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papau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-03 10:58 AM
Original message
NBC Buys Majority Stake in German TV News Agency
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA7QSQ2SLD.html

NBC Buys Majority Stake in German TV News Agency
The Associated Press

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - NBC has bought a majority stake in German television news agency Deutsches Fernsehnachricten Agentur DFA, the German company said Tuesday, making NBC a leading player in the German television market.
NBC, along with German investor Helmut Keiser, bought a 63.4 percent stake in DFA for an undisclosed sum, the news agency said in a statement. DFA has worked in partnership with the American broadcaster for the past five years in NBC Europe, which produces programs for the German market.

Last week, Vivendi Universal and General Electric Co., which owns NBC, signed an agreement to merge the French company's U.S. entertainment assets with the network, creating a media conglomerate to be called NBC Universal. <snip>

"Germany is an important part of our global TV distribution strategy," Burgess said.

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LittleApple81 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-03 11:06 AM
Response to Original message
1. There go the German news down the proverbial drain. n/t
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Mel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-03 11:17 AM
Response to Original message
2. that's terrible
A big shout out to our German brothers and sisters this is not good news.
Thing is I believe the Germans will be much better at filtering out the BS that's going to get thrown at them at least I'd like to think so.

Me thinks GE/NBC buying into German media is a big part of their global control of news that will speak for the corporatist interests.
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cosmicdot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-03 11:29 AM
Response to Original message
3. the writer should have just put 'GE' in the subj. title, and been upfront
and edit this

"...making NBC a leading player in the German television market."

to

"...making GE and its Directors and the scope of their spheres of influence and ties to other companies (including GE's token 'diversity' Directors) a leading player in the German television market and society."

GE Board

James I. Cash, Jr., 55, James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Graduate School of Business, Boston, MA. Director since 1997.

A graduate of Texas Christian University with MS and PhD degrees from Purdue University, Dr. Cash joined the faculty of Harvard Business School in 1976, where he served as chairman of the MBA program from 1992 to 1995, and is currently serving as chairman of HBS Publishing. Dr. Cash is also a director of The Chubb Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. He also serves as a trustee of Massachusetts General Hospital and Partners Healthcare and as an overseer for the Boston Museum of Science.

Dennis D. Dammerman, 57, Vice Chairman of the Board and Executive Officer, General Electric Company, and Chairman, General Electric Capital Services, Inc. Director since 1994.

Mr. Dammerman joined GE after graduating from the University of Dubuque in 1967. He had financial assignments in several GE businesses before being named vice president and comptroller of General Electric Credit Corporation (now GE Capital Corporation) in 1979. In 1981, he became vice president and general manager of GE Capital’s Commercial Financial Services Department and, later that year, of GE Capital’s Real Estate Financial Services Division. He was elected senior vice president for finance of GE in 1984, a director of GE in 1994 and, in 1998, was named vice chairman of the board and executive officer of GE and chairman and CEO of GE Capital Services, Inc.


Ann M. Fudge, 51, Former President, Kraft’s Beverages, Desserts & Post Divisions and former Group Vice President, Kraft Foods, Inc., packaged foods, Tarrytown, NY. Director since 1999.

After graduating from Simmons College in 1973, Ms. Fudge worked in human resources for GE until entering Harvard University, where she obtained an MBA in 1977. She then held marketing positions at General Mills until joining General Foods in 1986, where she was appointed executive vice president in 1991. In 1994, she was named president of Kraft General Foods’ Maxwell House Coffee Company and from 2000 to 2001, she served as Group Vice President of Kraft Foods, Inc. and president of Kraft’s Beverages, Desserts and Post Divisions. Ms. Fudge is a director of Honeywell International Inc. and Marriott International Inc.

Claudio X. Gonzalez, 68, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., Mexico City, and Director, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, consumer and paper products. Director since 1993.

Mr. Gonzalez is a graduate of Stanford University. He was employed by Kimberly-Clark in 1956 and by Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S.A. in 1957. He was elected vice president of operations of Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S.A. in 1962 and executive vice president and managing director in 1966. He assumed his present position in 1973. Mr. Gonzalez is also a director of America Movil, Grupo Carso, Grupo ALFA, Grupo Mexico, Grupo Televisa, Home Depot, Inc., Kellogg Company, The Mexico Fund, Inc., and Investment Co. of America.

Jeffrey R. Immelt, 47, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, General Electric Company. Director since 2000.

