Final Word from Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Has Petr Kellner of PPF already taken over TV Nova? Certainly not officially. The announcement of a deal for Nasdaq-listed Central European Media Enterprises at a price of $4.58 per share, a 1.5% discount to the closing price on Fri. of $4.65, wasn't made until Sun., and approval will take several months. Yet whether Kellner is already influencing the news at TV Nova is a valid question. Is it merely a coincidence that Nova gives so much attention to the troubles of the Pirates? This helps not only Kellner when he needs it most, but also his key trading partner, China, which would like to see regime change at Prague city hall. The Czech government has put considerable thought into a law for identifying domestic companies in energy, arms, telecoms and technology that should be protected in the event of acquisition by a non-EU or non-Nato buyer. Sometimes, though, it is not just aggressive non-EU or non-Nato companies that pose a risk to the national well-being. [ Czech Republic CME CETV ]