NBC Universal In Talks To Pick Up Stake In NDTV Networks: Report
By Nikhil Pahwa - Wed 12 Dec 2007 02:45 AM PST
This isn’t the first time there’s been news of NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) being in talks to pick up stake in an NDTV company; in July this year, there was a PTI report about NBC eying a 26 percent stake in NDTV Entertainment, and not much happened thereafter. This time around, Business Standard reports that talks for a stake in NDTVs UK based subsidiary, NDTV Networks, are at an advanced stage. NDTV Networks (as per the report) owns NDTV Imagine, and the groups Internet and Mobile company NDTV Convergence. Prannoy Roy, Chairman of NDTV has told BS that they routinely speak to many other media companies...NBC has done the rounds in India, and after Viacom’s (NYSE: VIA) JV with TV18, and Disney (NYSE: DIS) picking up a stake in UTV (and rumours of more), I suppose one must wonder why NDTV isn’t doing a deal with a foreign major...and what other options for a tie-up with a broadcasting major does NBCU have anyway? hence the speculation. But rumours, once confirmed, become news. We’ll check if there’s some truth to this or not.
Posted in: Companies, NDTV, JV & Investment
