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Mediaset Confirms Breakeven Target For Pay-TV Operations In 2010 CFO

ROME -(Dow Jones)- Mediaset SpA (MS.MI) is still targeting breakeven for its pay-TV operations in 2010, chief financial officer Marco Giordani said in a conference call with analysts Tuesday.

"The results we've got in the pay-TV business as of now reinforced our belief that we'll reach the breakeven in 2010," Giordani said.

Italy's largest commercial broadcaster faces tough competition in its home market from News Corp.'s (NWS, NWSA) satellite unit Sky Italia and is struggling to defend its dominant position in the free-to-air TV market following the slowdown in advertising spending. Mediaset launched its Pay-TV package, Mediaset Premium, in 2007.

Giordani said the recently announced entrance of rival News Corp. in the Italian digital terrestrial market with the launch of a new free-to-air channel is "no big news" for Mediaset. News Corp. owns Dow Jones & Company, which publishes this newswire.

Mediaset's CFO also said the group is able to afford possible acquisitions "in the EUR1 billion area," without having financing problems, but added the company doesn't have any specific deal on the table.

-By Giada Zampano, Dow Jones Newswires; +39 06 69766925; giada.zampano@ dowjones.com

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  11-10-091324ET
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