Mediaset case agst Vivendi set Mar 21 (3)

(ANSA) - Milan, September 15 - A Milan judge specialising in business law, Vincenzo Perrozziello, will on March 21 begin hearing two suits for damages filed by Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset and Fininvest groups against French media giant Vivendi. Perrozziello will judge both suits, judicial sources said. On August 23 Berlusconi's family holding company Fininvest asked for damages of 570 million euros from Vivendi over an alleged failure to respect an April 8 deal to buy its Mediaset media group's pay-TV unit Premium. Among the reasons for the request was the damage done to Mediaset shares, the holding company said. On August 19 Mediaset filed suit against Vivendi for allegedly pulling out of the deal. On July 29 Vivendi said Mediaset's business plan for Premium was "based on unrealistic assumptions". The plan said Premium would break even in 2018.
    The French group said in a statement that due diligence by Deloitte auditors at the beginning of June deemed the business plan to be "unachievable". Vivendi, which had backtracked from a deal to take full control of Mediaset Premium announced in April, also said in the statement that it was open to discussing another agreement with the broadcasting company.
    photo: Mediaset CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi (L) with Chairman Fedele Confalonieri