I've been following the on-going bidding war for the MGM studio (or as I like to call it "MGM/UA"). Time Warner (aka Warner Bros.) was close to acquiring the studio (and its library which includes the DePatie-Freleng Pink Panther cartoons, and the AIP/Orion library which includes FRITZ THE CAT, HEAVY TRAFFIC, ALAKAZAM THE GREAT, PRINCE PLANET, THE WORLD OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN, JACK & THE WITCH, etc.)
This morning Time-Warner withdrew it's offer, and has left it to Sony (with it's under ultilized Screen Gems/UPA classic cartoon library) to pick up the pieces.
As I am currently writing a PINK PANTHER Ultimate Visual Guide for DK Publishing, all of this interests me. There are pros and cons to each of these studios acquiring the MGM holdings. If Warners picked it up, dvd sets of the cartoon library would probably make their way to the public rather quickly. Sony on the other hand, has no idea what to do with animated cartoons - nor classic feature films - based on what I've seen of the films they've already released (and not released) on dvd.
May the best media conglomorate (and cartoon fans) win.