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<i> Reuters</i>

Cable: People’s Choice TV Corp. said Monday that it has agreed to acquire full control of Preferred Entertainment Inc., another cable operator, in a stock deal valued at $64 million. Preferred’s stock closed up $1 at $15 in trading on Nasdaq, while People’s Choice was up $1 at $22.25, also on Nasdaq. People’s Choice, which owns 22.6% of Preferred, said it will offer 0.76 share of its stock for each share of the Chicago-based company’s stock that it does not already own. In early March, Preferred rejected an offer from People’s Choice’s of 0.7 share. Shelton, Conn.-based People’s Choice has also sweetened its offer to include a $5-million loan to Preferred. In exchange, it will receive warrants for up to 10% of Preferred’s common stock. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to approval by shareholders and regulators.

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