Ion Media Networks

Posted on September 18, 2012 by bjnorman

by Bailey Normann

Picture courtesy of Ion Media Networks [5]

601 Clearwater Park Rd.
West Palm Beach, FL, 33401 United States
(561) 659-4122

About

Originally founded as Paxson Communications in 1991, ION Media Networks was officially established in 2006 and has since made great lengths in all of its key areas including: general entertainment television, special interest television, and mobile television. ION is a leading American television provider and brings their content to nearly 260 million Americans. They deliver their entertainment “through innovation, offering quality content, new formats and innovative packages that are affordable and accessible to all consumers” [5]. At its helm is CEO and Chairman Brandon Burgess along with Chris Addeo in Marketing, Douglas Holloway in Distribution, and Jeff Quinn in Finance. Under the ION Media Networks Inc. flagship is ION Television, Qubo, and ION Life.

Photo Courtesy of Ion Media Networks [1]

Photo Courtesy of Ion Media Networks [5]

Holdings

Under the networks’ “Positively Entertaining” brand, ION Television offers an array of blockbuster movie titles, hit shows in syndication, and more recently, a jump into original content. The network reaches more than 1oo million US Homes and boasts it is “the only entertainment network with double-digit growth” [11]. It is available through all major distribution companies and is one of the fastest growing networks in America.

Qubo, ION’s “Good Fun” children’s network provides a safe space for childhood and adult viewing. It functions to provide content for preschoolers to tweens and tries to promote good role models and values in order to create more constructive members of society. It has also received numerous awards for its healthy programming and fight against childhood obesity. It has been recognized as the “Gold Standard” in kid’s television by the FCC and was also voted as “one of the more trustworthy sources for children’s programming” by the U.S. Government Accountability Office [12].

ION’s final special interest television venture is ION Life, a lifestyle channel that is

Photo courtesy of Ion Media Networks

committed to offering programming that promotes healthy and active individuals. Its programs focus on such topics as relationships, inspirational stories, adventure, and home design. It is available 24/7 and is distributed over-the-air and through cable and satellite providers.

Financials

In May of 2009, ION Media Networks hit a serious road block. Under the deal of a restructuring agreement with a group of debt holders whom promised they would make its debt into equity, the network filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. With more than a billion dollars in liabilities and ten million in assets, ION rebuilt with a 150 million dollar funding commitment. However, by October of 2010, ION had resurrected from the ashes of bankruptcy. “Per Nielsen ratings data, ION Television averaged 1.12 million viewers in the third quarter of 2010, an improvement of 94 percent versus the year-ago period” [1]. This spur in growth is most attributed to the networks’ acquisition of shows such as Criminal Minds and Without a Trace and “from October 2009 through September 2010, ION has

Douglas Holloway – President of Multichannel Distribution
Photo courtesy of S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications [15]

grown its overall sales prime deliveries 72 percent to 1.01 million viewers, while improving 74 percent among adults 25-54 (450,000), and nearly doubling its delivery of viewers 18-49 (392,000 versus 205,000 in the year-ago period)“ [1]. Although ION is a private company and therefore does not publish their financial reports to the public, in a talk earlier this month, ION’s President of Multichannel Distribution confirmed that the company is continuing on its up-hill climb.

In the News

ION is also a leader in developing the future of mobile television and “co-founded the industry initiative to develop Mobile DTV technology in record time” [5]. This initiative, the Mobile Content Venture, or MVC for short, was also headed by NBCUniversal and Fox. In order to “mobolize” this project, these broadcasters plan to use the Dyle mobile TV service. Dyle mobile TV is working to turn Android and iOS devices into portable televisions and will allow customers to view local broadcast channels such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Quobo, Telemundo, and Univision. However, this program is not yet covered in all markets. In a presentation this month at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, ION’s President of Multichannel Distribution, Douglas Holloway, expressed qualms about Dyle’s business model, which at the moment will be entirely based on advertising. Holloway also expressed his concerns about his company’s failure to move at a fast enough rate with the expanding mobile TV platform. He said that creating their own distributable platforms are at the moment nearly impossible. This is mainly due to the fact that ION television is entirely syndication based.

Continuing to strengthen its syndicated content, ION Television announced its acquisition of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” in early August of 2012. This off-networking licensing agreement has given the network the rights to all 10 seasons including all 195 episodes [7]. Similarly, in the same month, ION also acquired the off-net rights to all six seasons of the CBS procedural drama “Numb3rs,” which fits in perfectly with the networks’ crime drama line up [14].

In late September, ION Television announced what would be their most successful programming of the fall season. On October 3^rd, the network premiered the first match of the new WWE Main Event series. The new show was promoted with several promo ads, “featuring the WWE Superstars and Divas of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown” [9]. The series will premiere live events that are filmed across the country, including an international matchup in Europe. Since its debut, WWE Main Event has been a serious contender in television ratings. Up against a presidential debate on its premiere night, this program, according to Nielson, “garnered the highest male audience in the last year with the most Men 18-49 (422,000), Men 25-54 (444,000), and Men 2+ (876,000)” and was also the #4 program on television among Men 18-49. [9]. This beat not only the male audience watching the presidential debate, but it also beat out ESPN and ESPN2 on the last MLB regular season game. CEO Brandon Burgess describes, “’Fans of the WWE are passionate and seem to have a knack for finding their favorite Superstars wherever they live. Needless to say, we are particularly pleased that WWE has found a new home on ION Television, and we congratulate our new partner in the success of the premiere’” [9]. Vince McMahon , CEO and Chairman of WWE, responded, “’We expect our fans will make WWE Main Event the number one show on the network as they have done for WWE programs with all of our other TV partners’”[9].

On October 9, it was announced that ION had created a new and much longer-term partnership with DIRECTV, a leader in digital entertainment service providers. This has extended ION Television’s contract with the provider for many years to come. Also, for the first time, the network will be offered in high-definition on DIRECTV and will also be available nationwide, from East Coast to West Coast.

Another piece of programming proving to be a serious asset for the network this fall is its “nail-biting cop drama,” Flashpoint. Back in late January of 2011, ION Television made a deal with CBS Television for the “rights to all existing episodes and future production of the popular police drama”[10]. In this deal, they were given the rights to produce the fifth season of the drama and all subsequent seasons that may occur, which celebrates the networks’ first experience in creating its own original content. On October 16 of this year, the fifth (and final) season of the original crime drama premiered on the ION Television network. The season will include thirteen, one-hour episodes produced by Pink Sky Entertainment and Avamar Entertainment in association with CTV and ION Television. According to a Canadian television website, the show is “averaging 1.7 million viewers, up 13% from last fall’s season average” [13].

Works Cited

[1] Crupi, A. (n.d.). ION Resurrects Ratings After Bankruptcy Scare | Adweek. Adweek – Breaking News in Advertising, Media and Technology. http://www.adweek.com/news/television/ion-resurrects-ratings-after-bankruptcy-scare-116251

[2] Hoover’s | A D&B Company. (n.d.). Hoovers | Company Information | Industry Information | Lists. http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.ION_Media_Networks_Inc.1a21103c9917c587.html

[3] Ion Media Files Bankruptcy With Deal to Swap Debt for Equity – Bloomberg. (n.d.). Bloomberg – Business, Financial & Economic News, Stock Quotes. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aYV7U84_mowg

[4] ION Life | Home. (n.d.). ION Life | Home. http://www.ionlife.com

[5] ION Media Networks | Home. (n.d.). ION Media Networks | Home. http://www.ionmedianetworks.com/

[6] ION Media Networks | Press Releases. (n.d.). ION Media Networks | Home. http://www.ionmedianetworks.com/press/hit-crime-drama-flashpoint-returns-to-ion-televisi?id=292

[7] Cable, L. R., & AM, 8. 1. (n.d.). ION Acquires Rights to ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ – 2012-08-08 14:49:37 | Broadcasting & Cable. Cable Television News, Broadcast, Syndication, Programming & Local TV | Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/488339-ION_Acquires_Rights_to_Law_Order_Criminal

[8] ION Media Networks | Press Releases. (n.d.). ION Media Networks | Home. http://www.ionmedianetworks.com/press/ion-media-networks-announces-new-agreement-with-d?id=297

[9] ION Television’s ‘WWE Main Event’ Debuts With Network’s Highest Male Ratings in a Year – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers. (n.d.). TV Ratings, TV Nielsen Ratings, Television Show Ratings | TVbytheNumbers.com. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/10/04/ion-televisions-wwe-main-event-debuts-with-networks-highest-male-ratings-in-a-year/151696/

[10] ION Television Acquires Popular Police Drama “Flashpoint” from CBS Television Distribution | Business Wire. (n.d.). Press Release Distribution, Financial Disclosure, Online Newsrooms, PR, Public Relations, Investor Relations, EDGAR filing, XBRL, Breaking News, Business News, Financial News | Business Wire. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110125006261/en/ION-Television-Acquires-Popular-Police-Drama-%E2%80%9CFlashpoint%E2%80%9D

[11] ION Television | Positively Entertaining. (n.d.). ION Television | Positively Entertaining. http://www.iontelevision.com

[12] Qubo | TV Programming for Kids. (n.d.). Qubo | TV Programming for Kids. http://www.qubo.com

[13] Ratings: Flashpoint up 13% from last fall | TV, eh?. (n.d.). TV, eh? | What’s up in Canadian television. http://www.tv-eh.com/2012/10/18/ratings-flashpoint-up-13-from-last-fall/

[14] Cable, L. R., & AM, 8. 9. (n.d.). ION Acquires ‘Numb3rs’ – 2012-08-07 13:30:15 | Broadcasting & Cable. Cable Television News, Broadcast, Syndication, Programming & Local TV | Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/488283-ION_Acquires_Numb3rs_.php

[15] http://newhouse-web.syr.edu/newhouse_img/news/Holloway.jpg

Hearst Television

Posted on September 18, 2012 by dwolivas

by David William Olivas

Popularly known as (self-proclaimed) The First Choice in the industry, Hearst Television Incorporated is a major broadcast company with diverse holdings in a wide variety of geographic markets and active interests all fields of entertainment. The company was founded in 1997 as the Hearst-Argyle Company but is recognized as part of its father Hearst Corporation venture founded by William Randolph Hearst in 1928 (a company today with interests in newspapers, magazines, networks, TV stations, publishing, cable networks, internet businesses, and real estate). HTV owns and operates two radio stations and thirty television stations, predominately affiliated with either ABC or NBC Universal Television Distribution, and has also recently become a leading contender for the future of internet broadcasting. It is a nationally renowned newscasting company with a long history of award-winning journalism, once feared as much as Rupurt Murdoch’s News Corp was in recent years, now known only for its long standing loyalty to their clients. The company operates out of the Hearst Tower in Manhattan, New York City.

