Kabel Deutschland interested in Tele Columbus?

In the wake of Liberty Global’s purchase of Kabel BW last year, German cableco Kabel Deutschland is eyeing competitor Tele Columbus as a potential takeover target, Dow Jones Newswires writes, citing a report by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Kabel Deutschland managers are examining Tele Columbus’s books, according to the report. TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database states that the creditors of Tele Columbus, including York Capital, Alcentra, GoldenTree Asset Management and the Bank of Ireland, took over the ailing firm and its EUR950 million (USD1.26 billion) debt from Orion Cable, which sold the operation for EUR2.5 million, in December 2009. In the past, a number of operators, including fixed line company Versatel and Kabel Deutschland, have expressed an interest in acquiring Tele Columbus because of its two million-strong client base and its network with direct access to households.