Gamco could follow nominations to Gaylord, Trans-Lux boards with candidates for other companies

By Cristal Cody

Tupelo, Miss., Feb. 4 - The deadline has passed for Gamco Investors Inc. to nominate directors to some of the companies pegged last year, but the firm expects to continue to push for changes to the boards for at least some of the companies in which it holds a stake, an executive said Wednesday.

"Some of those deadlines have passed and there could be other companies we consider," the firm insider said. "We will end up nominating candidates for some and others we may not. We haven't made any final decisions."

The companies under review since September 2008 include CH Energy Group Inc., Pennichuck Corp., Cablevision Systems Corp., Telephone & Data Systems Inc., Fisher Communications Inc., Standard Motor Products Inc., Media General Inc., Myers Industries Inc., U.S. Cellular Corp. and Sonesta International Hotels Corp.

Rye, N.Y.-based Gamco has no specific changes in mind at the companies it has already proposed new directors for, such as at Gaylord Entertainment Co. and Trans-Lux Corp., the executive said.

Earlier this week, Gamco nominated three directors for election to the boards of Gaylord and Trans-Lux at the 2009 annual shareholder meetings.

"We're looking for people qualified to serve who might have a consistent point of view on issues of governance and management," the executive said.

Brian Abrahamson, spokesman for Nashville-based Gaylord Entertainment, which owns the Grand Ole Opry, said: "We welcome input from our shareholders and we're reviewing these nominees."

The date of Gaylord Entertainment's 2009 stockholders meeting has not been set.

Trans-Lux representatives did not return calls for comment.

Gamco, itself a publicly-traded company with shares on the New York Stock Exchange, manages private advisory accounts through Gamco Asset Management Inc., mutual funds and closed-end funds through Gabelli Funds LLC and offshore funds and partnerships through Gabelli Securities Inc.

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