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Report: Cable Firm, Networks in Talks on Top 20 TV Show VOD Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 27, 2006 - 11:58am.
New York - The New York Times reported on Monday that Time Warner Cable, the nation's second-largest cable TV provider, is in talks with the major TV networks on a service that would offer the top 20 network TV shows as rated by Nielsen through a video-on-demand service. Time Warner Cable spokesman Mark Harrad confirmed that talks on the service were underway with CBS, ABC, Fox and NBC, but still in early stages. "There have been high-level discussions, but no definitive decisions or deals," Harrad told The Times. The service would offer a changing lineup of the current top 20 TV shows, to be available for an as-yet-undetermined length of time, through an on-demand service that would cost Time Warner Cable subscribers an extra $10 per month. Pay-TV providers such as HBO and Showtime already offer much of their original programming on-demand, as well as through show-specific subscription video-on-demand services; the networks have also experimented with offering downloads of popular shows for sale through Apple's iTunes Store. The major impediment to the service appears to be determining how the subscription fees would be divvied amongst the cable operator and various networks.
tags: Report | Network | Talks | Cable Firm | Top 20 TV Show | VOD Service |

WSJ: Amazon, Labels in Talks on Digital Music Subscription Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 16, 2006 - 8:51am.
Seattle - Online retail giant Amazon.com is in licensing negotiations with the four major record labels, with eyes toward launching its own digital music service, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. On Tuesday, Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman told reporters that the company has been in talks with Amazon. "We certainly have been working closely with Amazon as they work to launch their service," said Bronfman. "They have a very powerful base of CD purchasers and we think that their digital launch, when it comes sort of second half of the year, we hope will be a successful one." Amazon, which claims 55 million customers with active accounts, is said to be looking at a subscription-based service like Napster, The Journal reported. The service would offer subscribers a discounted, Amazon-branded portable music player made by Samsung.
tags: Music | Amazon | Labels | WSJ | Subscription | Talks |

Private Equity Firms in Talks to Acquire Media Group VNU

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 17, 2006 - 3:01am.
Amsterdam - VNU NV, a Netherlands-based media and market-research firm, announced that it is in talks to be acquired by a group of some of the largest private-equity firms in the world. The group -- comprising the Carlyle Group, the Blackstone Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Thomas H. Lee Partners, AlpInvest Partners, Permira and Hellman & Friedman -- is understood to have made an $8.8 billion offer for VNU, which owns the Nielsen TV and Internet ratings business. VNU, having "gauged the level of interest of certain other parties", said it was not in talks with any other company.
tags: VNU | Talks | Private | Media Group |

Vivendi Declines Comment on Reported Talks With Microsoft on Games Unit

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2003 - 4:35am.
Paris -- Vivendi Universal has declined to comment on a report in Wednesday's Financial Times that it is in talks with Microsoft that could see the U.S. software giant make an offer for Vivendi Universal Games. The report said the business, which includes games based on JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, could be worth more than $1.5 billion. It has been rumored for months that the French media group is trying to sell its games unit, which was formerly part of its publishing arm, which was sold last year. In addition to Microsoft, possible buyers include Sony and Electronic Arts.
tags: Games | Microsoft | Vivendi | Talks |