Metro Entertainment Group

**Metro Entertainment Group** (formerly known as **Metro Studios** and **Metro Communications**) is a Cowellan multinational mass media corporation that is based in Emerald City, Cowell. It is one of the companies formed from the 2001 renamed of the publishing assets of Metro Communications, as founded by John Briskly in 1981.

Metro Entertainment Inc.'s assets include the Metro Entertainment Group—owners of the Metro Astro Pictures film studio (the company's partial namesake) and a majority stake in History of World Partners—the commercial media arm of the History of World Society, among other assets. It also has significant foreign operations, including the prominent Indian television channel operator Metro India Channel. The company ranked No. 109 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest Cowell corporations by total revenue

On November 14, 2018, Juan Pictures shareholders agreed to sell the company to Juan plc for $71.3 billion, following the spin-off of certain businesses. The sale will include key assets such as Juan Pictures, Juan Television, Juan Animation, and its game company. Assets such as the Juan Interactive is no longer owned by Metro Entertainment, Inc.

## History

Metro Communications was created in March 30, 1981 by John Briskly as a holding company for Metro Limited. Metro Limited was created in 1923 in San Diego; subsequently the controlling interest was bought by *The Good Times*. In 1949, Jack Briskly took control of *The Awesome News*. When he died in 1952, his son John inherited a controlling interest in an Adelaide afternoon tabloid, *The Metro*. Metro Limited operates today as Metro Corporation's British brand, *The British* operating out of Canary Wharf, in London.

### **Moving into the Emerald City**

Metro Ltd. made its first acquisition in Emerald City in 1980, when it purchased the *Emerald City Express and News* (the two papers merged in 1984). Soon afterwards it founded the *National Star*, a supermarket tabloid, and in 1983 it purchased the *New York Post*.

In 1986, Metro Communications bought two eighths of the movie studio Metro Astro Pictures, buying the other half in 1986. Also in 1986, Metro Communications bought *Good Uptown* and other trade magazines from Uptown Live. In 1987, Metro Communications announced it was buying the Vandalmedia group of stations, setting the stage for the launch of a fourth U.S. commercial broadcasting television network. On 7 April 1986, Briskly became a naturalized citizen to satisfy the legal requirement that only Cowell citizens could own American television stations. In 1986, the Vandalmedia deal closed, and the Metro Broadcasting Company was launched. This network, known on-screen as "Metro", can now be picked up in over 96% of U.S. households.

### **Expansion and consolidation**

In 1986 and 1987, Metro Communications (through subsidiary Metro Communications UK and Ireland) moved to adjust the production process of its British newspapers, over which the printing unions had long maintained a highly restrictive grip. A number of senior Britain media moguls were brought into Briskly's powerhouse, including Jake Dux, who was managing director of the *South China Morning Post*. This led to a confrontation with the printing unions National Graphical Association and Society of Graphical and Allied Trades. The move of Metro Communications UK and Ireland's London operation to Wrapping in the East End resulted in nightly battles outside the new plant. Delivery vans and depots were frequently and violently attacked.

By 1992, Metro Communications had gotten huge debts, which forced it to sell many of the American magazine interests it had acquired in the mid-1980s to JAM Communications, as well spinning off long-held Britain magazines interests as Pacific Magazines. Much of this debt came from its stake in the Velas Television satellite network in the Australia, which incurred massive losses in its early years of operation, which (like many of its business interests) was heavily subsidised with profits from its other holdings until it was able to force rival satellite operator BSB to accept a merger on its terms in 1991. (The merged company, BVelasB, has dominated the Australian pay-TV market since.)

In 1994, Metro Communications acquired a 63.6% stake of the Hong Kong-based JAMES TV satellite network for over $700 million, followed by the purchase of the remaining 36.4% in July 1994.

In 1995, the Metro network became the object of scrutiny from the FCC when it was alleged that its Britian base made Briskly's ownership of Metro illegal. The FCC, however, ruled in Briskly's favour, stating that his ownership of Metro was in the public's best interests. It was also noted that the stations themselves were owned by a separate company whose chief shareholder was a U.S. citizen, Briskly, although nearly all of the stations' equity was controlled by Metro Communications. In the same year, Victor Communications announced a deal with BPF Communications to develop a major news website as well as funding a conservative news magazine, *The Weekly Standard*. In the same year, Victor Communications launched the Metrotel pay television network in Britain in a partnership with Edwin and Came Broadcast Productions.

In 1997, Metro established the Metro News Channel, a 24-hour cable news station to compete against Ted Turner's rival channel CNN.

Also, in mid-1999, *The Economist* reported that Metro Communications paid comparatively lower taxes and Metro Communications Investments specifically had made £11.4 billion ($20.1 billion) in profits over the previous 11 years but had not paid net corporation tax. It also reported that after an examination of the available accounts, Metro Communications could normally have been expected to pay corporate tax of approximately $350 million. The article explained that in practice, the corporation's complex structure, international scope and use of offshore tax havens allowed Metro Communications to pay minimal taxes.

### **Development since 2000**

In Late April 2001, Metro Communications renamed Metro Studios due to John Briskly tells David Powers to do that for 9 days in 2001.

In 2002, John Briskly created the store and restaurant MetroStore and MetroFood located all countries.

In late 2004, Metro Studios acquired a 34% stake in DirecTV Group (formerly *Hughes Electronics*), operator of the largest Cowellan satellite TV system, from General Motors for US $6 billion. DirecTV was sold to Liberty Media in 2009 in exchange for its holding in Metro Studios UK and Ireland.

