Give us Liberty?

[ShaneVG]

From the Denver Post:

Denver cable-TV mogul John Malone stands a good chance of winning control over Vivendi Universal's prized media assets, say analysts and sources close to the situation - a win that significantly would broaden his financial muscle in the media business.

In the bidding for the Vivendi properties, Malone's Liberty Media Corp. is offering to buy a broader portfolio of assets than onlookers initially expected, including Universal Music Group as well as Vivendi's film and TV businesses.

<snip>

Liberty initially wanted to blend Universal Pictures with Starz Encore Group, the pay-TV movie provider Liberty already owns.

But the offer to buy Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company with 25 record labels, would move Liberty significantly deeper into digital content.

For the fulll article: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~1475605,00.html

[grapeshot]

AND news sources today report that Viacom has apparently dropped out of the bidding.

[Xothas]

Huh? Do you mean "didn't bid in the first round", or that they have closed the door on participating, period? What I've seen still seems to indicate that they are involved in the process, just not as active bidders.....they don't want it all, so they're waiting.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1056492620361&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
http://www.fingaz.co.zw/fingaz/2003/June/June26/4204.shtml
http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,984615,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2003/BUSINESS/06/25/vivendi.update.reut/index.html

[Vampgrrl]

Bidding is weird..I own a ReplayTV recently owned by SonicBlue to tried to sell to Denon..Denon dropped out of the bidding only to come back at auction and pick it back up.