Carlyle Group embraces Telecom

[phoebe]

apologies if already posted

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58968-2004Jun21.html

snip

The Carlyle Group said yesterday it would buy one of Japan's largest wireless data providers, the latest in a flurry of activity by the Washington private equity company's telecommunications and media buyout group.

Carlyle led the team purchasing Tokyo-based DDI Pocket for $2.03 billion. Carlyle will own 60 percent of the company, with wireless handset maker Kyocera Corp. owning 30 percent. The seller, Japan's KDDI Corp., the second-largest telecommunications company in Japan, will retain a 10 percent interest.

Carlyle also was part of yesterday's $2 billion purchase of the U.S. and Mexican assets of movie theater chain Loews Cineplex. Bain Capital LLC and Spectrum Equity Investors were partners in that buyout.

(DU discussion on Loews can be found at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x636546)

The group also has a piece of the $4.3 billion buyout of satellite network owner PanAmSat Corp., which is expected to close this summer. Also pending is Carlyle's $1.7 billion purchase of Verizon Communications Corp.'s local phone business in Hawaii. And 10 months ago, Carlyle was part of a group that bought phone directory company Dex Media Inc. from Qwest Communications International Inc. for $7.05 billion. Carlyle plans to take Dex public in a $1.5 billion stock offering later this year.

[barbaraann]

1. Carlyle seems to be flush with cash.

Gee, whodathunk?

[ewagner]

2. All acquisitions are

communications, media purchases.........

please, somebody take the tinfoil from me....please.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. I think they've been planning this all along.

I believe a right-winger now owns Telemundo too. Does anybody know if young Powell from the FCC managed to loosen up those anti-trust laws in the telecommunication industry?

[DenverDem]

4. Carlyle controls telecommunications for the whole Pacific Rim.

Precursor to control of the internet.

Media control is already secured.

It is not tinfoil hatism to see Carlyle's monopolies and war profiteering as sinister.

[bearfan454]

7. Fucking eh it aint sinister.

These guys want to have total control over everything. No. That is too much.

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. If they keep this up they'll make cyber-terrorists look like the

good guys!

[MallRat]

5. Life imitating art?

Slowly, steady degradation of society under the thumb of a few large corporate entities which acquire the resources they need to establish their grip on the levers of power?

It's an old science fiction archetype. It's so damn cliched, I can't believe it could actually happen.

-MR

[bushisanidiot]

6. Guess Movies Like Farenheit 911 Won't Be Shown At The Carlyle movie theatr

es, eh?

"Carlyle also was part of yesterday's $2 billion purchase of the U.S. and Mexican assets of movie theater chain Loews Cineplex. Bain Capital LLC and Spectrum Equity Investors were partners in that buyout"

[nodehopper]

9. no, Carlyle is squabbling with Halliburton

I think they would WANT to show 9/11. Carlyle is Soros. Carlyle is where Bush Sr. resigned from last fall before going to meet with Putin, right before the Yukos fiasco.

Granted, they are scary illuminati-type folks, but there is a rift between them and the neocons.

[stickdog]

23. No. Carlyle is PNAC all the way.

[rman]

24. squabbling? so what? Carlyle is very bad news, Soros or no Soros.

Carlyle "is" much more Carluchi, James Baker, David Rubenstein, bin Laden, and G Bush then they "are" Soros.

Maybe Soros is there to lend Carlyle some credibility as a 'good guy', but they are way to late with that kind of damage control.

Carlyle is a big time war profiteer. Given how war, propaganda and censorship are related, their seeking control over media makes perfect sense.

I'd recommend anyone to see this documentary online, which amongst other things clarifies how Bush sr isn't officially on Carlyle's pay roll but does make what amounts to sales talks to any potential customers (for like $10000/hr), he is said to have an "advisory role" with Carlyle.

http://www.vpro.nl/info/tegenlicht/index.shtml?7738514+7738518+7738520+11838857
(realmedia broadband an narrowband, Dutch subtitles but mostly english spoken)

[tridim]

8. They're setting up the "Big Brother" infrastructure

No tinfoil needed, it's perfectly obvious.

[gandalf]

10. Carlyle quasi admits using private information

See the paragraph "investment opportunities" on their old website via the web archive, which is revealing. That might be the reason you cannot find this info on the current site.

With its ability to discern the impact of government regulatory and spending changes, Carlyle has been successful in identifying investment opportunities before they become evident to other investors. This advantage provides Carlyle with proprietary deal flow and limited price competition....With detailed industry knowledge, transactions are often shown to Carlyle before entering the public domain and account for many of the Carlyle transactions executed on a negotiated, non-auction basis.

That is a subtle way to admit they use private information not available to the market via exclusive contacts to well-connected insiders.

[OneBlueSky]

11. Carlyle seeking to become THE Corporation . . .

I've always maintained that, with all the mergers and buyouts happening, eventually one entity would emerge as THE Corporation . . . the one that owns everything and everybody . . . looks like Carlyle's shooting for the title . . .

[catzies]

16. There's an old joke that says the name of the one company of the future

will be McNikeDisneyColaSoft, but now I think it should be McNikeDisneyColaSoftlyle.

[shance]

12. Yep, all purchases are media, and telecommunications....

That should vacuum seal the truth.

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. Well, it's working on American right-wingers.

But don't be so sure it will work overseas. Their civilizations are centuries old and their people will fight harder than we have. They already are beating the conservatives in the election ballots. This battle has already been won in several countries which have renounced theologies because they've been there and done that.

[suegeo]

13. Satan and Sons, Inc.

Which division will be handling this transaction: the Ghoul division or the Vampire division?

[Insider]

18. instant classic: Satan and Sons, Inc

minor touch up?: Satan & Sons, Inc

sad, but true. laughing to keep from crying. (laughing loud too, suegeo)

[suegeo]

20. Did you know...

Did you know that studies have shown that people who can maintain a sense of humor resist brainwashing better than those people who cannot? Seriously...

Your laughter is a sign that you are of sound mind, whatever that means these days.

[FlemingsGhost]

15. It's gonna take a revolution, folks.

Move past the denial and fear. Start pondering the thought. It's coming sooner or later.

[NashVegas]

19. yep

Carlyle is moving to control information distribution, no bones about it.

[Nlighten1]

22. They won't just give up the power...

It will have to be taken from them.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

21. I wonder if this is the same Telecom that owns 1010987 long distance?

I've been using them lately.