Universal Music helps parent company's recovery
Universal Music's 2004 earnings of 36 million euros have helped parent Vivendi Universal return to strong quarterly profits, with chairman Jean-Rene Fourtou keeping the music assets.…
Jean-René Fourtou
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Universal Music Group reports record annual profits
Universal Music Group reported 2004 income of $461 million on $6.695 billion revenue, with EBITDA exceeding a billion dollars, while parent Vivendi returned to net income of $1 billion.…
Vivendi may restructure after NBC deal, affecting Universal Music
Vivendi chief Jean-Rene Fourtou is reportedly considering splitting the group in two, which could affect Universal Music’s relationship with its sister businesses after the NBC deal.…
Vivendi chair Jean-Rene Fourtou meets Edgar Bronfman Jr over VUE bid
Vivendi chair Jean-Rene Fourtou has flown to New York to meet Edgar Bronfman Jr about his bid for VUE’s entertainment assets, after Bronfman threatened to pull out.…
Vivendi confirms Universal Music Group not for sale
Vivendi has confirmed Universal Music Group is not for sale, with bidders asked to revise their proposals, and a Marvin Davis bid removed from the list of prospective bidders.…
Vivendi bids include Universal Music labels as sale talks continue
Several bidders for Vivendi's entertainment businesses include its record labels, which would push the price above its £7bn debt, with a sale hoped for by August.…
More merger news
Warners is still talking to EMI about a possible merger alongside the BMG talks, while former Universal boss Barry Diller reportedly lunched with Universal CEO Jean-Rene Fourtou.…
Universal plans expected
Vivendi Universal boss Jean Rene Fourtou is expected to outline plans for the group, including whether its music operations are for sale amid interest from Apple and Microsoft.…
Universal negotiate new finance
Vivendi Universal has secured a three-year $2.7 billion bank loan to refinance its debt, while planning about $7 billion in asset sales this year.…
Vivendi's entertainments chief quits
Barry Diller has quit as chief executive of Vivendi Universal's US entertainment unit, fuelling speculation that the group will sell its entertainment operations.…
Vivendi may sell some entertainment assets to Viacom
Vivendi Universal chief executive Jean-Rene Fourtou has confirmed talks with Viacom about selling Universal's film studios and theme parks.…
Tensions at top of Universal
Tensions are reported between Vivendi Universal CEO Jean-Rene Fourtou and Barry Diller over payments tied to a possible sale of Universal's entertainment assets.…