Hostile takeover for Mexican TV

A Mexican TV broadcaster has conducted what could be the most hostile takeover ever, amid allegations that it sent armed men in ski masks to enforce its rights over a rival TV station.

TV Azteca, the world's second biggest Spanish-language programme maker, took over the facilities of CNI Channel 40 in Mexico City early on Friday, cutting its broadcasts and replacing them with its own programming, Channel 13.

After two years of legal dispute, a court ruling early this month gave TV Azteca the right to take over 51% of TVM, as well as controlling CNI's output, the company said.

But CNI said it had testimony from seven employees that TV Azteca's takeover had been enforced not by lawyers, but by armed guards in ski masks, who held staff for several hours and allegedly threatened them.

Federal prosecutors say they will investigate the allegations.

Letter of the law

TV Azteca denies it did any thing violent or illegal, and says it has video evidence to prove it.

In a statement, it said it was simply "exercising its rights and in full compliance with the law", citing an international arbitration panel's decision in its favour on December 2.

TVM and TV Azteca entered a strategic alliance in 1998, sharing earnings from programme and advertising sales.

But they fell out in 2000, with TVM owner Javier Moreno Valle, saying the agreements were not valid. Mr Moreno Valle was thrown off his own board shortly afterwards.

Threats

CNI Channel 40 tells a different story, and announced that its lawyers had filed charges against what it called an "unprecedented abuse in the history of Mexican television".

Its news editor, Manuel Feregrino, told the Associated Press that about 10 people had stormed CNI Channel 40's base at the main TV transmission facility in the north of Mexico City.

"They retained the IDs of our staff, their addresses were taken, and they were told that their families could be in danger," he said.