Monday, September 23, 2013

BlackBerry sold

This just breaking now: Fairfax Financial has offered to buy Waterloo-based BlackBerry. The offer, pending completion of due diligence, is for $9 U.S. cash per share, which values the transaction at approximately $4.7 billion.

Fairfax currently owns 10% of BlackBerry's outstanding shares, and is the company's largest shareholder.

More soon.

Update 12:46 a.m. - Apologies for not filling anything in for the past, oh, almost-12 hours. It's been a pretty intense time around here, and while the fun is seriously cutting into my beauty sleep time, I've been able to rack up some pretty exciting wins in my tech-journalism quest for whatever it is that tech journalists want to be when they grow up.

Here's a quick rundown of the damage:
  • I wrote an article for Yahoo (Canada and global) outlining the deal and its implications:
BlackBerry buyer: Fairfax Financial emerges as possible saviour
  • Earlier in the day, before the deal was announced, I had also filed this piece for Yahoo Canada. It was also picked up globally:
Could BBM save BlackBerry?
  • Even earlier in the day, I had spoken with Marci Ien on CTV's Canada AM about BlackBerry's big day on Friday. Here's the video.
  • Also still before sun-up, I spoke with Matt Galloway of CBC Radio's Metro Morning in Toronto, CBC Ontario Morning's Wei Chen, and Tyler McLean on News 889 Saint John and News 919 Moncton.
  • Spoke with Peter Akman for his report on the CTV National News. Video here. Somewhat cool fact: they included a clip of my talking head in the opening sequence of the show (I love when that happens!) Video here.
  • Chatted with CTV London anchor Tara Overholt for the 6pm and 11pm newscasts. Video here.
  • Spoke with the BBC's Wake Up To Money program on BBC Radio 5 Live.
  • Closer to home, I spoke with 1290 CJBK's Don Landry (summary link here) and AM980's Jess Brady. I chatted with AM980'S Devon Peacock for his show, The Pulse. In Waterloo, I spoke with the 570News team for their afternoon newscasts.
  • In Toronto, I spoke with Gill Deacon from CBC Radio's Here and Now (the CBC.ca story is here), AM640's Jeff McArthur, and Scott Reid on NewsTalk1010. Apparently I was yin to Kevin O'Leary's yang.
  • Deborah Yedlin from the Calgary Herald interviewed me for a piece she's writing.
I'm sure I'm missing some along the way. But as I write this, I've just finished my last interview of the night, and I've got to grab a few hours of sleep before I hit the ground running again before sunrise. I'm back in the studio to speak with CTV Canada AM at 6:30, then CBC Ontario Morning at 7:10, CJOB Winnipeg at 7:45 and Gary Doyle on 570News Kitchener at 10:05 before grabbing the keyboard for my next wave of writing. No rest for the wicked, nor would I want there to be. 


2 comments:

Gilly said...

Wow! Is that what you look like! And sound like - well Canadian I imagine!

Do you ever stand still - your blog feels like a rushing wind!

Anonymous said...

You've certainly been a busy bee, Carmi! Thanks again for chatting with us - you were great :)