(Image courtesy of BC)
Frank Bennack Jr.

“We have grown from a single flagship newspaper in San Francisco to a New York-based global media and information leader whose 24/7 reach extends to more than 100 countries and whose voice speaks in over 35 languages. We are truly, as our 125th anniversary ad campaign says, “Media that moves the world.”

-Frank Bennack Jr, CEO

Hearst Corporation’s 125^thAnniversary

Location

Hearst Tower
300 West 57th Street, 959 8th Avenue
Manhattan, New York City, New York
Tel: (212) 887-6800
Fax: (212) 887-6855
http://www.hearsttelevision.com/
Key Executives

David J. Barrett President & CEO
Jordan Wertlieb Executive Vice President
Frank Biancuzzo Senior Vice President
John J. Drain Senior Vice President, Finance
Roger Keating Senior Vice President
Philip M. Stolz Senior Vice President
Candy Altman Vice President, News
Brian Bracco Vice President, News
Emerson Coleman Vice President, Programming
Martin Faubell Vice President, Engineering
Suzanne Grethen Vice President, Marketing & Promotion
Kathleen Keefe Vice President, Sales
Alvin Lustgarten Vice President, Administration and IT
Barbara Maushard Vice President, News
Jonathan Mintzer Vice President, Corporate Secretary
Jeana Stanley Vice President of Financial Planning

History

The now-subsidiary company was incepted in the mid-eighties by founder and father George Hearst (1820–1891)–at the time, a U.S. senator. He entered the world of newspaper as a publisher in 1880 by acquiring the rights to the San Francisco Daily Examiner, and seven even years later he gave the paper to his son William Randolph Hearst, who transformed the Examiner into The Monarch of the Dallies in 1887. William Randolph Hearst made it a point to buy and utilize the most modern printing equipment available to a late eighties publisher and, through the combination of his modernization efforts and the best known journalists and upstanding journalism around, completely transformed the paper into the legendary force it is today. Suffice it to say, the Examiner was a financial success and powerful influence within years. Then, in 1895, William Randolph Hearst bought the rights to popular publication The New York Journal, and his newspaper dynasty skyrocketed into a new era of big corporation publication. Before 1920, his chain of influence would reach from coast to coast.

Assets

As a television player, Hearst owns the largest number of ABC-affiliated stations and the second largest number of NBC-affiliated stations in the business with regards to size of audience reached (18% of total households in the United States). Hearst TV broadcasts all over the country. It also operates two radio stations in Baltimore, WBAL (Channel 1090) and WIYY (Channel 97.9). Hearst is known predominately for its finely tuned, hard-hitting newscasts, but also for engaging audiences through popular entertainment television and a variety local programming. As of 2012, the Hearst name extends to a sum of exactly twenty nine television stations. Ten of those are affiliated with NBC, thirteen with ABC, two through either CBS and CW, and finally a single MyNetworkTV affiliate. Its most recent inter-corporation acquisitions (originally a part of Hearst Broadcasting Inc.) are television stations KCWE, WMOR-TV, and WPBF, as well as radio stations WBAL radio and WIYY, all of these movements taking place 2009.

(Graph by David William Olivas)
CLICK TO ENLARGE

Recent Activity

In 2009 the company blocked public access to their financial records (21). Since then there has been no public release of any kind as to how the Television division of Hearst Corporation is doing financially. More so, in the fall quarter of 2012, Hearst Television managed to keep out of the news altogether from August 26^th to November 15^th. Starting on the 15^th, however, the company was thrown back into the public eye when they released several statements addressing the state of their changing corporation, announced quite a few positional transitions and promotions within their subsidiaries, and made headlines alongside a few of the broader-spectrum changes in 2012 that were sweeping the world of mass media.

(Image courtesy of Audio Leveling)
CALM Act and Joe Addalia

On the 15^th, Hearst Television’s Joe Addalia was chosen to publicly respond to the implication of a new CALM Act, which would require commercial-making advertisers to comply with clear cut, mandatory auditory limits in order to provide family consumers with quieter programming. Many broadcast companies reacted negatively, knee deep in the backlash from their advertising interests. However, Hearst (and Mr. Addalia) responded positively, re-stating their unwavering stance on loyalty to their long-time consumers and their goad of embracing the changes head on. (1)

(Image Courtesy of MySelda)
John Humphries

On November 30^th, John L. Humphries was promoted to President and General Manager of Hearst Television’s WGAL station in Lancaster Pennsylvania. Humphries previously held a powerful position at Hearst Television’s Greenville, South Carolina station WYFF. (2) Also on November 30^th, Brian Bracco (former station group Vice President) was named the new Vice President and General Manager of an NBC affiliate in Kansas City as well as a smaller station in Lawrence, Kansas. (3)

Two other staff changes only now being released in late Fall are that of Jordan Wertlieb’s new Presidency and David J. Barrett’s new position as Chairman, both of the Hearst Television as a whole. Frank A. Bennack, CEO of the company, said this with regard to the two promotions. “I congratulate [them] on [their] new roles and look forward to [their] continued stewardship of the expansion and success of Hearst Television.” (20)

Scheduled for Friday, December 7^th, the 27th annual WTAE-TV Project Bundle-Up Telethon will continue Hearst Television’s tradition of senior citizen and children oriented community service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, through a day-long telethon that won’t interrupt regularly scheduled programming. The details of Project Bundle-Up were announced through the WTAE website as well as a brief history of the project and summation of the Hearst media legacy. Sponsored by the Salvation Army, the telethon will feature an hour-long weather special as volunteers accept call-in pledges, and all proceeds go towards the Salvation Army. In the 27-year history of this program, more than 11 million dollars have been raised. (4) On an interesting side note, this year, the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers decided to team up with Hearst to help a younger audience shop for their winter coats.

Sources

http://broadcastengineering.com/audio/hearst-television-targets-calm-compliance-29-stations
http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/63884/john-humphries-tapped-to-be-wgal-gm
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/kshb-names-brian-bracco-general-manager_b71602
http://www.wtae.com/news/27th-Annual-WTAE-TV-Project-Bundle-Up-Telethon-Airs-Friday-December-7th/-/9681432/17608332/-/g89qsg/-/index.html
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/david-j-barrett-named-chairman-jordan-wertlieb-named-president-of-hearst-television_b72342
http://www.hearsttelevision.com/our_company/timeline/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_Television
http://www.hearsttelevision.com/our_company/about_Our_Company/index.html
http://bit.ly/TFSCo0
http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/64044/barrett-wertlieb-upped-at-hearst-TV
http://broadcastengineering.com/audio/hearst-television-targets-calm-compliance-29-stations
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/30/3942329/former-kmbc-boss-bracco-now-kshb.html
http://www.deadline.com/2012/12/hearst-television-david-barret/
http://www.hearstfdn.org/
http://www.hearstfdn.org/about/about-hearst-foundations/
http://www.hearstfdn.org/about/william-randolph-h earst/
http://www.hearsttelevision.com/our_company/our_stations/index.html
http://www.hearsttelevision.com/our_company/timeline/index.html
https://plus.google.com/117276923788526037867/posts
http://www.hearsttelevision.com/financial-information/index.html

Entravision

Posted on September 18, 2012 by tewarner

by Tucker Warner

Entravision Communications Corporation logo. Photo courtesy of Entravision.

Entravision Communications Corporation

2425 Olympic Boulevard
Suite 6000 West
Santa Monica, California 90404
Tel: 310-447-3870
Fax: 310-447-3899

Website: http://www.entravision.com

Company Overview:

Entravision Communications Corporation is a media company founded in Santa Monica, California in 1996, and focuses on Spanish-language content designed to appeal to Hispanic Americans. Currently, Entravision owns both radio and television stations, primarily in markets with a large Hispanic influence or population, and has television stations in 19 of the top 50 Hispanic markets in the United States. [1] Their 53 television stations, with only a few exceptions, are affiliates for Spanish language networks, and are the largest affiliate groups for Univision and TeleFutura, two networks owned by the same parent company, Univision Communications, Inc. [2]

The majority of Entravision’s stations are affiliates for Univision. Photo courtesy of Univision.

The deal that Entravision currently has in place with Univision and TeleFutura allows Entravision to have exclusive rights to broadcast those networks in the chosen markets until at least 2021. [3] Entravision also has affiliation agreements with Telemundo, Fox, MyNetworkTV, and The CW, all of which are scheduled to expire by 2015. The Entravision affiliates for these networks are all located in markets with a large Hispanic population.

Financials:

Entravision is a publicly traded company, on the New York Stock Exchange as EVC. The Fall 2012 quarter has been positive for Entravision, as the stock has risen in value from $1.30 to $1.52 as of closing on December 6. This was helped by a large increase in value during sweeps week near the end of November. [4]

Daily stock price (in dollars) of Entravision for the Fall 2012 quarter. Screenshot courtesy of data from the New York Stock Exchange web page.

On December 4, the staff of The Street announced that they had upgraded the rating of Entravision’s stock from “sell” to “hold.” [5] This follows the aforementioned substantial increase in market value at the end of November. As the staff of The Street notes, “[Entravision’s] revenue growth has slightly outpaced the industry average of 15.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 16.7%.” [5]

Entravision reported a net revenue of $131,490,000 from the television branch for the 2011 fiscal year. [3] According to the 2011 annual report, television-based revenue does not see much change during non-FIFA World Cup years, but they do expect to report a slight increase in 2012 due to the prevalence of political advertising. [3] The annual report states that about 86% of television-based revenue in 2011 came from advertising, with 40% coming from national advertising. Because of the elections, it is likely that this percentage would have increased in 2012.

