
Please try another search
MILAN (Reuters) - Mediaset (MI:MS) will submit revised plans to merge its Italian and Spanish broadcasting units (MC:TL5) under a Dutch entity to authorities in the Netherlands, securing a six-month extension to complete the project, two sources familiar with the matter said.
The extension could help the group deal with any potential delay triggered by shareholder Vivendi's (PA:VIV) legal challenges to the merger.
Mediaset, controlled by the family of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, wants to merge the units under a Dutch holding company, called MediaforEurope (MFE), to pursue a European growth strategy.
But its major shareholder Vivendi , led by French billionaire Vincent Bollore, is fighting the project in courts across Europe, saying the governance structure of the new entity would strengthen the Berlusconis' grip on the company.
In a bid to smooth the path of its plan through the courts, Mediaset and its Spanish units recently approved amendments to MFE's bylaws.
Vivendi said the changes did not address its concerns and it is set take further legal action.
The Italian broadcaster faces a March deadline to see its Dutch holding company plan through, otherwise the decisions of a September shareholder meeting that approved the project will no longer be valid based on existing Dutch laws. The sources said that Mediaset will register the amended merger plan with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, gaining a new six-month period to complete the merger.
One of the sources said that Mediaset was obligated to resubmit the plan after the bylaws changes but still aimed to complete the merger by the current March 19 deadline.
Earlier this week an Italian judge rejected Vivendi's request to suspend the plan. Vivendi said it would appeal against the decision.
The reorganization remains however on hold because a Spanish judge last year ruled in favor of Vivendi's request to halt the plan. A court in Spain on Thursday upheld the suspension and set a new hearing on Feb. 18.
A separate court hearing in the Netherlands on Vivendi's request to block Mediaset's overhaul is scheduled on Feb. 10.
After-Hours Stock Movers: Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) 42% LOWER; Ryan Cohen confirmed he liquidated his entire 9.5 million share stake. Bill.com Holdings Inc (NYSE:BILL) 20%...
By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) - A U.S. judge ordered Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX) to reinstate seven employees at a Memphis, Tennessee, cafe on Thursday who were allegedly fired...
By Davit Kirakosyan Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp (NYSE:MSGE) shares rose more than 7% after-hours following the company’s announcement today, according to which its...
Are you sure you want to block %USER_NAME%?
By doing so, you and %USER_NAME% will not be able to see any of each other's Investing.com's posts.
%USER_NAME% was successfully added to your Block List
Since you’ve just unblocked this person, you must wait 48 hours before renewing the block.
I feel that this comment is:
Thank You!
Your report has been sent to our moderators for review
Add a Comment
We encourage you to use comments to engage with other users, share your perspective and ask questions of authors and each other. However, in order to maintain the high level of discourse we’ve all come to value and expect, please keep the following criteria in mind:
Enrich the conversation, don’t trash it.
Stay focused and on track. Only post material that’s relevant to the topic being discussed.
Be respectful. Even negative opinions can be framed positively and diplomatically. Avoid profanity, slander or personal attacks directed at an author or another user. Racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination will not be tolerated.
Perpetrators of spam or abuse will be deleted from the site and prohibited from future registration at Investing.com’s discretion.