Madison Dearborn Partners

Univision Communications is becoming a potent rival to English-language networks, which have long dominated prime-time viewership. The Spanish-language television broadcaster said Tuesday that its program "Soy Tu Duena" was its most watched telenovela ever, finishing its six-month run with a final episode that drew more than 7.3 million viewers Monday night. Since its launch in June, "Soy Tu Duena," which Univision translates as "Woman of Steel," has pulled in an average of 5.4 million viewers per episode, often generating bigger audiences than programs aired by such formidable English-language TV networks as Fox and NBC. The Univision telenovela , or soap opera, revolves around the travails of a scorned woman, once left at the altar, who vows never to love again until she falls for a man she accidentally shot.

The 4-month-old auction of Tribune Co. appeared to be limping toward today's bidding deadline with several potential buyers on the sidelines and the California family that promoted a sale or breakup unsure whether to respond with an offer. The Chandler family, the previous owner of the Los Angeles Times, is the largest single shareholder of Tribune, the Chicago-based company that owns The Times, KTLA-TV Channel 5, the Chicago Cubs baseball team and various other media properties.

This could be the biggest week of the year for initial public stock offerings. Twenty-two companies are expected to sell shares, including Burger King's biggest U.S. franchisee, Carrols Restaurant Group Inc. The sales could help make this the hottest year for IPOs since 2000. So far, a total of $44.7 billion has been raised by 205 companies.

Upper Deck Co. is looking to seize the upper hand from Michael Eisner. The trading card company trumped the former Walt Disney Co. chief executive's bid for venerable bubble gum and card maker Topps Co. with an unsolicited $416-million offer made public Thursday. Eisner leads an investment group bidding $385 million. So far, he's holding his cards close to the vest and isn't commenting. Upper Deck's $10.

Seeking to become el grande in the growing U.S. Latin music market, Universal Music Group on Thursday said it had agreed to buy Univision Communications Inc.'s record division. The purchase price was nearly $140 million, according to two people close to the negotiations who asked not to be identified because the financial terms were confidential. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, would more than triple Universal's share of the Latin music market to about 49%.

A Los Angeles-based Latino record label has sued Univision Music for more than $10 million, claiming the Spanish-language company tried to financially crush the music firm after it spurned an alleged scheme to bribe radio stations into prominently airing Univision's music. Platino Records' lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleged that executives at Univision Music drove down Platino's sales after the firm's owner, Alberto Mitchell, refused to participate.

Univision Communications Inc.'s chief executive, Joe Uva ? who guided the Spanish-language media giant through several turbulent years ? said he was stepping down. The company said Monday in a statement that Los Angeles billionaire Haim Saban, chairman and a key investor in Univision, would assume "additional responsibilities" while a search is underway to find a new chief executive. Uva's last day with the New York-based media company will be April 2. Univision declined to address the departure of Uva, 55, other than to say in a statement that Uva decided not to renew his employment agreement "in order to be able to seek other opportunities.

As Knight Ridder Inc. begins meeting with potential buyers this week, new names are emerging as contenders for the country's No. 2 newspaper chain. At least three previously undisclosed private equity firms have joined groups interested in acquiring the publisher of the San Jose Mercury News, Philadelphia Inquirer and 30 other papers.

Century Theatres Inc., a San Rafael, Calif.-based chain with multiplexes throughout California and 11 other Western states, has agreed to be acquired by Cinemark USA Inc. for an undisclosed price. The deal, announced Tuesday, would continue a consolidation of the movie theater industry and make Cinemark, based in Plano, Texas, comparable in size to the nation's second-largest chain, AMC Entertainment Inc. Cinemark is now a distant No. 3.

Federal approval Tuesday of the $12.3-billion sale of Univision Communications Inc. to a group of private investors was just the first hurdle for the new owners of the country's largest Spanish-language media company.