Oxygen, the female-targeted channel that is one of cable
television's last remaining independent outlets, reportedly has been shopping
itself to NBC Universal since June, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Oxygen could fetch between $1 billion and $1.5 billion. Aside from adding to
NBCU's stable of cable channels, the addition of Oxygen could bolster its
iVillage Web operations, which as affiliate Tech Confidential notes is facing
new competition from startup Glam Media Inc. Interestingly, a $1 billion-plus
purchase of Oxygen would be NBCU's biggest deal since
buying
iVillage for $600 million in 2006. —Matthew
Wurtzel
Paulson's proposal to purchase an equity stake in Yellow Pages publisher Idearc is the second time in recent months an investor group has used its prepetition debt position to execute a bargain price 'exit LBO.'