Mr. Immelt joined GE in corporate marketing in 1982 after receiving a degree in applied mathematics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard University. He then held a series of leadership positions with GE Plastics in sales, marketing and global product development. He became a vice president of GE in 1989, responsible for consumer service for GE Appliances. He then became vice president of worldwide marketing and product management for GE Appliances in 1991, vice president and general manager of GE Plastics Americas commercial division in 1992, and vice president and general manager of GE Plastics Americas in 1993. He became senior vice president of GE and president and chief executive officer of GE Medical Systems in 1996. Mr. Immelt became GE’s president and chairman-elect in 2000, and chairman and chief executive officer in 2001. He is also a director of Catalyst.

Andrea Jung, 44, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Avon Products, Inc., cosmetics, New York, NY. Director since 1998.

Ms. Jung, a graduate of Princeton University, joined Avon Products, Inc., a multinational cosmetics company, in 1994 as president, product marketing for Avon U.S. She was elected president, global marketing, in 1996, an executive vice president in 1997, president and a director of the company in 1998, chief executive officer in 1999 and chairman of the board in 2001. Previously, she was executive vice president, Neiman Marcus and a senior vice president for I. Magnin. Ms. Jung is also a member of the Princeton University Board of Trustees and is a director of Catalyst and Chairman of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association.

Alan G. (A.G.) Lafley, 55, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive , Procter & Gamble, personal and household products, Cincinnati, OH. Director since 2002.

Mr. Lafley received a BA degree from Hamilton College in 1969 and an MBA from Harvard University in 1977 at which time he joined Procter & Gamble. He was named a group vice president in 1992, an executive vice president in 1995, and, in 1999, president of global beauty care and North America. He was elected president and chief executive officer in 2000 and chairman of the board in 2002. Mr. Lafley is also a director of General Motors Corporation. In addition, he serves on the Board of Trustees of Hamilton College, as a member of the Lauder Institute Board of Governors (Wharton School of Arts & Sciences) and as a member of the Business Roundtable and Business Council.


Kenneth G. Langone, 67, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Invemed Associates, LLC, investment banking and brokerage, New York, NY. Director since 1999.

Mr. Langone received a BA from Bucknell University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He is the founder of Invemed Associates, LLC, and a co-founder, director and member of the executive committee of Home Depot, Inc. He is also a director of ChoicePoint, Inc., YUM! Brands, Inc. and Unifi, Inc., as well as the New York Stock Exchange. In addition to serving as a director of numerous charitable organizations, Mr. Langone is chairman of the NYU School of Medicine and serves on the Board of Trustees of New York University and the Board of Overseers of its Stern School of Business.

Ralph S. Larsen, 64, Former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson & Johnson, pharmaceutical, medical and consumer products, New Brunswick, NJ. Director since 2002.

After graduating with a BBA from Hofstra University, Mr. Larsen joined Johnson & Johnson in 1962. In 1981, he left Johnson & Johnson to serve as president of Becton Dickinson’s consumer products division and returned to Johnson & Johnson in 1983 as president of its Chicopee subsidiary. In 1986, Mr. Larsen was named a company group chairman and later that year became vice chairman of the executive committee and chairman of the consumer sector. He was elected a director in 1987 and served as chairman of the board and chief executive officer from 1989 to 2002. Mr. Larsen is a director of Xerox Corporation and AT&T Wireless. He is also a trustee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a member of the Business Council.


Rochelle B. Lazarus, 55, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, advertising, New York, NY. Director since 2000.

A graduate of Smith College, Ms. Lazarus holds an MBA from Columbia University. She joined Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, a multinational advertising agency, in 1971, becoming president of its U.S. direct marketing business in 1989. She then became president of Ogilvy & Mather New York, and president of Ogilvy & Mather North America before becoming president and chief operating officer of the worldwide agency in 1995, chief executive officer in 1996, and chairman in 1997. Ms. Lazarus also serves as a director of Ann Taylor Stores and New York Presbyterian Hospital. She is chairman of the Board of Trustees of Smith College, and a member of the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School.



Sam Nunn, 64, Partner, King & Spalding, law firm, Atlanta, GA. Director since 1997.

After attending Georgia Institute of Technology and serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, Mr. Nunn received an AB degree from Emory University in 1960 and an LLB degree from Emory Law School in 1962. He then practiced law and served in the Georgia House of Representatives before being elected to the United States Senate in 1972, where he served as the chairman and ranking member on both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations before retiring in 1997. Mr. Nunn is also a director of ChevronTexaco Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, Dell Computer Corporation, Internet Security Systems, Inc., and Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. Mr. Nunn is also co-chairman and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a Washington-based charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction.


Roger S. Penske, 66, Chairman of the Board, Penske Corporation, Penske Truck Leasing Corporation, and United Auto Group, Inc., transportation and automotive services, Detroit, MI. Director since 1994.

