T-Online foiled in attempt to become media player

NEWS Deutsche Telekom subsidiary ISP T-Online has been told by the German Cartel Office that it cannot become a media and entertainment company. The regulator said it will block the company's attempts to acquire a 37 per cent shares in entertainment portal Bild.de. This is the second blocking ruling in a week by the Cartel Office, which also foiled T-Online's bid to offload six of its cable TV divisions to a US company. The news will come as a blow to Deutsche Telekom as it struggles to reduce its £37bn debt mountain.