Even the smartest, richest, most powerful media moguls need help. Like Comcast, they need help launching an attack. Or like AT&T, they need help defending themselves. Or like News Corp.'s long stalking of DirecTV, they need to beg for money. That's where investment bankers come in. Whether big Wall Street players or smaller specialty shops, they know who might invest, who might lend or who might buy it all. This directory lists the key players, chosen because they've done big media deals lately or they've been media boutiques over many years.
ABN AMRO
55 East 52 St.
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-409-1000
Fax: 212-409-6167
Contacts: Ivan Lustig, Gerald Cromack, Stuart Katz
Recent deals:
- Co-manager for Cox Communications on $926M 2 tranche convertible offering.
- Financial adviser to Endemol Entertainment Holding N.V. on $5.3B sale to Telefonica S.A.
The skinny:The combination of two Dutch commercial banks wanted to create a "borderless" investment bank. But lately, the company is considering refocusing more on more pedestrian retail banking operations.
Barclays Capital
101 California St., Ste. 1800
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone:415-765-4700
Fax:415-765-4760
Contacts:Andrew Wynn, Craig Lewis, John Webb
Recent deals:
- Syndication agent for Nexstar Finance, $275M senior secured facilities.
- Managing agent for Clear Channel Communications, $1.5B revolving credit facility.
The skinny: Division of venerable British bank well-known for drawing on worldwide pools of money on behalf of clients. In the U.S., sought out primarily to place debt.
Bear Stearns & Co.
245 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10167
Phone: 212-272-2000
Fax: 212-272-8296
Contact: Richard M. Osler
Recent deals:
- Adviser to News Corp. on pending $5.3B sale of Fox Family Worldwide to Disney.
- Adviser to Cablevision Systems on $1.8B sale of Cablevision of Boston to AT&T.
The skinny: One of the biggest hitters in media finance. Strong in junk bonds, merger advice, equity sales.
BMO Nesbitt Burns
3 Times Square, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-758-6300
Fax: 212-605-1648
Contacts: Robert Nolan, Bruce Eatroff, Yvonne Bos
Recent deals:
- Underwrote a $150M senior secured credit facility for ICBC B'cast Holdings.
- Underwrote a $22.5M senior credit facility to Smith Broadcasting Group.
The skinny: Unit of Bank of Montreal, one of the longtime Canadian lenders to cable. Assists in bond sales and loan syndications.
CIBC World Markets Corp.
425 Lexington Ave.
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212-856-4000
Fax: 212-885-4901
Contacts: William Lisecky, Brian Gonick, Reid Murray
Recent deals:
- Exclusive financial adviser to PNE Media in regard to the company's sale of assets for $142.8M.
- Administrative agent,sole lead arranger and bookrunner in Adams Outdoor's $265M credit facility.
The skinny: Unit of Canandian Imperial Bank, a major lender to cable and broadcast station groups in years when it wasn't fashionable. World Markets primarily places debt.
Communications Equity Assoc. LLC
101 E. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 3300
Tampa, FL33602
Phone: 813-226-8844
Fax: 813-225-1513
Contacts: Stephan Goetz, Michael Garstin, Thomas J. MacCrory
Recent deals:
- Represented Liberty Livewire Corp. when it acquired Group W Network Services from Viacom.
- Financial adviser to EON Communications, a startup broadband communications company, and arranged $383M of financing.
The skinny: Boutique media specialist, branched out early into international deals.
Daniels & Associates
711 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 800-443-8508
Fax: 212-863-4859
Contacts: David Tolliver, Robert Whyte, Peter Markham
Recent deals:
- Has handled virtually all AT&T Broadband's system sales and swaps.
- Represented Council Tree Hispanic Broadcasters in the acquisition of certain equity rights from Telemundo Communications Group Inc. for $181M.
The skinny: Player in the early cable days. These days, does almost as much business in cellular as in cable. Handles some small financings but is best-known for sales of groups of cable and phone properties.
Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown
One South St.,
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-895-4341
Fax: 410-895-2454
Contacts: Jeff Amling, Christian Thun-Hohnstein
Recent deals:
- Joint adviser to SES for pending acquisition of GE Americom.
- Adviser, Clear Channel for $324M equity offering for sale of Lamar Advertising
The skinny: Full service, armed with the lending clout of its German banking parent. Stronger in TV and radio.
First Union Securities
301 South College St., 4th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28288-0735
Phone: 704-715-6000
Fax: 704-715-1997
http://business.firstunion.com
Contacts: Bruce Levy, Jim Wood
Recent deals:
- Co-manager for Nexstar Broadcasting Group's $160M senior subordinated notes.
- Arranger and administrative agent for Quincy Newspapers in $180M senior credit facility to finance the acquisition of five TV stations from Shockley Comm.
The skinny: Regional commercial bank that has grown with a strong bond unit.
Frank Boyle & Co., LLC
2001 W. Main St., Ste. 280
Stamford, CT 06902
Phone: 203-969-2020
Fax: 203-316-0800
Contact: Frank Boyle
Recent deals:
- Broker of $1.95M asset sale of WEBK-FM Rutland, Vt., from Killington Broadcasting Ltd. to Pamal Broadcasting Ltd.
- Broker of $1.35M stock sale of WWWT-AM/WCVR-FM Barre/Randolf, Vt., from Stokes Communications to Excalibur Media Holdings.
- Broker of $5.35M stock sale of WRNJ-FM Allentown, Pa., from Radio New Jersey to Big City Radio.
The skinny: Longtime broadcast broker.
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad St.
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212-902-1000
Contacts: Joe Ravitch, Mitch Scherzer, Ted Niedermayer
Recent deals:
- Advised Disney on its acquisition of Fox Family Worldwide.
- Advised Cinven Group on $1.6B sale of IPC Group PLC to AOL Time Warner.
The skinny: One of the biggest players in any industry.
Kalil & Co.3444 N. Country Club, Ste. 200, Tucson, AZ 85716
Phone: 520-795-1050
Fax: 520-322-0584
Contacts: Frank Kalil, Fred Kalil, Kelly Callan
Recent deals:
- Shockley Communications to Quincy Newspapers for $171M.
- Citadel Broadcasting to Millennium Broadcasting for $19.4M.
The skinny: Station broker.
Lazard Frères
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-632-6000
Fax: 212-332-5381
Contacts: Marcus Agius, Robert Hougie, Peter Shawn
Recent deals:
- Advised Vivendi SA on $57.5B purchase. of Seagram Co. and Canal Plus SA.
- Advised Terra Networks SA on its acquisition of Lycos Inc. for $12.6B.
The skinny: Top-tier advisers on mergers. Loss of biggest media specialist, Steve Rattner, hasn't slowed its media business.
Lehman Brothers
3 World Financial Center
New York, NY 10285
Phone: (212) 526-7000
Fax: (212) 526-4924
Contacts: Jack Langer, Alan Mnuchin
Recent deals:
- Ran joint books for Reed Elsevier (owner of B&C) on $1.5B high-grade bonds.
- Joint lead manager for the Walt Disney Co. on $1.5B high-grade bonds.
The skinny: Thought to be near death a few years ago, Lehman bounced back. Known for bonds, mergers, derivatives.
Merrill Lynch & Co.
4 World Financial Center, 29th floor
New York, NY 10281
Phone: (212) 449-7007
Contacts: Gregg Seibert, Louis Zachary, Teresa Miles, Robert Wigley
Recent deals:
- Financial adviser to Comcast on potential merger with AT&T Broadband (pending).
- Financial adviser to GM on potential sale of GM Hughes (pending).
The skinny: Huge in all areas, including mergers, equity, junk bonds and conventional corporate bonds. Beefed up team last year by poaching CSFB bankers.
