Disposal

Telefonica SA 2 January 2002 ANTENA 3 (TV and radio operator) BUYS ONDA CERO (radio station) TO STRENGTHEN ITS LEADERSHIP IN THE AUDIOVISUAL FIELD (Madrid. 28 Dec. 2001). The Executive Committee of ANTENA 3 has approved the purchase of 100% of Uniprex, the company that owns ONDA CERO, for 38,000 million pesetas (Euro 228.38 million), its total asset value (21,000 million pesetas or Euro126.21 million is its equity value). The acquisition of the company, bought from ADMIRA, a subsidiary of Telefonica, consolidates ANTENA 3 as one of the largest free-to-air TV and radio operators in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds, at a time when in the media industry there is a clear pattern of concentrations and consolidation of businesses with homogeneous business models. The operation has the following advantages: * It brings to ONDA CERO the managerial experience and technology breakthroughs of ANTENA 3. * It allows the joint administration of contents and commercial activities. * It opens up the possibility of developing new business together. The pooling and use of these synergies justify the use of ANTENA 3's financial capacity for this acquisition, subject to the administrative authorisations in force. When Admira acquired ONDA CERO on July 1999 ONDA CERO, it was Spain's fourth radio station, with an audience of 1,875,000 and net revenues of 8,996 million pesetas (Euro54.07 million). Under its new management and with the incorporation of a number of radio personalities, ONDA CERO has become the second most important radio station in Spain, with an audience of 2,771,000 (+47.8%) and net revenues of 11,510 million pesetas (Euro69.18 million) (+28%). Since 1999 Uniprex has gone from controlling 184 to 297 radio broadcasters and its signals have grown substantially. The Managing director of ANTENA 3, Luis Velo, said that this operation is 'a strategic step towards a media consortium of free-to-air TV and radio, with the object of leading the Spanish audiovisual market.'
UK 100