Deals
Viacom, CBS Owner Said to Prepare Request to Study Merger
- National Amusements said to plan letter to both boards
- CBS CEO Les Moonves would have to revive MTV, Paramount
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The Redstone family is pushing ahead to reunite Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. in a deal that would restore a media empire that was splintered a decade ago.
National Amusements Inc., the Redstones’ holding company, will request in a letter this week that the boards of Viacom and CBS establish independent committees to consider a combination, according to a person familiar with the matter. Banks are already jockeying to get hired by the companies, but no one has been contracted yet, said another person, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.