Premiere holds breath as Murdoch raid creates uncertainty

摘要

Premiere appears to be responding positively to the prospect of working alongside Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, although there is much uncertainty about the US company's intentions towards the German pay-television operator. On Monday, News Corp announced that it had acquired a package of 16.4 million Premiere shares for ∈287 million (￡215 million), givingita 14.58-per-cent stake in Germany's largest pay-television operator. It bought the shares from German cable company Unity Media. The deal was finalised within just seven days, after News approached Unity on January 1. Premiere itself was caught unawares, but management was said to be slowly warming to a new shareholder whose longer-term intentions are unknown.