OT-Sort of...Messier Fears Dismantling of Vivendi

[EUROPA]

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/ap/20020702/102562938000.html

"PARIS (AP) Jean-Marie Messier, the outgoing chief of Vivendi Universal, expressed fears in an interview published Tuesday that the media and entertainment giant he built would now be dismantled.

"I hear, I see the predators prowling, the advisers putting together break-up plans," Messier told the French daily Le Figaro.

"

I wonder if the parks are up for sale?

 

[YoHo]

All I can think is how last October there were some Rabble rousers (Remember, YoHo+Gcurling=0) were saying that Vivendi would never have a problem and everything would be perfect.

huh, imagine that.

 

[larworth]

It would be a shame to have them put on the block and to be in limbo again. Vivendi finally seemed to be bullish about the parks and were letting them get back to growing again .

It is my understanding that 50% of the florida parks are owned by a NY investment house so that ownership would not be subject to any change. I can't imagine the parks being separated from Universal parent.

 

[ford family]

Eisner’s Disney versus Diller’s Universal? Doesn’t this sound good for theme parks everywhere?

These are people who have been around the block a few times, both together and on their own. They enjoy a rivalry that is positive and constructive. Every penny that Diller invested in his theme parks would have to be matched by Eisner or else face immediate critical comparison.

With Messier gone, the break-up of Vivendi Universal is inevitable.

In a break-up, the obvious parts to go first would be Vivendi Environmental, Canal Plus (French TV) and Telecoms (JV with Vodaphone). This would leave Universal Studios and Universal Music as the main attraction.

Along comes Barry Diller, who has feature prominently in the life of Mr Eisner both as a trusted co-worker and as a respected competitor. Indeed, when Michael thought he might not make it through heart surgery in 1994 he suggested Diller as a worthy successor. He seems the obvious person to run these choice parts of Universal having only just reversed his USA Networks film and TV assets into the whole Vivendi structure.

If Universal Studios and Universal Music themselves are broken up, it would provide a good route map for Disney whilst, perhaps, helping the market see the value of the “sum of the parts”.

All in all, the departure of Monsieur Messier looks likely to quicken the pace of change at Disney and all change is good isn’t it??

ford family