BRIEF TRANSMISSIONS

Negotiations on sale of Bonneville Telecommunications Corp. to Equatorial Communications Co. have broken off. "Talks regarding an investment by Equatorial have been discontinued," says Rod Brady, president of Bonneville International Corp., BTC's parent company. Equatorial officials decline to comment, but sources there confirm that there will be no deal. Reasons for break-off are not known. On subject of BTC's future, Brady says "we're continuing to build Bonneville Telecommunications into a very, very fine company." He admits, however, that sale still isn't out of question. "If other interested parties wish to talk with us we'll be very happy to talk with them," he says. BTC, meanwhile, plans to unveil long overdue IBM-PC version of Macstock and Macmonitor quote software during week of June 1st.

As we go to press, Federal Reserve Board is preparing to convene closed-door meeting on application by Citicorp to acquire Quotron Systems, Inc. Fed approval would give Citicorp green light to mount hostile takeover attempt. Earlier "friendly" offer of $18/ share was rebuffed by Quotron (MTR, April 1986).

Imnet may announce commercial availability of standalone quote system within next few weeks. 50 units of system based on IBM 3270 PC are in beta test at 25 sites. Imnet officials are said to be smarting from article in May 5th Forbes, which used adjectives like "stillborn," and concluded that "you can't always bet on the big guys." Sources speculate product announcement has been moved up to counter article and prove company is for real. Says one source at Imnet: "All I can tell you is we're going through a reorganization here."

$7.95/month for Monchik-Weber's Ticker III on 15-minute delay? That's price to be offered in one Western market by Xpress Information Services in test of price sensitivity for quotes and news among cable subscribers (MTR, April 1986).

Business Research Corp., Boston-based vendor of Investext database of securities analyst reports, plans to unveil "Real-Time Earnings Estimator." Speaking at "Database Delivery Using Broadcast Networks" conference sponsored by MTR publisher Waters Information Services, BRC senior vice president Jim Rutt said RTEE service will broadcast instant updates on quarterly and annual earnings estimates for 3000 public companies. Estimates will come from analysts at ten major brokers/investment bankers, and will be delivered to customers within 15 minutes of receipt. Each customer will have copy of complete earnings database with one million data items stored locally on AT&T 6300 PC. U.S. delivery will be via Equatorial satellite, Rutt said, and BRC is "talking with two of the major fixed-income quote vendors to provide us with a virtual network overseas."

Dataline/Canquote is expected to be first Canadian quote vendor to broadcast via satellite. Sources say deal is pending for Dataline to lease 4800 bits/second channel on Telesat Canada Anik-B spacecraft. Service would be available at 50 locations initially using Equatorial Communications Co. technology.

Reuters Holdings PLC has completed previously announced plan to acquire minority interest in Instinet Corp. Instinet holders approved plan -- along with 2-for-1 stock split -- at annual meeting April 23d. Adjusted for split, Reuters purchased 800,000 newly issued shares at $11.25 each, plus three-year warrants to acquire up to 2.4 million additional new shares. Total cost was $10.9 million -- $4.5 million cash and 155,230 Reuters ADSs. Reuters also completed previously announced purchase of warrants for up to 1.8 million Instinet shares from Merrill Lynch, Dean Witter, and Shearson for $4.5 million. Reuters now owns 6.7 per cent of Instinet common. If all warrants were exercised, stake would rise to 27.8 per cent.

Data Broadcasting Corp.'s Marketwatch quote stream (MTR, December 1985) will piggyback across Atlantic when Financial News Network begins European satellite feed. DBC's data is inserted in vertical blanking interval of FNN video and hitches ride wherever video goes. Company says it has no immediate plans to market overseas, however. Meanwhile, FNN chairman Earl Brian tells New York TV Academy audience that DBC has acquired "few hundred" subscribers during first month of operation, with 3,000-5,000 forecast by end of 1986.

Sublime setting for quote machine can be seen on p. 156 of May Architectural Digest. Feature on Sutton Place apartment of Telerate founder Neil Hirsch shows familiar Telerate screen atop "circa 1930 palisander, leather and nickel Etienne Kohlmann desk." Screen not set to p. 5, however.

Moving Around: John Hull, senior marketing executive, Reuters North America, joins Instinet Corp. board....Duwayne Peterson, former executive vice president, systems, Security Pacific Corp., joins Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. as executive vice president, operations, systems, and telecommunications, newly-created post left vacant by recent about-face of Richard Morrison (MTR, April 1986)... James Fraser, president, ADP Comtrend, resigns, replaced by Marv Koehler, ex-Heinhold Commodities....Leon Williams, Monchik-Weber Corp., resigns as chairman of Exchange and Regulatory Committee, IIA Financial Information Services Division, replaced by R.T. Williams, R. Shriver Associates....Joseph Consoli, ex-Granger Associates, joins Equatorial Communications Co. as vice president and chief financial officer.