Advanced Television

M&A

RTL and MTG in for ProSiebenSat.1 units?

RTL Group and Modern Times Group have submitted bids for ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG’s units in Belgium and Scandinavia reports Bloomberg. RTL Group bid for assets in Belgium and Modern Times, Sweden’s largest private broadcaster, made an offer for the Scandinavian division. Meanwhile, Telegraaf Media Groep NV, which owns 12 percent of ProSiebenSat.1, is interested in […]

March 18, 2011

Funds sue News Corp over Shine deal

Two small shareholders in News Corp are suing the company for “paying for nepotism” in its $675 million deal to buy Rupert Murdoch’s daughter Elisabeth Murdoch’s production business Shine. Amalgamated Bank of New York and the Central Laborers Pension Fund filed a lawsuit in a Delaware court alleging that the deal was a case of […]

March 17, 2011

Lagardère postpones Canal + IPO

French press is speculating a deal might be back on for Vivendi to buy out Lagardère’s 20 per cent of Canal + after Lagardère postponed indefinitely its IPO of the stake. Lagardère said market volatility stemming from events in Japan meant the timing wasn’t right but analysts in Paris were convinced talks were back under […]

March 17, 2011

Encompass buys Ascent’s content distribution

Encompass Digital Media, a digital media services provider, has announced the completion of the purchase of Ascent Media’s global content distribution business. This transaction includes broadcast facilities in the US (including the New York metro area, Minnesota and Burbank), London and Singapore. Encompass enhances its presence in the global marketplace serving major television networks, cable […]

March 15, 2011

Encompass Digital Media completes acquisition of Ascent Media’s content distribution business

Encompass Digital Media, a digital media services provider, has announced the completion of the purchase of Ascent Media Corporation’s global content distribution business. This transaction includes broadcast facilities in the US (including the New York metro area, Minnesota and Burbank), London and Singapore. Encompass enhances its presence in the global marketplace serving major television networks, […]

March 15, 2011

Lobbying push from News Corp deal opponents

An alliance of UK media groups has further criticised the UK government’s decision not to refer News Corp’s attempt to purchase the 61 per cent of BSkyB it does not already own. BT, Guardian Media Group, Associated Newspapers, Trinity Mirror , Northcliffe Media and Telegraph Media Group are sending a letter to all British MPs […]

March 14, 2011By Colin Mann

Cumulus to buy Citadel for $2.5bn

Two of the largest radio station operators in the US are to combine, with Cumulus Media agreeing to buy Citadel Broadcasting for $2.5 billion. The deal will bring together almost 600 radio stations in 120 markets across the country, giving Cumulus a presence in eight of the top 10 markets. Cumulus chief executive Lew Dickey […]

March 11, 2011

FCDE confirms Thomson offer

Technicolor has received a binding offer to acquire the Thomson Video Networks business from the Fonds de Consolidation et de Développement des Entreprises (FCDE). The FCDE finances the recovery and development of small- to medium-sized enterprises demonstrating a strong potential for success. The capital development fund, with approximately €200 million, is financed with up to […]

March 9, 2011

News Corp: “We don’t have to do [Sky] deal”

In the opening skirmish of the ‘spin wars’ that will characterise negotiations, Chase Carey, Rupert Murdoch’s right-hand man at News Corp, told delegates at Deutsche Bank’s Media & Telecoms conference that while News Corp wanted to do the deal to buy the remaining 61 per cent in BSkyB that it did not already own, but […]

March 8, 2011By Chris Forrester

YouTube buys Next New Networks

YouTube has purchased Next New Networks for an undisclosed sum. Based in New York and backed by former television executives from Nickelodeon and MTV, Next New Networks has built a network of videos created both in house and by independent filmmakers. YouTube made clear that it has no plans to dive into the content business. […]

March 8, 2011