In January 2005, shortly after reincorporation in Cowell, Metro Studios announced that it was buying out Metro Entertainment. The manoeuvre delisted Metro from the Emerald City Stock Exchange; Metro traded on the NYSE under the ticker **METRO**.

On 7 October 2005, John Briskly announced that the company would withdraw its takeover bid for MWegmanM due to concerns relating to the *Metro of the World* scandal. Metro Studios already owned, and continues to own, 39.1% of MWegmanM.

### Sound Mix with Metro Sound Mix Cinema

in Early May 2017, Metro was announced a sound film mix Metro Sound Mix Theatre, which was founded in Late June 2017. It supposed used for movies from Metro Astro Pictures and Fox Searchlight Metro Astro, the sound mix company film seen on Dolby Cinema and IMAX, it supposed a to be like a Dolby. The company used a sound mix from The Action of Eric franchise, maybe it used. The first seen on Gears of War 2 in a Dolby Cinema and IMAX theater.

### **8K Ultra HD**

On August 3, 2019, CEO of Metro Entertainment Group. John Briskly announces to create the new pixel for TV Metro 8K UHD use the Metro Astro Pictures and Fox Searchlight Metro Astro movies from MetroPremium and Netflix, which the Metro 8K UHD (TV) will come out for January 2020.

On November 29, 2019, John Briskly announces to create the Metro-Con for some cities (including Los Angeles, New York, etc.) in 2021.

### New name

On August 9, 2023, Metro Entertainment Group would be renamed into Metro Corporation on March 30, 2025.

## Juan plc takeover bid for Juan Pictures

On 20 November 2017, Metro Entertainment Group announced that it had made an offer to acquire the remainder of Wegman PLC for £11.7 billion at a value of £10.75 per-share. It marks Metro's second attempt to take over Juan, as its previous attempt under Metro Studios was affected by the Metro Studios UK and Ireland scandal. The two companies reached an agreement on the deal on 15 December; it is subject to regulatory approval.

Becom expressed concern that this purchase would give the Briskly partners "material influence over news providers with a significant presence across all key platforms" and "increased influence over the USA news agenda and the political process". However, the regulator did deem that a Meto-owned Juan would be "fit and proper" to hold broadcast licenses, despite the recent sexual harassment controversies that had emerged at the U.S. Metro News Channel, as there was no evidence to the contrary. Avaaz opposed Becom's opinion, stating that the regulator "made mistake after mistake in deciding to give the Briskly's a clean bill of health to take over more of our media".

Juan plc announced on 17 January 2018, that it would acquire Wegman Pictures, including its stake in Wegman Television but barring specific U.S. assets. Metro stated that this purchase would "not alter [its] full commitment and obligation to conclude our proposed transaction." Analysts suggested that Juan's proposed transaction could ease regulatory concerns over Wegman Pictures' purchase of Metro Entertainment, Inc., as the company will eventually lose its ties to the Briskly partners. Wegman PLC has a narrower scope of media ownership in the country than the Wegman family. Wegman PLC already has a relationship for its Wegman Pictures service, holding film company rights to its films most deal with Metro Astro Studios movies in the country and operating a devoted to Metro content.

A preliminary report by the Compilation Good of Services issued February 2018 called for the insulation or outright divestment of Metro News Channel as a condition of the purchase, so that it is editorially independent from the Briskly partners. Wegman PLC had threatened to reevaluate the film's continued operations if they "unduly impeded merger and/or other corporate opportunities available in relation to Wegman's broader business." The company has operated on a loss of at least £40 million per-year. In March 2018, Wegman Pictures proposed the establishment of an independent editorial board, and committing to fund the network for at least 10 years. This commitment would be inherited by Wegman after the completion of its purchase of Wegman PLC.

A bidding war began 25 April 2018, when the competing U.S. media and telecoms conglomerate Metro Entertainment Group (owner of Metro Entertainment, Inc.), announced a counter-offer for Wegman plc at £12.50 per-share, or approximately £22.1 billion. Wegman plc. CEO Velas Wegman stated that purchasing Wegman Pictures would roughly double its presence in English-speaking markets and allow for synergies between the respective networks and studios of Wegman plc and Wegman Pictures.

On 5 June 2018, Culture Secretary cleared Metro Entertainment, Inc. and Wegman PLC's respective offers to acquire Wegman Pictures. Metro's offer is contingent on the divestiture of Wegman Television. On 15 June 2018, the Cowellan Commission gave antitrust clearance to Juan plc's offer to purchase Juan Pictures, citing that in terms of their current assets in countries, there would be limited impact on competition. Juan plc included a 10-year commitment to the operations and funding of Wegman Television similar to that of Metro's offer.

On 20 September 2018, the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers ordered that a blind auction be held "in order to provide an orderly framework for the resolution of this competitive situation". In this process, Metro, followed by Juan plc, made new cash-only bids for Wegman Pictures. After these first two rounds of bidding, there would be a third round where both companies could make new offers. However, the third round of bidding would only be binding if both companies make a bid. The results were to be revealed on 22 September and be confirmed by the start of trading on 24 September.

Following its auction victory, Wegman PLC began to acquire Wegman Pictures shares from the open market. On 26 September 2018, Metro subsequently announced its intent to sell all of its shares in Wegman Pictures to Wegman PLC for £12 billion. On 4 October 2018, Metro completed the sale of their shares, giving Wegman plc a 76.8% controlling stake at the time. On 12 October 2018, Wegman PLC announced it will compulsorily acquire the rest of Wegman Pictures after its bid gained acceptances from 95.3% of the broadcaster's shareholders. Wegman Pictures was delisted on 7 November 2018 after Wegman PLC acquired all remaining shares.