The race heats up between suitors for Elektrim's El-Viv

The shortlist of candidates for the purchase of El-Viv, a company owned by Elektrim Telekomunikacja (ET) and owner of the Aster City (AC) cable company, comprises four companies - Advent International fund, Enterprise Investors (EI), cable television company Vectra and probably Multimedia, a company with Israeli capital. Surprisingly, UPC, the country's biggest cable TV operator and to date a favorite to buy AC, has not presented itself as a bidder. The price for AC is expected to be settled at between $80 million and $120 million. "As it is a huge transaction it is very probable that the prospective buyers join forces and act as a consortium," said a source close to the deal, quoted by Puls Biznesu. There are also speculations that UPC has not dropped out of the race for AC - its biggest market rival in Warsaw. "Advent made its offer in agreement with UPC," said an anonymous informer who also suggested that in this way UPC is trying to avoid problems with the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection. The four competitors have to present their final offers by the end of September. This leaves them very little time to investigate the situation in El-Viv and puts EI in a privileged position as it is the former owner of AC and has the most extensive knowledge of the company. EI seems certain of its victory and is already looking for El-Viv's new chairman and directors. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1,3) A.D.