MediaGuardian: Top 100, 48. Adam Singer

"Mr Singer's decision to accept his £186,000 bonus just weeks after the company made 1,500 staff redundant was not a shrewd PR move.

To add to its woes, Telewest announced it was closing Play UK, its comedy and music channel co-owned with the BBC, at the end of this year. Troubled times indeed."

Good idea, shame about the marketing

" It is a painful observation, but set-top boxmaker Pace Micro is threatening to join Sinclair, Psion and so many other British innovators who proved to be great at inventing new kit, but hopeless at making any money from it.

Corporate contingency planning could not have predicted that one major domestic customer would go bust (ITV Digital), two would have to freeze their business plans because of the size of their debts (Telewest and NTL), and that the fourth (BSkyB) would declare that it would only buy from Pace if it was willing to supply at below cost."

Malone withdraws Telewest bond offer

"The battle for control of Telewest has taken a surprise twist with billionaire John Malone withdrawing his offer for the cable group's bonds and telling three of his lieutenants to stand down from the company's board. "

 

It's seen as a long chess game, he'll still want Telewest to be part of his expansion from the US to Europe.