(Courtesy of Google Fox)
Fox Television Stations
Background:
Fox Television Stations is one of the largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups in the nation. It is a division of News Corporation, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch. Fox Television Stations is comprised of 27 stations in 18 markets, including six duopolies in the top 10 markets, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Orlando. This makes up for almost 37.34% of television homes in the U.S. [1]
Fox Television Stations has been in operation since 1986, and continues today. Some of their most famous shows include the long-running show The Simpsons, American Idol, and Sunday Night Football, while also offering many local television programming depending on location.
Fox Television Stations started with only 6 stations, but now has 27. In 1997, they purchased New World Communications, which added to the increase in stations. In 2001, Fox bought Chris-Craft/United Group. This purchase gave them stations that affiliated them with UPN network. Finally, On February 22, 2006, Fox Television Stations announced that all of their non-Fox outlets will be charter affiliates of a new service known as MyTVNetwork, which commenced operations on September 5, 2006. [2]
Financials:
Fox Television Stations’ stock has seen a 1.896 percent increase over the year [3]. In the second quarter of 2012, Fox Television Stations’ revenues rose 20% percent from last year, and they made a staggering $882 million. Their revenue increased by 9% from this time last year. The revenue collected through the television stations accounts for more than half of the Company’s total adjusted segment operating income based on continued growth in affiliate and advertising revenues. The Stations’ advertising revenues grew 6% over the previous year, with one of it’s only offsets being a decline in advertising thanks to the NBA lockout. The money Fox Television Stations’ took in can be credited to not only advertising trends alone, but also from a slate of immensely popular shows. In regards to sports, The Super Bowl, which aired on FOX, drew in a lot of revenue. It was the most watched U.S. television program ever. Major League Baseball can also be credited with drawing in revenue, as well as a greater than 100% increase in retransmission consent revenues. The only offsets in regards to revenues from popular shows are the lack of political advertising revenues based on little need for them at the time, and an increase in programming costs at the broadcast network, which could be related to both new Fox series and additional Major League Baseball World Series games [4].
25th Anniversary
In 2012, Fox Television Stations celebrates it’s 25th Anniversary. Fox Television Network’s started with it’s first signal transmission on April 5th, 1987. In celebration, the Network will be hosting a historical event, where past and present actors from Fox shows will gather and reminisce over Fox’s achievements over the last 25 years. Famous figures will include Shannon Doherty, Ed O’Neill, Gillian Anderson, and David Duchovny amongst others. This showing will air from 7 PM to 9 PM central time [5].
Fox Television Stations have been known to have jumpstarted the careers of some of the most famous celebrities today. Actors like Johnny Depp, Jennifer Aniston, Jim Carrey and Jennifer Lopez all began their careers aboard a Fox show. Also, Fox is known for creating one of the most popular animated series ever, The Simpsons. Homer Simpson alone has become an American icon, and together The Simpson’s continue to be one of the most famous families on television.
(Courtesy of Google. The Simpsons)
Recent News:
Fox Television Stations has seen a slew of new shows during it’s 2012 midseason schedule. Alcatraz, a new dramatic show produced by J.J. Abrams, Alcatraz was one of eight honorees in the Most Exciting New Series category at the 1st Critic’s Choice Television Award, based on the pilot alone. Another new 2012 show, a sitcom called New Girl, has already been renewed for a second season, and was nominated in the Golden Globes for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The main actress of the series, Zooey Deschanel, was nominated in the Golden Globes for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy [6]. Other new shows this quarter include the American sitcom I Hate my Teenage Daughter, American procedural drama The Finder, and animated series Napoleon Dynamite [7].
(Courtesy of Google. New Girl)
In early January, Fox Television Stations decided to cancel the results show of their wildly popular series So you Think you can Dance? The show was also renewed for a 9th season, so producers have to change the format of the show to accomodate the cancellation [8]. Also in January, the season premiere of American Idol brought in it’s lowest amount of viewers ever [9]. In February, Fox Television Stations decided to create a 2-hour block of comedy shows on Tuesday, starting March 6. The shows in this block will be Glee, The New Girl, and Raising Hope [10]. Also, Fox Television Stations is airing an experimental entertainment news show called Dish Nation. The show will run for over 6 – weeks on only 7 of Fox’s television stations [11].
Also during this year, Fox Television Stations made a deal in March with BounceTV , the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans. This deal now allows the channel to run in the Los Angeles and Baltimore markets. BounceTV is now available in the top 5 markets in the United States [12]. Fox Television Stations also made deals in April with both Warner Bros. and Fox’s affiliates. Their deal with Warner Bros. allows a new daily 1 hour talk show called Bethenny, hosted by Bethenny Frankel, to air in Fox’s Los Angeles and New York markets this summer for 6-weeks [13], while the deal with their affiliates will allow Fox to increases the amount of programming the net can repurpose on the air and disperse over new media platforms, such as over the Internet, for 6-years [14].
Executive Moves:
In 2006, Brian Lewis was named Executive Vice President of Corporate Communication for Fox Television Stations. Brian’s duties include the overseeing of all corporate communications and public relations functions for the TV and online divisions of Fox Television Stations, as well as the television, radio and online sectors of Fox News. Brian is also Senior Advisor to Roger Ailes, who is currently the chairman of Fox Television Networks. Also in this year, Erica Keane was named Vice President of
Media Relations, where she handles all public relation matters in relation to the media. Together, they are some of the biggest names on the executive board of Fox Television Networks [15].
Sources (4/30/2012)
1: http://www.newscorp.com/operations/tvstations.html
2: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Transportation-Communications-Utilities/Television-Broadcasting-Stations.html#b
3: http://www.newscorp.com/investor/annual_reports.html
4: http://www.newscorp.com/investor/earnings_releases_index.html
5: http://www.foxkansas.com/mostpopular/story/FOX-to-Air-25th-Anniversary-Special/FMuqXTcMOEiizkTT19LovQ.cspx
6: http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/
7: http://foxallaccess.blogs.fox.com/2011/05/16/fox-announces-new-2011-2012-primetime-schedule/
8: http://www.cynopsis.com/index.php/editions/cynopsis/010312/
9: http://www.cynopsis.com/index.php/editions/cynopsis/012012/
10: http://www.cynopsis.com/editions/cynopsis/020612/
11: http://www.cynopsis.com/editions/cynopsis/012612/
12: http://www.cynopsis.com/index.php/editions/cynopsis/040212/
13: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118049137
14: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117941478
15: http://www.newscorp.com/management/foxtvstations.html