Columbia Pictures

Posted on December 1, 2014 by iwmccour

by Ian McCourt

Columbia Pictures

Image Courtesy Fortune.com [i]

Contact Information: [ii]

10202 West Washington Boulevard

Culver City, CA 90232

310-244-4000

www.sonypictures.com

Key Executives:

Michael Lynton CEO, Sony Entertainment, Chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Amy Pascal Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group

Doug Belgrad President, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group President, Columbia Pictures

David Hendler Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Michael De Luca
President, Production, Columbia Pictures

Hannah Minghella President, Production, Columbia Pictures

Executives Photos and Information Courtesy of: http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/management.html [iii]

About Columbia Pictures:

In 1918, Harry and Jack Cohn formed CBC Film Sales with an associate of theirs, Joe Brandt. CBC Film Sales (Cohn-Brandt-Cohn) then produced small-budget short films and featurettes until a few experiments with feature films and an eye for larger profits prompted them to form Columbia Pictures Corporation in 1924. Columbia established itself in the cinema world, however, with the discovery of director Frank Capra in 1927. He would bring the company many Academy Awards, including the Best Picture films “It Happened One Night” and “You Can’t Take it With You.” Columbia would continue to grow and prosper as the decades moved past, and it was bought by Coca-Cola in 1982. However, a mere seven years later, Columbia Pictures and all of its holdings were bought by the Sony Corporation in 1989. [iv] It is now a part of Sony Pictures Entertainment‘s Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Group, along with Tristar Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics and Screengems. [v]

Financials:

It is to be noted that Sony’s Financial Reports for the Pictures Division encompasses not only Columbia Pictures, but also the Tristar Pictures and Screengems studios, as well as any TV production and distribution financials. Regardless, Sony Pictures Entertainment reported that revenue decreased 3% on a constant currency (U.S. dollar) standard to 1,671 million dollars for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2014 from 1,815 million for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2013. [vi][vii] This was due to lower theatrical revenues due to fewer theatrical releases in Q2 FY14 as opposed to Q2 FY13. [viii] Sony predicts that the pictures division will make 8,100 million U.S. dollars for the total Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2015. [ix]

What’s Happening Now?

In 2014, Columbia Pictures has released nine films, three of which are still in theaters as of December 1, 2014. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and 22 Jump Street are leading in gross so far respectively, with 22 Jump Street still in theaters. [x]

22 Jump Street
This sequel to the hit 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and follows the adventures of Officers Schmidt and Jenko as they go undercover as college students. The film is directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord.

Image and Synopsis Courtesy IMDB [xi]

In its opening weekend (June 13-15, 2014), 22 Jump Street opened at number one, making $57,071,445 domestically to its $50 million budget. The film is now in its twenty-third week, having made $331,333,876 worldwide as of December 1, 2014. [xii]

The Equalizer
In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington stars as a man who has put his dark past behind him, only to return to his old ways when he meets a girl who is under the control of Russian gangsters. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Image and Synopsis Courtesy IMDB [xiii]

In its opening weekend (Sept. 26-28, 2014) The Equalizer opened number one at the box office, earning $34,137,828 to its $55 million budget. Now in its ninth week, the film has made $190,173,178 internationally as of December 1, 2014. [xiv]

Fury
Fury, starring Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, and Shia LaBeouf, tells the tale of an Army Sergeant nicknamed Wardaddy (Pitt) who commands a Sherman tank with a five-man crew against amazing odds in an attempt to cripple Nazi Germany. The film is written and directed by David Ayer.

Image and Synopsis Courtesy IMDB [xv]

Opening number one at the box office, Fury made $23,702,421 to its $68 million budget during its opening weekend (Oct. 17-19, 2014). Going through its seventh week in theaters, Fury has made $171,707,000 internationally as of December 1, 2014. [xvi] On Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, 2014, the movie was free at Regal and AMC Theaters for all current personnel or veterans with a valid I.D. [xvii]

Ghostbusters (30th Anniversary Re-Release)
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the 1984 classic, Ghostbusters was back in theaters beginning August 29, 2014. [xviii] It tells the story of three parapsychology professors struggling for work who decide to open up a ghost removal business. It stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Sigourney Weaver. It is directed by Ivan Reitman. [xix]

Image Credit Fandango.com [xx]

The re-release opened at fifteenth its opening weekend (August 29-31, 2014), making $1,756,513. It closed on September 18, 2014, despite being advertised as only being open for one week. During this time, it made $3,580,343. This makes the film’s total lifetime gross $242,212,467 as of December 1, 2014. [xxi]

In Other News:

In early November, Columbia Pictures requested to a Florida federal court that its anti-piracy policies be kept secret. The information on these policies is now in a closed case between Hotfile, a file-sharing site that closed down in 2013, and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). [xxii] Columbia is insisting that if this information were released, it would render the company incapable to protect its copyrighted works. This comes after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled that the information is in the public interest and should be released. [xxiii]

Image Courtesy Dailytech [xxvi]

On November 24, 2014, hackers took control of Sony’s computer systems. A group claiming to be the hackers then criticized Sony CEO Michael Lynton in a tweet, calling him “a criminal.” [xxiv] Since then, versions of five films belonging to Sony Pictures have been released online: Annie, Fury, Still Alice, Mr. Turner, and To Write Love on Her Arms. Of those five films, only Fury has been released in theaters, but even that film hasn’t had a DVD release yet. These films are already reported to have been illegally downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. [xxv] Sony has since hired Mandiant Forensics Unit to clean up the attack, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations has begun looking into the incident. Sony has been looking to see if the attack was perpetrated by North Korea-backed hackers in retaliation to the upcoming release of the movie, The Interview, which is a comedy about an attempt to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. [xxvii]

What’s To Come:

Annie

Image Courtesy IMDB [xxix]

One of the films leaked from the hack, Annie will be released in theaters on December 19, 2014. Starring Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx, and Cameron Diaz, this musical film tells of a young foster kid (Wallis) who toughs out the hard knock life of New York City in 2014. While it will be competing against Disney‘s Into The Woods, the film is predicted to make about $95 million. [xxviii]

The Interview

Image Courtesy IMDB [xxxi]

To be released on Christmas Day, December 25, 2014, The Interview is the latest comedy co-directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Starring Rogen and James Franco, the film is about journalist Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapoport from the popular TV show Skylark Tonight as they are hired by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong Un. It is predicted to make $90 million. [xxx]

[i] Columbia Pictures Logo. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[ii] Sony Pictures Contacts. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[iii] Sony/Columbia Executives. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[iv] History of Columbia Pictures. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[v] Sony Divisions. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[vi] Sony Financials Q2 FY14. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[vii] Sony Financials Q2 FY13. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[viii] Sony Financials Q2 FY14. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[vix] Sony Predictions. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[x] Columbia Films 2014. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xi] 22 Jump Street Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xii] 22 Jump Street Box Office. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xiii] The Equalizer Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xiv] The Equalizer Box Office. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xv] Fury Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xvi] Fury Box Office. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xvii] Fury Free for Veterans 11/11. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xviii] Ghostbusters Re-release Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xix] Ghostbusters Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xx] Ghostbusters Re-release Poster. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xxi] Ghostbusters Re-Release Box Office. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxii] Hotfile Shuts Down. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxiii] Columbia Anti-Piracy Case. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxiv] Hackers take Sony. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxv] Sony Movies Leaked. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxvi] Hackers Call Out Lynton on Twitter. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxvii] Sony Responds to Hack. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxviii] Annie Info. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxiv] Annie Poster. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxx] The Interview Info. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxxi] The Interview Poster. Retrieved 12/1/2014.

IAC

Posted on December 1, 2014 by jypirogo

by Jacob Pirogovsky

IAC began in 1986 and was originally called the Silver King Broadcasting Company and was owned by the Home Shopping Network. Later in 1992, it became its own publicly traded company. The company went through a series of name changes from USA Networks, Inc. to USA Interactive, before finally changing it to IAC/InterActiveCorp in July of 2004. Since that time IAC/InterActiveCrop has been acquiring a variety of companies in a very wide array of different fields. They divide their holdings into four main groups: Search and Applications, The Match Group, Media, and eCommerce. Each of these groups has a plethora of companies, as seen in the image below, all of which influence the decisions and finances of InterActiveCorp as a whole.

All 4 segments broken up, with revenue information. SOURCE: Berkeley Investment Group

This period* has seen a lot of changes for IAC, as well as its subsidiaries. One major one was that Bonnie Hammer, the chairman for NBCUniversal Cable was appointed to the board of IAC in September by IAC’s CEO Barry Diller, who says “She’s a superb businesswoman, programmer and brand builder.” With her expertise in the television industry, she will be able to give the company insight into growing audiences and as a very influential social activist she will be able to attract some positive press for IAC, especially in light of the drama surrounding Tinder’s executives.

In early September a court case was settled between one of Tinder’s co-founders, Justin Mateen, and an early employee, Whitney Wolfe, who accused Mateen of sexual harassment. IAC reached a settlement with Wolfe so that it wouldn’t go to trial, but

2 of Tinder’s Co-Founder’s – Sean Rad (left) and Justin Mateen (right). SOURCE: Forbes

everything was deemed confidential so much of what happened is unknown to the public. Mateen left the company after being suspended in July. Now, in November Tinder’s co-founder and CEO Sean Rad has been forced to step down by IAC. The news came to him while he was at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit in October, where he was about to announce that Tinder was going to monetize. Both of these things have big implications for Tinder and IAC. The app has grown 600% in the last year and has 30 million users who collectively check out 1.2 billion other users. With the new premium model, revenue predictions for 2015 are about $150 million. Rad, who will remain on the board of Tinder, is working with Matt Cohler, a partner at Benchmark and a newcomer to the Tinder board, to find a new CEO for the company.