Administration:

Walter F. Ulloa has been Chairman and CEO of Entravision since the company’s opening in 1996. [6] Ulloa is still very involved in Entravision’s public dealings, and made a presentation to potential investors in New York, NY on December 4. [7] This presentation was open to the public through a stream linked through the investor information section of Entravision’s web page.

Walter F. Ulloa, Chairman and CEO of Entravision. Photo courtesy of Entravision.

Christopher T. Young is Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and CFO of Entravision. Photo courtesy of Entravision.

Christopher T. Young has worked for Entravision since 2000, taking positions within the outdoor advertising division until 2008, when it was sold to Lamar Advertising Company. [8] Since then, Young has been Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and CFO of the company. Like Ulloa, Young has become somewhat of a public figure on behalf of the company, presenting at both the 40th UBS Annual Global Media and Communications Conference with Ulloa in New York on December 4th, and also the previous afternoon at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Leveraged Finance Conference in Boca Raton. [7]

Recent Events:

The new logo for XHRIO-TV, Entravision’s MundoFox affiliate in McAllen, Texas. Due to the station’s branding, its callsign appears as XRIO. Photo courtesy of MundoFox and XHRIO-TV.

On August 13, 2012, Fox International Channels and Colombia’s RCN Televisión launched MundoFox, a Spanish-language network with 50 current affiliates in the United States. [9] One of these affiliates is XHRIO-TV, an Entravision station in McAllen, Texas, that was formerly the region’s exclusive Fox affiliate. The transition period has lasted through Fall 2012, as Fox searched for a new network affiliate in the McAllen region, and the Rio Grande Valley area (which contains McAllen) became adjusted to the new network, which stayed on the same channel that housed the previous network tenant of the station.

As part of the company’s increased efforts in creating some consumer loyalty to the parent company, rather than just to the individual stations, Entravision has recently sponsored some charitable and outreach events in cities that have Entravision stations. On November 14, the National Hispanic Media Coalition hosted their annual Impact Awards in Washington, DC, where Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), two Hispanic-Americans, were honored for their service to the Hispanic community. [10] Two of the sponsors for this event were Entravision and MundoFox. Additionally, Entravision’s contributions as media sponsors to Colorado Gives Day 2012, a charity drive within the state of Colorado that raised approximately $15 million for various nonprofit groups, were considered “instrumental” by the organizers of the event. [11] While there were several other media sponsors for both of these events, Entravision’s intent to promote themselves as a company who will help the local communities in many ways was noticed by many members of the public, creating a lot of positive attention for the company and its local affiliates.

Lizette Alvarez of the New York Times noticed the role that Hispanic and Spanish television stations had in the election; specifically, how they contributed to high voter turnout within Hispanic communities. [12] The article cites a public service announcement from Natalie Perez (which can be viewed below this paragraph), a news anchor at WVEA-TV, an Entravision affiliate for Univision in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, Florida markets, in which she encourages Hispanic-Americans to vote in the Presidential election. According to Ben Monterroso, executive director at Mi Familia Vota, a nonpartisan voter education group with a specific focus on Hispanic-Americans, the Spanish media “played a tremendous role.” [12] With Entravision being at the forefront of Spanish media in Hispanic markets, it can be said with certainty that a significant part of the media’s influence on the increase in Hispanic voters came in some part because of Entravision’s efforts.

Lorena Inclán changed stations, networks, and languages in moving from Univision’s WVEN (an Entravision station) in Daytona Beach to CBS’s WTEV in Jacksonville. Photo courtesy of WVEN and Univision.

On November 28, Lorena Inclán, a popular on-air journalist newsdesk at WVEN, an Entravision affiliate for Univision in Daytona Beach and Orlando, Florida, officially began her new job at WTEV, the CBS affiliate in Jacksonville. [13] While this is not an event that will cause too much stress to the network itself, it does represent a fear that many Spanish-language media outlets have, especially in television, which is that their top talent will leave for English-language outlets that bring wider exposure and typically a higher salary as well.

More positive news for Entravision came in the form of a station getting television broadcast rights to a college basketball rivalry game. WJAL, an affiliate-independent station owned by Entravision whose signal is broadcast to Hagerstown, Maryland; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Washington, DC; northern West Virginia; and in many other neighboring regions, received the rights to broadcast the interstate rivalry game between West Virginia and Marshall. [14] Though WJAL did not receive exclusive rights, WJAL was able to broadcast a high-interest live event- one that is typically picked up by a national sports network- and one that attracts many local viewers.

Sources:

1. Entravision Communications Corporation: Investor Information http://www.entravision.com/investor-info/

2. Entravision Communications Corporation: TV http://www.entravision.com/tv/

3. Entravision 2011 Annual Report http://www.snl.com/IRWebLinkX/corporateprofile.aspx?iid=4121685

4. New York Stock Exchange: Entravision http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=EVC&fq=D&ezd=1Q&index=4

5. The Street update: Entravision http://www.thestreet.com/story/11782384/1/entravision-communications-corporation-stock-upgraded-evc.html

6. Forbes: Walter F. Ulloa http://www.forbes.com/profile/walter-ulloa/

7. Sacramento Bee: Entravision To Present At Investor Conferences http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/30/5020964/entravision-communications-corporation.html

8. Reuters: Entravision Sells Outdoor Advertising Operations http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/19/idUS126783+19-May-2008+PRN20080519

9. RBR.com: MundoFox Launches http://rbr.com/mundofox-launches-across-the-country/

10. El Tiempo Latino: NHMC Holds Impact Awards http://eltiempolatino.com/news/2012/nov/17/coalicion-honra-menendez-y-roybal-allard/

11. Herald Online: Colorado Gives Day Raises Approximately $15 Million http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/12/05/4463187/colorado-gives-day-raises-approximately.html

12. New York Times: For Latino Groups, Grass-Roots Efforts Paid Off http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/us/politics/for-latino-groups-grass-roots-efforts-paid-off-in-higher-number-of-voters.html?ref=lizettealvarez&_r=0

13. Media Bistro: Lorena Inclán Joins WTEV In Jacksonville http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/lorena-inclan-to-join-wtev-waws-in-jacksonville_b71187

14. WSAZ: Men’s Capital Classic Set For Wednesday http://www.wsaz.com/sports/headlines/Mens-Capital-Classic-Set-for-Wednesday-182078161.html

Daystar Television

Posted on September 18, 2012 by jtswope

by [Justin Swope]

Daystar Television Logo

Daystar Television Network is a religious broadcast network centered in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area in Texas. The network focuses on Christian programming meant to evangelize and spread the scriptures to its viewers. Daystar Television was founded by Marcus Lamb and his wife, Joni Lamb on New Year’s Eve 1997. Holding over 70 major television stations in the United States and a number of stations worldwide, Daystar functions under its parent company, Word of God Fellowship, Inc. The religious network’s primary objective is to present valuable programming that effectively preaches the “good news” to its followers. Due to its progressive expansion, Daystar has left its mark as the fastest growing Christian network in the world. [1]

History

Marcus Lamb and his wife Joni moved into Dallas, Texas in 1990, striving to construct a brand new evangelical television station. KMPX-TV 29 went on air in 1993, but in 1997 the couple relocated to a larger facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth television market region. Thus, Daystar Television Network was initiated on New Year’s Eye 1997, beginning with a telecast from Bishop T.D. Jakes. Currently, Daystar is situated in its International Ministry Center, equipped with two cutting-edge studios. [1]

Major Competitor

Trinity Broadcasting Network

Key Executives

Marcus Lamb: Co-Founder, President and CEO

Photo of Marcus and Joni Lamb

Joni Lamb: Vice President and Co-Founder

Steve Gray Appearance

Steve Gray, the writer and executive producer of the religious comedy known as 3 Blind Saints appeared on Daystar’s show, Celebration on November 20 to promote and talk about the film. 3 Blind Saints was scheduled for DVD release on that day. [2]

Daystar Assists Hurricane Sandy Recovery Efforts

In the midst of the damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy, Daystar announced on November 7 that they had pledged a donation of $200,000 to contribute to relief efforts in New Jersey. The network also donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross to assist their emergency responses in the northeast regions affected by the hurricane. [3]

Joni Lamb’s Controversial Statement

In the midst of the 2012 presidential election on November 6, while on her talk show Joni, host Joni Lamb made a divisive comment about Christianity in the United States. Kelly Shackelford of the Liberty Institute made a guest appearance on the show to talk about a legal battle between a high school valedictorian who wished to include a prayer with her graduation speech and the family of an agnostic peer who opposed the idea of a prayer being articulated in a public school. In response to the issue, Joni Lamb expressed her personal thoughts, stating that “you shouldn’t live here” if one is bothered by prayers since the United States is, according to Lamb, a “Christian society”. The statement stirred up resentment among political blogs such as the Daily Kos, Right Wing Watch, and Opposing Views. [4]

Joni’s Controversial Statement:

[5]

Refreshing Times Conference

From November 1 through November 3, Daystar hosted its free-to-the-public Refreshing Times Conference. Marcus and Joni Lamb were both present to facilitate the event. This annual religious convention served to unite fellow Christian followers as well as Marcus and Joni Lamb themselves. This 3-day conference also brought together some respected religious speakers, like John Hagee, T.D. Jakes, and John Paul Jackson. The conference transpired at the Fort Worth Convention Center and proudly celebrated its tenth anniversary. Additionally, the event featured performances from Joni Lamb and the Daystar Singers and Band, a diverse, religious musical group. The event brought together believers from across the world. Furthermore, a DVD package of the event was made available on Daystar’s website, consisting of footage from the event. [6], [7]

Refreshing Times Conference 2012:

[8]

Extension into California and the Philippines

As of October 23, 2012, Daystar has broadened to cover northern regions of California and eight different regions of the Philippines. Viewers in California cities, such as Berkeley, Cupertino, Fairfield, Novato, and Pleasanton, can now receive Daystar programming on Comcast’s channel 234. [9]

