KEK, the German monopoly commission for the media, has given the green light for the Walt Disney Company to take full control of the private broadcaster Das Vierte (The Four).
Last September, Das Vierte has filed a request with the regional media authorities in Northrhine-Westphalia (Landesanstalt fuer Medien Nordrhein-Westfalen (LfM) for a green light for change of ownership. Disney is taking over the shares of Mini Movie International Channel in Das Vierte as well as a small private interest to take 100% ownership of the channel.
The company MMW Minimovie World holds 99.65% of the shares in Mini Movie International Channel, a 50/50 joint venture between Dmitry Lesnevsky and Iren Lesnevskaya. Iren Lesnevskaya also holds 0.35% of the shares in the channel.
The Walt Disney Company is a major investor in German TV channels, with interests in RTL II, Super RTL, the premium Disney channels as well as an indirect interest in the German A+E Networks channels.