SOURCE: Forbes

In terms of other finances, IAC released a third quarter earnings report for 2014 at the end of October. According to Yahoo! Finance, the company earned about $30 million more than analysts had predicted for this quarter. Overall, it has had 3% growth in the last year. In The Match Group, revenue increased by 12% and in the eCommerce segment, HomeAdvisor’s revenue grew 20%, with an overall growth of 14% in the segment. In the third quarter Search & Applications decreased 3% in the last year. Meanwhile, in the Media segment of IAC, Vimeo revenue increased by 30% and now has more than 530,000 subscribers; however, overall the Media revenue went down 1% in the last year.

IAC’s stock over the past year on the NASDAQ. SOURCE: Bloomberg Markets

Very recently in early November, Mindspark (an IAC subsidiary) acquired Apalon, a company that develops applications for Apple and Google Play, and whose apps have had more than 100 million downloads in the past year. “The combination of Apalon’s world-class mobile app development skills with Mindspark’s proven ability to distribute digital applications at scale is a huge differentiator and strategic advantage in the marketplace,” said Eric Esterlis, co-president of Mindspark. The two companies will complement each other and will help fight the decrease in revenue in the Search and Application segment of IAC.

SOURCE: About.com

Another revenue booster for that segment is the redesign of About.com’s website. The site hadn’t been redesigned since 2007, so the re-launch of the site in September has had some profound effects on users. On average they stayed on the site 24% longer and viewed 18% more articles than before the redesign. Additionally, the previous design was built to come up higher in Google searches to increase cost-per-click ad revenue; however, because Google’s algorithm is always changing and to decrease dependency on this type of ad, the site is now making more deals with advertisers to sponsor different sections of the site.

In the eCommerce segment, the EVP and CFO of Shoebuy.com, John Foristall was selected as an honoree “40 Under 40” award, which is given out annually by the Boston Business Journal to people who have made a major impact in their field. In addition, the company partnered with Rodgers and Hamerstein’s Cinderella to launch a limited collection of special occasion footwear inspired by the show. The cooperation helped increase the overall revenue of the segment.

In the media segment, Aereo, an online streaming service that offered live and recorded programs, filed for bankruptcy protection in November, after losing a major court case. The company was said to have violated programming copyright protections, according to a Supreme Court decision. The startup was beginning to revolutionize broadcast TV viewing, and even though it ended up failing, it will most likely lead to future attempts of a similar service.

SOURCE: Bloomberg WEST

Up until the past few years, Vimeo, another one of IAC’s media holdings, was having a hard time figuring out how to monetize, other than through subscription users. Now through Vimeo On Demand, their on demand platform, they have an additional revenue stream. In October, they made deals with two big YouTube producers, Phil DeFranco and the Orchard online network, which put their content onto Vimeo as well. Additionally, Vimeo just had their first original series, “High Maintenance,” premiere in November. According to Indiewire, the show is the future for web series and indie television. The series directors were in ongoing talks with FX to bring the show to cable, but ended up cancelling because they didn’t want to lose creative control. In light of that they made a deal with Vimeo for the financing. As Vimeo caters more towards industry professionals, the high production value show has found the perfect home and will bring more revenue to the site. Even though the show has always been on Vimeo, they are now promoting it; and they have given the series it’s own channel and have begun charging 1.99 per episode. This doesn’t seem to be a deterrent because according to Vimeo CEO Kerry Trainor, “High Maintenance” made more money in the first two days after it released and charged for episodes than it would have made with YouTube ad sales over the past two years.

High Maintenance // Stevie from Janky Clown Productions on Vimeo.

Overall, IAC/InterActiveCorp has had a very busy semester with lots of acquisitions and new deals being made to stay up to date in today’s ever changing fast-paced media driven world. As the year comes to an end, Ask.com recently released the top searches of 2014, marking a comeback in the struggling site. Looking ahead, in all four sectors of the company, IAC plans to maintain and increase its status as the 13th largest network in the world.

*a period from August 25th – December 1st 2014

KEY EXECUTIVES:
Barry Diller – Chairman & Senior Executive
Victor Kaufman – Vice Chairman
Jeff Kip – Executive VP & CFO
Greg Blatt – Chairman, The Match Group

Address:
555 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 1-212-314-7300
Company URL: iac.com

Sources:

Forbes.com: Tinder harassment settlement, Tinder monetizing/new CEO
Variety.com: Bonnie Hammer story
Tvbythenumbers: Hammer’s social activism information
IAC.com: Q3 report, Brand homepages, executives, Press Releases
Yahoo! Finance: IAC financial information
Bloomberg.com: Aereo story, Vimeo’s new content
IndieWire.com: High Maintenance information
The Hollywood Reporter.com: Vimeo On Demand information
Fastcompany.com: About.com redesign

Images/Video:

-Forbes.com: Tinder Co-Founders, Sean Rad Interview
-Bloomberg.com: Aereo Interview, IAC Stock Chart
-Berkeley Investment Group: IAC breakdown chart
-About.com: Website redesign
-Vimeo.com: High Maintenance episode

Sirius XM Radio

Posted on December 1, 2014 by htfergus

by Andrew Spalter

Courtesy of Consumer Affairs [1]

Seriously, what is Sirius XM [2]?

Sirius XM is a commercial-free listening service that is always in your grasp. Whether it be by smartphone, tablet, computer, home, or even car, you can always listen to Sirius XM radio within Wifi or Cellular range. The channels consist of every genre, play-by-play sports, news and talk, and the biggest/hottest entertainment, 24/7.

Sirius XM has over 175+ channels that range from every genre of music to some of the most listened to entertainment channels in the world, including the wildcard, Howard Stern [3]. With over 26 million subscribers [4] Sirius is one of the largest most subscribed to Music Streaming/Radio service.

sirius_xm_channel_lineup_starting_may_4_2011

Courtesy of Maple Crest for Lincoln Union [5]

Who is in Charge [6] Here?

James E. Meyer (CEO) -Courtesy of SBU.edu [7]

MV5BODkyOTYxMjA1N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTI0OTIz._V1_SY317_CR9,0,214,317_AL_

Scott Greenstein (President & Chief Content Officer) -Courtesy of IMBD.com [8]

Dara Altman (Left) (Executive VP & Chief Administrative Officer) -Courtesy of New York Social Diary [9]

Resources-16149-DonnellyP_2011_20141011115535

Patrick L. Donnelly (Executive VP & General Counsel) -Courtesy of Pli.edu [10]

Sirius XM’s Financials [11]

Closing the previous weekend, Sirius XM (SIRI) [12] is trading at $3.63. Since Sirius XM is a publicly traded company, their total company revenue has sky rocketed the past few years. Going from a $3 Billion revenue to closing at a $3.8 Billion revenue last year. Sirius XM is the largest radio broadcaster [4] and their revenue stream comes from their 26.7 million subscribers. A large amount of their 26.7 million subscribers comes from their vast array of listening devices that their service can be installed on. Everything from a smartphone to a car has the ability to obtain Sirius XM. Along with their multiple ways to be listened to, they have a huge range of genres and entertainment stations including, Howard Stern, Oprah, Pink Floyd, Frank Sinatra, and Tiesto.

-Courtesy of Google Search [13]

Competitors? Who? [14]

Who can compete with a company this large and with fans this loyal and committed into yearly contracts? Not many in fact. Companies such as Pandora [15], or Apple/iTunes [16] (radio), Spotify (Radio) [17], etc., are the closest competitors to Sirius XM. The reason that these particular apps/companies are competitors is due to the fact that you can pay for their radio service. These companies that are competitors to that of Sirius XM are extremely different due to the fact that you cannot instal those streaming services in your car [18] or home. Although, now with new technology you are able to store the application version of these companies into your car, home, phone, and tablet. They are slowly approaching that of the power of Sirius XM, but slowly.

History of Sirius XM

Before Sirius XM was Sirius XM there was a Sirius Radio and a XM Radio, separately. In July of 2008 Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio announced that they had completed their merger [19].

Courtesy of Toplessactions.com [20]

Since then the companies have been called Sirius XM radio and instead of mainly cars only offering Sirius, or XM radio, they offer Sirius XM radio. Before the huge merge, in 2000 the FCC allowed satellite radio to be deployed, thus the launch of three satellites [21] into orbit from Kazakhstan in July. Soon after that Sirius secured partnerships with Chrysler, Ford, and BMW and in 2002 they launched the initial phase of its service in the cities of Denver, Houston, Phoenix, and Jackson, MS [22] in February of 2002, then in July Sirius spread nationwide.

Where can YOU find Sirius XM?

With Sirius covering of 3,717,792 [23] square miles of coast to coast coverage, and with a reach of 200 miles off shore, Sirius XM goes where you go. The satellite radio service can be found in vehicles built by GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, Audi, and Volkswagen [24].

Courtesy of Siriusxm.com [25]

Not only can you find the satellite radio in 11 car companies but you can listen to the service in your car, home, boat, plane, business, or even on the go from your Smartphone, Tablet, and Computer. Other places that are capable of playing from Sirius XM are Android devices, the Kindle Fire, Blu-ray & Media Players, Home Audio, Custom Audio, and Smart TV’s. [26]

What’s Happening at Sirius XM, What Can You Expect?

Recently you may have heard that Sirius XM and their competitor Pandora have been slammed with a series of lawsuits over older recordings. The reason beyond these lawsuits is due to the fact that neither company pays record labels or artists for songs that were recorded before the year 1972. This was due to the copyright protection that was first applied to recordings via Federal copyright protection [27].

Courtesy of Bloggless.com [28]

Overall both companies lost their lawsuits but this is a big awakening and a step forward for music subscription via satellite. When one door closes another one opens and due to these lawsuits Sirius XM will be paying artists and labels appropriately, creating lasting business relationships.

Upcoming News/Numbers

Contrary to popular belief, Sirius XM was not always so profitable. Only a few months after their merger in 2008, Sirius was on the cusp of declaring bankruptcy but with the help of a $530 million loan from Liberty Media in 2009, Mel Karmazin was able to negotiate a deal for 40% equity stake in Sirius XM. Then in their fourth quarter of 2009, Sirius XM reported a profit of income of a little over $14 million [29], since then it has all been up hill. They even released a statement via their companies investor site stating, “We expect to double factory installed vehicles to over 100 million by 2018 and plan to offer our unique content and valuable entertainment to even more customers in the future.” (Jim Meyer, President, Sirius XM) [30] In 2012 this statement was released and during that time, Sirius XM was in over 50 million cars. Their goal is coming into fruition with adding nearly half a million subscribers per quarter. Maybe it won’t hit 100-million vehicles, but they are constantly raising the bar higher and higher. The company Sirius XM has made a complete turned a complete 180 from being nearly bankrupt to a company that substantially increases profit each quarter.