Coverage of the Messiah in Jerusalem

As announced on October 1, 2012, in an effort to provide live coverage of the anticipated descent of Jesus Christ from the Mount of Olives, Daystar has positioned a webcam from its terrace overlooking the city of Jerusalem. After expanding its purview to a television studio in Jerusalem, the network is now contending with the Trinity Broadcasting Network, who purchased the adjacent studio in Jerusalem, to deliver unprecedented footage of the phenomenon. The network’s anticipation has resulted from accounts in the Christian Bible, which predicts the return of the major biblical figure, Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, Daystar’s motive for entering the city has also been to spread Christianity in Israel. Moreover, the network already broadcasts English programming in Israel with access to both cable and satellite television. [10], [11]

Daystar Hosts “Sharathon”

From August 20 through September 3, in an effort to reward its dedicated viewers and contributors, Daystar hosted its exclusive “Fall Sharathon.” The Sharathon included religious proclamations, singing, and relevant news from prominent traveling ministers, such as Perry Stone and Robert Morris. The program emphasized the major contributions from Daystar’s partners, those who made it possible for the network to augment its international and nationwide coverage. [12], [13]

Fall Sharathon Overview:

[14]

Daystar’s Involvement in Israel

Daystar has been notable in the past few years for establishing positive relations with the government of Israel. Moreover, the network has striven to disseminate its messages to the Israeli people. Daystar is the only Christian network accessible via Yes satellite and HOT cable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not only has Daystar purchased a new station to cover the alleged return of the Messiah in Jerusalem, but the network also has sponsored several initiatives in Israel to help strengthen its economy. One is the Olive Tree Initiative, a project designed to strengthen agriculture in Israel. Through contributions and donations from the network’s partners, the initiative has planted numerous trees dedicated to the nation of Israel. [15], [16]

Satellite Coverage

In addition to its availability in the United States, Daystar is notable for its immense satellite handling, delivering its evangelical programming to not only a national audience, but also an international one.

Daystar Satellite Coverage Map

Daystar reaches a total of approximately 100 million households in the United States alone and a total of about 680 million households worldwide. To make this possible, the network owns 13 satellites that provide programming across the globe. Furthermore, viewers can connect to Daystar in the United States through providers such as Verizon FIOS, Direct TV, and Dish Network.

[17], [18]

Programming and Distribution

Daystar broadcasts its programming from its headquarters in Texas so that its shows appear at the same times across the globe, depending on the viewer’s time zone. Thus, every viewer has access to the exact same programming. In the United States, for instance, each station receives equal coverage. In addition to its substantial international coverage, Daystar owns stations in several key markets in the United States. These key markets are listed below (those in the top 50 markets).

Call Letters Market Market Ranking TV Homes % of U.S.

KDTN Dallas-Ft. Worth 5 2,588,020 2.267

WYDN Boston 7 2,366,690 2.073

WDDN-LD Washington, D.C. 8 2,359,160 2,066

KLTJ Houston 10 2,215,650 1.941

WUDT-CA Detroit 11 1,845,920 1.617

KWDK Seattle-Tacoma 12 1,818,900 1.593

KDPH-LP Phoenix 13 1,812,040 1.587

KDTP-LP Phoenix 13 1,812,040 1.587

KRMT Denver 17 1,566,460 1.372

WDTI Indianapolis 26 1,089,700 0.954

KCBU Salt Lake City 33 917,370 0.803

KUTF Salt Lake City 33 917,370 0.803

KOCM Oklahoma City 41 718,770 0.630

[19], [20], [21]

Original Programming

Celebration

Check the Sound

Empowered by the Spirit (with Marcus Lamb)

Gospel Music Showcase

Joni

Reflections

[22]

Future

Daystar has not announced any other upcoming news or events this year, but they hope to continue bringing their original content to their audience as they await progress in Jerusalem with the alleged return of the Messiah.

Contact Information

Address: 3901 Hwy 121, Bedford, Texas 76021

Phone: (817) 571-1229

Fax: (817)-571-7458

Email: Partners@Daystar.com

[23]

References

[1] About Daystar Television Page

[2] Steve Gray Appearance on Daystar – The Business Journals

[3] Daystar Responds to Hurricane Sandy

[4] Joni Lamb’s Statement About “Christian Society” – Opposing Views

[5] Joni Segment About “Christian Society” – Youtube

[6] About the Refreshing Times Conference

[7] Refreshing Times Conference DVD Details

[8] Refreshing Times Conference Overview – Youtube

[9] Daystar Expands in California and the Philippines

[10] Daystar Prepares for the Messiah in Jerusalem – LA Times

[11] Catching Jesus’ Return in Jerusalem – The Blaze

[12] Sharathon News

[13] About Daystar’s Fall Sharathon

[14] Fall Sharathon 2012 Overview – Youtube

[15] About Daystar Israel

[16] Daystar Activity in Israel

[17] Daystar Satellite Coverage

[18] Daystar Ways to Watch

[19] Daystar On-Air Schedule

[20] Daystar TV Stations – Station Index

[21] Nielsen TV Market Estimates – tvb.org

[22] Daystar Original Programming

[23] Contact Daystar Television

Photos:

Daystar TV Logo Courtesy of Living Stone Ministries

Photo of Marcus and Joni Lamb Courtesy of BlackChristianNews.com

Daystar Satellite Coverage Map Courtesy of Daystar.com

Cox Media Group

Posted on September 18, 2012 by gllevin

by Geri Levin

[14]

Cox Media Group (CMG) is a media company that specializes in uniting broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing, and digital media. CMG is one of the five companies that make up a national top ten company, Cox Enterprises. CMG owns and operates one of North America’s leading direct marketing companies, Valpak, and additionally is responsible for the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. [1]

History:

James M. Cox founded Cox Enterprises in 1898 with the purchase of the Dayton Evening News (now called the Dayton Daily News). [2]

Portrait of James M. Cox. Image courtesy of authentichistory [15]

After Cox took control of The Atlanta Journal newspaper and WSD in 1939, he then established South’s first television station in Atlanta, WSB-TV, in 1948. [2]

As the years passed, Cox Enterprises became one of the first company in the cable television industry. [2]

The enterprise expanded by assembling four different branches. The four companies that make up Cox enterprises is Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and Cox Digital Solutions. [2]

About:

Cox Media Group controls 15 broadcast television stations including one local cable channel. They also own 86 radio stations, 8 daily newspapers, more than a dozen other publications that are not daily and more than 100 digital services. Operating in more than 30 media markets the company reaches up to 52 million Americans. [1]

Reaching 29 cities in 17 States across the United States of America [3], Cox Media Group delivers numerous media outlets to different markets insuring that people get the latest and updated information. The companies that are affiliated with CMG include ABC, Fox, Independent, MyNetworkTV, CBS and NBC. [4]

Leadership:

Doug Franklin, President. Image courtesy of Cox Media Group [16]

Bill Hoffman, Executive VP. Image courtesy of Cox Media Group [17]

Neil Johnston, Executive Vice President, Strategy & Digital Innovation. Image courtesy of Cox Media Group [18]

Broadcast Television:

One of the major branches that brings in a lot Cox Media Group’s annual revenue is the television stations that the company owns and operates. With up to 15 stations as well as one local cable channel, CMG broadcasts in 11 markets. The companies that are affiliated with CMG include ABC, Fox,, MyNetworkTV, CBS, NBC and some are independently owned. [4]

Each market has either one or two stations in that area:

The Oakland, San Franciso and San Jose market has the station KTVU which is affiliated with Fox and KICU-TV, an Independent station. [6]
The stations that are located in Jacksonville, Florida are WAWS, affiliated with Fox and WTEV-TV, (the most watched television station [5]) a CBS company. [6]
Broadcasting in Orlando and Daytona Beach, Florida, are both an ABC affiliated station, WFTV and an independently owned station, WRDQ. [6]
In Atlanta, there is only one major broadcasting station is WSB-TV, associated with ABC. [6]
Reno, Nevada’s stations are KRXI-TV, which is a fox station, and KAME-TV, a MyNetworkTV station. [6]
In Charlotte, NC the stations include WSOC-TV, affiliated with ABC, and the station WAXN-TV, which is an independent station. [6]
Dayton, Ohio’s main station is a CBS station, WHIO-TV [6]
Both Stuebenville, OH and Wheeling, W.V. have the same broadcast station which is WTOV-TV. Operated by NBC. [6]
The broadcasting stations in Tulsa, OK are KOKI-TV and KMYT-TV. KOKI-TV is associated with Fox and KMYT-TV is associated with MyNetworkTV. [6]
The one major station in Johnstown and Altoona, PA is WJAC-TV, which is affiliated with NBC. [6]
WPXI is the station that broadcasts to Pittsburgh, PA. This station is operated by NBC. [6]
The station in El Paso, TX is KFOX-TV, operated by Fox [6]
Lastly, the station KIRO-TV in Seattle and Tacoma, WA is operated by CBS. [6]

Current Cox- Owned Television stations. Image courtesy of Cox Media Group – Wikipedia. [19]

Financials:

The broadcast stations that Cox Media Group owns in each market brings a significant amount of revenue for the company. In 2010 the gross revenue that the stations brought in all together was 535.9 million dollars. [4]

The broadcast station that brought the highest amount of gross annual revenue in 2010 was the station in Atlanta, GA with 137.6 million, WSB. The least amount of revenue generated was WJAC in Johnstowns and Altoona, PA with 9.9 million. [4]

Unfortunately, in 2011 the gross revenue dropped to a lower rate of was 482.1 million. That means that the company went down 53.8 million dollars in just a year. [4] Although the broadcast television stations lost revenue in 2011, they still stayed on top as the branch in CMG that produced the most amount of revenue that year. [4]

When it comes to the specific stations that Cox Media Group owns, the station that made the most money in 2011 was WSB in Atlanta, Georgia with 131.5 million dollars. The lowest amount of money that a station made was 8.9 million, again at the WJAC station. [4]

Cox media Group comes out with their annual revenue at the end of each year and due to this, they have not settled upon a yearly revenue for 2012 as of right now. One can assume that due to the election all throughout the fall of 2012, CMG’S annual gross revenue assumably shot up from 2011’s annual revenue.

