Village Roadshow Group: Landmarks
Landmarks
This chronology is indicative only. It covers -
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- Beginnings (1954)
- Into radio (1980)
- De Laurentiis deal (1989)
- Out of property (1998)
- Rationalises offshore cinema operations (2000)
Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline on this site.
Beginnings
1954 Village (later Village Roadshow) established
1957 Rydge's Greater Union (GU) group takes stake in Village
1968 Roadshow Distributors established
1971 Village gains exclusive Australian distribution rights for Warner Bros
1972 SeaWorld theme park founded, later reorganised as property trust
Into radio
1980 Village gains FM licence in Adelaide
1986 Village buys FOX FM in Melbourne
1987 Greater Union takes 50% stake in Village's Roadshow Distributors, which absorbs Greater Union Film Distributors
1988 Village forms Australian multiplex joint venture with Warner
1989 forms joint venture cinema supply company Greater Union Village Technology (GUVT) with Greater Union after merger of Greater Union Theatre Supplies with Village Roadshow Technology
De Laurentiis deal
1989 Village gains backdoor listing on Stock Exchange through takeover of De Laurentiis Entertainment
1992 Warner and Village Roadshow acquire two-third share in Sea World Property Trust
1996 buys Daydream Island resort for $22.5m
1996 buys 50% stake in animator Yoram Gross Studios
1999 creates online joint venture with Ten Network
Out of property
1999 sells Laguna Quays Resort
1999 sells Australian franchise for Warner Bros Studio Stores
1999 sells Yoram Gross stake to EM.TV
1999 sells Daydream Island for $12.5m
1999 merges New Zealand cinema interests (Village Force) with Hoyts
Rationalises offshore cinemas
2000 sells German cinema chain (59 screens)
2000 sells its 50% stake in Hong Kong cinema chain (26 screens)
2000 sells stake in Golden Harvest Entertainment
2000 unwinds New Zealand joint venture with Hoyts
2001 sells French cinema operations (18 screens) to Pathé Palace
2001 Village-Ten joint venture Scape goes into receivership
2001 sells Staging Connections for $9m
2002 floats Austereo, retaining controlling interest
2002 sells Korean cinema chain
2002 sells operations in Thailand, Malaysia and India
2002 Village, AHL and Hoyts joint venture acquires Australian cinema advertising group Val Morgan
2003 Village moves to 50% ownership of cinema joint venture with Warner Bros and AHL subsidiary Greater Union (319 screens in 29 multiplexes across Australia)
2003 Greater Union sells Village Roadshow stake for $46m
2004 Village sells Val Morgan stake to Hoyts
2004 sells 50% stake in Eye Shop mall advertising business to joint venture partner Ten Network Holdings for $14.9m
2004 ITV sells sells 18% stake in Village for £36m
2006 Village acquires Time-Warner stake in its Warner Bros theme park joint venture in Australia for $254m
2006 sells New Zealand and Fijian cinema interests to SkyCity Entertainment Group for $41.5m
2006 sells Northern Ireland cinema interests