Communication Breakdown
Communications from the world of, er, communications. And other stuff.
Tuesday 10 April 2007, 4:14 PM
Who wants Pipex?
According to the ever-sturdy Mail on Sunday, BT has pulled out of its bid for Pipex. As have BSkyB and Virgin Media. Which leaves Carphone Warehouse all on its lonesome.
What will happen? Will Dunstone also pull out (and where has his celebrated blog gone)? Will his "low-ball offer" be accepted? The problem here for us journalists is that no company will ever give official comment on how much it's bidding for Company X, which in the case of Pipex is not even confirming that it's up for sale in the first place. To do so would be suicidal, given the complex nature of such machinations.
Of course, companies do sometimes give off-the-record information, but that puts the hack into a tricky position. If they're happy to whisper, can you trust what they're whispering, or is having you repeat those whispers just part of their strategy? Always a dilemma, and in this case I'm not too sorry that no-one will comment. Que sera sera...
What will happen? Will Dunstone also pull out (and where has his celebrated blog gone)? Will his "low-ball offer" be accepted? The problem here for us journalists is that no company will ever give official comment on how much it's bidding for Company X, which in the case of Pipex is not even confirming that it's up for sale in the first place. To do so would be suicidal, given the complex nature of such machinations.
Of course, companies do sometimes give off-the-record information, but that puts the hack into a tricky position. If they're happy to whisper, can you trust what they're whispering, or is having you repeat those whispers just part of their strategy? Always a dilemma, and in this case I'm not too sorry that no-one will comment. Que sera sera...
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