RTL denies Endemol bid

Dan Milmo
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday June 12 2001 13.39 BST

RTL has denied it is bidding for Big Brother producer Endemol, following reports that it was battling with French media giant Vivendi Universal to take over the company.

Insiders at the pan-European broadcaster said the group was in talks with Endemol owner Telefonica, but the discussions did not involve a possible offer for the highly-rated production outfit.

RTL owns 17% of Antena 3, the Spanish television company controlled by Telefonica, which is Spain's largest telecoms operator.

"There is an ongoing relationship with between RTL and Telefonica, and it might develop in various ways, but not in the form of a bid," said one RTL source.

Endemol remains a highly attractive asset for any media or telecoms group looking for quality content to put on its networks.

The Dutch group's biggest success is the Big Brother series, which has taken the UK and Europe by storm.

Telefonica bought Endemol for £3.5bn in March last year, but wants to concentrate on its core telecoms business.

This has alerted Vivendi Universal, which is on a multibillion pound spending spree following last year's merger between Vivendi of France and Canada's Seagram.

Vivendi's core philosophy is to combine the best content with the most efficient distribution platforms, with the emphasis on digital services and the mobile internet.

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