MediaPost: M&A Market Rebounds: B2B, Online, Databases Fuel New Round Of Deals

The pace of media mergers grew rapidly in the first half of 2004, according to Jordan Edmiston Group, shooting up 26 percent over the same period in 2003. Information databases and newsletters saw the most frequent action, doubling the pace from last year and accounting for 42 of the 173 transactions. More than $7.6 billion changed hands for the media properties, more than double 2003. Online properties accounted for the biggest value, with about $2 billion in Internet company deals, a more than ten-fold increase from last year.