News:

CMG Purchasing Two Major Television Stations

In July of 2012, CMG was offered to purchase two of Providence Equity Partners, the parent company of Newport Television, television stations. The stations that they offered were WAWS-WTEV in Jacksonville, Florida and KOKI-KMYT Tulsa, Oklahoma. [7]

Logo for WAWS-WTEV in Jacksonville, FL. Image courtesy of Fox 30 WAWS website [20]

Logo for KOKI- KMYT in Tulsa, OK. Image courtesy of Fox 23 KOKI website [21]

The Federal Communications Commission was forcing Newport to sell on of the two Jacksonville stations. This was because it was stated as a condition to the agency’s approval of Providence Equity’s buy of the twenty stations in 2008. [12]

But this ended up being a beneifical prospect for CMG. Buying WAWS-TV would be a major deal for CMG due to the fact that this Jacksonville station is a top rated Fox affiliates in the United States. [8]

On December 3rd, 2012, Newport announced that the deal had been closed and that CMG officially owned these two stations. [9]

According to Cox Media Group, the reason for why they decided to purchase these two T.V. stations was to focus on larger markets to ensure more of a cross media collaboration as well as improve the impact in lesser markets. [10]

To make this work to the best of its ability, CMG decided to sell radio locations in Birmingham, Greenville, Hawaii, Louisville, Richmond, and southern Connecticut, as well as T.V. stations in four markets: El Paso, Johnstown, Reno and Steubenville. What this will do is help the company collaborate with other businesses while keeping its financial numbers the same. [10]

According to Holly Allen, Vice President and General Manager of KOKI-TV and KMYT-TV, she said, “Our team in Tulsa is thrilled to be joining a company that not only has deep historic roots in the news business, but also is continually looking toward the future and making valuable contributions in communities around the nation.” [11]

With the purchase of these new radio station, CMG is able to switch up their traditional business plans. Most of the stations that they operate are broadcast stations in smaller markets but the purchase of these two new stations from Newport Television, LLC will change this. They will be focused on the idea of changing up their portfolio and focusing on the larger markets that they now own.

Awards:

There have been CMG properties that have received the Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. This honor is rewarded to those who illustrate the spirit and excellent enthusiasm that broadcaster Edward R. Murrow demonstrated for the the broadcast profession. The winners include: [13]

KIRO-TV Channel 7 in Seattle
WSB-TV Channel 2 in Atlanta
WPXI-TV Channel 11 in Pittsburgh
WHIO-TV Channel 7 in Dayton
[13]

Contact Information:

Cox Media Group
6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30328

Phone: (678) 645-0000
Fax: (678) 645-5002

Sources:

[1] – http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/

[2] – http://www.coxenterprises.com/about-cox/history.aspx#.ULp7ybTU7FI

[3] – http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/ourproperties/

[4]- http://adage.com/datacenter/mediatrees2012/#41

[5] – http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Cox-Media-Group-buys-WAWS-TV-operates-WTEV-TV/aKTBlROyNEaFh3-X5X196w.cspx

[6] – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox_Media_Group

[7] – http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/487442-Newport_Sells_22_Stations_to_Nexstar_Sinclair_Cox_for_1_Bil.php

[8] – http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Cox-Media-Group-buys-WAWS-TV-operates-WTEV-TV/aKTBlROyNEaFh3-X5X196w.cspx

[9] – http://www.newporttv.com/default.aspx

[10]– http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/cmg-press-releases/cox-media-group-purchases-new-tv-stations-jacksonv/nPy7J/

[11] – http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=166138

[12] – http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=537043

[13] – http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/awards/

Images:

[14] – http://www.coxmediagroup.com

[15] – http://www.authentichistory.com/special/nationsforum/NF_24_The_World_War-James_Cox-COX.jpg

[16] – http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/ourleadership/doug_franklin/

[17]- http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/ourleadership/bill_hoffman/

[18] – http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/ourleadership/neil_johnston/

[19] – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox_Media_Group

[20] – http://www.fox30jax.com/default.aspx

[21] – http://www.fox23.com/default.aspx

The Weinstein Company

Posted on September 18, 2012 by mksalmon

by Mary Salmonsen

Company Logo (1)

About

The Weinstein Company is a production and distribution company focused on movie and television production. The Weinstein Company describes itself as producing “mainstream, genre, and specialty films”, and has a sub-imprint, Dimension Films, for self-defined “genre” movies. (2) The company is also partnered with Weinstein Books, a book publisher, Project Runway, a series produced by Weinstein, Chopard, a jeweler, L’Oreal, and Lexus Short Films (see Upcoming), a project between Lexus and The Weinstein Company. (3)

The Weinstein Company is located at 345 Hudson St., New York, NY, 10014. Its contact phone number is (646) 862-3400. (4)

Management

Bob and Harvey Weinstein (5)

The company’s founders, brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, first founded Miramax, a film production company, in 1979. (2) During this period, some of their greatest successes were Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Chicago. (6) The company was independent until 1993, when it was bought by Disney. Over the course of their professional tenure, the brothers have received 303 Oscar nominations and 75 Academy Awards for their films. (2)

The Weinstein Company’s President of Television is the former Miramax President of Production, Meryl Poster. Current investors in The Weinstein Company include Goldman Sachs, TF1 – a French television company – and WPP Group, an advertising firm. (4)

History

The Weinstein Company itself was founded in October of 2005, when Bob and Harvey Weinstein left Miramax after a falling-out with Disney. (4) The company absorbed Dimension Films, which Bob had founded in 1993. (2) Their first film release was Derailed in November of 2005,which grossed $57 million (7), and their first animated release was Hoodwinked, released in December of 2005, which grossed $51 million on a budget of $8 million. (8)

Michael Moore and Harvey Weinstein (10)

In February 2011, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore sued the Weinstein Company, alleging that the company had re-routed $2.7 million of the profits from his documentary Farenheit 9/11 that had been meant for him, among other accusations of wasteful spending. The case was settled in February 2012, and terms were not disclosed. (11) The Weinstein Company has also been sued over The Reader (see September 2012) and Escape From Planet Earth (see Upcoming).

August 2012

On August 10^th, Vivek Shah, a largely unknown actor, was arrested for blackmailing Harvey Weinstein, among four others, and threatening to kill members of his family unless $4 million was wired to him. He is now being held without bail and if convicted could face 20 years in prison. (12)

This aside, the largest event for The Weinstein Company this month was the release of Lawless on August 29^th. One week before its release, the Company attempted to drum up publicity for the film by tweeting about a redband trailer, viewable above. (13) The film, directed by John Hillcoat and starring Shia LeBoeuf, Tom Hardy, and Gary Oldman, was, according to a Hollywood Reporter article, “greeted politely [at Cannes] but didn’t capture any prizes.” (14) Its budget was approximately $26 million, and as of November 2012 it grossed $37 million domestically – a modest success. (15)

September 2012

(17)

On September 16, The Master, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, had a limited art-house run, which brought in record-breaking numbers – $729,745 for the weekend, with a per-theater gross of $145,949. At Cannes the film was received as “ambitious and exciting” and some talk was made of the film’s inspiration in the form of L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. (16)The film was released nationwide on September 23, with an opening weekend gross of $4.3 million. (17)

In the background of this hype, the Weinstein Company battled – and lost – another lawsuit, this one from Bernard Schlink, author of The Reader, the book on which the 2008 Weinstein film was based. In the suit, which was filed in January, he claimed that the Weinstein brothers owed him over $1 million in movie profits based on the original film rights contract he had signed with Miramax in 1998. While The Weinstein Company claimed that this deal was never made, Los Angeles Superior court ruled in Schlink’s favor on September 21^st. (18)

October 2012

On October 1, 2012, the Weinstein Company released an article about “The New Film By Quentin Tarantino”, which until then had only been previewed and promoted at Cannes. (16) Django Unchained, the “violent story of a slave (Jamie Foxx) on a mission to free his wife (Kerry Washington) from the plantation of the man who owns her (Leonardo diCaprio)”, was heavily inspired by Italian spaghetti westerns. (19) The film will be released on Christmas Day.

Throughout the month, The Weinstein Company continued to promote The Master. New York Times editorial writer A.O. Scott called it “the great polarizing puzzle-film of 2012, in no small part because it unfolds with what seems to be a total disregard for the audience’s expectations.” (20) The film did not quite live up to its art house promise in terms of ticket sales, however – it only grossed $15 million of its $35 million budget. (17) Members of the Church of Scientology also reacted negatively to the film, and made multiple harassing calls to the company, despite claims by lead actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman that “it’s not the L. Ron Hubbard story.” (21)

November 2012

The Company continued to release information about Django Unchained, and on November 13 they revealed on the company Twitter (22) that an official site had been made for the movie.

(23)

The largest release for Weinstein this month was Silver Linings Playbook, starring Jennifer Lawrence of The Hunger Games fame and Bradley Cooper. The film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and the award for Best Feature at the San Pedro International Film Festival. (24) Playbook had a limited 16-screen opening of $443,000 on November 18^th, and was widely released on November 23^rd. It has grossed $11 million of its $21 million budget thus far. (25)

Riding on the cottails of Playbook is Killing Them Softly, which stars Brad Pitt. The film was widely released in theaters on November 30^th, and has grossed $7 million. (26) Released with far less fanfare on November 2^nd was This Must Be The Place, starring Sean Penn. The film was only on 15 screens nationwide, and has thus far grossed only $128,000. (27)

Upcoming

The next project in store for The Weinstein Company is its partnership with the Lexus company to make Lexus Short Films (see About). On the front page of the project site, the project is explained: “To highlight the new look and feel of the brand, Lexus approached The Weinstein Company to produce a series of short films that will offer similar levels of inspiration to viewers.” (28) Five directors will come together to make these films, which will be released in early 2013.

