Posted on 06/19/2009 11:58:19 AM PDT by abb
For Tribune Co. boss Sam Zell, it's time to play hardball on the sale of his baseball team.
Tribune said Thursday it has opened negotiations with other bidders in the sale of the Cubs. People involved in the process said Zell is trying to increase pressure on the Ricketts family to close a deal for around $900 million.
After exclusively negotiating with Ricketts, no deal has closed, but one insider said it's close. Sources said Tribune, which is in bankruptcy court, has reopened talks with a New York-based investment group that includes investors Marc Utay and Leo Hindery.
Chicago-based bond dealer Thomas Ricketts is directing his family's bid. Talks have bogged down over the value of the Cubs broadcasting deal with Tribune-owned WGN-Channel 9 and WGN-AM and Comcast SportsNet Chicago, in which it has a 25 percent stake.
A statement from Tribune spokesman Gary Weitman said, "We continue an active dialogue with the Ricketts family with an eye toward reaching a definitive agreement. In addition, we are assessing other alternatives. Our goal -- and responsibility -- is to pursue a transaction that is in the best interest of the company. We won't comment on specifics of any potential transaction."
Ricketts refused comment when reached on his way home from Thursday's Cub-Sox matchup. Utay said, "If and when I actually re-engage in this process, I wouldn't tell anybody anyway."
Zell and Ricketts are believed to be less than $50 million apart on terms. Sources said there also is broad agreement on the debt Ricketts would carry.
Tribune wants the transaction structured with debt and probably will keep a sliver of ownership, both techniques for minimizing capital gains taxes.
ping
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/18/andrew-tyndall-tv-news-business-media-tyndall.html
Long Live The Nightly News
http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2009/06/19/9647/star_tribune_announces_bankruptcy_exit_harte_out
Star Tribune announces bankruptcy exit; Harte out
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/06/19/globe_union_sets_date_for_new_contract_vote/
Globe union sets date for vote
http://www.startribune.com/business/48570942.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiacyKU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs
Star Tribune files plan to exit bankruptcy in fall
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aG43l9kHyn7w
Disneys ABC Names Executives to Run Merged Operation
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005087.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1
‘Mission: Impossible IV’ in the works
WGN should be part of the package deal in selling the Cubs. In my mind, WGN exists for one reason and one reason only; broadcasting Cub games. Who in their right minds thinks that the 342nd re-run of America’s Stupidest Videos will get more viewers than a Cubs-Cards game?
http://www.buzzmachine.com/2009/06/19/no-longer-the-province-of-elites/#comments
No longer the province of elites
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/19/bbc-tv-networks-budget-savings
BBC TV networks face new round of cuts
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003986072
Audit Bureau’s First ‘Consolidated Media Report’ Shows Amalgamated Reach of Products
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003986036
‘Plain Dealer’ Institutes Wage Cut, Two-Week Furloughs
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=108282
AP Moves On Upfront
http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/dow-jones-paidcontent-advance-layoff.html
Dow Jones, Reuters advance layoff speculation
http://cancelthebee.blogspot.com/
Report: unpaid furloughs — and other departures — hit the Anchorage Daily News
http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/2009_July_Katharine_Weymouth/
True to Type
http://recoveringjournalist.typepad.com/recovering_journalist/
The People Have Spoken
Freepers who are Cubs fans should be rooting for the Rickett’s family... Good long time conservatives. That’s probably slowing down negotiations.
And I agree with you about WGN.
http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business-12/124540027490550.xml&coll=2
PD unions take furloughs, pay cuts to keep 7-day newspaper delivery
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/jun/19/0619tu/
Times Union prepares to cut up to 45 jobs; union prepares to fight
Less than 50 million apart is still a significant amount of money even in a transaction of almost 1 billion. Zell has to get maximum value for the Cubs asset. As soon as the lending market loosens he needs to start divesting other Tribune properties. Get away from the media business Sam.
It’s too late. The Tribune Company (LA Times, Orlando Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, et al) is a husk - all the innards have rusted away. The only thing holding it up is the paint job.
Egads, TBS is bad since they dumped the Braves. The all night infomertials with the pencil figure women wearing seamless black pants are more interesting.
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