London – A track based on a cellphone ring tone famed for its ability to infuriate listeners topped Britain’s singles charts Sunday, beating the new track from the band Coldplay to the No. 1 spot.
“Crazy Frog Axel F,” inspired by a ring tone based on the sound of a man imitating revving mopeds, was the highest-selling single in the list compiled by The Official UK Charts Co.
The chart takes into account sales of CD singles and downloads.
“Crazy Frog Axel F” is the first ring tone to cross into mainstream music charts, said Gennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for HMV, the British music retailing chain.
The Official UK Charts Co. didn’t say how many copies of “Crazy Frog Axel F” were sold or downloaded, but earlier last week Castaldo said it was outselling the new Coldplay track by 4 to 1.
WESTMINSTER
Wireless-tech firm nets $7 million in financing
Westminster’s TensorComm Inc., which makes technology to improve cellphone range and reduce dropped calls, secured $7 million in financing, the company announced Monday.
Centennial Ventures, a Denver-based investment-capital firm, and several existing investors provided the financing.
BROOMFIELD
Oxlo Systems gets $5 million boost
Oxlo Systems, a Broomfield-based provider of communications systems for the automotive retail industry, announced Tuesday that it has raised an additional $5 million.
In addition to existing investors Appian Ventures and Mobius Venture Capital, Waypoint Ventures from Ann Arbor, Mich., participated.
NEW YORK
Judge postpones Rigases’ sentencing
A federal judge has delayed the sentencings of John and Timothy Rigas, convicted last year in the massive fraud at Adelphia Communications Corp., from today to June 13.
Prosecutors said the delay was due to a pending court filing related to a recently reached settlement among the government, Adelphia and the Rigas family. Greenwood Village-based Adelphia now operates under bankruptcy protection.
NEW YORK
AIG report restates results of past 5 years
American International Group Inc., the huge insurance company under investigation by state and federal regulators over accounting issues, filed its long-awaited 2004 annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, restating financial results for the past five years.
As part of the restatement, AIG cut shareholders’ equity at Dec. 31 by $2.26 billion, or 2.7 percent, to $80.61 billion, less than the $2.7 billion reduction the company had projected earlier.
WASHINGTON
Average U.S. gas price falls 2.8 cents a gallon
The retail price of gasoline fell by 2.8 cents last week to average $2.097 a gallon nationwide, the Energy Department reported Tuesday.
The weekly government survey said the average price nationwide of regular-grade gasoline was 4.6 cents a gallon higher than this time a year ago.
NEW YORK
3 Colo. companies on “hot growth” list
Three Colorado companies are listed in the top 100 “Hot Growth Companies” in the June 6 issue of Business Week. Companies were selected based on sales growth, earnings growth and return on invested capital.
Denver oil producers Cimarex Energy and St. Mary Land & Exploration are ranked 38th and 67th, respectively. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc., a Greenwood Village-based restaurant operator, is ranked 96th.
OMAHA
Ameritrade may buy TD Waterhouse USA
Ameritrade Holding Corp., the fourth-largest discount brokerage, may acquire Toronto-Dominion Bank’s U.S. broker as the industry consolidates following a decline in online trades.
Ameritrade said in a statement that it is in discussions about a “potential transaction” involving TD Waterhouse USA. Terms weren’t disclosed.
The Financial Times reported Tuesday that Ameritrade may buy TD Waterhouse for as much as $3 billion.
SAN JOSE, Calif.
Calpine to sell England power plant
Struggling energy wholesaler Calpine Corp. on Tuesday said it will sell a power plant in England for $925 million, raising money for the company’s plan to reduce its debt by more than 20 percent by the end of the year.
MOLINE, Ill.
Deere & Co. acquires United Green Mark
Equipment maker Deere & Co. has acquired United Green Mark Inc., expanding its nationwide network of wholesale dealerships for irrigation, nursery and landscape materials, the company said Tuesday.
United Green Mark’s 52 dealerships in the western United States, including six in Colorado, will join about 250 John Deere Landscape stores.
DENVER
Xcel seeks to raise cost of delivering gas
Xcel Energy on Tuesday filed with state regulators to increase natural-gas base rates in Colorado by about $33 million. The base rate covers Xcel’s cost to deliver gas to customers but not the cost of the gas itself, which is adjusted monthly.
If approved as filed, the average residential customer will see an increase of $23 per year and commercial customer rates will rise by $101.
WASHINGTON
Treasury auctions $32 billion in T-bills
The Treasury Department auctioned $17 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 2.935 percent and another $15 billion in six-month bills at a rate of 3.080 percent.
The new discount rates understate the actual return to investors – 2.998 percent for three- month bills, with a $10,000 bill selling for $9,925.81, and 3.172 percent for a six-month bill selling for $9,844.29.
PEOPLE
CSG promotes; TensorComm hires
CSG Systems International Inc. announced Tuesday that longtime board member Bernard Reznicek has been named the nonexecutive chairman and Don Reed, formerly with Cable & Wireless, became a member of the board. George Haddix stepped down from the board. … TensorComm, a wireless technology company, hired Thomas A. Cullen as president and chief operating officer.
