Business as usual? (French plan to privatize Thomson S.A. will not affect Thomson Consumer Electronics) (Brief Article)

Broadcasting & Cable, June, 1993

The decision by the French government to sell its controlling interest in Thomson S.A. will have no immediate effect on U.S. subsidiary Thomson Consumer Electronics, according to Thomson News and Information Manager James Harper. He said the French privatization drive, which includes 21 companies, will take years to complete.

"In the near term, we don't see any significant impact on domestic operations." He also said he had not heard anything about a European rumor that Dutch company Philips might be interested in buying a stake in Thomson, although he noted that the idea is not unreasonable. The U.S. subsidiaries of both Thomson and Philips are partners in the recently created alliance among American HDTV developers.