French electronics group Thomson Multimedia is to buy the professional broadcast content creation activity of Dutch giant Philips, writes Barbara Marshall.
The financial terms of the deal have not been revealed but this is the second tranche of Philips to be bought by Thomson, following on from the purchase completed in March of 67 per cent of Philip's professional broadcast group (Broadcast, 8.12.00).

The deal is expected to be finalised in the next few weeks.

The content creation activity, which employs 47 people in Salt Lake City, USA, develops broadcast play-out and news editing systems. It will become part of Thomson's IT broadcasting team which sits within the broadcast and network solutions division.

Thomson has been rapidly expanding its broadcast activities under its digital multimedia solutions strategy. As well as its Philips acquisitions, it bought video and film duplication business Technicolor last December (Broadcast, 15.12.00).

Philips also sold the Marantz audio brand earlier this year (Broadcast, 16.3.01).