PKI on front cover of Dayton Daily News

[PKIVortex]

I for one was upset when the Paramount took over came about almost 14 years ago. And if you remember Paramount had to learn to get where they are today with the parks. For the first few season's the park wasn't as clean and they were other issues too. For me just as I was getting used to the way Paramount was running things now some new changes may be upcoming.

On another note i'm not sure if the park would change names right away. I'm sure the new owners would have some kind of a rights agreement for awhile to still call it Paramount's Kings Island. Unless they don't want to buy the rights but then they would have to change everything, sorta like what Cedar Fair did with Six Flags Ohio.

I guess we will just have to all sit back and see what card is going to be thrown out next.

[The-Snapper]

Im so excited!!!!!

[WooferBearATL]

On another note i'm not sure if the park would change names right away. I'm sure the new owners would have some kind of a rights agreement for awhile to still call it Paramount's Kings Island.

Likelyhood is that you'll see that Paramount has disappeared from a lot of things when the parks open up. When the new company takes over they will likely move fast to remove the remaining Paramount names as they will want to brand the parks as their own.

[jzarley]

...If they have a brand to promote... Most investment holding companies would not. (In other words, "Morgan Stanley's Kings Island" probably isn't in the cards...) Just like the parks didn't change everything to promote Carl Linder's "brand" (well, other than adding a UDC) after his company bought the parks.

Also, like it or not, some of the Paramount branding in the parks has real value. Particularly the Nickelodeon stuff...there would be some real advantages in a new owner being able to continue using that brand. (The rest of the stuff...Top Gun, Italian Job, etc. probably not so much...) But of the top ten rated shows on basic cable last week, seven of them were Nick shows...that brand has some real value for pulling kids into the parks, which in turn pulls in their parents--and their wallets.

I'd also remind everyone that Time-Warner hasn't owned Six Flags for nearly a decade, yet their media properties are still alive & well in the parks.

At this point, there seems to be a lot of conjecture about what everyone knows is going to happen. It's probably just best to just wait and see. As someone who has been through multiple corporate acquistions (on both sides of the fence), I can tell you that there are always a lot of surprises

[The Interpreter]

a. Not everyone is saying they know everything that is going to happen. I've been through these things before, both as an observer and personally in my own work. NO ONE, and that includes the good people at Paramount Parks knows what is going to happen.

b. Remember that Cedar Fair HAD to untheme the Time Warner stuff at Six Flags Ohio. They had no choice. The seller was staying in business at other locations, and did not have the right to sell the licensing agreements to the buyer of the Ohio property. Paramount Parks has license agreements, some of which no doubt are transferable, and some of which may not be.

At this point, it is not even a given that there WILL be a sale. Remember, Six Flags put itself up for sale to keep Snyder from taking over and was not successful in doing so. Yes, Six Flags had and has a mountain of debt, but there is not a plethora of buyers for theme park chains.

My guess is a buyer has already been rounded up. The deal is struck. But, it can still fall through. CBS Corporation could end up keeping the parks because Sumner Redstone couldn't find someone with enough money to make him happy enough to let go of the parks.

[jzarley]

a. Not everyone is saying they know everything that is going to happen.  I've been through these things before, both as an observer and personally in my own work.  NO ONE, and that includes the good people at Paramount Parks knows what is going to happen.

B. Remember that Cedar Fair HAD to untheme the Time Warner stuff at Six Flags Ohio.  They had no choice. The seller was staying in business at other locations, and did not have the right to sell the licensing agreements to the buyer of the Ohio property.  Paramount Parks has license agreements, some of which no doubt are transferable, and some of which may not be.

At this point, it is not even a given that there WILL be a sale.  Remember, Six Flags put itself up for sale to keep Snyder from taking over and was not successful in doing so.  Yes, Six Flags had and has a mountain of debt, but there is not a plethora of buyers for theme park chains.

My guess is a buyer has already been rounded up.  The deal is struck.  But, it can still fall through.  CBS Corporation could end up keeping the parks because Sumner Redstone couldn't find someone with enough money to make him happy enough to let go of the parks.

Yeah, your point #A is pretty much the entire point of my last post.

Yes, CF had to get rid of the TW themeing because Six Flags (who did have the licensing rights) was still an operating entity. If CF would have bought ALL of the Six Flags parks (like Premier did from Boston Ventures/Time-Warner), then the licensing issues could have been a different story. It would be the same as if CBS sold just one park, but continued to own and operate the rest of the chain.

And, you're right...there's a big difference between saying you're for sale, and actually announcing that you've been sold. (And, this is what--the third time that they've put out a press release saying that the parks are for sale?) Of course, SF was a little different situation...that $2B debt and a "junk" credit rating would scare even the bravest investors away.

[deidre1976]

It would be great if Newline took things over.........hobbits, wizards, and the great eye on the tower

[King Bowser]

It would be great if Newline took things over.........hobbits, wizards, and the great eye on the tower

Yeah but New Line is owned by Warner Bros.

[deidre1976]

just joking.......