Sources:

1. Sirius XM Logo, Consumeraffairs.com, RT: 11/20/2014

2. What is Sirius XM?, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

3. Howard Stern Info, Siriusxm.com/howard100, RT: 11/20/2014

4. Subscriber Info, Siriusxm.com/corporate, RT: 11/20/2014

5. Channel Listings, Maplecrestfordlincolnunion.com, RT: 11/21/2014

6. Executives, Siriusxm.com/bios, RT: 11/20/2014

7. James E. Meyer, Sbu.edu, RT: 11/20/2104

8. Scott Greenstien, Imdb.com, RT: 11/21/2014

9. Dara Altman, Newyorksocialdiary.com, RT: 11/21/2014

10. Patrick L. Donnelly, Pli.edu, RT: 11/21/2014

11. Sirius XM Financials, Investor.siriusxm.com, RT: 11/21/2014

12. Sirius XM Stock, Finance.yahoo.com, RT: 11/21/2014

13. Sirius XM Stock Google, Google.com, RT: 11/21/2014

14. Competitors, Fool.com, RT: 11/21/2014

15. Pandora Info, Pandora.com, RT: 11/21/2014

16. Apple Info, Apple.com, RT: 11/21/2014

17. Spotify Info, Support.spotify.com, RT: 11/22/2014

18. Apple In Car Display, Apple.com, RT: 11/22/2014

19. Merger Info, Investor.siriusxm.com, RT: 11/22/2014

20. Sirius Satellite & XM Picture, Topclassactions.com, RT: 11/22/2014

21. Satellite Info, Archive.fortune.com, RT: 11/22/2014

22. Where Sirius Started, Radiomagonline.com, RT: 11/22/2014

23. Sirius Mileage Coverage, Siriusxm.com/whatissiriusxm, RT: 11/22/2014

24. List of Vehicles Sirius is in, Siriusxm.com/internetradio, RT: 11/22/2014

25. Image of Vehicle List, Nytimes.com, RT: 11/22/2014

26. List of Devices, Siriusxm.com/internetradio, RT: 11/22/2014

27. Lawsuit, Nytimes.com, RT: 11/22/2014

28. Copyright Image, Bloggless.com, RT: 11/22/2014

29. Revenue, Nytimes.com, RT: 11/22/2014

30. Jim Meyer Quote, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/22/2014

CBS Corp. (TV broadcast & cable properties only)

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Emily Norman

by Emily Norman

CBS Corporation

Brief History

Classic CBS Logo. [1]

Founded in 1927 by Arthur Judson as an alternative to NBC, the Columbia Broadcasting System has been delivering news and entertainment for nearly a century. CBS has flourished in the realm of television, as it produced hits such as The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968), M*A*S*H (1972-1983), and 60 Minutes (1968-). In 1995, the company was sold to Westinghouse Electric Corporation for about $5 billion. Today, Westinghouse is known as CBS Corporation [2].

Corporate Information

Key Executives

Sumner M. Redstone, Courtesy of cbscorporation.com

Sumner M. Redstone, Executive Chairman. [3]

Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, Courtesy of cbscorporation.com

Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer. [4]

Anthony G. Ambrosio, Senior Executive Vice President. [5]

Financials

For the 2014 third quarter, CBS announced a revenue of $3.37 billion, which is up 2% from the 2013 third quarter. Similarly, advertising revenue also grew 2%, due to Thursday Night Football as well as midterm elections. However, the company’s adjusted net earnings were just $400 million, down $31 million from the year before. Also during the third quarter, CBS bought back just under seven million shares of its own stock for about $400 million [6]. As of November 28th, 2014, the price of one share was $54.88. This was just above of its 52-week low of $48.83 [7].

Broadcast Programming

CBS Daytime Programming

The Cast of The Young and the Restless. [8]

CBS has always excelled in the world of daytime drama. Now, in 2014, it is the only broadcast network to feature more than one soap opera: The Young and the Restless (1973-) and The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-). The Young and the Restless saw a 1.3 rating for the 18-49 demo this past September, which is up 8% from March. This bump in viewership is accredited to the return of Shemar Moore [9]. Meanwhile, its sister-soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, featured a pair of cross-over episodes with Big Brother in celebration of Halloween [10]. Both these daytime dramas have performed spectacularly, routinely beating out NBC’s Days of Our Lives and ABC’s General Hospital [11].

Soap Opera Ratings for the Week of November 3rd – November 7th, 2014. [11]

CBS Primetime Programming

The Cast of Scorpion. [12]

For the 2014-2015 season, CBS launched five new series in the fall. The majority of the new shows are hour-long dramas, including Scorpion, Stalker, Madam Secretary, and the second spin-off of the hit series NCIS, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS. CBS only launched one new sitcom this fall: The McCarthys [13]. Of these new series, Scorpion is performing the best, with an average 18-49 demo rating of 2.47 as of November 19th, 2014. At the bottom of the pack is the network’s lone rookie sitcom, The McCarthys, which is averaging a rating of about 1.51 in the same demo, making it susceptible to cancelation [14]. None of CBS’ new launches have been canceled as of November 20th, 2014 [15].

The Cast of The Big Bang Theory. [16]

The network boasts The Big Bang Theory as one of its top ratings giants. Now in its eighth season, the sitcom is consistently one of the highest-rated shows of the week, earning a whopping 4.5 in the 18-49 demo the week of November 10th [17]. The series has already been renewed for a ninth season [15]. Now in its twelfth season, NCIS has consistently ranked high in overall viewership; for the week of November 10th, the series boasted over 17 million viewers, trailing just behind the 20 million that NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football brought in [17]. The 2014-2015 season also marks the end of two of the network’s major veteran shows: Two and a Half Men and The Mentalist. After having lost two of its leading men, Two and a Half Men reached an all-time low average of 10.66 million viewers for its eleventh season, and, while 10 million viewers is still an impressive figure, the show has run its course and will go off the air in May [18]. The Mentalist garnered around 11.5 million viewers in its previous season. It has been speculated that, should these numbers remain impressive throughout the show’s shortened 13-episode-long final season, Warner Brothers could shop the show to other networks [19].

CBS’ Average Ratings for the 2014-2015 Season, As of November 19th, 2014. [14]

Additional Properties Programming

The CW Programming

Grant Gustin as The Flash. [20]

The joint venture of Time Warner and CBS, The CW has been a staple in young adult programming since 2006 [21]. For the 2014-2015 season, The CW launched two new series: The Flash and Jane the Virgin [22]. The Flash garnered nearly seven million viewers in the Live+7 ratings for its October premiere, making it the most watched piece of television that the network has ever aired [23]. Meanwhile, Jane the Virgin has accumulated critical acclaim for introducing diversity to The CW’s lineup [24]. Both The Flash and Jane the Virgin were picked up for full-season orders on October 21st [25].

The Cast of Supernatural. [26]

Supernatural, which began as a WB series in 2005, recently celebrated not only the debut of its tenth season, but also its 200th episode, which garnered the show’s highest ratings since the season premiere: 2.92 million viewers in the Live+3 category [27]. The network has also decreed that a 22nd cycle of America’s Next Top Model be commissioned for the 2015 season [28]. As of Friday, November 14th, the show’s current cycle holds a 0.4 in the 18-49 demo [29].

The CW's Average Ratings, As of November 19th, 2014.

The CW’s Average Ratings for the 2014-2015 Season, As of November 19th, 2014. [30]

Showtime Programming

Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper on Twin Peaks. [31]

CBS’ cable holding, Showtime, announced this fall its intentions to resurrect Twin Peaks, which ran from 1990-1991 on ABC. Showtime will air the original 30 episodes ahead of the new series, which will consist of nine episodes. The continuation of Twin Peaks will debut in 2016 [32]. In the meantime, Showtime continues to experience success with its critically-acclaimed series Homeland. The series garnered a season-best 1.66 million viewers on November 16th, however, when all platforms are taken into account, the series is averaging well over 5 million viewers on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, The Affair, which airs in the slot following Homeland, delivered roughly 778,000 viewers that same evening, up 16% from the previous week. As with Homeland, multi-platform viewing accounts for a significant portion of its viewership, resulting in a total number of 3.8 million viewers [33].

Showtime’s Average Ratings for the 2014-2015 Season, As of November 19th, 2014.

Showtime’s Average Ratings, As of November 19th, 2014. [34]

Current Events

CBS All Access

This fall, CBS became the first broadcast network to begin offering a streaming service akin to HBO’s service. This product is called CBS All Access and costs subscribers $5.99 a month. That being said, as of October 16th, the service is only offered in seven US markets, and does not feature NFL games. CBS All Access offers customers a wide array of both current series and canceled series [35].

CBS New York’s Coverage of CBS All Access. Click for Full Video. [36]

Dispute with Dish

In November of 2014, CBS experienced a dispute with Dish TV over negotiations. The companies’ previous contract was signed in January of 2012, and was set to expire by the end of November, however, CBS, along with other major broadcast networks, filed a lawsuit against Dish, citing their ad-skipping feature as the main source of conflict. The feature, which allows the customer to automatically skip over commercials, also prompted an attempt on CBS’ behalf to break their current contract with the satellite company [37]. With multiple Owned & Operated stations on the verge of being blacked out to Dish customers, both companies agreed to a deadline-extension on their current contract; as of November 26th, the extension will reach into early December, prompting further negotiation, while the O&O stations still air their programming [38].

