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Possible sale hurts Lion's pride The future of once-great Hollywood studio MGM is uncertain, after the debt-laden company announced late Friday that it is exploring a possible sale or merger. In a statement, 85-year-old MGM said it was "beginning a process to explore various strategic alternatives, including operating as a standalone entity, forming strategic partnerships and evaluating a potential sale of the company." The move comes as the Lion struggles with repayments on its US$3.7bn debt mountain, a US$250m loan and the lack of a longterm business plan. Last Friday also saw its creditors agreed to hold off its debts repayments until the end of January, giving it a chance to work out its next step. This is MGM's second debt forbearance agreement with creditors inside two months. MGM said the latest debt forbearance deal with creditors was agreed "in support of the company's ongoing efforts to develop and evaluate long-term strategic alternatives to maximise value for its stakeholders." The move not only allows MGM to value its assets but also prevents creditors from forcing involuntary bankruptcy. The firm is now expected to open its books to prospective buyers, which reportedly include Lionsgate Entertainment, Time Warner, News Corp and Viacom. The first step is to value the studio and to decide whether to sell it as one entity or via a piecemeal asset auction. While MGM's investment banker Moelis & Co sends out the non-disclosure agreements, the existing management will stay in place and the production roster will continue, largely funded by revenue from MGM's huge library. Current titles on head of production Mary Parent's roster include The Hobbit (with New Line), the 23rd James Bond movie, a Poltergeist remake, as well as four imminent releases: The Hot Tub Time Machine, The Zookeeper, a Red Dawn remake and Cabin in the Woods. The studio was taken private in 2005 by a consortium including Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). Together they paid former owner Kirk Kerkorian some US$2.85bn for MGM. MGM is now under the leadership of turnaround specialist and former Enron advisor Stephen Cooper after previous CEO Harry Sloan was sent packing in August. Ed Waller 16 Nov 2009 © C21 Media 2009 
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