Italy's Mediaset has eyes on ITV

FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - Mediaset , Italy’s biggest independent broadcaster, controlled by the family of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, is looking at a number of possible acquisitions, including Britain’s ITV Plc , a board member said.

"We are looking at a bunch of dossiers, including ITV, but there is no real negotiation," Mediaset’s Gina Nieri told reporters on the sidelines of a political conference when asked about possible acquisitions.

Satellite group British Sky Broadcasting Group , or BSkyB, owns 17.9 percent of ITV -- Britain’s largest free-to-air commercial broadcaster -- and is currently challenging a ruling by the Competition Commission that it has to reduce that level below 7.5 percent.

"As all other European broadcasters, at Mediaset we are closely watching the ITV stake owned by BSkyB to see what happens. It is our professional duty," Mediaset spokesman Paolo Calvani later said.

Last month an Italian newspaper quoted Berlusconi’s son as saying TV production house Endemol, which is partly owned by Mediaset, may consider a bid for ITV, boosting ITV’s share price.

Piersilvio Berlusconi, vice chairman of Mediaset, which dominates Italy’s commercial TV sector, told business daily Il Sole 24 Ore: "We are in an exploration phase; we have many projects .....continued below

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(Writing by Robin Pomeroy, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)