Sources

[1] CBS Logo. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://awfulannouncing.com/2013/cbs-sports-chairman-sean-mcmanus-on-that-other-pregame-show-concussions-and-fantasy-football.html

[2] CBS Corporation. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100876/CBS-Corporation

[3] Sumner M. Redstone. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany-executives.php?id=&exec=156

[4] Leslie Moonves. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany-executives.php?id=&exec=150

[5] Anthony G. Ambrosio. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany-executives.php?id=&exec=135

[6] Investor Relations – Financial and Stock Information. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://investors.cbscorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99462&p=quarterlyearnings

[7] Investor Relations – Stock Quote. Retrieved November 28, from http://investors.cbscorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99462&p=irol-shareowner_stockquote

[8] The Cast of The Young and the Restless. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Young_and_the_Restless

[9] Big Ratings for Y&R. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_young_and_the_restless/news/1003158/

[10] B&B & Big Brother Spooktacular. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/news_blog/1003342/

[11] Soap Opera Ratings. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/15/soap-opera-ratings-the-young-the-restless-the-bold-the-beautiful-general-hospital-up-in-women-18-49-viewers/327190/

[12] The Cast of Scorpion. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.cbs.com/shows/scorpion/about/

[13] CBS Fall TV Schedule 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvline.com/2014/05/14/cbs-fall-tv-lineup-2014-the-big-bang-theory-monday/

[14] CBS 2014-15 Season Ratings. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/cbs-2014-15-season-ratings-33998/

[15] CBS Predictions. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/18/cbs-predictions-stalker-is-a-toss-up-to-be-canceled-or-renewed/327282/

[16] The Cast of The Big Bang Theory. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.movieweb.com/movies-you-havent-seen-with-the-cast-of-the-big-bang-theory

[17] TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/18/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-sunday-night-football-tops-week-8-with-adults-18-49/329077/

[18] ‘Two and a Half Men’ Final Season. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://www.ibtimes.com/two-half-men-final-season-how-show-survived-losing-charlie-sheen-why-season-12-last-1716310

[19] ‘The Mentalist’ to end on CBS. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/04/the-mentalist-canceled/

[20] Grant Gustin as The Flash. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.comicvine.com/articles/big-change-to-flash-s-role-in-arrow-update/1100-147601/

[21] The CW. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbscorporation.com/portfolio.php?division=95

[22] The CW’s Fall Schedule. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://tvline.com/2014/06/25/cw-fall-tv-schedule-2014-arrow-vampire-diaries/

[23] ‘The Flash’ Premiere Ratings. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://deadline.com/2014/10/the-flash-ratings-premiere-most-watched-cw-863045/

[24] ‘Jane the Virgin’ is The CW’s Best Show Ever. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/28/jane-the-virgin-is-the-cw-s-best-show-ever.html

[25] ‘The Flash’ ‘Jane the Virgin’ Get Full Season Orders. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/flash-jane-virgin-get-full-739683

[26] The Cast of Supernatural. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/supernatural/29404/supernatural-spin-off-casts-its-leads

[27] The CW’s ‘The Flash’ and 200th Episode of ‘Supernatural’. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/16/the-cws-the-flash-and-200th-episode-of-supernatural-hit-best-ratings-since-season-premiere-in-live-3-ratings/328353/

[28] America’s Next Top Model Renewed. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/americas-next-top-model-renewed-the-cw-1201358635/

[29] Friday TV Ratings. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/friday-tv-ratings-last-man-standing-antm-amazing-race-grimm-shark-tank-34732/

[30] CW 2014-2015 Season Ratings. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/cw-2014-15-season-ratings-34237/

[31] Kye MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://inthetreesartpreview.blogspot.com

[32] Cult Favorite ‘Twin Peaks’ to Return. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.whas11.com/story/entertainment/2014/10/20/15980076/

[33] Showtime’s ‘Homeland,’ ‘The Affair’ Continue Ratings Rise. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/ratings/showtimes-homeland-the-affair-continue-ratings-rise-1201359488/

[34] Showtime’s Average Ratings. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/showtime-tv-show-ratings-33448/

[35] HBO, CBS Set Up Streaming Service. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://movienewsguide.com/hbo-cbs-set-streaming-service/34363

[36] CBS Offers Digital Subscription Service. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xBLol05Uh8

[37] Dish Could Lose 16 CBS Stations In Fee Fight. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.tvpredictions.com/dish110314.htm

[38] Dish Extends CBS Deal Another Week. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://adage.com/article/media/dish-extends-cbs-deal-week-standoff-looms/296014/

Time Warner (TV/cable channels only)

Image

by Cameron MacPherson

[1] Time Warner Logo

Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212-484-8000
www.timewarner.com

About

Time Warner, Inc. is an American media company with properties in the television and film industries, including cable properties under the Turner Broadcasting System, its premium cable property Home Box Office (HBO), and its production unit Warner Brothers Studios. [2]

[3] Time Warner has three major divisions: HBO, Turner, and Warner Brothers

Executives

[4] Jeff Bewkes, Chairman and CEO

[6] Gary L. Ginsberg, Executive VP, Corporate Marketing and Communications

[5] Howard M. Averill, Executive Vice President and CFO

Financials and Strategies

Time Warner Inc., a publicly traded company, posted a $29.8 billion revenue for 2013, a 4% increase from 2012. [7] On July 16, 2014, news broke that Time Warner had rejected an $80 billion buyout offer from 21^st Century Fox. The proposal offered $85 a share for a stock that, just before the announced rejection, sat just above $70 a share. [8] CEO Jeff Bewkes has made a commitment to reach the $85 per share target to encourage stockholders that the company has growth potential. Under Bewkes, the financial strategy of the company has been to minimize expenses to maximize profits. Time Warner Inc. has recently spun off Time Warner Cable and Time Inc. properties, retaining only its Turner cable properties, HBO, and the Warner Brothers Studios. [9]

Time Warner rejected a buyout bid from 21st Century Fox

[12 ] Time Warner rejected an $80 billion buyout bid from 21st Century Fox

Even with a smaller portfolio of properties, the emphasis on streamlined efficiency still dominates Time Warner’s financial strategy. In recent months, there have been layoffs in all three of Time Warner’s divisions. Turner Broadcasting offered a buyout option to 6% of its staffers in August, two months before announcing that the company would cut 1,475 jobs.[10][11] Time Warner cut seven percent, or 150, of its domestic employees for HBO in late October, one week before cutting 1,000 jobs at Warner Brothers Studios. [13][14]

The strategy, to this point, has been successful. The newly enacted efficiencies and bold strategies for expansion of Time Warner’s HBO property have led to a surge in market valuation. On November 30, the price of Time Warner’s stock reached $85.12 per share, 12 cents above the buyout offer from 21^st Century Fox in July (before falling slightly below the line the next day). [15]

[13] A graph showing the price of Time Warner's stock prices over the last three months (TWX)

[16 ] A graph showing the price of Time Warner’s stock prices over the last three months (TWX)

HBO Developments

[17 ] HBO, a division of Time Warner

According to Time Warner, a major reason for rejecting the buyout offer was the growth potential of HBO. On September 16, ten days after 21^st Century Fox CEO Rupert Murdoch withdrew his buyout offer, Time Warner announced plans for a fourth quarter marketing push for HBO across broadcast, cable, and digital platforms. [18] A week later, HBO partnered with AT&T to offer customers broadband service, HBO GO, and Amazon’s Prime membership for a limited time offer. [19] The move, similar to Comcast’s “Internet Plus” package, signaled another step towards unbundling HBO from pricey cable subscriptions. Just a month after that, Time Warner made a major announcement that expanded on this departure from cable bundles. Time Warner stated that it planned to offer a standalone streaming platform through its online HBO GO service starting in 2015. The service will be available without a cable subscription to HBO, using broadband as its distribution channel. [20] While the details about available programming and distribution channels are yet to be released, many analysts predict the over-the-top service will be marketed towards cord-cutters and millenials rather than those with existing HBO subscriptions. [21]

With the new online streaming service, Time Warner hopes to attract customers to HBO who might otherwise be deterred by cable’s lofty price tag. Additionally, it has positioned itself as a viable competitor to Netflix in the digital arena. HBO has fewer domestic subscribers than Netflix, but far more international subscribers; HBO boasts 130 million global subscribers to Netflix’s 50 million. [22] In recent months, Time Warner has sought to expand this international presence. HBO struck a deal with Chinese content distributor Tencent Holdings Ltd., granting the Chinese media giant the exclusive rights to distribute HBO’s original programming. Tencent Video, the company’s online streaming site, will air episodes of HBO shows that have become wildly popular in China through piracy sites. [23] Executives at HBO hope that this move will cut down on piracy, and create a loyal fan base in the world’s most populous country.

Programming

HBO

[24] In 2014, HBO aired the final season of its hit crime show, “Boardwalk Empire”

HBO is known for its award winning original programming and loyal fan bases, particularly with hits like “Game of Thrones,” and “True Detective.” One such program, the smash crime hit “Boardwalk Empire,” finished its television run after five seasons. The series, which has won 18 Emmys, had a strong showing with 2.3 million viewers tuning in live for the series finale. When coupled with a same-night rerun and HBO GO statistics, total same-day viewers exceeded 6.6 million. [25]

HBO launched the final season of its news drama "The Newsroom" [26]

[27 ] HBO launched the final season of its news drama “The Newsroom”

HBO launched three new shows in its Sunday lineup, including the third and final season of Aaron Sorkin’s “The Newsroom.” The premiere of the truncated season reached a disappointing 1.2 million viewers live, a 40% decrease from the season two premiere. This year, the series does not benefit from the strong lead-ins of “True Blood” and “Boardwalk Empire,” leading to decreases in live ratings. [26]

It should be noted that live viewership is not as important for HBO due to its lack of advertising. Only about 25 to 30 percent of viewers watch programs live on HBO, as many viewers use the on-demand services or the web-based HBO GO. [28]

Turner

[31 ] Turner CEO John Martin

Turner Broadcasting and its CEO John Martin have expressed a commitment to take more “creative risks,” and announced that the company would double its funding for original programming by the end of 2018. [29] Turner’s TBS and TNT channels have greatly benefited from airing live sporting events. Alongside Disney, Time Warner renewed its rights to air live NBA games through the 2024-2025 season. TNT is granted the rights to broadcast 64 games a year. [30]

The 2014 American League Championship Series on TBS was the most viewed MLB playoffs on the network since 2010. The 2014 ALCS averaged 4.3 million viewers, despite featuring teams from mid-sized markets. [32] Because sporting events can draw large numbers of live viewers, Turner is able to charge higher prices for advertising and licensing fees. Thus, investing in live sporting rights will continue to be a major component of Turner’s business strategy.