(31)

Another large forthcoming event is the Escape From Planet Earth, due out in February of 2013 in the midst of a lawsuit surrounding its production. In March of 2011, Brian Inerfeld and Tony Leech, filmmakers of Hoodwinked and Escape, sued The Weinstein Company for over $54 million over claims that the brothers, Harvey in particular, had botched Escape by canceling and reinstating the project multiple times, ordering 17 script rewrites, and eventually firing Inerfeld and Leech from the project, among other accusations. (29) Desperate to avoid bad publicity at the time when The King’s Speech, a large Weinstein success at this time, was due to receive an Academy Award for Best Picture, the Weinstein brothers attempted to pay Inerfeld and Leech $500,000 to keep quiet until after the Oscars were over. The suit is still in settlement, and the current version of Escape was directed by Cal Brunker and written by Brunker and Bob Barlen. (30)

Footnotes

The Weinstein Company, “Publicity Materials.” http://www.twcpublicity.com
The Weinstein Company, “About Us.” http://weinsteinco.com/about-us/
The Weinstein Company. http://weinsteinco.com
Hoovers, “The Weinstein Company LLC Company Information.” http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.The_Weinstein_Company_LLC.ec1a5102f95ba0bd.html
Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Miramax, “About Us.” http://www.miramax.com/about
IMDB, “Derailed.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398017/
IMDB, “Hoodwinked.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443536/
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-02-03/gossip/27738705_1_miramax-movies-harvey-and-bob-weinstein-ron-tutor
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/michael-moore-harvey-weinstein-fahrenheit-911-lawsuit-291581
http://news.yahoo.com/harvey-weinstein-extortion-plot-d-list-actor-allegedly-110610260–abc-news-topstories.html
https://twitter.com/WeinsteinFilms/status/238036273019887616
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/midyear-awards-report-weinstein-analysis-358212
IMDB, “Lawless”, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212450/
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/cannes-weinstein-preview-django-unchained-master-and-silver-linings-playbook-40911
IMDB, “The Master.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560747/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-weinstein-co-wont-be-able-to-avoid-the-reader-1-million-lawsuit-2012-9
http://weinsteinco.com/news/quentin-tarantino-tackles-old-dixie-by-way-of-the-old-west-by-way-of-italy/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/movies/films-dispense-with-storytelling-conventions.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/10/scientologists-criticize-the-master-harass-its-distributor_n_1872109.html
https://twitter.com/WeinsteinFilms/status/268429760135303168
The Weinstein Company, “Films.” http://weinsteinco.com/films/
http://silverliningsplaybookmovie.com/
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=silverliningsplaybook.htm
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=coganstrade.htm
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=thismustbetheplace.htm
http://www.lexus-global.com/lexusshortfilms/
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/weinstein_brothers_papers_hush_money_KUn59DBaNPppP2CZCX9VhK
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/weinstein-co-escape-from-planet-earth-screening-345562
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765446/

Warner Bros Pictures

Posted on September 18, 2012 by jdsaffre

by Jarrad Saffren

The Warner Bros Pictures logo, courtesy of WarnerBros.com.

A Brief History and Profile

Warner Bros Pictures is a major film studio that produces film, television, and music entertainment. Founded by the four Warner brothers, Albert, Harry, Sam, and Jack in 1918, Warner Bros Pictures has been a “Big Three” or “Big Six” American film studio since the development of the “major film studio” classification in the 1930s. Based on revenue and market share statistics from the 2011 fiscal year, Warner Bros Pictures is the most profitable entertainment subsidiary of the Time Warner conglomerate and the second most profitable major film studio behind only Paramount Pictures. It merges several divisions and brands including New Line Cinema, HBO Films, Castle Rock Entertainment, Warner Bros Animation, and DC Entertainment.

Financial Situation

On the strength of a lucrative summer performance at the box office that included the seventh highest grossing film of all-time (“The Dark Knight Rises”), Warner Bros Pictures had its strongest financial quarter in a year in terms of net income. Including the cost of revenue and after taxes, Warner Bros raised its net income from $430 million at the end of the second quarter of 2012 in June to $838 million at the end of the third quarter in September (1). This is the highest total for the company since it netted $822 million in the third quarter of 2011.

Unfortunately, Warner Bros’ net income is expected to drop slightly at the end of the fourth quarter. At the box office, the fall and early winter season has been a mixed bag for Warner Bros based on its two most prominent releases. Ben Affleck’s “Argo” is a smash hit that has grossed over $111 million and counting, surpassing its $44 million budget with flying colors (2). “Cloud Atlas,” on the other hand, has been a resounding box office failure in spite of critical acclaim. The film has grossed just $25 million against an estimated $100 million budget (3).

This mixed bag is not alarming because the fall movie season is typically less lucrative than the summer and holiday seasons that bookend it. As one of the most prominent film studios on the planet, Warner Bros has also finalized a steady stream of high profile releases featuring A-list stars coming out this holiday season and throughout 2013.

On a long-term scale, Warner Bros has raised its total shareholder equity this quarter to $30.02 billion, its highest total since the third quarter of 2011 (4). More people are investing in Warner Bros because the company has finally started to market its vast intellectual property holdings via alternative media sources like Flixster, a company-owned online streaming service.

Recent News

August 2012

Peter Jackson is teaming up with Warner Bros for another Hobbit trilogy beginning this December. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org.

In a joint announcement on the last day of the month, Warner Bros Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures revealed that the final film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy adaptation of “The Hobbit” will be released worldwide on July 18, 2014. All three films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his team adapted into an award winning trilogy of its own from 2001 to 2003. The first installment in the new trilogy “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” kicks off the holiday movie season next Friday and could provide an end-of-quarter financial boost for the company. The second “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” will be released on December 13, 2013. (5)

September 2012

In the first week of September, Jack Horner was named Executive Vice President, Theatrical Communications, Warner Bros Pictures Group. Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros Pictures, created this new position. Horner will primarily handle corporate PR issues relating to the film division. He will work closely with the domestic and international publicity units of the film division as Warner Bros tries to expand its reach across multiple platforms and cultures. Horner most recently worked at News Corporation, where he was Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Communications. (6)

About a week after the Horner announcement, shooting began for “The Hangover Part III,” the third and final film in director Todd Phillips’ wildly popular comedy trilogy. The project is a team effort between Warner Bros Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha are back to star as the beloved “Wolfpack” foursome of Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug. “The Hangover Part III” is scheduled for a worldwide release on May 24,2013. (7)

October 2012

Always staying proactive, in addition to “The Hangover,” Warner Bros Pictures announced a slate of four new films set for release during 2013. “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” stars Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, and Jim Carey as dueling magicians on the Las Vegas strip. It comes out on May 15^th. “The Conjuring” stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as paranormal investigators who are forced to take on the most horrifying case of their careers in a secluded farmhouse. It hits theaters on July 19^th. “We’re the Millers” stars Jason Sudeikis as a small-time pot dealer forced to travel to great lengths to pay off a debt to his big-time supplier. It will premiere on August 9^th. “Prisoners” stars Hugh Jackman as a desperate father who abducts the man he suspects is behind the kidnapping of his eight-year-old daughter. It is set for release on September 20^th. (8)

“All You Need is Kill” is based on a 2004 Japanese sci-fi novel of the same name. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org.

Looking even further into the future, Warner Bros Pictures, Legendary Pictures, and Village Roadshow Pictures announced jointly that “All You Need is Kill,” a sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and based on the book of the same name, will be released on March 14, 2014. The film is a futuristic, society-on-the-brink drama where an alien race is swiftly destroying the human race. Cruise and Blunt star as the military lieutenant and Special Forces warrior tasked with destroying the alien invaders and saving the world. (9)

Such a bright future would not be possible without Warner Bros’ landmark past. This January, Warner Bros Pictures will pop the corks on a yearlong celebration of its 90^th anniversary. On the strength of the largest film library in the world–6,800 feature films including 22 Academy Award-winning Best Pictures–Warner Bros will be releasing seven new exclusive film collections to DVD and Blu-ray. 100 of the films will be on DVD, 50 on Blu-ray. Both will be the largest such collections of their formats in history to date. Several classics will also be released individually on Blu-ray for the first time including “The Jazz Singer” and “Driving Miss Daisy.” (10)

In addition to its innovative approach for bringing old classics onto newer formats, Warner Bros is also getting in on the newest media. In the last week of October, after announcing its anniversary celebration, Warner Bros revealed that it is teaming with Paramount Home Media Distribution to release more than 600 catalog titles from the Paramount film library via Flixster, the Warner Bros movie streaming and discovery service. Warner Bros will now have exclusive rights to Blu-ray and DVD distribution of those movies in the US and Canada, expanding the company’s massive reach into the pivotal Internet streaming sector. (11)

Finally, to conclude its busiest month of the third quarter and most progressive technological month of any quarter in recent memory, Warner Bros Home Entertainment agreed to a multiyear deal with Redbox, a DVD, Blu-ray, and video game distribution service owned by Coinstar, to bring Warner Bros titles to Redbox kiosks. All Warner Bros titles will be released to the kiosks just 28 days after their initial retail release dates. In addition, Redbox has agreed to promote Ultraviolet, Warner Bros innovative streaming service that would allow consumers to buy a title once and then access it anywhere on any device. (12)

November 2012

Warner Bros picked up in November right where they left off in October, continuing its mass effort to release content across multiple platforms. The new hobbit trilogy is not even out in theatres yet, but it is already hitting the mobile circuit. Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment has teamed up with Kabam, a leading producer of multiplayer games for electronic devices, to launch “The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth” app for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices. The game is based on collective strategy with other users and is free for all consumers of the aforementioned devices. (13)

In the midst of these new platforms, Warner Bros did not forgot about the one that made it a player in the first place: the big screen. In 2003, Warner Bros became one of the first film companies to partner with the IMAX Corporation. A few weeks before Thanksgiving, the two sides agreed on a new 20-picture deal over the next three years. Among the anticipated Warner Bros titles that will be showcased via the IMAX experience are “300: Rise of an Empire” (August 2, 2013) and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (December 13, 2013). (14)

References

Walt Disney/Touchstone Pictures

Posted on September 18, 2012 by lma07

by [Li Ma]

Walt Disney Pictures Opening Logo

Touchstone Pictures Opening Logo

A Brief History:

Walt Disney Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and owned by The Walt Disney Company. It was founded in 1928 with the name as Walt Disney Productions; in the year of 1983, the name was changed to Walt Disney Pictures. It is the main production company for animated and live-action feature films based at the Walt Disney Studios. One of the most recognizable films of Walt Disney Pictures is Snow White and Seven Dwarfs (1937), as it is the first full-length traditional animated feature in motion picture history; Walt Disney Pictures has also produced numerous popular and award-winning films such as Cinderella (1950), Peter Pan (1953), Sleeping Beauty (1959), The Little Mermaid (1989), The Lion King (1994), Toy Story (1995), Mulan (1998), Finding Nemo (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), Cars (2006), High School Musical III (2008), Alice in Wonderland 3D (2010), and so on.

