Mediaset expects stable 2008 dividend

MILAN, July 31 (Reuters) - Mediaset (MS.MI) expects to distribute this year the same dividend it paid out in 2007, a top executive at the Italian broadcaster said during a conference call with analysts.

"For the moment I have no reason to doubt the dividend will be the same as last year," the executive said, answering a question from an analyst.

He added the second half of the year would be key.

Mediaset distributed an unchanged dividend of 0.43 euros a share in 2007.

A worsening economic situation had caused some analysts to doubt the company's pay-out ratio could be sustanaible.

Mediaset had 2.64 million clients for its Premium pay-TV business at the end of June, slides on the company's Web site showed.

(Reporting by Valentina Za)