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News Briefs: Univision Shareholders Approve Sale

Oct 2, 2006  •  Post A Comment

Univision Communications shareholders on Wednesday approved the $13.7 billion acquisition of the biggest U.S. Spanish-language media company by a private group of investors that includes Saban Capital Group, Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Madison Dearborn Partners. The group paid $36.25 per share in cash and assumed $1.4 billion in debt. The merger agreement was approved by more than 80 percent of the shares that were voted at a special meeting Wednesday. The transaction is expected to be completed in spring 2007. Univision’s holdings include the television broadcast network of the same name, which reaches 99 percent of U.S. Hispanic households; the general interest TeleFutura Network, launched in 2002; the Galavisi?n cable network; and Univisi?n Television Group, which owns and operates 62 television stations. -MICHELE GREPPI

NBC Sets Oct. 13 Premiere for `1 vs 100′

NBC’s new game show “1 vs 100” will begin its five-week run Friday, Oct. 13, at 9 p.m. (ET), following an original episode of the network’s current game show performer, “Deal or No Deal.” After its series premiere, “1 vs 100” will air in its regular time slot on Friday at 8 p.m. beginning Oct. 20, leading into the return of drama “Las Vegas” at 9 p.m. As a result, the drama “Crossing Jordan,” which was scheduled to run at 8 p.m. on Friday, will rejoin the NBC schedule later. -CHRISTOPHER LISOTTA

CBS Picks Up `Race’ for Spring 2007

CBS is going ahead with an 11th installment of its reality series “The Amazing Race,” which will be broadcast next spring. The 10th installment of “Race” premiered in its new Sunday 9 p.m. (ET) time period Sept. 17, garnering 10.1 million viewers and a 3.9 rating in adults 18 to 49, numbers that include live viewing and same-day viewing via digital video recorders, according to Nielsen Media Research. “Race” is produced by Bruckheimer Television and Earthview Inc., in association with Touchstone Television and Amazing Race Productions.-CHRISTOPHER LISOTTA

Scripps Sells Stations to Multicultural

The E.W. Scripps Co. has agreed to sell its five TV stations affiliated with the Shop at Home network to New York-based Multicultural Television Broadcasting for $170 million. Multicultural Television Broadcasting will get WMFP-TV in Boston; WOAC-TV in Cleveland; WRAY-TV in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; WSAH-TV in Bridgeport, Conn.; and KCNS-TV in San Francisco. The transaction is expected to be completed over the next nine months, pending license transfers and other approvals by the Federal Communications Commission. Scripps in June sold the Shop at Home television network, including its Nashville studios and other assets, to Jewelry Television for $17 million.-MICHELE GREPPI

ABC to Offer News Player to Station Web Sites

ABC plans to offer an ABC News online video player to its 200-plus affiliates that will include clips from news shows such as “World News With Charles Gibson” and “Good Morning America” on the stations’ Web sites. Under the deal, ABC News will provide national news content for the broadband player, and in the coming months affiliates can add local content to the player, ABC said. Stations will promote the player on-air and online. Earlier this month the broadcaster inked a deal for affiliates to feature the ABC.com video player for streaming ABC’s prime-time shows on their Web sites and for stations to sell local ads in the player.-DAISY WHITNEY

Food Network to Offer Kitchen Products

Food Network said it is creating a line of home and kitchen products that will be sold exclusively at Kohl’s stores beginning in fall 2007. The deal marks the first national merchandise launch for Food Network parent Scripps Networks. The new line will be marketed via Food Network programming, celebrity chefs and in-store promotions. The Food Network line will include cookware, dinnerware, kitchen gadgets, cutlery, pantryware, food storage merchandise, kitchen electrics and table linens.-JON LAFAYETTE