Go to the official website of Walt Disney Pictures, please click here. [1]

Touchstone Pictures

Touchtone Pictures was established in 1984 as Touchstone Films; two years later, it received its new name as Touchstone Pictures. It is also an animated and live-action film banner of Walt Disney Studios. Most of its releases are typically for adults rather than for children. Since 2011, Touchstone Pictures banner has been assigned a 30-pictures distribution deal with DreamWorks Studios to distribute DreamWorks’ films over next five years. The most notable films that produced by Touchstone Pictures are Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), Good Morning Vietnam (1987), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Dead Poets Society (1989), Pretty Woman (1990), Sister Act (1992), Con Air (1997), Armageddon (1998), The Insider (1999), Rushmore (1999), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and so on.

Go to the official website of Touchstone Pictures, please click here. [2]

Recent News:

July

July 8, 2012

The Avengers (2012)

According to the Deadline News, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has passed $ 1 billion domestic box office and become the first studio that reached the milestone of 2012. This great achievement was attributed to the movie The Avengers, which was distributed by Disney; it helped Disney gain a huge amount of domestic box office with $ 611.1 million. This time, Disney has broken the 2010 studio record of 210 days to reach the $ 1 billion box office by using only 188 days to reach the goal. It is also the 16^thtime that Disney has achieved this in the last 19 years. (Deadline, 2012) [3]

July 18, 2012

Disney will distribute Steven Spielberg’s movie Lincoln domestically through its Touchstone label; this movie was announced to be released on Nov. 9^th and expanded on Nov.16^th.

Lincoln (2012)

“Lincoln, starring Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, is a likely awards contender and will hit theaters just as awards season begins to heat up in earnest.” (Hollywood Reporter, 2012)

Lincoln is also expected to be one of the movies that have most box office in the year of 2012. [4]

October

October 18, 2012

According to Hollywood Reporter, Tom Hanks recently visited the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco to have a three-week research for the role of the famous mogul in his new Disney movie Saving Mr. Banks.

Tom Hanks (left) and Walt Disney (Right)

This film is about the struggle between the author, who wrote the beloved novel in 1934, and Walt Disney who made a promise to his daughters in the 1940s to turn the book into a movie. However, from the very beginning of pre-production through to its successful release in 1964, Disney and Travers disagreed over script, tone and casting; Travers even complained that her character, which was depicted by Julie Andrews in her Hollywood debut, was too pretty and too nice; not even the overwhelming success of the movie would change the author’s mind.

“It’s like a trip to Disneyland itself, and it’s the third happiest place on the planet, behind Disneyland and Disneyworld.” (Hanks, T. 2012)

Walt Disney Pictures will release this film on December 20^th, 2013. [5]

October 30, 2012

The Walt Disney Company announced to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd., owned by George Lucas who is the chairman and founder of Lucasfilm, with a cash and stock transaction of $ 4.05 billion.

“Global leader in high-quality family entertainment agrees to acquire world-renowned Lucasfilm Ltd, including legendary STAR WARS franchise.” (Press Release, 2012)

Robert A. Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, and George Lucas, chairman and founder, Lucasfilm sign the agreement for The Walt Disney Company to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd.

Disney also announced it would Continue its marketing strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world. In other words, besides Walt Disney Pictures’ efforts on the production of the 7^th episode of Star Wars, which is targeted for release in 2015, the rest of subsidiaries and affiliates of The Walt Disney Company will also contribute on its promotion. [6]

According to Robert A. Iger, the chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company,

“This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including ‘Star Wars,’ one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.” (Robert, 2012) [7]

October 31, 2012

“Star Wars” films

According to Hollywood Reporter, Disney is buying Lucasfilm and producing three new “Star Wars” films.

These upcoming episodes are expected to have brand new concepts and plots with a notable visual improvement compared with the previous ones. As a result, 15 directors, such as J. J. Abrams, Jon Favreai, and Joe Johnston, were nominated as the potential directors for the new Star Wars films. [8]

November

November 30, 2012

Mel Shaw, an artist and writer who contributed to Disney animation classics as Bambi, Fantasia and The Lion King, died on November 22^ndat 97.

Mel Shaw (1914-2012)

He was recruited by Walt Disney, the founder of Disney Studio, and then joined and worked in his team. Shaw started his animation career by creating title cards at the end of the silent-film era for Leon Schlesinger’s Pacific Title and Art Studio. In the early 1930s, he helped Orson Welles create a storyboard for a version of The Little Prince that was never produced. In 1974, Walt Disney Studios asked Shaw to return to help mentor the next generation of animators. His last project for Disney was The Lion King (1994). Mel Shaw then was named a Disney Legend in the year of 1994. [9]

December

December 3, 2012

During the 17^th annual Satellite Awards on Monday, ten movies have been nominated as best motion picture by the International Press Academy, an organization that is composed of entertainment journalists for both domestic and foreign outlets.

The movie Lincoln, which is distributed by Touchstone Pictures domestically, has been nominated eight Satellite Awards, including best actor, best actor in a supporting role, best motion picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best original score, best cinematography, and best art direction & production design. [10]

Upcoming Movies:

Iron Man 3 (May 3, 2013)

Oz: The Great And Powerful (March 8, 2013)

Lone Ranger (July 3, 2013)

The Little Mermaid in 3D (September 13, 2013)

Thor: The Dark Worlds (November 8, 2013)

Frozen (November 27, 2013)

Saving Mr. Banks (December 20, 2013)

The Muppets Sequel (2013)

Maleficent (March 14, 2014)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 4, 2014)

Bears (April 18, 2014)

The Good Dinosaur (May 30, 2014)

Telsa (2014)

Phineas and Ferb (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Star Wars: Episode VII (2015)

The Avengers 2 (May 1, 2015)

Ant-Man (November 6, 2015)

Finding Nemo 2 (2016)

Star Wars: Episode VIII (2017)

References:

[1] Walt Disney Pictures: http://movies.disney.com/

[2] Touchstone Pictures: http://www.waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/264

[3] Finke, N. (2012, July 8). Disney passing $1B domestic box office. Deadline. Retrieved from http://www.deadline.com/2012/07/disney-passing-1b-domestic-box-office/

[4] McClintock, P. (2012, July 18). Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielbergs-lincoln-dated-early-351152

[5] Riefe, J. (2012, October 18). Tom Hanks on becoming Walt Disney for ‘Saving Mr. Banks’. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-hanks-becoming-walt-disney-380011

[6] Anonymous. (2012, October 30). Disney to acquire Lucasfilm for $4 billion. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2012/10/disney-to-acquire-lucasfilms-for-4-billion/

[7] Anonymous. (2012, Oct 30). Disney to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd..The Walt Disney Company Press Release. Retrieved from http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-news/press-releases/2012/10/disney-acquire-lucasfilm-ltd

[8] Zakarin, J. (2012, October 31). 15 potential directors for the new ‘Star Wars’ films. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-star-wars-movies-director-384731

[9] Barnes, M. (2012, November 30). Legendary Disney animator Mel Shaw dies at 97. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-animator-mel-shaw-bambi-396272

[10] Kilday, G. (2012, December 3). Satellite Awards nominates 10 films for best motion picture. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/satellite-awards-nominates-10-films-396865

Universal Pictures

Aside

by [Bobby O'Brien]

Universal Pictures Logo [1]

Overview & History

Universal Pictures, a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is considered one of the planet’s most renowned film studios. For nearly a century the company has produced academy award winning films and culture shaping content. Over the past 6 months, Universal Picture’s tradition of excellence has continued. Since June 29th 2012, Universal Pictures has released 5 major motion pictures. Of these films, 4 have placed within the top 70 grossing films of 2012, and 3 have placed within the top 50. These five films have accumulated a combined gross product of $442, 317, 963. [2]

Carl Laemmle [4]

In 1915, German-American Film pioneer, Carl Laemmle, founded Universal Studios with the help of Abe and Julius Stern. The trio constructed two movie sets on a former chicken farm in Los Angeles California. Ninety-eight years later, 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Los Angeles California remains the home of Universal Studios. [3] Today Universal Pictures is spearheaded by several accomplished and capable leaders, including James Schamus, Jimmy Horowitz, Cindy Gardner, Adam Fogelson, and Rick Finkelstein.

Executives

James Schamus [6]

James Schamus is the Chief Executive Officer of Universal Pictures. He has held the position since May of 2006. Schamus also serves as the Co-President of Focus Features, a sister company of Universal Pictures. [5]

In May of 2010, Jimmy Horowitz was named president of Universal Pictures. Horowitz manages day to day business operations for the studio and serves as a key member for Universal’s senior management team. He has worked for Universal for more than 18 years. [7]

Cindy Gardner has served as Universal Studio’s Senior Vice President since September 2005. Gardner is responsible for the company’s media relations, issues management, philanthropy, and special events. [8]

Adam Fogelson has held the title of Chairman of Universal Pictures since October of 2009. He oversees worldwide operations for the motion pictures group. Projects that Fogelson has worked on include American Pie, Knocked Up, and Erin Brockovich. [9]

Rick Finkelstein serves as Universal Pictures Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. This Jerry Seinfeld-look-alike oversees Universal Picture’s worldwide home entertainment and television distribution. [10]

Recent News

September:

September 7th, 2012

The Street has recently informed the public of Universal Pictures plans to release Pitch Perfect, a musical comedy staring Anna Kendrick, on Friday September 28th, one week earlier than its scheduled premiere on October 5th. The film’s wide release is set to remain on its prior date, however select theaters in North America will have an opportunity to see it ahead of time. The limited release was constructed following positive feedback from early screening moviegoers. Universal Pictures feels that Pitch Perfect has a reliable and sturdy target audience that is eager for the film’s release. To some surprise, Universal Pictures has promoted Pitch Perfect with “the most extensive screening campaign in the studios history.” [11]

September 25th, 2012

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Universal Pictures has set a record for the “highest grossing-year domestically in the studio’s 100 year history”. On Monday September 24th, the studio surpassed the previous record of $1.27 billion set in 2008. More than a third of the studio’s gross product came from The Lorax and Ted, acquiring a combined $432 million. This ground-breaking news comes before the release of four major Universal Pictures’ films, including Pitch Perfect, The Man WIth the Iron Fists, This is 40, and Les Miserables. Universal Pictures is on track to shatter its 2008 record. Perhaps it will be far more than four years before the record of 2012 will be broken. [12]

October:

October 29th, 2012

According to Variety, Universal Pictures has alas acquired the rights to Subdivision. The sci-fi comedy written by Morgan Jugerson and Alex Ankeles will be produced by Justin Lin and Elaine Chin. All involved in the deal have been sure to keep the

Fast Five [16]

premise under wraps. Lin may be remembered for his recent success associated with Fast Five, a film he produced that was released in April of 2011. Universal’s VP of production, Kristin Lowe, will oversee the project. Unfortunately, a feasible release date for the film has yet to be determined. [13]

October 31st, 2012

PR Newswire has reported that Universal Pictures will release its Despicable Me 2, trailer on iTunes today. The occurrence marks the first time that the studio has released a trailer on iTunes with international versions available within the same 24 hour period. This development perhaps illustrates the studio’s continued technological and global advancements. Despicable Me 2 hits theaters on July 3rd 2013. [14] Universal will attempt to play off of the success of Despicable Me, which raked in a total domestic gross of $251,513,985 in the summer of 2010. [15] Look for Despicable Me 2 to make a big splash this summer.

