Time Warner offers $3 billion for MGM

[The Storyteller]

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2004/07/01/ap1441746.html

 

[McFraggle]

Yeah, I seen something about this today. I really don't know why Disney isn't bidding yet. However, I would rather see somebody like TW wind up with MGM than Sony.

 

[The Storyteller]

What would happen if they bought MGM:
Time Warner:MGM's libary of films would be merged with Turners catalog of films(Witch was stoled from MGM in 1986!), and MGM would put out two to five films a year.
SONY:MGM would stay it's own studio, and operate seprate from SONY.
NBC Universal:MGM would stay it's own studio, and operate seprate from Universal.
Walt Disneyisney would more than likely explort it's film catalog on it's cable channels. It would probaly produce 2 to 3 films a year.
VIACOM: Operate it as Paramount's sister studio.
COMCAST:Operate the studio as normal, use it's film/television catalog to develop cable channels.

 

[McFraggle]

So who would you like to see wind up with MGM?

 

[The Storyteller]

I would have to chose between:
Comcast-It would keep it as a major movie studio, and then also add cable channels with it!
TimeWarner-It would be reunited with about 600 for MGM own films that Turner stoled from MGM, classic such as Wizard Of Oz, and Gone With The Wind!
VIACOM-It would make it a powerhouse studio!

 

[McFraggle]

Yeah, I would pick Time Warner (for the reasons you mentioned earlier) or Disney (because it would give them a valuable library).

 

[The Storyteller]

Main Reasons media giants want MGM:
1.OVER 4,100 films in it's libary, inculding such movies as Scilence of The Lambs and Legally Blonde.
2.Franchises: It owns the James Bond, Pink Panther, Rocky, RoboCop, and Barbershop franchises.
3.Profit Wise: Almost all of MGM lastest films have made a profit:
Barbershop 2-$65 Million
Walking Tall-$46 Million
Agent Cody Banks 2-$23 Million
Soul Plane-$13 Million(The movie only cost $12.5 Million to make!)
4.Worldwide Brand:In a poll, conducted last year, 75% of Americans reconizes the MGM brand.
5.Cable Interest:MGM owns cable channel interest in 110 countries. It also owns several MGM branded cable/satellite channels in Korea, Isreal, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and India.(This one is mainly for SONY, witch owns no cable channels.)

 

[McFraggle]

Does it own any cable channels in the U.S.?

 

[BoyRaisin2]

No, unless you want to count Turner Classic Movies.

 

[McFraggle]

Thanks, I didn't know of any they owned stateside.