Page 4 - Sphere No.16 (Apr 2006)

CONGRATULATIONS!
Hutchison Whampoa Limited
was among the winners in the
2005 Best Corporate Governance
Disclosure Awards presented
by the Hong Kong Institute of
Certified Public Accountants.
✭
Smash Hit
The 2006 Watsons Water Champions Challenge
thrilled tennis fans in Hong Kong with a new format that
enabled the public to see more matches. There were
clashes between five world-class aces – Lindsay
Davenport, Kim Clijsters, Elena Dementieva,
Serena and Venus Williams and three
rising stars – Nicole Vaidisova, Sania Mirza
and Zheng Jie. Ms Clijsters dethroned
Ms Davenport in the Gold Group while
Ms Vaidisova won the Silver Group as well
as the doubles title with Ms Dementieva.
The stars also appeared at a tennis clinic
for junior players held at the Victoria Park
Tennis Stadium. R
3 ITALIATO LAUNCH
MOBILE TV CHANNEL LA3
3 Italia plans to start broadcasting its own new
mobile TV channel, La3, in June. The new DVB-H mobile TV
will have 15 channels at its launch, including the live and
exclusive transmission of the 2006 FIFA World Cup from
Germany. La3, a mobile digital platform formed by the
acquisition of Channel 7, holds a network licence for national
digital TV distribution on terrestrial frequencies and will
provide full content mobility for customers.
Meanwhile, Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) has
decided to defer the planned IPO of 3 Italia. While 3 Italia
had received all
necessary regula-
tory approvals
required to list,
prevailing market
conditions for
European telecom
stocks were weak.
3 Italia will
conduct an
investor education
campaign with
a view to clearly
differentiating
the outlook for
its business and the progress it has made in developing its
unique business model from that of the incumbent mobile
operators in Europe.
At the same time, Goldman Sachs has agreed to arrange
and underwrite a structured pre-IPO transaction involving a
private placement of an effective 10% indirect share interest
in 3 Italia. T
I T A LY
H O N G K O N G
TOM’sTop Awards
Major entertainers from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong
and the US performed live at the 2005 TOM Online Internet
Entertainment Awards Gala held at Beijing’s Century Theatre.
More than 20 awards covering the whole spectrum of
the entertainment industry including music, movie, television
and the Internet were presented. The winners were chosen
by millions of Chinese Internet users who voted online or
by mobile phone. Highlights of the event – including a
performance by Korean star Nara Jang – were aired on
CETV, the Travel Channel and more than 60 other television
channels.
C H I N A
R
2 SPHERE