Bertelsmann could sell part of its RTL stakeBertelsmann, the German media group, could sell off part of its 90% stake in broadcaster RTL (Register Transfer Level) A high-level hardware description language (HDL) for defining digital circuits. The circuits are described as a collection of registers, Boolean equations, control logic such as "if-then-else" statements as well as complex event sequences; , the owner of Channel Five in Britain, its chief executive indicated yesterday. Hartmut Ostrowski said Bertelsmann, which mounted an abortive abortive /abor·tive/ (ah-bor´tiv) 1. incompletely developed. 2. abortifacient (1). 3. cutting short the course of a disease. a·bor·tive adj. 1. bid to buy RTL outright late last year, could conceivably reduce its holding for the right price. The family-owned group could return to its original plan to take RTL wholly private. Thomas Rabe, chief financial officer, told journalists on a conference call that the group would in any case retain a qualified majority of at least 75% in the profitable broadcaster which accounted for the bulk of Bertelsmann's first-half earnings. Ostrowski said he could not confirm speculation that Bertelsmann would buy into ITV (1) See interactive TV. (2) (iTV) The code name for Apple's video media hub (see Apple TV). , the troubled broadcaster at war with regulator Ofcom. BSkyB is being forced to dispose of To determine the fate of; to exercise the power of control over; to fix the condition, application, employment, etc. of; to direct or assign for a use. See also: Dispose its 17.9% stake in ITV but has appealed against the decision. The Gütersloh-based group has made an unbinding offer of about £1bn to take over Reed Elsevier's business division through its Gruner + Jahr Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co. KG is the largest European printing and publishing firm. Its headquarters is in Baumwall, Hamburg, Germany. History Originally founded on Aug 1, 1948 as the Henri Nannen publishing house, Gruner + Jahr was created in 1965 from a merger by magazine and newspaper publishing unit. Ostrowski refused to be drawn on whether Bertelsmann would make a binding bid for RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in , which also publishes New Scientist and Farmers Weekly. The group's reserves have been boosted by last month's sale of its 50% stake in music publisher Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Inc. is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann) completed on August 5, 2004. to its Japanese partner for about $1bn (£500m) and disposals of part of its Direct book club business. Announcing a jump in first-half earnings, he said the group intended to expand its existing businesses and set up new ones in areas such as education and, geographically, in eastern Europe and Asia. Bertelsmann made pre-tax profits of €637m (£512m) in the first half, up from €472m a year earlier. Sales were down slightly to €7.6bn because of the weak dollar and deteriorating economy and Rabe said full-year earnings would come in "slightly lower" as a result. RTL delivered €2.86bn of revenues, with operating profits of €494m. 
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