Is Henson being sold?

[Jrobert]

Hello to all, I was wondering if anyone has any current information on if Henson is being sold or bid on and who the potential bidders will be?

Is Disney still looking into Henson? Viacom?

Any updates?

 

[FER SURE]

If disney buys Henson i will have to shoot myself. They offer nothing positive in the field of creative development. I used to love them , then I worked for them. They arent a happy family company. They are a major media conglomerate with money as a bottom line for all decisions.

 

[DrGoshposh]

Sale of Henson

I think the official answer is "No one knows for sure."

Their German owner has been very vocal in the past about wanting to get rid of them, but they have stalled repeatedly, most likely because they can't find anyone who will pay what they need to get their money back (they over paid for the company in the first place).

Michael Eisner said recently in an article, that the asking price for the Henson Company was too high for Disney right now (but I believe Disney is, and will always be interested in owning the Muppets).

So things are up in the air for now, and we're all anxiously waiting for any kind of news.

Scott

 

[PeachBlossom]

Re: Sale of Henson

In a recent post, DrGoshposh said:
> (they over paid for the company in the first place).

Duh, Of course they did because after Jim died his wife Jane, son Brian and daughter Lisa got greedy and they tried to BLACKMAIL (and I make no bones or apologizes for use of that word) Disney into paying more money Eisner then turned around and said "See Ya Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya!" then came along EM.TV & Merchandising AG who was suckered into buying the company and much like that episode in the Simpsons where the Germans bought Mr.Burns power plant the Germans realized the error of their ways and sold the power plant back to Mr.Burns for less money then they paid. Unfortunately and unlike the Simpsons EM.TV can't find anyone to buy The Jim Henson Company because potential suitors are not stupid enough to pay the amount that they Germans want!

 

[Luke]

Actually blackmail allegations aside, that Simpsons episode is VERY like the whole EMTV/Henson thing - even staff at the Henson company recognise that. There are certainly people at the Henson company who haven't stopped laughing about just what EMTV bought and for how much.

 

[Muppets1985]

Will Disney just give darn EM.tv there money and be done with! Grrr... sorry lol got a little mad for a sec, lol

 

[frogboy4]

PeachBlossom

I think you have the situation entirely wrong. I think the idea f Disney being the victims of some sort of blackmail scheme is completely laughable.

Once Jim died, Disney chopped their asking price substantially and attempted to bully the company into completing the merger. By then most all of the Henson licensing and merchandising deals had been cancelled so there was no one but Disney to promote their product.

The original deal penned allowed Jim to retire at anytime, but once he passed away, that deal flew out the window. Henson received a settlement from Disney and remained in debt for several years. Around the time Muppets tonight was released they were worth nearly three times the Disney offer. If anyone was trying to take advantage over a situation I think it was Eisner.

And with Disney’s new disrespectful practice of releasing their two (WD produced) Muppet DVDs in a cropped format shows how truly uninterested the Mouse is in the Muppets or their fans. I was in the fence for a while, but now I really hope they don't get them. They are only after the cheap buck!

 

[sidcrowe]

Frogboy

Yeah, cropping our beloved Muppet stuff is inexcusable.

With the evolution of technology, we should be getting MORE not less.

I guess they edit down to acommodate most casual folks' small attention spans, or get them
hungry for more. Either way, it's not right for Henson stuff because all of us here know that
although Jim used puppets, his work was complex. We meepers of the faith are having a bit of an uphill climb.

Plus, Henson (the Frog) owned by another enterprise of that sort (the Mouse), will ALWAYS have
Disney execs thinking of the Mouse first. Our beloved characters and what they represent will
PERMANENTLY be thought of as a profitable, yet micro-managed sidekick. They would NEVER want to have Henson usurp Disney.

I hope they don't get Henson, either.

 

[frogboy4]

Disney has time and again exhibited a lack of respect for Henson and do not seem to understand their heart or appeal. Funny that they may end up being their reason for survival, though I hope not.

 

[Muppets1985]

**Funny that they may end up being their reason for survival, though I hope not.** .... Frog Boy what do u mean by that? im confused! lol sorry!, but u know how i am all ways...confused. i guess thats my middle name Stevie Confused Baker lol lol....