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Grupo Abril solded with former MTV Brasil to Spring Comunicação

 

SETÚBAL - Last Wednesday (December 18, 2013),after having announced it, it was reported that Grupo Abril (formerly MTV Brasil) sold its concessions to Grupo Spring de Comunicação, which publishes the magazines Rolling Stone and AméricaEconomia in Brazil. No details of the negotiation were revealed. The main "assets" of the deal are channel 32 in São Paulo and its various retransmitters throughout the country, including channels 47 UHF (in Rio de Janeiro), 32 UHF and 31 Digital (São Paulo), which until September 30, 2013 were the frequencies of MTV Brasil, which ended its broadcasts on terrestrial television.

The value of the negotiation was also not disclosed, but it is speculated that it was close to 200€ million. There is information circulating in the market that Grupo Abril wants 500€ million for the concession and retransmission stations, a value considered very high. The Grupo Abril refused an offer of 350 million from missionary RR Soares, leader and founder of the International Church of the Grace of God, but the proposal did not go ahead, partly due to Grupo Abril's lack of interest in negotiating with churches.

The operation was officially approved by the Ministry of Communications and Cade, according to an official note from the president of Grupo Abril, Fabio Colletti Barbosa. Abril Radiodifusão still had concessions for mixed channels, technically called channels of the old "TVA", which can only transmit 12 hours of open programming, was sold to Telefónica in 2012 and recently acquired the church's transmission in August. Grupo Abril has already divested itself of these channels.

Spring Comunicação has not yet announced the name of the new channel. The programming of this new channel will initially be about the world of celebrities, in the same style as the USA TV channel E! Entertainment. The new channel will focus on covering cultural events, movies and music, always with a focus on celebrities. It is also known that, in addition to the concessions, Grupo Spring de Comunicação will use the entire structure of the former MTV Brasil, basically the building located in the Sumaré neighborhood, west of São Paulo, where Rede Tupi previously operated.