The mass viewership of sporting events gives Turner additional leverage in negotiations with television distributors. When contract negotiations were stalling between Dish Network and Time Warner in October, Dish Network suddenly blacked out many of Turner’s cable channels, including CNN, TruTV, and Cartoon Network. Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen stated that while blacking out these channels was a “non-issue,” it would be “more painful” to take down the popular Turner channels Dish had left running: TBS and TNT, which both carry major sporting events. [33]

Future

The future of Time Warner will be heavily scrutinized by corporate analysts. The question remains: can Time Warner create sustained growth, or was it foolish to pass

[34] The Time Warner Center, headquarters of Time Warner, Inc.

on the 21^st Century Fox buyout offer? Time Warner has made decisions to bring its stock prices up in both the short-term, through corporate restructuring and job layoffs, and the long-term, through strategic HBO expansions and property spinoffs. Only sustained growth, most likely fostered by HBO’s continued expansion and Turner’s programming decisions, will determine the success of Time Warner.

[1] Time Warner Inc. logo. Timewarner.com, retrieved 1 December 2014

[2] Time Warner Inc. Timewarner.com, retrieved 1 December 2014

[3] Time Warner Operating Divisions. Timewarner.com, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[4] Jeff Bewkes bio page. Timewarner.com, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[5] Howard Averill bio page. Timewarner.com, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[6] Gary Ginsberg bio page. Timewarner.com, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[7] Time Warner’s quarterly reports. Ir.timewarner.com, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[8] “Time Warner rejected $80B offer from 21st Century Fox: Sources”. CNBC, 16 July 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[9] “Time Warner Profit Tops Estimates as CEO Pursues Growth”. Bloomberg.com, 5 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[10] “Turner Broadcasting offers voluntary buyouts”. CNN Money, 26 August 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[11] “Turner Broadcasting, Home of CNN, TBS and TNT, Will Cut 1,475 jobs”. The New York Times, 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[12] “Time Warner’s HBO to cut 7 percent of staff”. Reuters, 28 October 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[13] “Warner Bros. Layoffs Beginning Tuesday to Eliminate Roughly 1,000 Jobs”. The Hollywood Reporter, 3 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[14] Twenty First Century Fox logo. Logopedia, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[15] Time Warner (TWX) stock. MarketWatch, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[16] Graph of TWX stock. Google Finance, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[17] HBO logo. Homeboxoffice.com, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[18] “Time Warner Plans HBO Marketing Push to Speed Growth”. Bloomberg.com, 18 September 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[19] “AT&T Lures Cord Cutters With $39-a-Month Deal for Broadband, Amazon Prime and HBO”. The Wall Street Journal, 23 September 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[20] “HBO Plans New Streaming Service, With Eye on Cord Cutters”. The New York Times, 15 October 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[21] “Before HBO Starts Streaming, Time Warner Wants to Make Big Cable Happy”. Businessweek, 5 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[22] “The battle between Netflix and HBO is just beginning. And this man holds the key”. The Washington Post, 28 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[23] “Tencent to Distribute HBO Dramas, Movies Online in China”. Nadsaq, 28 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[24] Boardwalk Empire poster. IMDB, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[25] “‘Boardwalk Empire’ Ratings: Series Ends With 2.3M Watching HBO Finale”. Deadline, 27 October 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[26] “HBO Has a Quiet Sunday With ‘Newsroom’ and ‘Comeback’ Returns”. The Hollywood Reporter, 11 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[27] Businessweek, ibid.

[28] The Newsroom poster. IMDB, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[29] “Turner Broadcasting CEO Pledges to Double Original Programming Investment”. The Hollywood Reporter, 12 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[30] “Walt Disney, Time Warner Said to Renew NBA TV Contracts”. Bloomberg.com, 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[31] John Martin bio page. Turner.com, retrieved 1 December 2014.

[32] “TBS Finishes Its Most-Viewed MLB Postseason Since 2010”. Multichannel.com, 16 October 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[33] “Turner Warns Dish Users That TNT & TBS Might Follow CNN, Toons Going Dark”. Deadline, 18 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

[34] Associated Press file image of the Time Warner Center. Syracuse.com, 08 August 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

Scripps Networks Interactive

Posted on October 22, 2014 by jlmccu01

by Julie McCullough

9721 Sherrill Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37932

(865) 694-2700

courtesy of dish.com

Scripps Networks Interactive started in 1875 when E.W. Scripps founded The Penny Press and soon became one of the most successful newspaper publishing companies. The E.W. Scripps Company later evolved, acquiring local television stations. It was not until the company bought HGTV and the Food Network that it became Scripps Networks Interactive, the leading developer in lifestyle media. [1]

Today, Scripps Networks Interactive develops lifestyle media across the platforms of cable television, digital, mobile, and publishing. Home of HGTV, Food Network, The Cooking Channel, Travel Channel, DIY Network, and Great American Country, SNI reaches viewers all over the world with the goal of changing and improving everyday lifestyles.

Key Executives [2]

Kenneth W. Lowe – President and Chief Executive Officer

Henry Ahn- Executive Vice President, Content Distribution and Marketing

Joseph G. Necastro- Chief Financial and Administrative Officer

Jim Samples- President, International

Lori A. Hickok- Executive Vice President, Finance

Burton Jablin- President

Tamara Franklin- Executive Vice President, Digital

Right Here, Right Now

Cable

SNI’s 2014 Upfront event in NYC revealed 35 new primetime and daytime series for the fall seasons of Food Network and Cooking Channel [3]. Among the new shows were Food Network’s Bobby Flay Fit, The Big Tip, and Chopped Teens Tournament and Cooking Channel’s Proper Pub Food and Compete to Eat. The channels are showing trends of gravitating toward competition and travel shows that take the audience out of the traditional home/kitchen. DIY Network and HGTV also premiered many new series and specials this fall. Among the lineup for DIY were The William Shatner Project, documenting renovations to the famous Star Trek actor’s house, The Property Brothers at Home, and Amish RENOgades, featuring Amish craftsmen as they travel outside of their community and learn to navigate the modern world and work on home improvement projects.
HGTV series this fall included Lakefront Bargain Hunt, A Hero’s welcome, White House Christmas, and Half-Price Paradise. [4]

courtesy of scrippsnetworksinteractive.com

In September 2014, Dish Network obtained the rights to deliver live and on-demand content from all six of SNI’s cable networks on their over-the-top internet service, “Dish Anywhere”. The pact allows dish subs to access authenticated Scripps Networks programming over any Internet connection, on devices including connected TVs, PCs, smartphones, tablets and video game consoles.[5] At the 2014 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference in September, President Burton Jablin and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Joseph NeCastro stressed the OTT deal as a way to increase distribution for their up-and-coming networks, Cooking Channel and DIY Network, while giving their live viewers (which make up about 90% of total viewership) more opportunities to view their high-quality content, and appealing to a wider audience of millennials and cord-nevers. [6]

Also in September, Scripps announced the expansion of HGTV into Singapore. The global expansion of SNI’s content signifies the universality of the network’s themes. The expansion to Singapore will include localized original short-form content exclusively for the launch of HGTV in Asia based on the popular series Extreme Homes. Jim Samples, president of Scripps Networks International, commented, “The launch of HGTV across Asia-Pacific signifies the first time HGTV has launched as a premiere 24/7 channel destination focused on home and lifestyle programming outside North America, including the Caribbean. This is a testament to how successful Scripps Networks’ high quality lifestyle content has performed around the world, and we see great potential for this channel offering to drive value for audiences, affiliate and advertising partners alike.” [7]

Publishing/ Digital

At its first ever Newfront presentation in April 2014, Scripps showcased an array of web series produced for its lifestyle video platform ulive, as well as websites for SNI television channels like HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, and Travel Channel. Many web series are designed as companions of SNI’s cable series. For example, “Star Salvation” runs on FoodNetwork.com parallel to season 10 of the TV series Food Network Star, giving eliminated finalists the opportunity to get back on the TV show. SNI’s strong focus on online content, as well as its presence at the 2014 Newfront presentations, signifies the company’s strong adaptability in today’s digital age. [8]

Vanilla Ice and Rev Run at 2014 Newfront (courtesy of adweek.com)

On Nov 17, 2014, SNI announced a cross-platform content partnership with Hearst Magazines to support the launch of the Citi Double Cash Card. Food Network and HGTV released seasonal holiday content in late November that connect across the holiday issues of Food Network Magazine, HGTV Magazine, food network.com, and HGTV.com. These holiday-inspired recipes, entertaining ideas, and DIY (do-it-yourself) projects were made to show consumers the two ways to earn cash back with the Citi Double Cash Card. [9]

Financials

SNI’s 2014 Upfront concluded selling just under 50% of inventory, hitting $1 billion in sales. There have been recent shifts toward scatter advertising. Scripps networks are very attractive to advertisers, as they have non-violent, popular, family-friendly content targeted to an upscale audience. There is also a higher demand for convergent buys, in which SNI packages TV ad space with corresponding digital content to appeal to a wider and more diverse audience. [6]

In October 2014, Scripps began offering its employees voluntary buyouts as a way to cut costs. “Each department will address its specific budget targets as they see fit. However, it is likely that this effort to bring costs in line with revenue will include the elimination of activities, projects and positions. We plan to announce any project and/or job eliminations resulting from this budget process by the end of the year,” said CEO Kenneth Lowe [10].

