CBS Board Plans to Discuss Viacom at Thursday Meeting

  • Board may discuss forming a committee, appointing advisers
  • Will be first time board has met since renewed deal plans

The CBS Corp. Television City studio complex stands in Los Angeles, Calif.

Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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CBS Corp. will take its first official step toward exploring a combination with Viacom Inc. when its board discusses a potential deal on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.

The board is likely to use a regularly scheduled meeting to talk about forming a committee to explore a deal, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. The board may also bring up formally appointing financial advisers to work on a transaction, a move that both companies are expected to make in the next couple of weeks, one of the people said.