DUSSELDORF, Germany, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A German court delayed a ruling to next month on whether a decision by the cartel office that thwarted plans by Axel Springer to buy broadcaster ProSieben was correct.
A spokeswoman for the court in Dusseldorf said on Tuesday the decision had been rescheduled for Dec. 3 from Nov. 26. She declined to give a reason for the postponement.
Springer, publisher of Germany's top-selling Bild daily, pulled out of its planned 2.5 billion euro ($3.2 billion) acquisition of ProSiebenSat.1 in early 2006 in the face of regulatory hurdles.
German media and anti-trust regulators rejected the combination of Springer with Germany's biggest commercial broadcaster in 2006, fearing that together they would have too much influence over advertising markets and public opinion.
Germany's highest court ruled in September 2007 a regional court would have to examine whether the decision by the cartel office, which torpedoed Springer's ambitions to enter the television market, was justified.
The publisher has said it may make another attempt to acquire ProSiebenSat.1 if the court overrules the decision of the cartel office.
Springer's main shareholder, after the Axel Springer society, is private equity investor Hellman & Friedman, with 9.6 percent.
ProSiebenSat.1 was eventually bought by private equity firms Permira and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) in a deal valued at 5.6 billion euros.
ProSiebenSat.1 has since acquired European rival SBS Broadcasting, also owned by Permira and KKR.
(Reporting by Nikola Rotscheroth; Editing by Rupert Winchester) ($1=.7767 EURO) Keywords: AXELSPRINGER/PROSIEBEN (nicola.leske@thomsonreuters.com; +49 69 7565 1214; Reuters Messaging: nicola.leske.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
A spokeswoman for the court in Dusseldorf said on Tuesday the decision had been rescheduled for Dec. 3 from Nov. 26. She declined to give a reason for the postponement.
Springer, publisher of Germany's top-selling Bild daily, pulled out of its planned 2.5 billion euro ($3.2 billion) acquisition of ProSiebenSat.1 in early 2006 in the face of regulatory hurdles.
German media and anti-trust regulators rejected the combination of Springer with Germany's biggest commercial broadcaster in 2006, fearing that together they would have too much influence over advertising markets and public opinion.
Germany's highest court ruled in September 2007 a regional court would have to examine whether the decision by the cartel office, which torpedoed Springer's ambitions to enter the television market, was justified.
The publisher has said it may make another attempt to acquire ProSiebenSat.1 if the court overrules the decision of the cartel office.
Springer's main shareholder, after the Axel Springer society, is private equity investor Hellman & Friedman, with 9.6 percent.
ProSiebenSat.1 was eventually bought by private equity firms Permira and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) in a deal valued at 5.6 billion euros.
ProSiebenSat.1 has since acquired European rival SBS Broadcasting, also owned by Permira and KKR.
(Reporting by Nikola Rotscheroth; Editing by Rupert Winchester) ($1=.7767 EURO) Keywords: AXELSPRINGER/PROSIEBEN (nicola.leske@thomsonreuters.com; +49 69 7565 1214; Reuters Messaging: nicola.leske.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.