Morgan Stanley
1585 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-761-4000
Fax: 212-761-0260
Contacts: Bea Cassou, Paul J. Taubman, Andrew Tisdale
Recent deals:
- Financial adviser to Time Warner in AOL merger with Time Warner.
- Adviser to Viacom in merger with CBS.
The skinny: Among largest, dominant in mergers, IPOs and junk bonds.
Quadrangle Group LLC
375 Park Ave.,
New York, NY 10152
Phone: 212-418-1700
Fax: 212-418-1701
Contacts: Peter R. Ezersky, Steven Rattner, Joshua L. Steiner
Recent deals:
- Assisting Comcast in $60B offer to merge with ATT Broadband (pending).
- Assisted New York Times in sale ofGolf Digestto Advance Publications.
The skinny: Started by ex-Lazard Frères media hitters Steven Rattner and Peter R. Ezersky, primarily a private equity fund, investing in deals. Also collecting fees giving merger advice, notably in longtime client Comcast's chase after AT&T Broadband.
Richard A. Foreman Associates
330 Emery Dr. East
Stamford, CT 06902
Phone: 203-327-2800
Fax: 203-967-9393
Contact: Dick Foreman
Recent deals:
- Represented seller in sale of 18-station GoodStar radio group to Waitt Media for undisclosed price.
- Represented seller in sale of nine-station Cumulus Media group to Clear Channel for approximately $7M.
The skinny: Longtime station broker.
Salomon Smith Barney
388 Greenwich St.
New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212-816-6000
Fax: 212-816-5708
Contacts: Christina Mohr, Daniel Richards, Fehmi Zeko
Recent deals:
- Adviser to Mediacom in $2.2B acquisition and $2.3B financing of selected AT&T Broadband's cable systems.
- Adviser to AOL in AOL's $183B merger with Time Warner.
The skinny: Another powerhouse, handling the biggest deals and drawing on the capital base of fellow Citigroup subsidiaries, insurance group Travellers and commercial lender Citibank.
SG Cowen Securities Corp.
One Financial Sq.
New York, NY 10005
Phone: 212-495-6545
Fax: 212-269-9774
Contact: Edward Hatch
Recent deals:
- Co-manager, $1B Blockbuster IPO
- Co-manager, $3B Infinity B'casting IPO
The skinny: A division of French commercial bank Société Général, Cowen has long been a specialist in healthcare and technology, scoring big in the Internet boom. Parent company's capital base helps.
UBS Warburg LLC
299 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10171
Phone: 212-821-3000
Fax: 212-821-3285
Contacts: David Walker, 212-713-8502; Denise Kazmier, 212-713-3090
Recent deals:
- Co-advised Cinven when AOL Time Warner agreed to acquire IPC Group Ltd., for approximately $1.6B.
- Sole lead for EchoStar, raising $1B via a sole-led convertible bond offering.
The skinny: The Union Bank of Switzerland is an amalgam of several recent Wall Street houses. Snagged Morgan Stanley star banker Jeff Sine.
Veronis Suhler
350 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-935-4990
Fax: 212-381-8168
Contacts: James P. Rutherford, Jeffrey T. Stevenson
Recent deals:
- Initiator, financial adviser and negotiator for Fast Company Media Group LLC in sale to G+J USA.
- Initiator, financial adviser, negotiator and exclusive representative of VS&A Communications Partners III LP in acquisition of Phillips Business Information.
The skinny: The longtime newspaper and magazine specialist is well-known for annual media forecasts. The company has also raised the biggest media-specific private equity fund.
Waller Capital Corp.
30 Rockefeller Plaza, Ste. 4350
New York, NY 10112
Phone: 212-632-3600
Fax: 212-632-3607
Contacts: John Waller III
- Advised Bresnan Communications $3.1 billion sale to Charter.
- Advised GS Communications on $725 million cable system sale to Adelphia Communications
The skinny: A specialist in cable systems, has branched into small telecom mergers and raised two private equity funds.
