Date: 6th February 2001

Bertelsmann In Giant Media Deal In Europe


German media giant Bertelsmann is buying a controlling stake in RTL Group, Europe's largest TV broadcaster in a stock-swap deal. When completed, the deal will give Bertelsmann a 67-percent stake in RTL, while Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, owner of RTL, will hold a 25.1-percent stake in Bertelsmann. The deal was seen as a first step prior to Bertelsmann, privately held for a hundred years, going public.

Source: Studio Briefing