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edia company PT Visi Media Asia (VIVA), a company controlled by the politically wired Bakrie family, said that its shareholders were mulling on divesting shares in the new company to other groups running similar businesses, signaling that it may accept offers from tycoons Chairul Tanjung and Hary Tanoesoedibjo.

The company, however, said that it could not confirm any specific partner for the divestment.

“To the company’s knowledge, shareholder[s] have once assessed the possibility of cooperating and building synergy with other media group[s]. The decision to sell stakes is made by shareholders and we haven’t received information [from the shareholders] about any plan to sell stakes to the CT Corporation,” VIVA chief counsel and corporate secretary Neil Tobing said in a written statement on Friday.

He was referring to news about an offer made by Chairul, owner of the CT Corporation.

VIVA has been reported to be on sale to new investors. The known bidders are Chairul and Hary.

Hary, who recently joined the Peoples Conscience Party (Hanura) after leaving new political party, the NasDem Party, currently controls the largest media group in the country, PT Media Nusantara Citra, listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) under the code MNCN. This group now has three television stations, namely RCTI, Global TV and MNC TV as well as news portal Okezone and a newspaper called Koran Sindo.

Meanwhile, the CT Corporation covers various sectors, including businesses through PT Bank Mega and the retail sector.

In the media business, the CT Corporation’s portfolio includes two TV stations, namely Trans TV and TV 7, as well as popular online news portal detik.com. It also runs a plantation business under CT Global Resources.

The MNC group’s television stations currently have a 38 percent share by advertisement revenue, CT Corporation has 24.8 percent, and Elang Mahkota media group — which owns Indosiar and SCTV stations- has 23.8 percent, according to government data. Chairul recently said that his company wanted to purchase a stake in VIVA in cash.

“We are one of the preferred bidders. Our proposal is that we want to buy it all [...] my pocket is still deep,” Chairul was quoted as saying by Reuters.

VIVA is reportedly valued at around US$1.8 billion. According to its financial report in September 2012, VIVA’s total assets are worth Rp 2.9 trillion ($298.7 million). The company has not released its full 2012 financial report.

VIVA currently owns two television stations — ANTV and TVOne — as well as online portal Vivanews. VIVA listed its shares on the IDX in November 2011, raising Rp 500 billion from the initial public offering.

The company is 71.59 percent owned by PT Bakrie Global Venture, led by Anindya Bakrie, the son of politician and expected presidential candidate from the Golkar Party, Aburizal Bakrie. Through Bakrie Global Ventura, the Bakrie family also owns VIVA through PT Bakrie Capital Indonesia, which holds a 4.46 percent stake, according to VIVA’s financial report in September 2012.

VIVA is also 4.46 percent owned by PT Trinugraha Thohir Media Partner, controlled by the Thohir family. The remaining 16.93 percent is publicly owned.