SATELLITE broadcaster BSkyB has vowed to use all available legal avenues to challenge the communications regulator’s plans to force it to sell its sports and movies content to rivals at regulated prices.

The satellite firm said it disagreed “fundamentally with Ofcom’s approach, analysis and conclusions”.

Its comments followed the third consultation document by Ofcom, which believes BSkyB has “an incentive to restrict the distribution of premium channels”. The watchdog said that the satellite broadcaster is thought to be charging high prices to competitors for the use of its premium content.

It said the situation had a “detrimental effect on consumers” by reducing choice and constricting innovation in the pay television market. Ofcom set out proposals for pricing which it said were above the level needed to allow BSkyB to make a “reasonable return”.

STRONG WEEK: Department store compay John Lewis has said sales to last Saturday rose 2.2 per cent during the best week of its financial year so far. The retailer said that sales were up on five of the seven days, ending with a “brisk” Saturday as shoppers went in search of Father’s Day presents. The retailer named Newcastle as one of its high-performing stores in what it called an “excellent week”. Waitrose, the grocery arm of the John Lewis Partnership, also enjoyed a successful week with sales up 11.8 per cent, at £86.6m.

PROFITS RISE: Transport group Stagecoach yesterday said its bus operations are performing well as it revealed a 13 per cent rise in annual profits to £196.4m.

The company, which carries two million passengers a day using a fleet of 7,000 bus and coaches, and runs operations across the North-East, said growing demand for bus travel amid the recession and as commuters switched from cars, had helped the division to operating profits of £125.6m. The firm’s rail arm was more sensitive to economic conditions after profits fell to £55.7m from £59.1m a year ago.

NEW APPOINTMENTS: Security system provider 2020 Vision has appointed a general manager to help develop its reputation as one of the leading firms of its type in the UK. Dawn McIntyre joins the North Shields-based company with more than 20 years’ experience of managerial roles within the security, safety and risk management sectors. The company has also taken on a sales engineer, Norman Flett, who will work in 2020’s Huddersfield office.