After attending Lehigh (Pa.) University, Mr. Penske founded Penske Corporation in 1969. He became chairman of the board of Penske Truck Leasing Corporation in 1982 and chairman of the board of United Auto Group, Inc. in 1999. Mr. Penske is also a director of Delphi Corporation and Home Depot, Inc. He is a director of Detroit Renaissance and is a member of The Business Council.


Gary L. Rogers, 58, Vice Chairman of the Board and Executive Officer, General Electric Company. Director since 2001.

Mr. Rogers joined GE’s financial management program in 1966 after graduating from Florida State University. He joined the Corporate Audit Staff in 1969, advancing through financial management positions until he became general manager of the Lamp Glass and Components Department in 1980. He became general manager of the General Purpose Control Department in 1981, and vice president and general manager of the Lamp Products Division in 1982. In 1986, he was named CEO of GE Electrical Distribution and Control and senior vice president of General Electric. In 1990, he was named CEO of GE Appliances, and, in 1992, CEO of GE Plastics. In 2001, he was elected vice chairman of the board and an executive officer of GE.


Andrew C. Sigler, 71, Retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Champion International Corporation, paper and forest products, Stamford, CT. Director since 1984.

A graduate of Dartmouth College with an MBA degree from its Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Mr. Sigler joined Champion Papers Inc., a predecessor of Champion International, in 1956. He served as chief executive officer of Champion International from 1974 until his retirement in 1996, and as chairman of its board of directors from 1979 until his retirement.

Robert J. Swieringa, 61, Dean and Professor of Accounting, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Director since 2002.


Dr. Swieringa received a BA degree from Augustana College in 1964, an MBA in accounting and economics from the University of Denver in 1965 and a PhD in accounting and complex organizations from the University of Illinois in 1969. He taught accounting at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University before serving as a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board from 1986 to 1996. He was then a professor in the practice of accounting at Yale’s School of Management before becoming the ninth dean of the Johnson School in 1997. Dr. Swieringa is currently a member of the American Accounting Association, and is a past president of its Financial Accounting and Reporting Section.


Douglas A. Warner III, 56, Former Chairman of the Board, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., The Chase Manhattan Bank, and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York, New York, NY. Director since 1992.


Following graduation from Yale University in 1968, Mr. Warner joined Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York, a wholly owned subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (formerly J.P. Morgan & Co. Incorporated). He was elected president and a director of the bank and its parent in 1990, serving as chairman and chief executive officer from 1995 to 2000, when he became chairman of the board of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., The Chase Manhattan Bank, and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company until his retirement in 2001. Mr. Warner is also a director of Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., Motorola, Inc., chairman of the Board of Managers and the Board of Overseers of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, a member of The Business Council and a trustee of the Pierpont Morgan Library.


Robert C. Wright, 59, Vice Chairman of the Board and Executive Officer, General Electric Company, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of National Broadcasting Company, Inc. Director since 2000.


Mr. Wright graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Virginia School of Law. He joined GE in 1969 as a staff lawyer, leaving in 1970 for a judicial clerkship. He rejoined GE in 1973 as a lawyer for GE Plastics, subsequently serving in several management leadership positions with that business. In 1980, he became president of Cox Cable Communications, and rejoined GE in 1983 as vice president of the Housewares and Audio businesses. In 1984, he became president and chief executive officer of General Electric Financial Services, and in 1986 was elected president and chief executive officer of National Broadcasting Company, Inc. In 2000, he was also elected chairman and CEO of NBC and vice chairman of the board and executive officer of GE.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/40545/000095013003001963/ddef14a.htm#tx879_3

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cprise Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-03 01:31 PM
Response to Original message
4. Here's a clue as to why this is important to G.E.
"LONDON A potential trans-Atlantic breach has opened in the aftermath of the Iraq war that seems to leave Britain wavering between its exclusive, pro-American commitment to NATO and involvement in a European Union defense initiative pushed by France and Germany."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=16459


For those who may not be aware, G.E. is one of the largest military contractors, and American military dominance is virtually synonymous with G.E.'s prosperity.

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Kellanved Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-03 05:31 PM
Response to Original message
5. Not yet a problem
Several PBS stations, both Federation-wide and regional, offer quality news and are completely independent - no way GE can buy it's way in there (although the private stations are trying to stop PBS broadcasting via the Internet) .
The other stations are already ownded by Turner, Murdoch, Saban (took ower the defunct Kirch group) and Bertelsmann; their news have hardly any information value/ the news channels are already identical to CNN; albeit the "tamer" international version.
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