NEW DELHI: The Government has approved the proposal by the Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte Ltd, Singapore, for increasing its shareholding on fully diluted basis to 100 per cent of UTV Software Communications.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal following the recommendation of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in its meeting on 15 November.

Disney, which holds 50.44 per cent in UTV, will infuse around Rs 20.13 billion for acquiring the remaining stake in the Indian media conglomerate.

UTV Software had announced on 26 July that Walt Disney had offered to buy out stakes held by public shareholders and other promoters of the company.

It had been announced that subsequent to the buyout of the public shareholders, the company will be delisted from both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. "The delisting proposal entails an offer to acquire all outstanding equity shares held by public shareholders in the company," UTV said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Upon the completion of the transactions, Rohinton Screwvala shall cease to be an employee of the company and instead be employed by The Walt Disney Company India as its managing director.

UTV operates in five verticals - broadcasting, games, motion pictures, digital content and television content.

MUMBAI: The global scare of another economic crisis fuelled by huge debt of Uncle Sam has also hit Indian bourses and how.

Even as the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) closed at 16,857.91 points, just 0.78 per cent down today, the bear- run, which started on Friday last, is continuing.

And among the media entities, every single listed company has seen erosion in the scrip.

As per data collected from the BSE, Reliance ADAG‘s Reliance MediaWorks (RMWL) is the worst hit. In the last three days, the share price dropped by 16 per cent. On Tuesday, it closed at Rs 95.9 per share, as compared to a closing price of Rs 111.35 on Thursday, 4 August.
 
Following RMWL, there is another multiplex operator, Cinemax, which has seen a 15.47 per cent fall in the scrip price. The shares closed at Rs 30.7 apiece. The closing price for 4 August was Rs 35.45.

Other companies, which lost over 10 per cent of their share value, are BAG Films and Media, Wire & Wireless (India) Ltd (WWIL), Next Mediaworks (earlier Mid-Day Multimedia), NDTV and Fame Cinemas.

Network18 saw erosion of 9.2 per cent, while Hathway Cable & Datacom shares tumbled 8.26 per cent on Tuesday, compared to Thursday last. Zee News Ltd, Den, TV18 and PVR all lost over six per cent of the scrip over the three days.

Meanwhile Balaji Telefilms and HT Media lost just over 5 per cent scrip value when compared with Thursday closing price.

Among the least affected companies were Jagran Prakashan, which saw just 0.9 per cent dip. The shares of company closed at Rs 112.4 on Tuesday, compared to Rs 113.4 on last Thursday. Even UTV Software Communications did not see any change, as it was screened by the Walt Disney‘s offer for buyback. UTV shares closed Monday at Rs 953, down 0.91 per cent from Rs 961.7 on Thursday.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) also saw just 0.96 per cent drop, to Rs 125.5 per share.

Meanwhile, Dish TV lost 4.11 per cent, followed by Entertainment Networks (India) Ltd (ENIL), Hinduja Ventures, TV Toda, Inox Leisure, Reliance Broadcast Networks Ltd (RBNL) and Sun TV.