November:

November 12th, 2012

The Hartford Courant has recently reminded us that, November 15th, 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking premiere of To Kill a Mocking Bird. Universal

To Kill A Mockingbird [18]

Pictures’ adaptation of Harper Lee‘s novel will be re-released on Thursday, November 15th in select theaters. The 1962 film won Gregory Peck an Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch. It will forever be remembered as an American classic. [17]

November 13th, 2012

At 9 a.m. pacific standard time, the Los Angeles Times reported a story that is sure to shake up the film industry. According to the newspaper, Michael Eisner‘s Tornante Co. has finalized a distribution deal with Universal Pictures. The multiyear deal will lead Universal Pictures to market and distribute movies financed by Tornante. Eisner is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. In an attempt to “return to his roots” of moviemaking Eisner looks to take advantage of the industry’s lack of original stories. He hopes that the first of Tornante’s feature films will be released no later than early 2014. In a time when the film industry is cluttered with sequels and remakes, it is encouraging to hear of an opportunity for new and original content. With the money and support of Universal Pictures, Tornante Co., is likely to become a household name in Hollywood. [19]

November 29th 2012

In March of 2012 Universal Pictures Spent $5 million to acquire the movie rights of Fifty Shades of Grey, the best selling novel written by E.L. James. The Hollywood Reporter has released a story stating that Universal pictures has recently filed a lawsuit against Smash Pictures and director James Lane, who have recently finished producing Fifty Shades of Grey: A XXX Adaptation. Luv Moves a distribution company that packaged and allocated DVD’s of the porn parody has also been targeted in the lawsuit. Universal Picture’s and Fifty Shades Ltd. are requesting an injunction and further monetary damage. [20]

December

December 4th 2012

Universal Picture’s Les Miserables, is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2012. Set to be released on Christmas day, the musical starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathawayis due for a strong opening weekend and perhaps some

Les Miserables [21]

recognition from the academy. The Sacramento Bee has reported an announcement from Universal Pictures, stating that the film will be “digitally remastered into the immersive IMAX format” and released in IMAX theaters worldwide. The film will be released in IMAX theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montreal on December 25th. Those abroad will have to wait until January 10th for the film’s IMAX release. Greg Foster, the President of IMAX entertainment, stated that Les Miserables “lends itself perfectly to the IMAX Experience”. The IMAX release of Les Miserables is sure to amplify the buzz surrounding the movie and its premiere. The second format option and increase in screens may lead to a tremendous financial success. [22]

Future

The upcoming winter and remainder of 2012 appears to be promising for Universal Pictures. On December 21st 2012, This is 40, a film written and directed by Judd Apatow, will be widely released in North America. The highly anticipated Les Miserables, will premiere on Christmas day and the Osama Bin Laden murder thriller, Zero Dark Thirty, will be released two and a half weeks later. A fitting end to a record-setting year seems to be in store for Universal Pictures.

Sources:

[1] Universal Pictures’ Twitter Account; https://twitter.com/UniversalEnt

[2] Box Office Mojo; 2012; http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2012&p=.htm

[3] U.S. History: Universal Studios; http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3086.html

[4] Silent Hollywood; http://silenthollywood.com/carllaemmle.html

[5] Bloomberg Business Week; http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=2144227&privcapId=2092219&previousCapId=804881&previousTitle=Universal%20Studios,%20Inc.

[6] IMBD; James Schamus; http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0770005/

[7] NBC Universal Website; Executives; Jimmy Horowitz; http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/executive/universal-pictures/jimmy-horowitz/

[8] NBC Universal Website; Executives; Cindy Gardner http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/communication-lead/universal-pictures/cindy-gardner/

[9] NBC Universal Website; Executives; Adam Fogelson http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/senior-corporate-executives/universal-pictures/adam-fogelson/

[10] NBC Universal Website; Executives; Rick Finkelstein http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/executive/universal-pictures/rick-finkelstein/

[11] PR Newswire; The Street; http://www.thestreet.com/story/11689878/1/universal-pictures-to-release-pitch-perfect-in-select-theaters-on-friday-september-28-2012.html

[12] Tatiana Siegel; Pamela McClintock; The Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-pictures-box-office-hits-one-billion-373928

[13] Jeff Sneider; Variety; http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118061411

[14] PR Newswire; United Business Media; http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universal-pictures-announces-the-new-despicable-me-2-trailer-will-launch-worldwide-on-itunes-on-wednesday-october-31-2012-176616821.html

[15] Box Office Mojo; http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=despicableme.htm

[16] Netflix; http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Fast_Five/70157102?locale=en-US

[17] Susan Dunne; Hartford Courant; http://articles.courant.com/2012-11-12/entertainment/hc-alt-mockingbird-1115-20121112_1_connecticut-post-atticus-finch-digiplex-bloomfield

[18] Amazon; http://www.amazon.com/To-Kill-a-Mockingbird/dp/B000ID37RM

[19] Dawn C. Chmielewski; The Los Angeles Times http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-tornante-strikes-deal-with-universal-20121112,0,2336520.story

[20] Eriq Gardner; Hollywood Reporter; http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/fifty-shades-grey-porn-adaptation-395478

[21] IMBD; Les Miserables; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707386/

[22] IMAX Corporation; The Sacramento Bee; http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/04/5030373/universal-pictures-les-miserables.html

Spyglass

Image

by Jocelyn Yan

History

Founded in 1998 by co-CEO’s Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Spyglass Entertainment is an American production, finance, and distribution company responsible for blockbusters such as No Strings Attached, 27 Dresses, and The Sixth Sense. European media giants, Kirch Group and Mediaset, invested $250 million to form Spyglass Entertainment. Spyglass is known for co-financing with several other production studios such as Touchstone Pictures and Paramount Studios to produce box-office hits. The company is owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which has a significant stake in Spyglass. Spyglass’ headquarters are based in Los Angeles. [1]

When MGM, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, filed for bankruptcy on November 3, 2010 due to its inability to pay for its $4 billion in increasing interest payments and debt, the executives of Spyglass presented MGM with a reconstruction plan in exchange for equity stake and management. As a result, co-CEO’s of Spyglass, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum took over, becoming co-CEO’s and co-chairs of MGM.[2] Recent reports have shown that Spyglass’ takeover of MGM has indeed led to MGM’s recent profitability and success.[3]

Recent News

July-September 2012

Because of the impending releases of two major blockbusters, Skyfall and The Hobbit, MGM submitted an IPO or Initial Public Offering filing, which allows investors to gauge the value and success of the coming films. Especially significant due to MGM’s post-bankrupt state, this IPO filing attracts interest for potential investors. Looking to go public, MGM has emerged from post-bankruptcy to profitability due to Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum’s cutting and different approach towards distribution. Carl Icahn, MGM’s largest investor, sold his 25% stake in MGM in order for MGM to receive a higher IPO value. [4]

October 3, 2012

Spyglass announced that co-CEO Roger Birnbaum stepped down as co-CEO to redirect his energy towards producing. This decision leaves Gary Barber as the sole CEO of Spyglass and MGM. Birnbaum stated, “I have been in the film business a long time, and my greatest passion has always been producing. Now is the time for me to return to what I love to do the most…producing films.” Both Birnbaum and Barber have stated that the decision was “amicable.” Birnbaum chose to stay and exclusively produce with Spyglass and MGM. They look forward to continue sharing success together. [5]

November 2012

The release of the much-anticipated film of the James Bond series, Skyfall directed by Sam Mendes, proved to be a major success. Skyfall earned a staggering $33 million at the box office in its first day, November 9. As expected, Skyfall was also a leading earner at the box office for the Wednesday to Sunday Thanksgiving stretch right behind the number one earner Breaking Dawn 2. During Thanksgiving week, Skyfall grossed $36 million for the 3-day period and $51 million for the total 5-day period. To date, Skyfall has grossed $245 million domestically and $868 million internationally. Overall, Skyfall is the largest grossing James Bond movie in history.[6]

December 2012

Another well-known series based on JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novels is slated for a
successful release on December 14.[7] The first of three films The Hobbit: There and Back Again directed by Peter Jackson has already launched an extensive advertising campaign to promote the trilogy.

The Hobbit trilogy is partnering with New Zealand’s tourism department, Microsoft, and Denny’s to ensure successful box office results. Air New Zealand recently released an inflight safety video that features characters from Tolkien’s novels. Moreover, the
airline painted one of their airplanes with The Hobbit theme and characters greet passengers in New Zealand airports.[8] Microsoft is featuring The Hobbit characters on its Windows Phone platform.[9]

While, Denny’s is using The Hobbit characters to push “Hobbit-inspired” menu items such as Frodo’s Pot Roast Skillet and Build-Your-Own Hobbit Slam.[10] These companies intend to share the publicity and wealth over the impending success of the beginning of the release of The Hobbit trilogy.