SCROLLING NEWS

Sources say J.P. Morgan & Co. and Knight-Ridder have amicably settled differences that arose when an audit by the vendor uncovered use of Knight-Ridder data for which the firm had not been paying. The data had been distributed at Morgan by Micrognosis Inc., according to sources. It's unclear whether the unauthorized use resulted from an accounting error, a technological fault or by design. Morgan paid up, these sources say, and all is well again between the two.

A recent Govpx Inc. board meeting yielded a "hold" vote on Govpx's proposal to sell its Treasury data to Dow Jones/Telerate -- at least under the terms discussed, sources say.

Reuters, however, may soon have some new data. Beta tests have begun in the U.K. for Dealt Rate Service, a consolidated feed of last-trade currency data generated by banks using Reuters' Dealing 2000-1 conversational forex trading system (IMD, June 8, 1992). The service will be available only to those contributing prices to it. Data from Reuters' Dealing 2000-2 order-matching service may be added once liquidity there has grown.

Quotron and parent Citicorp are huddling with a new, unidentified potential buyer for its remaining -- and core -- assets, according to sources. Neither a deal nor further details have emerged.

When Quotron completed its agreement to sell its Securities Industry Software Corp. back-office processing unit to ADP two weeks ago, not all SIS assets went along for the ride. SIS president Jim Steinke is now former president of SIS. But for the international arm Quotron is also selling to its rival, ADP is retaining Quotron international business manager John Gilson as transitional head of the new Quotron/ADP international unit.

Meanwhile, the man behind these deals, Ralph Koehrer, has been elevated to the presidency of ADP's Brokerage Information Services Group's Financial Information Services division. Koehrer was previously senior vice president and general manager.

Ed Berlin is preparing a March departure from Quotron, where he has been vice president in charge of national account and institutional marketing. Berlin will head back to Quotron's parent Citi, whence he came.

Sources say Thomson's Tech Data analyst Claude Tygier is also contemplating a move. Although Tygier declined comment, sources say he may jump ship next month, taking his Technical System currency analytics service along with him.

Knight-Ridder has hired Jose Pecache, the technical director who left Thomson's municipal information services following a reorganization there last year (IMD, Nov. 9, 1992). As vice- president in charge of development, Pecache is replacing Richard Boulderstone, who was promoted to deputy managing director of Knight-Ridder Europe, a role equivalent to that held by Don Totter in North America.

News Service VWD, which is planning to launch a service dedicated to the Bundesbank in the next few weeks, claims it warned of the Bundesbank's Lombard and discount rate cut almost half an hour before Reuters did last month. VWD's Bundesbank service, available in German and English, will be accessible via VWD's own screens or as an option on Bloomberg and Telerate.

Clarification: Former Salomon Brother Don Oakes has his own consulting concern, DAO Consulting, although Oakes has collaborated with Don Madura and his Madura Associates consultancy. Last IMD suggested the two were partners.