Advanced Television

M&A

TV One acquired by Nortek

TV One announces the recent sale of one hundred per cent of the Company’s stock to a subsidiary of Nortek, a diversified global manufacturer. The sale includes all TV One related, wholly-owned companies in the US, UK, Taiwan and China. TV One will be included in Nortek’s Technology Products segment and closely aligned with Magenta […]

May 19, 2011

Turkey’s Show TV up for sale?

Turkey’s Cukurova Holdings, which also controls pay-TV platform Digiturk, is looking to sell a 49 per cent stake in its popular general entertainment channel Show TV. Reports suggest that the stake could be sold to US private equity players in order to reduce Cukurova’s heavy tax debts.  KKR and Texas Pacific are both named as […]

May 18, 2011By Chris Forrester

Time Warner invests in BlackArrow advertising

BlackArrow has announced a strategic investment in the company by Time Warner Cable and Joan Gillman, president, media sales for Time Warner Cable, has been named to the BlackArrow board of directors. Time Warner Cable joins existing investors Cisco Systems, Comcast Interactive Capital, Intel Capital, Mayfield Fund, Motorola Mobility, NDS and Polaris Venture Partners as […]

May 17, 2011

Competition issues for News Corp F1 bid?

A leading UK competition lawyer has suggested that a takeover of Formula One by News Corporation would face “concerns” because of a conflict of interest. Paul Stone, head of competition and regulation for law firm Charles Russell says that “News Corporation’s involvement in the bid for Formula One could attract scrutiny from the competition regulators, […]

May 16, 2011By Colin Mann

Murdoch exercises Rotana option

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has boosted its stake in Arabic music-to-films broadcaster Rotana Media Group. A year ago, News Corp bought nine per cent of Rotana, which is owned by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed, and with that purchase struck a deal which gave News Corp an option to double its stake within 18 months. News […]

May 16, 2011By Chris Forrester

Numericable Belgium on block for investors

Deficom Telecom a consortium of investment companies, allied with the UK’s private-equity house Apax, have entered into negotiations to acquire Numericable networks in Belgium and Luxembourg. The cable operator has doubled its revenues and increased its operating income fivefold since 2003 thanks to the success of triple-play services. It is the main player in the […]

May 13, 2011

Rambus acquires Cryptography Research

Technology licensing company Rambus Inc has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held semiconductor security R&D and licensing company Cryptography Research, Inc (CRI) for an aggregate of $342.5 million comprised of $167.5 million in cash, approximately 6.4 million shares of Rambus stock, and $50 million payable to CRI employees in cash or stock over three […]

May 13, 2011By Colin Mann

Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5bn

Microsoft has confirmed a deal to buy internet phone service Skype for $8.5 billion, making it Microsoft’s largest acquisition. Skype, based in Luxembourg, has 663 million users. Skype dropped a planned IPO last summer after it was sold to investors by eBay which had sold 70 per cent for $2 billion. eBay had paid $2.6 […]

May 10, 2011

Delay for BSkyB takeover

A major delay has hit Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of BSkyB, with official approval unlikely for another two weeks, according to UK media reports. “My understanding is that there will be a minimum two-week delay from now,” said Claire Enders, founder of Enders Analysis. “At every stage the level of detail required and the input from […]

May 10, 2011By Colin Mann

F1 chief: Pay-TV suicidal

Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has warned Grand Prix teams that it would be “suicidal” for them if the sport moved to News Corporation’s subscription channels as part of a takeover deal. According to Ecclestone, who holds the sport’s commercial rights, teams would lose huge sponsorship interest if coverage was no longer on mass […]

May 9, 2011By Colin Mann