IS THE BSKYB FALLING? MORE POTENTIAL BIDS FOR UNITED

          Salomon Smith Barney confirmed that it is acting for a
     client which is considering offering a reported $1.18B for
     Manchester United, according to Cowe & Millar in the London
     GUARDIAN, who report that should the BSkyB bid for the team
     be "blocked" by the gov't, several groups will be "ready to
     pounce."  Although BSkyB's bid was accepted by the team,
     analysts have predicted other media groups would challenge
     the takeover.  HSBC Holdings, the United's financial board,
     would have "a legal duty" to consider higher bids (London
     GUARDIAN, 9/14).  Salomon Managing Dir Christian Purslow
     "dismissed speculation" his company was bidding on its own
     account. Purslow: "We have been acting on behalf of a client
     who asked us to contact HSBC with a view to proffering a
     bid" (Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, FINANCIAL TIMES, 9/14).
          IS SONY ENTERING THE PICTURE: A Sony spokesperson
     denied a Sunday London Mirror report that it had bid $370M
     for the Premier League's Newcastle United (Mult., 9/14).