GATES TO BATTLE MURDOCH/BSKYB ON ENGLISH PREMIER TV RIGHTS?

          English Football Association Commercial Dir Phil
     Carling said that Bill Gates is "planning a bid believed to
     be worth about" US$1.6B for the global TV rights to the
     Premier League, according to the HONG KONG STANDARD.  BSkyB
     paid $1.09B last year for the rights in a deal which expires
     in 2001.  Carling said that Gates is teaming up with cable
     TV exec Barclay Knapp to take on BSkyB, which has owned the
     rights since '92 (HONG KONG STANDARD, 9/20).  
          INVESTIGATION? Meanwhile, the European Commission (EU)
     has "reopened an informal investigation" into the Premier
     League's deal with BSkyB to examine if "the centralised
     selling of Premier League matches breaks EU rules forbidding
     cartels."  The FINANCIAL TIMES' Tucker & Newman write that
     the intervention "could eventually lead to the agreement
     with the broadcasters unravelling" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 9/21).