Jupiter Telecommunications Co

John Malone's Liberty Media International Inc. agreed to take control of Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Japan's largest cable-TV company, if Jupiter would sell shares to the public. Liberty Media said it would place its 45% stake in Jupiter into a holding company, along with a 32% stake owned by Sumitomo Corp. Liberty Media shares rose $1.21 to $43.06 on Nasdaq.

John Malone's Liberty Media International Inc. agreed to take control of Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Japan's largest cable-TV company, if Jupiter would sell shares to the public. Liberty Media said it would place its 45% stake in Jupiter into a holding company, along with a 32% stake owned by Sumitomo Corp. Liberty Media shares rose $1.21 to $43.06 on Nasdaq.

OpenTV Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to develop interactive television services with Japan's major cable TV operator, Jupiter Telecommunications Co., gaining entry to the Japanese TV market. Mountain View-based OpenTV will work with Jupiter's J-Com Broadband unit to develop on-demand news and other services.

OpenTV Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to develop interactive television services with Japan's major cable TV operator, Jupiter Telecommunications Co., gaining entry to the Japanese TV market. Mountain View-based OpenTV will work with Jupiter's J-Com Broadband unit to develop on-demand news and other services.

Japan's two biggest cable TV operators announced plans to merge, a move that would ally U.S. giants AT&T Corp. and Microsoft Corp. in the country's fledgling cable Internet business. Jupiter Telecommunications Co., 50% of which is owned by AT&T unit Liberty Media, said it will merge with Titus Communications Corp., which is 60% controlled by Microsoft.

AT&T Corp.'s Liberty Media Group said it may merge Jupiter Telecommunications Co., a Japanese cable-TV operator in which it owns a 40% stake, with rival Titus Communications, which is majority-owned by Microsoft Corp. Liberty, which is headed by cable veteran John Malone and owns stakes in dozens of media and technology companies, has talked to Microsoft about combining the two cable operators, Chief Executive Robert Bennett said. The new company could then sell shares to the public.

Liberty Media Corp. said it might spin off its non-U.S. investments into a new company to help finance acquisitions. Liberty's overseas investments include a 44% stake in Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Japan's largest cable television provider. Liberty's UnitedGlobalCom Inc. unit will own a 66% stake in Dutch cable provider United Pan-Europe Communications after a planned bankruptcy reorganization of United Pan-Europe.

Microsoft Corp. will pay $500 million for a 3% stake in Korea Telecom Corp., the nation's top provider of high-speed Internet connections, the South Korean government said. The software giant will buy bonds with warrants, paying a 38% premium to the stock's last traded price, said Hahn Chun Koo, a government official in charge of the nation's privatization of Korea Telecom.

Japan's two biggest cable TV operators announced plans to merge, a move that would ally U.S. giants AT&T Corp. and Microsoft Corp. in the country's fledgling cable Internet business. Jupiter Telecommunications Co., 50% of which is owned by AT&T unit Liberty Media, said it will merge with Titus Communications Corp., which is 60% controlled by Microsoft.

AT&T Corp.'s Liberty Media Group said it may merge Jupiter Telecommunications Co., a Japanese cable-TV operator in which it owns a 40% stake, with rival Titus Communications, which is majority-owned by Microsoft Corp. Liberty, which is headed by cable veteran John Malone and owns stakes in dozens of media and technology companies, has talked to Microsoft about combining the two cable operators, Chief Executive Robert Bennett said. The new company could then sell shares to the public.