DirecTV Swap Between
News Corp., Liberty
Media?
News
reports yesterday
suggested that News
Corp. and Liberty Media
are discussing an
agreement that would
include swapping News
Corp.'s 40 percent stake
in DirecTV - worth about
$9 billion - for
Liberty's 18 percent
hold on News Corp.
(valued currently at $11
billion).
According to Wachovia's
Jeff Wlodarczak citing a
CNBC report, News Corp.
owner Rupert Murdoch is
souring on DirecTV and
his company is
attempting to resolve
the 18 percent ownership
stake issue by the Oct.
20 shareholder meeting.
Press reports have noted
that Liberty is also
talking to News Corp.
regarding its TV
stations, the report
said.
Wlodarczak said Murdoch
seems to vary from week
to week on his
commitment to being in
the satellite television
biz as "industry
transforming
transactions" loom on
the horizon for the U.S.
DBS market.
Speaking on the recent
talks of a merger
between DirecTV and
EchoStar Wlodoarczak
said, "If management
reached the conclusion
that they could not
clear regulatory hurdles
or EchoStar CEO
(Charlie) Ergen
is unwilling to sell, it
may - along with the
prospect of buying back
the 18 percent in News
from Liberty - have
opened up the
possibility of a News
Corp. exit from DirecTV.
"If
News Corp. decides to
swap its stake in
DirecTV with Liberty
Media it would likely
reduce EchoStar's
short-term negotiating
leverage for a potential
sale of the company to
AT&T," the analyst said.
Verizon,
DirecTV
Partner
on MDUs
Verizon
and
DirecTV
entered
into an
agreement
to
collectively
serve
the
multiple
dwelling
unit
(MDU)
market
with a
bundle
of
services,
an
effort
the
companies
said
takes
aim at
cable
and its
triple-play
offerings.
Verizon
said the
multi-year
agreement
will
enable
it to
serve as
the
single
point of
contact
for a
bundle
of
offerings
that
includes
the
telco's
broadband
and
phone
services
in
addition
to
DirecTV's
offerings.
Verizon
said it
will
offer
the
DirecTV
bundle
in
locations
where it
does not
offer
its own
entertainment
services,
such as
the
fiber-supported
FiOS TV.
As part
of the
deal,
Verizon
and MDU
Communications,
a
long-time
partner
and
provider
of
DirecTV
services
to MDUs,
have
entered
into a
sales-teaming
agreement
covering
the
Northeast
and
Mid-Atlantic.
Verizon
and MDUC
will
work
together
to
jointly
propose,
provide,
install,
market,
operate
and
maintain
specially
designed
multi
dwelling
unit
technology
systems
for
reception
and
distribution
of
DirecTV's
satellite
TV and
Verizon's
FiOS
broadband,
phone
and
other
telecommunications
services,
the
companies
said.
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