5 things to know today: 3 July 07

Luxury group LVMH may take a stronger step into media, but the move creates fear amongst staff of French business paper Les Echos.
Pearson are discussing selling Les Echos to Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, but the move is seen as potentially damaging to editorial independence. Looking ahead, LVMH won't rule out possible future purchase of theFinancial Times

Look on the bright side. The UK's ITV can see the positive in 9% fall in first half advertising revenue. Despite this being 30 times greater than the average fall in the UK advertising market in the first half of 2007, ITV see a positive in that at least their ratings slide is STARTING to slow....

Apple are apparently going to continue to drive the exclusivity of the iPhone by limiting it's availability to a single network per country. Following the AT&T US deal, DJN report that Vodafone has been beaten on the draw by T-Mobile International AG in Germany. Other commentators have speculated over whether the shine will already have been taken off the iPhone by the time it hits Europe due to the decision to partner with the inferior AT&T network in the US. Clearly money talks!

In India, many residents of Chandigarh remain out of touch with the outside world after a major fire took out internet and phone lines at the BSNL exchange. Lines have been out since Saturday. Calcutta News

Whilst in London, Virgin Media's fortunes fail to improve as ratings firm S&P place them on a negative watch as the likelihood to buyout discussions with a private equity firm grow: Sharewatch