Media

Troubled sports and entertainment internet group Quokka Sports has been forced to lay off 59 percent of its 369 employees.

Bridon International, the UK-based steel wire and structural strand manufacturer, has secured a contract to supply cables for the major re-development of Lokomotiv Moscow's stadium in Russia.

Europe's biggest media group Bertelsmann AG has opened the way for a possible stock market listing through a share swap deal to take control of Europe's largest television group RTL, the Luxembourg-based owners of Munich-based sports marketing group, UFA Sports.

The management of troubled EM.TV - which part owns SLEC, Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One holding company - is deeply split over a rescue deal with media group Kirch and a supervisory board meeting on Sunday brought no breakthrough, a source familiar with the situation has said.

An increase in subscribers to Spain?s pay-TV channels ? the broadcasters of live Primera Liga soccer - has coincided with declining attendance at league matches.

The official website of the ATP has been relaunched with a new name ? atptennis.com - and a new design.

Seven Network Limited has advised the Australian Football League that it would not accept its offer to match the News Limited led consortium bid for broadcast television rights for seasons 2002-2006.

Hong Kong pay television operator i-Cable Communications Ltd is in talks to carry the ESPN sports channel and Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd channels on its network.

English Premier League soccer team Derby County have announced a joint venture with Radio First, the Aim-listed media company, to launch a digital radio station.

The Commercial Bank of Greece has said it has reached a preliminary agreement with the Athens suburb hosting much of the 2004 Olympic Games to finance up to 1.5 billion euros in real estate development.

The supervisory board chief of German media group EM.TV & Merchandising has said he would not block a deal for cross-town peer Kirch to buy a stake in EM.TV as the two companies appeared eager to reach an agreement.

The NBA, the WNBA and SportsLine.com, have signed a multi-year global partnership encompassing a variety of strategic initiatives.

The Japanese motorsport venue the Suzuka Circuit has announced plans to modernise the current facilities, create better safety features on the track and improve the services offered to the spectators.

The NFL?s wireless service has already attracted more than 10,000 users.

September's Sydney Olympics should be a financial success after being praised worldwide as the greatest Games in history, Olympic leaders said on Tuesday.

A former senior 2004 Athens Games official has accused the organising committee (ATHOC) of cultivating "virtual reality instead of substance and essence" and its president Gianna Angelopoulos of inertia.