In better news, Scripps Network Interactive’s new cable and digital programming received very positive feedback from advertisers. The 2014 third-quarter earnings results shows that sales increased 4.5% to reach $644 million. “These solid third-quarter operating results demonstrate our unique competitive advantage, and our ability to create long-term value for shareholders in a changing marketplace,” Kenneth Lowe said in a press release accompanying the results [11]. TV station revenue has grown 22% since the third quarter of 2013, up $21.8 million for a total of $121 million. The company as a whole reported consolidated revenue of $208 million, an increase of 9.5%, or $18.1 million, from the year-earlier quarter. [12]

Looking forward, SNI has a promising financial future from ad revenues from both cable and digital. Bucking the trend of television in general, Food Network has lowered its median age in the last two years, due to much stronger growth in the 18-49 demo. At the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Conference, Burton Jablin and Joseph NeCastro outlined SNI’s plan of increasing viewership by expanding the Travel Channel, expanding their international brand, keeping Food Network and HGTV a healthy priority, and increasing distribution for Cooking Channel and DIY Network. [6]

courtesy of unpluggedtv.com

References:

[1] Scripps Networks Interactive- History (accessed October 24, 2014)

[2] Scripps Networks Interactive- Leaders (accessed October 24, 2014)

[3] Eater- Food Network and Cooking Channel Announce 35 New Shows for 2014 (accessed November 27, 2014)

[4]- Scripps Network Interactive- HGTV and DIY Network to Premiere 8 New Shows This Fall (accessed November 30, 2014)

[5] Variety- Dish Adds Food Network, HGTV and Other Scripps Cable Nets to Internet TV Lineup (accessed November 28, 2014)

[6]- Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. at Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference (accessed November 28, 2014)

[7]- Scripps Networks Interactive- SNI To Launch HGTV In Singapore on Starhub (accessed November 30, 2014)

[8] VideoInk- Scripps Networks Spotlights Programming for ulive and TV Network Sites (accessed November 28, 2014)

[9] MarketWatch- Scripps Networks Interactive and Hearst Magazines Create Original Cross-Platform Content Partnership to Support the Launch of the Citi® Double Cash Card (accessed November 28, 2014)

[10] BroadcastingCable.com- Scripps Networks Offering Buyouts to Cut Costs (accessed November 30, 2014)

[11] BroadcastingCable.com- Scripps Networks Net Up 2% in Third Quarter (accessed November 25, 2014)

[12]- TvNewsCheck.com- Scripps 3Q TV Station Revenue Grows 22% (accessed November 28, 2014)

Discovery Communications

Aside

by Indica Young

Discovery Communications Logo [1]

One Discovery Place

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Tel: 240-662-2000

http://corporate.discovery.com

-John Hendricks, Founder of Discovery Communications [3]

“To satisfy curiosity and make a difference in people’s lives by providing the highest quality content, services and products that entertain, engage, and enlighten.”[2]

–John Hendricks,1982

Discovery Communications is the #1 pay-TV programmer and is the worlds #1 nonfiction media company. With 2.8 billion subscribers, 189 international HD markets, and 54 network entertainment brands, Discovery Communications is successful at satisfying curiosity and entertaining viewers [4]. The company began as a single channel in 1985 as The Discovery Channel [5].Now they are a global mass media that operates popular networks such as The Learning Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Education, and American Heroes Channel [6]. Discovery Communications is a publicly traded company that produces their own original content as well as acquiring content. Discovery Communications is subsidiary of Time Warner and they operate out of Silver Springs, Maryland [7]. Discovery Communications is publicly traded on NASDAQ stock exchange, but privately held Advance Publications is Discovery’s largest shareholder, with a 31% stake [8].

Discovery Communications Headquarters, Silver Spring, MD [9]

TEAM DISCOVERY [2]

David M. Zaslav, President, Chief Executive Officer, [10]

David C. Leavy, Chief Communications Officer, Senior Executive Vice President, [11]

Andrew Warren-Senior Executive VP and CFO

Andrew Warren, Senior Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer, [13]

TOP COMPETITORS [12]

A&E Television Networks, LLC

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Viacom, Inc

FINANCIALS

On November 4th, 2014 the Third Quarter 2014 Financial Highlights were announced. While Discovery Channel has had a fairly stable U.S. market, the domestic network revenue has been declining and David Zaslav has been focused on expanding the international segment of Discovery Communications [14]. Overall, the company has seen a 14% year on year growth in the 3rd quarter. This growth is stemming from the International segment of Discovery, as the International Networks has seen a 32% increase, while U.S. Networks has actually seen a 1% decrease. This growth in international reach is widely due to the increase in distribution and advertising revenues that Discovery has been focused on [15]. Discovery is also widening their reach by focusing on investment for their content to be displayed and interacted with on many types of screen [14].

Discovery Communications Third Quarter 2014 Segment Results [15]

Discovery Channel

2014 was marked by success due to its work in unscripted series. The Discovery Channel has seen viewership growth this year. Compared to October of last year, The Discovery Channel has seen double digit viewership, driving from strong returning series such as the 5th returning season of Gold Rush (Gold Rush kickoff was the nights second highest rated program on Friday Night [16]) as well as Alaska The Great Frontier and Misfit Garage. These unscripted series are also helping to drive ratings as Discovery has held 5 of the top 10 unscripted series for persons aged 25-54 [17].

The Learning Channel

The Learning Channel Logo, [18]

The Learning Channel (TLC) is a global brand owned by Discovery Communications that initially focused on educational and learning content, but now produces nonfiction lifestyle programming. Popular shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (canceled this fall due to scandal [19]), Breaking Amish, and Cake Boss are what make is a popular nonfiction network, as well as being a top 10 cable network in key female demos [20].

Animal Planet

Animal Planet Logo, [22]

Animal Planet is an entertainment network and brand owned by Discovery Communications that focuses on life in the animal kingdom [21]. In the second quarter ratings for 2014, Animal Planet remains a top 20 network for males aged 25-54. These ratings were driven by the successful season of River Monsters [23].

Discovery Education

Discovery Education uses their high quality content and focus on education programming to develop a passionate educator community. Discovery Education is expanding their innovative multimedia education products and services as well as serving grades K-12 in more than half of the schools in the U.S. [24]

American Heroes Channel

American Heroes Channel Logo [26]

American Heroes Channel (AHC) is a network owned by Discovery Communications that carries programs related to military history and warfare. As a network, AHC provides glimpses into major stories and events that helped shape the American future [25]. Shows like Gunslingers, Apocalypse WWII ,and Hardcore Heroes drive the ratings on AHC [27].

JOINT VENTURES

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

Oprah Winfrey, OWN Network, [28]

OWN, a multi-platform joint venture between Discovery Communications and Oprah Winfrey with real life and emotional programming [28]. OWN brought in Tyler Perry to work on scripted series for the network in 2012, and the Perry soap “The Haves and the Have Nots” averaged 3.6 million viewers, an 18% jump from the previous week according to Nielson [29].

The Hub Network becomes Discovery Family Channel

The Hub Network Logo, [30]

The Hub Network was a joint venture announced in 2009 led by Hasbro, a toy manufacturer and media company, and was a re-launch of Discovery Kids [30]. On October 13th, 2014, The Hub Network announced that the network is to become Discovery Family Channel. This new joint venture continuing with Discovery Channel and Hasbro is promising because of the success of The Hub Network as a children’s cable network [31].

All3Media

All3Media is a leading creator of content that provides digital content for both television and film [32]. On May 8, 2014 Discovery Communications and Liberty Global announced they were acquiring All3Media, offering strategic support but allowing All3Media to preserve their creative independence [33].

WHAT THEY’RE UP TO

Shark Week

Shark Week, Discovery Channel, [34]

Shark Week is a 27 year old annual summer tradition of Discovery Communications that has not only been the longest running cable TV programming event ever, but also one of the highest rated [35]. In August of 2014 Discovery Communications announced this summer was the highest rated Shark Week in history, and is essential for viewers in the 25-54 year range [36].

Survival Live

“Naked and Afraid” Survival Live, [37]

Survival Life is Discovery Communications new live event programming series, a never done before reality event. Discovery is stranding eight people in the wilderness for 42 days, and their success on their show depends on their skill to survive [37]. Viewers will be able to track their progress on Discovery Communications web platform, 24/7. Survival Live is produced by Adjacent Productions for Discovery Communications [38].

Motor Mondays

Fast N’ Loud, Motor Mondays, [39]

In April of 2013 Discovery Communications announced that Discovery Channel will now include a full night of vehicle programming on Mondays. Including shows like Fast N’ Loud and Street Outlaws, Discovery Channel Mondays will now be the biggest destination for all motor-programming [40].

Everest Live Jump Canceled

Everest Live Jump, Discovery Communications, [41]

The Everest Live Jump, a Discovery Communications live event which was supposed to air Joby Ogwny’s attempt to wingsuit jump off the summit of Mount Everest [42]. An avalanche disaster in April of 2014 killed 13 and left 3 missing. The stunt was canceled, however Discovery Communications was at the base camp at the time of the tragedy was able to record as the disaster struck. The Everest Avalanche Tragedy is one of the single deadliest days in Everest’s history [43].

