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How long before a US buyout of ITV ?

(September 2003)

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MS
mike stand
I see that things are already likely to move in a US direction, according to reports in this weeks Broadcast:
"Granada has struck an exclusive deal with a US production company to co-produce all its future pre-school television series"
Also with ITV making itself wide open as one company, the Hallmark Channel (as well as many lesser known cable companies in the US) are now eyeing up the possibilities of a takeover. We said it couldn't happen, well, watch this space. ITV's strength WAS its regionality, now that's gone, what of the future.!!
Suddenly, to quote Andrew Neil in yesterdays Evening Standard, "ITV looks more vulnerable than ever to a US takeover"
WH
Whataday Founding member
mike stand posted:
Also with ITV making itself wide open as one company, the Hallmark Channel (as well as many lesser known cable companies in the US) are now eyeing up the possibilities of a takeover.


It's really Hallmark Entertainment rather than the Hallmark Channel, and they are rumoured to be part of a consortium wanting to take over, rather than taking over the network by themselves.
:-(
A former member
There'a already a thread about this: http://www.tvforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6514

Corin posted:
However, today's Financial Times (2003-09-15) is reporting that should the merger be given the green light as expected by the politburo member for culture and the media, a new active suitor has risen to the prospect of an easy picking, namely Hallmark, a personal expression products company, and commissioner of many Halmi & Son mini series (Gulliver's Travels, Cleopatra, Tenth Kingdom, Dinotopia etc) and thus ITV could turn into HTV with the H denoting Hallmark.

From http://news.ft.COM/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1059479825565&p=1012571727092

Quote:
Granada gained 3.6 per cent at 100.25p, and its prospective merger partner Carlton Communications, added 4.9 per cent at 170p, after speculation in the weekend press that David Elstein, the former head of Channel Five, has secured the backing of Hallmark, the privately owned US greetings card and entertainment group, for an attempt to take control of ITV in the event of regulatory approval of the TV broadcasters’ merger.

According to wire reports, Elstein admitted he had held talks with Hallmark, but denied it was about arranging takeover finance. Momentum was given a further push by Deutsche Bank, which raised its earnings estimates for both and reiterated its "buy" ratings.

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