone records and medical histories; track down ex-spouses and former associates and employees, often concealing intent; rummage through trash from offices, campaign headquarters and homes; while personal attacks have been part of political campaigns since nation's inception, unwritten rules kept 'opposition research' within bounds for most of century; typical investigator was campaign worker or occasionally moonlighting police officer, and inquiries focused on public information like voting records and court cases; rules vanished after accusations of marital infidelity drove former Sen Gary Hart out of 1988 Presidential campaign; Federal Govt has started probe of investigators' techniques in obtaining confidential information; recent landmark Federal Trade Commission suit against Colorado investigator over use of deceptions, known as pretexts, to obtain information about private bank accounts and his indictment by state for racketeering discussed; action being weighed by Congress to outlaw pretexts noted; photos (L)
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AMERICAN TOWER TO ACQUIRE WATSON COMMUNICATION
Date: 07 July 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
American Tower Corp agrees to acquire Watson Communication Systems Inc for about $73 million in cash (S)
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GPU TO BUY REST OF MIDLANDS ELECTRICITY
Date: 07 July 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
GPU Inc agrees to buy half of British power provider Midlands Electricity PLC that it does not already own from Cinergy Corp for $700 million in cash; it will also take on $1.1 billion in debt (S)
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SHARES OF DRKOOP.COM SURGE OVER AMERICA ONLINE DEAL
Date: 07 July 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
DrKoop.com Inc, Internet site founded by former US Surgeon General C Everett Koop, says it will become largest health information provider for America Online Inc, sending DrKoop.com shares up 56 percent; company will pay America Online $89 million over four years and will give America Online warrants to purchase shares of DrKoop.com (S)
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NORTHERN STATES POWER TO BUY 8 CONNECTICUT PLANTS
Date: 07 July 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Northern States Power Co says its NRG Energy unit agrees to buy eight power plants in Connecticut from Northeast Utilities, New England's largest utility, for $460 million in cash (S)
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BOSTON SCIENTIFIC DENIES TALKS OVER ISRAELI COMPANY
Date: 07 July 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Boston Scientific Corp denies report in Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz that it is in talks to buy Medinol Ltd of Jerusalem (S)
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Oil and Stock Prices Up in Europe; Asia Is Higher
Date: 06 July 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Crude oil prices rise nearly 3 percent, to 19-month high, on continued signs that Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is cutting output; brent crude for Aug delivery rises 52 cents, to $18.18 a barrel; oil-company shares rise; shares in London surge, with Financial Times Stock Exchange index rising 1.54 percent, to 6,592, third-highest closing level; Frankfurt's DAX index rises 1.93 percent, to record 5,625.62; Asian markets are also higher, with big gains in Japan and Hong Kong (M)
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Job Cuts at Respironics
Date: 07 July 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Respironics Inc says it will cut its work force 10 percent and that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit will miss analysts' estimates (S)
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Oil Price Up As OPEC's Cuts Seem to Hold
Date: 07 July 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Crude oil rises to 19-month high of $19.78, up 9 cents, on signs that OPEC will adhere to its promised production cuts in months ahead; graph; chart (M)
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