United Heads Race For Westcountry

United News & Media is believed to be the front-runner in the bidding battle for control of Westcountry, the Plymouth-based ITV company.

United is reported to have bid around the £75m mark, a greater sum than that offered by other contenders. The acquisition would give United a great deal of control in the southern UK TV market: it already has stakes in Anglia and Meridian and on Friday acquired a 20% stake in HTV *STV Sells Stakes In HTV And ITN.

Secret bidding has been taking place to buy Westcountry after its financial advisers, Lazard Brothers, announced in July *Westcountry Considers Flotation that the company wanted to float on the stock market. Since then companies such as United, GWR, HTV and Carlton Communications are thought to have been placing bids for Westcountry though Lazard has consistently refused to confirm industry speculation. GWR even made a £70m offer for the company earlier this month *GWR Pulls Out Of Bid but promptly thought better of it and pulled out.

* MediaTel subscribers only