Prisa and Mediapro close to agreement

Long-time rival Spanish media groups Prisa and Mediapro are close to agreeing the management structure to follow the merger of their audiovisual assets, according to local press, although questions remain over the future of pay-TV platform Digital Plus.

According to a report in the Expansión newspaper, Mediapro’s Tatxo Benet is likely to be named as CEO of the new company, with Prisa’s Manuel Polanco taking the presidency. Mediapro, which operates commercial channel La Sexta, will largely control production and exploitation of media rights, according to the paper.

Questions remain over the value of Prisa-owned Sogecable, which controls free-to-air channel Cuatro and Portugal’s Media Capital as well as Digital Plus. Prisa’s current plan is to sell a 40% stake in Digital Plus to Telefónica and Vivendi, leaving the remaining 60% within the new holding company with Mediapro.