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27. September 2004

It's been a long draught while NBC-Universal was completing the merger, but the studio finally started releasing TV series on DVD again. AND with perfect timing, I got this message from Lisa - many thanks!!!

"I don't have a website to post this but I was by amazon.com and looking for AG. If you type in AG in the search, on the left of the screen it will give you search results. Click on DVD (1) and it states DVD is not currently available but if you put your email in the right they will contact you when it is available and that also by doing that you are voting for its release. It also states they will let the studio know how many people are waiting on its arrival. I don't know if this will help but couldn't hurt."

Yes, it is indeed OUR AG - Mike Binder (who also directed and acted in Jake Weber's HBO series Mind of the Married Man) is listed as one of the directors.

Even if you're not in the US, please go enter your e-mail address in the box at the top right. I'm sure if Amazon tells NBC-Uni that there's a lot of interest for AG DVDs, they'll listen!

22. April 2004

Just a little addition to yesterday's news, again from a Hollywood Reporter article (subscribers only):

NBC merger closer as VU, Diller settle

By Georg Szalai
NEW YORK -- The closing of the merger that will create new entertainment powerhouse NBC Universal is only a formality now as Vivendi Universal said Wednesday that it has reached an agreement in a legal dispute with Barry Diller and his InterActiveCorp.

The resolution, details of which were not disclosed, clears the way for the combination of General Electric's NBC unit and Vivendi Uni's entertainment assets -- which both sides said should close within weeks. Sources said the agreement will involve Vivendi Uni's buying out a stake in Vivendi Universal Entertainment held by Diller.

[...]

That left the Diller litigation as the last hurdle for the NBC Universal deal, as GE had made its resolution a closing condition of the transaction. However, insiders on both sides of the transaction had said that the closing conditions could simply be modified to allow the deal to go through in case the Diller issue couldn't be resolved.

NBC Universal will have annual revenue of $13 billion and include the NBC broadcast network, the Universal movie and television studios, 14 TV stations and interests in five theme parks as well as such cable networks as USA, CNBC and Bravo.

21. April 2004

Good news about the NBC-Universal deal: According to this Hollywood Reporter article (subscribers only), the Federal Trade Commission gave the deal a thumbs-up:

NBC-Universal deal clears FTC hurdle

By Kathleen Anderson and Georg Szalai
NEW YORK -- The NBC-Universal merger is nearing the finish line after clearing its last regulatory hurdle Tuesday.

After several months of exploration, the Federal Trade Commission informed both sides Tuesday that it will not oppose the combination of General Electric's NBC unit and Vivendi Universal's entertainment operation. European regulators had already given the transaction the go-ahead. NBC and Vivendi Uni said in statements late Tuesday that they plan to complete the merger within "the next few weeks."

Of course this doesn't mean that NBC-Universal will go back to 'business as usual' immediately, but this is an important step in that direction. I'll keep you updated.

Old news from 2001-2002 and 2003 have been moved to separate pages - see links at the bottom of this page. I also updated the contact information for the Universal Home Video & DVD shop here.

19. February 2004

I have been remiss in mentioning that NBC wants to purchase Vivendi Universal's U.S. entertainment assets. The status according to HollywoodReporter.com (only subscribers have access to the full article), dated 2. January 2004:

NBC: 2nd FTC request standard

General Electric's NBC unit confirmed Wednesday that the Federal Trade Commission has issued a second request for information on its planned merger with Vivendi Universal Entertainment but said it was standard procedure rather than a reason for concern. USA Today had reported that regulators made the request because of concerns about the clout of the merged entity's cable networks. "We are in the middle of a normal regulatory review process," NBC said. "A second request for information is a standard part of that practice."

See also this Vivendi Universal press release. This of course also means that any DVD plans for AG are on hold. Let's hope this review will be over quickly.

Check the Feature Film News page for a message from Craig A. Marquardo, President of Fathom Motion Picture Company.

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Have a question? Feel free to contact Chris

AG DVD Petition started on 2. August 2001
Last update: 27. September 2004