Act III Communications, the privately held investment...

Act III Communications, the privately held investment concern of Norman Lear, agreed to acquire National Video Clearinghouse Inc. from media investor George Hatch. The price was not disclosed. Video Clearinghouse, founded in 1979 and based in New York state, is a leading database publisher in the United States, providing information on the television, motion picture and video-programming industries. It publishes four major directories, each a leader in its field: Video Sourcebook, Disk Guide to Home Entertainment, TV Feature Film Sourcebook and Series, Serials and Packages. The Hatch family continues to own a series of television and radio stations in Utah, Kansas, Idaho and Montana. Lear formed Los Angeles-based Act III, which owns the magazines Channels and Marketing & Media Decisions, plus independent TV stations and movie theaters throughout the U.S.