Ten's journey into hands of US giant CBS

Ten Network's buyout by US giant CBS follows seven years of turbulence featuring high profile billionaires, sacked CEOs and takeover talks that led nowhere.

Ten's history shows Australia's third free-to-air network struggling against a backdrop of declining advertising revenue, increasing competition and leadership tussles.

1964 - Launched as ATV-0 and owned by the Ansett transport and media group

1979 - Rupert Murdoch gains a 50 per cent stake in Ansett, giving him control of channel 0

1980 - The broadcaster becomes known as Network Ten

1987 - Murdoch becomes an American citizen and is obliged under Australia's media ownership laws to sell the television station to Northern Star, an offshoot of Frank Lowy's Westfield Group, for $950 million

1989 - Westfield sells Ten's Sydney and Melbourne stations to Steve Cosser's Broadcom. The other stations were folded into Capital, with a half stake going to Charles Curran

1990 - Ten files for receivership, losing around $2 million a week

1991 - Ten relaunches

1992 - Ten is sold to Canadian conglomerate, Canwest.

2005 - Ten shares hit a record high of $32.99 in January

2009 - Canwest sells 50 per cent stake in Ten to institutional and sophisticated investors

2010 - Months after Ten's annual profit jumps to $150 million, James Packer buys a 16 per cent stake, half of which he sells to Lachlan Murdoch. The pair join the board, as does Gina Rinehart after buying a 10 per cent stake

2011 - Chief executive Grant Blackley is sacked just two months into the job and the board launches a performance review that results in mass staff cuts. Mr Packer resigns from the board as Seven executive James Warburton is named chief executive, but his appointment is delayed by legal action and Mr Murdoch takes control

2012 - Mr Murdoch appointed chairman and Mr Warburton becomes CEO. Jobs cut as ad revenue falls.

2013 - Mr Warburton replaced by former News Corp executive Hamish McLennan, fuelling speculation of a News takeover

2014 - Mr Murdoch steps down as chairman, Ms Rinehart quits the board, and Ten enters talks with Foxtel and US cable company Discovery about a combined takeover offer

2015 - No takeover deal is agreed on and Foxtel buys a 15 per cent stake in Ten. Mr McLennan replaced by Paul Anderson

June 2017 - Mr Murdoch and fellow shareholder Bruce Gordon say they will not guarantee a new credit facility Ten needs before December. Ten enters voluntary administration

July 2017 - Mr Murdoch and Mr Gordon signal their intention to take over the besieged network, seeking a review of a joint bid from the competition regulator.

August 24, 2017 - Mr Murdoch and Mr Gordon are given the regulatory all-clear to launch a joint takeover of the embattled free-to-air network.

August 28, 2017 - CBS launches a surprise bid for ownership of the Network.

September 4, 2017 - Ten's administrators recommend the CBS takeover to creditors

September 5, 2017 - Mr Gordon wins a delay on the creditors vote in order to mount a Supreme Court challenge, arguing the administrators did not properly present the local bid to creditors.

September 15, 2017 - Mr Gordon and Mr Murdoch increase their offer.

September 18, 2017 - The Supreme Court dismisses attempts to delay the vote.

September 19, 2017 - CBS increases its offer ahead of the creditors meeting, where there is an "overwhelming" vote in support of the US giant's takeover bid.


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4 min read
Published 19 September 2017 5:36pm
Source: AAP


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