ITV Shares Up on RTL, Saban Speculation

LONDON, April 21: ITV’s
stock price peaked at 70.2 pence today, rising some 9.7 percent during the day,
following a weekend report that the RTL Group and Haim Saban are eyeing the
acquisition of a stake in the commercial broadcaster.

The activity today marked
the highest rise for the company’s shares since it started trading on the
London stock exchange in 2004, following the merger of Granada and Carlton. The
rally followed a report in the Sunday Telegraph that RTL and Haim Saban have been in talks with
BSkyB about the acquisition of a stake in ITV; Sky has been ordered to lower
its stake in the broadcaster in order to appease competition authorities.

—By Mansha Daswani