Polsat owner talking to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Zygmunt Solorz, the owner of Poland's largest private television station Polsat, is reportedly negotiating the sale of a 33% stake in the station to global media giant News Corporation, controlled by Rupert Murdoch. Before such a deal is made however, Solorz plans to streamline the Polsat group by selling stakes in non-media companies, such as life insurer Polisa-Zycie, pension fund PTE Polsat and possibly Invest-Bank. "We are preparing [Polsat] for going public and possibly bringing in a sector investor. But first we need to sort out its structure. No media group would want to invest in banking or insurance," said Solorz. It is possible, that at today's meeting of the National Radio and Television Council (KRRiTV), the Council will discuss Polsat's motion for permission to sell a 33% stake to a foreign entity. Polsat filed the motion a month ago, not long after European media giant SBS Communications acquired a 33% stake in Poland's second largest private television station, TVN. (Puls Biznesu, page 3) T.J.