[1] “Discovery Communications Corporate,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[2] “Discovery Communications Leadership,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[3] “Driven by Curiosity,” Global Business Coalition for Education, RT: 11/27/2014

[4] “At a Glance,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[5] “The Discovery Channel; Science, Nature, Adventure and Animals That Bite,” The Washington Post, RT: 11/27/2014

[6] “Our Mission,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[7] “Time Warner Cable and Discovery Communications Reach Long-Term Distribution Agreement,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[8] “Advance Publications Waving Around $500 M,” Crain’s New York, RT: 11/27/2014

[9] “Discovery Communications Headquarters,” Stewart Bros. Photography, RT: 11/27/2014

[10] “David M. Zaslav,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[11] “David Leavy,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[12] “Discovery Communications Inc. Company Information,” Hoovers, RT: 11/27/2014

[13] “Andrew Warren,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[14] “Discovery Communications, Best Global Brands,” Interbrand, RT: 11/27/2014

[15] “Discovery Communications Reports Third Quarter 2014 Results,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[16] “Gold Rush 5th Season Debut Hits Ratings Motherload For Discovery,” Deadline, RT: 11/27/2014

[17] “Discovery Channel Grabs Double Digit Viewership and Ratings Gains in October,” TV By the Numbers, RT: 11/27/2014

[18] “The Learning Channel,” TLC, RT: 11/27/2014

[19] “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Cancelled after Report Links Mama June Shannon to Alleged Sex Offender,” US Weekly, RT: 11/27/2014

[20] “TLC,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[21] “Animal Planet,” Discovery Communications, RT 11/27/2014

[22] “Animal Planet,” Animal Planet, RT: 11/27/2014

[23] “Animal Planet,” Discovery Press Web, RT: 11/27/2014

[24] “Discovery Education,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[25] “American Heroes Channel,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[26] “American Heroes Channel,” AHC, RT: 11/27/2014

[27] “Three New Original Series Propel American Heroes Channel to Best August Ever in Prime Delivery Among P2+ and HH,” The Futon Critic, RT: 11/27/2014

[28] “OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network,” Discovery Communications, RT 11/27/2014

[29] “Have and Have Nots Sets OWN Ratings Record with It’s Finale,” Variety, RT: 11/27/2014

[30] “The Hub Network,” Discovery Press Web, RT: 11/27/2014

[31] “The Hub Network to Become Discovery Family Channel on October 13,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[32] “About Us,” All3Media, RT: 11/27/2014

[33] “Discovery Communications and Liberty Global to acquire All3Media,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[34] “Its Shark Week,” Discovery Magazine Blogs, RT: 11/27/2014

[35] “The History of Shark Week: How the Discovery Channel both Elevated and Degraded Sharks,” The Week, RT: 11/27/2014

[36] “Discovery Channel Earns Its Highest-Rated Shark Week Ever in its 27 Year History,” Discovery Communications, RT: 11/27/2014

[37] “Discovery to Strand Contestants in Wilderness for Reality Show (Exclusive),” The Hollywood Reporter, RT: 11/27/2014

[38] “Real-Time Series ‘Survival Live’ to Premiere in Late 2014 on Discovery Channel,” TV By the Numbers, RT 11/27/2014

[39] “Fast N’ Loud,” Discovery Channel Store, RT: 11/27/2014

[40] “Discovery Channel Announces ‘Motor Mondays’,” TV By the Numbers, RT: 11/27/2014

[41] “Discovery Cancels Everest Live Jump after Tragedy,” USA Today, RT: 11/27/2014

[42] “Discovery Channel to Air Live Jump Off Mount Everest,” The Hollywood Reporter, RT: 11/27/2014

[43] “Mount Everest Avalanche Forces Discovery Channel to cancel ‘Everest Live Jump’,” NY Daily News, RT: 11/27/2014

Comcast – NBCU – (broadcast)

Posted on October 14, 2014 by lnwolfso

by Lindsay Wolfson

Photo Courtesy of http://thegeoteam.wikia.com/wiki/File:NBC_Universal_Television_Studio_logo.jpg

NBC Universal Television

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, New York 10112

Key Executives:

Stephen B. Burke: Chief Executive Officer

Matt Bond: Executive Vice President of Content Distribution

Cesar Conde: Executive Vice President

Robert Greenblatt: Chairman, NBC Entertainment

Patricia Fili-Krushel: Chairman: NBC Universal News Group, NBC Universal

Ted Harbert: Chairman for NBC Broadcasting

History:

Photo Courtesy of http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/nbc/images/528091/title/nbc-logo-old-school-photo

The National Broadcast Company (NBC) was founded in 1926 with an original focus on National Radio Broadcasting, but then made the transformation into Television Broadcasting. [1]. Universal Studios began in 1906 when an immigrant bought a movie theater and then rapidly expanded his business, which inevitably led to the first enclosed space specifically designed for moviemaking. [2]. NBC and Universal became one unified company in May of 2004. These companies came together and created a unique product of television distribution and part of the film industry. On the broadcast side, there were two main networks, NBC and Telemundo, and along with the broadcast channels were countless cable networks. Of the NBC-U broadcast stations there are over 200 affiliates nationwide in major cities such as New York and Philadelphia. [3] Originally, General Electric and Vivendi owned this new founded conglomerate, but now the majority owner is the Comcast Corporation, which owns 51%. [4]. This change of hands occurred back in January of 2011. Since NBC original formation, this company has developed into a nationally recognized source for news, entertainment in sports in the television industry.

Financials:

Photo Courtesy of http://www.cmcsa.com/stocklookup.cfm

Fiscally, Comcast Corporation is a very successful corporation that is publically traded and its individual branches such as NBC-U share in that success. This past quarter, which ended in late October, demonstrated a thriving fiscal period. On the broadcast side, revenue increased 7.7% to $1.8 billion compared to the $1.6 billion achieved in the same quarter in 2013. According to the fiscal report, due to the NBC-U Broadcast’s reliable success this monetary growth in revenue is caused by the increase from advertising revenue. There are also increases in content licensing profits and retransmission consent fees. Operating cash flow increased as well for NBC-U Broadcasting. Comparatively, to the NBC-U cable networks, there was a significantly greater amount of growth. NBC-U’s cable networks only had 0.7% grown while its broadcast has 7.7% growth. Last year’s extensive fiscal success was caused in part by the promotion from the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. [5]. Comcast’s stock has been pretty stable over the past year ranging from $57.49 to $47.74. Since 2009, there has been a steady increase in the price of stock for Comcast indicating its growing success within the industry. In terms of total revenue for the Comcast Corporation, the company had a 6.2% increase from 2012 to 2013. As the year closes, it will be interesting to see if the 2014 fiscal year will bring about the same impressive results as did 2013 for the Comcast Corporation and NBC-U. [6].

This chart indicates the increased value of a stock of Comcast. Photo Courtesy of http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=CMCSA+Basic+Chart#%7B%22range%22%3A%2210y%22%2C%22lineType%22%3A%22combo%22%2C%22scale%22%3A%22linear%22%7D.

Fall Season:

A to Z is new romantic comedy starring Ben Feldman and Cristin Milioti.

Back in early June, NBC U released which shows were going to premiere in the Fall 2014 Season. [7]. The major staple show for the fall season was expected to be The Voice and it was utilized as a fulcrum for generating viewership on both Monday and Tuesday evenings in general for the network. NBC programmers were hopeful that the large viewership from The Voice would help the ratings for the shows that directly followed. Interestingly, although NBC-U generates extensive amounts of original content, the big draw for viewership is Sunday Night Football. This strong viewership pushed NBC-U into the top spot for broadcast this past year. Sunday Night Football even challenged the World Series this past October in questioning which would receive more viewership. [8]. There were many programs tested for this past Fall Season.

The new comedy pilots for the Fall 2014 season included Bad Judge, Marry Me, and A to Z and the new drama pilots included Constantine, State of Affairs and The Mysteries of Laura.

MV5BMjA1NjUyNDk0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDM1ODM3MjE@._V1_SY317_CR1,0,214,317_AL_

The Mysteries of Laura is a new drama starring Debra Messing. Courtesy of imdb.com

MV5BMzA2MjIyNzg2OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTgyMTcxMzE@._V1_SY317_CR1,0,214,317_AL_

State of Affairs is a new drama starring Katherine Heigl. Courtesy of imdb.com

Fall Ratings & Critical Reception:

Out of those new pilots that were slated for Fall 2014 Season, many were not picked up to continue. Comedies such as A to Z and Bad Judge will not continue further after this initial trial run, but these shows will both finish production and air the remaining product. [9]. Both shows had started decently in terms of ratings, but then they both started to collapse. For NBC’s newest dramas such as State of Affairs and Mysteries of Laura, they have had a decent start amongst the Broadcast lineup and have not been cancelled as of yet.

Information Courtesy of http://www.nbc.com

“Mysteries of Laura” has surprisingly kept its presence along with other dramas with a 1.8 rating amongst 18-49 years olds. [10]. In terms of ratings, Sunday Night Football drives up the ratings for NBC. For instance, the week ending with November 23^rd, #1 Saturday Night Football generated a rating of 8.1 for 18-49 years which was far greater than the #2 Big Bang Theory which received a 4.1 for the same age demographic. This shows that across multiple genres, NBC exhibits success in primetime Broadcast Television.

Late Night Television Powerhouse:

After the record-breaking spring launch of NBC’s new Late Night lineup, the success of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Seth Meyers has continued its success into the Fall 2014 Season. The Tonight Show has been pretty strong against its competitors such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Late Show with David Letterman. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon has received 1.18/6 rating for the 18-49 demographic which surpasses his direct timeslot competitors in the 2014 3^rd Quarter. Many were fearful that Jimmy Fallon’s success was only temporary, but now after continuing on this fall season that appears not be the case. [16].

Photo Courtesy of http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_name_and_logo_for_the_tonight_show_by_pentagram.php

Photo Courtesy of http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/LATE-NIGHT-WITH-SETH-MEYERS-Monologue-Highlights-1120-20141121

Also, this past fall has marked the 40^th season for Saturday Night Live, which remains under the direction of Lorne Michaels. Overall, this season has been pretty weak in terms of ratings, but peaked when Chris Rock hosted with musical guest Prince. [11]. This show’s best rating so far received only a 2.2/10 for the key 18-49 demographic, which is not very strong at all.

Opening Sequence for Saturday Night Live’s 40th Season. http://vimeo.com/107482286

(Photo Courtesy of http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/04/25/saturday-night-live-clips-coming-to-yahoo/ )

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Ratings:

Every year, one of the major staples for NBC Broadcast is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, even though it is not during primetime hours. This past Thanksgiving, the parade received its 3^nd largest rating in the past 13 years. The program received a 6.2/10 rating in adults 18-49 and 22.6 million viewers total. Last year’s parade though, had the 2^nd largest viewership with a rating of 6.6/10 since 2004. [12].

