Granada eyes Telewest's stake in SMG

LONDON - Granada has renewed speculation that it will buy Telewest's 16.9% stake in the Scottish Media Group after the telecoms company said it could sell the asset at any time.

According to reports, Granada has approached Telewest's financial advisers after the cash-strapped company won approval from shareholders to sell the stake, which is considered a non-core asset.

In Business AM, Telewest managing director Charles Burdick said the group is hesitant to sell its stake while media share prices are so low, but admits that the chance of a sale was "something north of 50%".

If Granada does buy Telewest's stake in SMG, which owns the Grampian and Scottish ITV licences, it will be forced, under stock market rules, to make a full takeover bid for the company. It already owns a 16.9% stake in SMG.

Carlton Communications had also been tipped as a potential buyer for SMG, but is not yet thought to have expressed an interest.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .

Topics

Market Reports

Get unprecedented new-business intelligence with access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s new Market Reports.

Find out more

Enjoying ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s content?

 Get unlimited access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s premium content for your whole company with a corporate licence.

Upgrade access

Looking for a new job?

Get the latest creative jobs in advertising, media, marketing and digital delivered directly to your inbox each day.

Create an alert now

Partner content