Comcast

News Corp. said Wednesday that will launch a new cable-television business channel on October 15 that will directly compete with General Electric'smarket leader, CNBC.

Cablevision Systems Corp. said on Thursday it will have the capability to carry more than 500 channels of high definition television programming by year-end as competition mounts from satellite TV and telephone operators.

As top Comcast Corp. executives unloaded more than $15 million of stock in the largest U.S. cable operator over the past few weeks, an investor could be excused for a growing sense of unease.

Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) unveiled a new cable modem capable of download speeds of up to 150 megabits, or 25 times faster than current models, according to a report.

Telecommunications company Verizon Communications Inc. said on Wednesday that officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, have agreed to let it sell Web-based video service to local residents and that it may drop its lawsuit against the county for blocking it.

U.S. telephone giant AT&T Inc. risks losing customers to cable rivals unless it builds a fiber network closer to customers than currently planned for its video and Internet services, analysts said.

Walt Disney Co.'s ABC television network will offer some of its most popular shows, such as Desperate Housewives and Lost, for free on the Internet in a two-month trial, the company said on Monday.