Re: Takeovers....

From: chance <chance_at_unix.infoserve.net>
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 08:15:32 -0700

>Well, I didn't notice this mentioned, although I'm sure most everyone
>has heard. Time-Warner and Tedco have settled on the "merger", and from the
>conference, Ted looked as gitty as a school girl. Apparently there may
>be some complications, but that seems to be the standard in these situations.
>Have any of you with connections spoken to anyone inside to see how things
>seem to be shaking down after this weekend?? And when can we expect to see
>the Animaniacs-Swatkat hour (an odd combo indeed)?? What else does T-W
>hold in there library that shows promise on the CN??

Friends fairly high up in the WBA chain-of-command say that early projections
are that Ted will retain control over H-B for at least the immediate future. H-B
is kind of a "consolation prize" with Time-Warner; it was never really part of
the "carrot" that enticed TWC to part with so much stock (similar to the fate of
DIC concerning the ABC-Disney deal), and actually puts them in the awkward
position of competing with themselves. I've heard from other, less reliable sources
that Hanna-Barbera may be shut down altogether (or moved to the Warner lot), and
the land upon which it currently sits sold to Universal for a number followed by
a whole whack of zeros.

However, I did hear something interesting from our long-lost Kevin Knoles. It
would appear (and I plan on confirming this) that the president of H-B (to which
we've hopefully all been addressing our letters of outrage) _may_ have been just
as upset as the rest of us at the cancellation order. TWC, for all their faults,
at least knows what they're doing; now they have a stake in the operation of the
combined company, they'll likely prevent the TPS blue-suits from making any
more gaffes of the Kats-cancelling nature...perhaps even extending as far as
to "maximize profit from existing properties" by finishing the last three eps. To be
honest, most opinions on H-B stuff currently running on the "Cartoon Network"
coming from WBA aren't repeatable in polite company -- with a few exceptions --
one of which is "SwatKats".

(my paragraph structure is way better after morning coffee...too bad I'm out.)
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      "Spies uncover stuff nobody knows about. Artists do the opposite" -- "Betty", 9/20/95
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Received on Tue Sep 26 1995 - 11:53:21 PDT