Mediaset Chairman Fedele
Confalonieri announced Wednesday that Silvio Berlusconi's
broadcasting group is taking fresh legal action against France's
Vivendi.
The first hearing on the suit will take place on December 19,
judicial sources said.
The two companies are at odds over Vivendi pulling out of an
800-million-euro contract to buy pay-TV unit Premium last year
and a share grab that saw it take a 28.8% stake in Mediaset.
"The alliance was meant to be very positive and it has become
an extremely negative element, an obstacle, something that
heavily conditions our development" Confalonieri told a
shareholder meeting that Vivendi snubbed.
"A few weeks ago we cited Vivendi in court again for breach
of contract, unfair competition and breach of the law on
television pluralism".
He said Mediaset would do everything to restore "equilibrium"
to Premium.
Confalonieri also said he could not rule out new
acquisitions, future partnerships or the offloading of non-core
assets.
Shareholders at the meeting approved a procedure for Mediaset
to buy back up to 10% of the company's capital without
Berlusconi family holding company Fininvest, which has a stake
of 39.53%, having to launch a mandatory bid for the group.
The move is designed to protect Mediaset from a possible
hostile takeover by Vivendi.
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