Link NEW YORK (Reuters) - Clear Channel Communications Inc. , the No. 1 U.S. radio company, has agreed to be acquired by private equity firms Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital for nearly $19 billion, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday.
The bid values Clear Channel, which has about 1,150 radio stations, at $37.60 a share, the source said.
Clear Channel shares rose 4.5 percent to $35.67 in electronic composite trading, after closing at $34 Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
An announcement is expected from the company later Thursday, the source said.
Two teams of bidders submitted offers for the company, sources previously told Reuters. The other consortium was made up of Providence Equity Partners, Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts .
Clear Channel declined to comment.
Clear Channel, which owns a majority stake in outdoor advertising group Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. , said last month it was evaluating strategic alternatives for its business. It hired investment bank Goldman Sachs & Co. to advise it.
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