LOS ANGELES — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. said yesterday it is "not for sale" following a report in BusinessWeek that MGM's owners were looking to sell the movie company for $5.2 billion.

The studio was taken private for nearly $5 billion in 2005 by Providence Equity Partners, TPG, Sony Corp. of America and Comcast Corp.

The company said its owners were committed to growing the studio and denied there was an asking price.

MGM did say, however, that it has retained Goldman Sachs to enhance its long-term capital structure, primarily because some $3.7 billion in debt needs to be repaid in 2012, said MGM spokesman Jeff Pryor.

That debt begins amortizing in 2011, which means the amount owed will begin to increase, he said.

"Goldman was brought in to look at strategic alternatives at how we're going to deal with the debt," Pryor said. "It's all about deleveraging."

The studio has been paying interest on the debt, but not the principal.