Репродукција среда, 13. март 1996.

Censorship in the Balkans

Date: 14 March 1996

Before the killing started in Bosnia, hateful nationalist propaganda from official Serbian media helped prepare the ground. That is why the current campaign by President Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia to harass and suppress independent broadcasters and newspapers warrants special attention and protest from abroad. Croatia's President, Franjo Tudjman, has also engaged in forms of media harassment. The Dayton agreement, which both Presidents signed, cannot produce a lasting peace in the former Yugoslavia unless independent voices have a chance to counter the sometimes inflammatory official media line. Earlier this year, Serbian authorities took over Belgrade's leading television and radio broadcaster, Studio-B, which had remained independent throughout the Bosnian war. B-92, another radio station, has been jammed when it covered opposition parties. Meanwhile the Milosevic regime has done all it can to prevent the independent daily newspaper Nasa Borba from obtaining office space and newsprint.

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 14 March 1996

International A3-15

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 13 March 1996

International A3-11

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 14 March 1996

International A3-15

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COMPANY NEWS;ALLIANCE FOR TWIN LABORATORIES AND LEONARD GREEN

Date: 13 March 1996

Dow Jones

Dow Jones

Twin Laboratories Inc. and Leonard Green & Partners L.P. have agreed to form a joint venture to acquire Twin Laboratories for about $225 million, the companies said yesterday. The joint venture will consist of the five Blechman brothers -- all vice presidents at Twin Laboratories and the sons of the founders, David and Jean Blechman -- and Leonard Green & Partners, a Los Angeles merchant banking concern. After the transaction, the Blechman brothers will hold a 45 percent stake in Twin Laboratories. Twin Laboratories, of Ronkonkoma, L.I., markets vitamins and mineral products.

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COMPANY NEWS;CONSOLIDATION AND 1,000 LAYOFFS BY ALLEGHENY POWER

Date: 13 March 1996

Bloomberg Business News

Bloomberg News

Allegheny Power System Inc. said yesterday that it planned to dismiss 1,000 employees, or about 17 percent of its work force, to compete better in a deregulating electric power industry. The cuts will result in a pretax charge of $75 million to $100 million and will be carried out over the next two years. The power company has about 5,750 employees. New York-based Allegheny also said it would consolidate operating divisions at its three main subsidiaries, Monongahela Power, Potomac Edison and West Penn Power.

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COMPANY NEWS;BUFFETT GETS PERMISSION TO INCREASE HOLDINGS

Date: 14 March 1996

AP

The billionaire investor Warren E. Buffett has received permission to increase his holdings in the American Express Company to 17 percent, according to the company's proxy statement. Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Mr. Buffett's company, now owns a 10.2 percent stake, already the largest holding in American Express, the financial-services giant.

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COMPANY NEWS;CONRAIL IN DISCUSSIONS ON SALE OF RAIL LINES

Date: 14 March 1996

Dow Jones

Dow Jones

Conrail Inc. said yesterday that it was in exclusive talks with two companies on the sale of its nearly 400 miles of rail lines in eastern Massachusetts and Connecticut. Financial terms were not disclosed. Conrail, which is based in Philadelphia, said the talks were with Railtex Inc. of San Antonio and the Providence & Worcester Railroad Company, based in Worcester, Mass. Railtex would get certain tracks in Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well as operating rights on other tracks. Providence & Worcester would get ownership of freight service in parts of Connecticut and limited trackage rights on Conrail routes between the Connecticut-New York State border and the borough of Queens, as well as some freight rights in Massachusetts.

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COMPANY NEWS;CONSECO TO BUY A COLORADO LIFE INSURER FOR STOCK

Date: 13 March 1996

Bloomberg Business News

Bloomberg News

Conseco Inc. agreed yesterday to buy Life Partners Group Inc. for $600 million in stock. Conseco, an insurance holding company in Carmel, Ind., said it would pay $21 a share in stock for Life Partners, a life insurer in Englewood, Colo. The shares of Life Partners rose $4.25 yesterday, to $20, on the New York Stock Exchange; the shares of Conseco rose $3.125, to $66.125. Conseco will also assume $240 million of Life Partners' long-term debt. Stephen C. Hilbert, Conseco's chairman, also said the company was terminating Conseco Capital Partners II L.P., an acquisition partnership formed in 1993.

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COMPANY NEWS;TRACOR TO ACQUIRE WESTMARK'S ASSETS IN STOCK DEAL

Date: 13 March 1996

Bloomberg Business News

Bloomberg News

Tracor Inc., a maker of military electronic systems in Austin, Tex., agreed yesterday to acquire all of Westmark Systems Inc.'s assets for about 7.95 million Tracor shares. Assets of Westmark, a closely held company in Dallas, consist primarily of Tracor stock and warrants and some real estate. James B. Skaggs, Tracor's president, said the agreement allowed the company to simplify its capital structure and broaden ownership of its shares. The transaction value of about $126 million is based on a valuation of Tracor's stock at $15.80 a share, the company said. Tracor's shares rose 50 cents yesterday, to $15, in Nasdaq trading. Upon closing of the deal, Westmark will liquidate by distributing the Tracor shares to its 29 shareholders.

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