Mark Burnett, IMG talks get real

June 22, 2008 Burnett has met with a range of potential buyers, including top reality players FremantleMedia, Endemol and CKX, the parent company of 19 Entertainment. IMG -- which has made growth in TV a major priority since tapping former HBO boss Chris Albrecht as global media head in September and giving him access to a $250 million private-equity fund for acquisitions and investments -- also has been in the market for a successful reality production company. The rumored price tag is $250 million, outpacing the $200 million Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine group recently shelled out for another big U.S. reality player, Reveille, which also boasts a successful scripted division.

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