Every year, one of the major fall staples for NBC Broadcast is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Photo Courtesy of http://social.macys.com/parade/?cm_mmc=VanityUrl-_-parade-_-n-_-n

Looking Forward:

After receiving over 18 million viewers and 4 Emmy Nominations for the Sound of Music Live, NBC decided to proceed and create another live performance. [13] [17]. This new performance of Peter Pan will be starring Allison Williams as Peter Pan and Christopher Walken as Captain Hook.

141017_2820050_Peter_Pan_Live__December_4_on_NBC

Peter Pan Live will be airing December 4th at 8pm starring Allison Williams as Peter Pan and Christopher Walken as Captain Hook. [15].

This live performance will be taking place in a former aircraft warehouse on Long Island, New York. There is an estimated budget of $10 Million to put together this one-night only performance. [14]. The expectations of this performance are extremely high due to the viewership success of the Sound of Music Live.

Works Cited:

1. Announcing the National Broadcasting Company, Inc. (1926). (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://earlyradiohistory.us/1926nbc.htm

2. NBCUniversal History. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/about-us/history

3. NBCUniversal. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://corporate.comcast.com/our-company/businesses/nbcuniversal#accordion-1

4. Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

5. Comcast. (2014, October 23). Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://www.cmcsa.com/earnings.cfm

6. Comcast Corporation. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CMCSA

7. Kissell, R. (2014, June 2). NBC Announces Fall Premiere Dates for New, Returning Series. Retrieved December 1, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/nbc-announces-fall-premiere-dates-for-new-returning-series-1201207308/

8. Kissell, R. (2014, October 27). Ratings: NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ Dominates World Series on Fox. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/data/ratings/ratings-nbcs-sunday-night-football-dominates-world-series-on-fox-1201340093/

9. Hibberd, J. (2014, October 31). NBC to cancel ‘Bad Judge,’ ‘A to Z’ with zombie twist | EW.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/10/31/bad-judge-a-to-z/

10. Predum, L. (2014, October 28). NBC Gives ‘Mysteries of Laura’ Full Season Pickup. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/mysteries-of-laura-full-season-pickup-nbc-1201341098/

11. Kissell, R. (2014, November 2). NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ Hits Season Highs With Chris Rock, Prince. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/nbcs-saturday-night-live-hits-season-highs-with-chris-rock-prince-1201345402/

12. Bibel, S. (2014, November 28). ‘Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade’ Garners 22.6 Million Viewers, Ranking as The Second Most-Watched Parade in 13 Years. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/28/macys-thanksgiving-parade-garners-22-6-million-viewers-ranking-as-the-second-most-watched-parade-in-13-years/333311/

13. About. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://www.nbc.com/peter-pan-live/about

14. Littleton, C. (2014, November 26). NBC Hopes ‘Peter Pan Live’ Can Fly to New Heights. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/features/peter-pan-live-nbc-new-heights-1201364850/

15. Watch Peter Pan Live! December 4 on NBC from Peter Pan LIVE! on NBC.com. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.nbc.com/peter-pan-live/video/peter-pan-live-december-4-on-nbc/2820050

16. Kissell, R. (2014, September 25). Variety. Retrieved November 29, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/latenight-ratings-nbcs-fallon-meyers-easy-winners-for-q3-abcs-kimmel-nightline-up-1201313970/

17. The Sound Of Music Live! (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://www.nbc.com/the-sound-of-music-live

A+E Television Networks

Posted on October 14, 2014 by jlrobi03

by Jordan Robinson

A&E Television Networks

Headquarters:

235 E 45th St
New York City, NY,
United States 10017

About

A&E Television Networks (AETN), LLC is an American media company that offers a variety of television channels via cable and satellite in both the U.S. and overseas. As a joint venture between Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company, AETN channels include A&E, Crime and Investigation Network, fyi, History, H2, History en Español, Lifetime, LMN, Lifetime Real Women, and Military History.¹ Spanning across multiple platforms, A&E Television Networks offers content in a variety of media forms including television programming, websites, music, and video content. Their principal competitors include the Discovery Channel, AMC Networks and Public Broadcasting Service.^{1, 2}

Key Executives:

Nancy Dubuc

Nancy Dubuc has resided as President and CEO of A&E Television networks since June of 2013. Under her charge, the network has seen rapid growth. In September 2014, Dubuc oversaw A+E Networks’ acquisition of a 10% stake in Vice Media. Dubuc has received multiple Emmy awards and nominations throughout her 15 year tenure at A+E Networks as network executive, programmer, and producer. According to Dubuc, “Great content should create an experience beyond the TV, across every platform our audience uses.” As such, she has been an integral part of the company’s convergence across multiple platforms as they try to reach a wider audience. 6

Abbe Raven

Abbe Raven was appointed chairman of A&E Television Networks in June 2013. Under her charge, A&E Networks tripled their earnings as she has overseen the company’s expanding global portfolio since April 2005. She currently serves as vice chairman on the board of directors of the NCTA and is on the boards of the NAMIC Foundation and the CTAM Educational Foundation. She also serves as vice chairman of the advisory board of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. 7

History

Derived from humble beginnings, A&E Television Networks started out with a lone channel, A&E, which offered a mixture of cultural programming including jazz performances, symphonic concerts, celebrity interviews, classic movies and documentaries. After striking a deal with BBC in its first year, two thirds of their programming came from first rights to BBC content. By it’s third year of inception, A&E Television Networks was already receiving high acclaim as the greatest producer of quality arts and entertainment media in America. After widening their range of content in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, historical documentaries and off-network sitcoms were introduced along with higher ratings. ²

By the mid 1990’s, Biography and the History Channel have rapidly become the most respected and widely viewed of the Network’s programming. Grossing over 35 million subscribers by 1996, the Network decided to enter into the international market to promote their programming in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, The United Kingdom, and Canada. Currently their international networks are comprised of A&E Networks UK and A&E Networks Asia, operating over 6 channels in each market in countries such as England, Norway, Sweden, India, and Malaysia. ¹

After merging with Lifetime Entertainment Networks in 2009, A&E began to revamp their channels under the guidance of A&E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc. As a result, the Bio channel has now merged under the fyi channel, and many stagnant shows have been dropped from their line up. 6

Acquisition of Vice Media

Early this fall A+E Networks aquired 10% of Vice Media in exchange for $250 million dollars. Similar to A&E’s objectives, the partnership and investment will fund Vice’s expansion into a wider array of global programming about news, fashion, sports, culture and more. “They are a very powerful brand, and it cannot be underestimated their ability to reach a very hard-to-reach audience,” said Nancy Dubuc, chief executive of A&E Networks. ³

Critics’ Choice Awards

As of September 2014, A&E Networks has formed a new partnership with the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association to televise “The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards” and “The Critics’ Choice Television Awards” for 2015 and 2016. The 20th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2015, and will be broadcast live on A&E from The Hollywood Palladium officially kicking off film award season. 5

Global Expansion

Currently A&E Networks are producing content specifically tailored toward different markets using the same shows but incorporating them into African, Asian, European, and Australian markets. Shows include Pawn UK, Pawn South Africa, Aussie Pickers, Italian Pickers, and Dance Mums. This move demonstrates their outreach to underdeveloped areas as well as areas that have never before seen such content. 9

Making HISTORY: First Ever Television + College Credit Course Now Offered

The University of Oklahoma and A+E Network’s HISTORY Channel is partnering to offer the very first TV Network-branded online course for transferablecollege credit. The course is offered to students or for the lifelong learner. The course will be instructed by award winning teacher, OU professor, and renowned historian Steve Gillon. As HISTORY Channel’s first academic course, United States, 1865 to the Present is shattering the barracade between education and entertainment.

Set to last 4 months, the interactive course will be offered during the Spring Semester, officially begining on January 12, 2015. Offering a collaborative learning experience to a wide range of students, the program combines professionally-produced and intriguing video lectures with quizzes, tests, discussion groups and social interactions between student and professor. The course also integrates multimedia resources from the HISTORY Channel’s website.

At a cost of $500, the value-priced course for college credit targets current college students looking to meet their graduation requirements, as well as high school students who wish to get a jumpstart on their college education. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive three transferable college credits that will apply to any regionally accredited school. 4

A New Production Deal with Producer Carlton Cuse

Carlton Cuse

A+E Studios has signed a three-year, first-look development agreement with prolific producer, writer, and two-time Emmy winner Carlton Cuse. This partnership marks A+E Studios’ first overall production deal with a creator/writer-producer since its inception.

Currently working as a writer/producer on five active series, Cuse has been named one of today’s most prolific producers. Currently, he works as executive producer of both “Bates Motel” and the upcoming series “The Returned” for A&E Network, in addition to “The Strain” for FX. Cuse is also in pre-production on “Colony” for USA Network. Perhaps best known for his work on “Lost,” Cuse served as executive producer, co-showrunner, and head writer with Damon Lindelof for a total of six seasons on ABC. Having received a total of 10 Emmy nominations and 2 wins for his work, Cuse continues to amaze audiences of all ages. 8

Sources

1.) “A & E Television Networks History.” History of A & E Television Networks – FundingUniverse. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/a-e-television-networks-history/>.

2.) “A&E Television Networks, LLC Company Profile – Yahoo Finance.” A&E Television Networks, LLC Company Profile – Yahoo Finance. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/47/47295.html>.

3.) Steel, Emily. “Vice Lands 2nd Investment, to Fuel Expansion.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/business/media/vice-lands-2nd-investment-to-fuel-expansion.html?_r=0>.

4.) https://historychannel.ou.edu/mkwid=sSrmg0g4I|c_pcrid_56451629358_pkw_history%20channel%20college_pmt_p&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=history%20channel%20college&utm_campaign=History+Class&paidlink=1&cmpid=PaidSearch_google_History+Class_history%20channel%20college&gclid=CMPIrY3Th8ICFcxQ7AodwjcAWw

5.)”Critics’ Choice Awards.” Critics Choice Awards Blog Posts RSS. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://www.criticschoice.com/movie-awards/>.

6.) “Nancy Dubuc.” A+E Networks – Life Is Entertaining. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://www.aenetworks.com/about/executive/nancy-dubuc>.

7.) “Abbe Raven.” A+E Networks – Life Is Entertaining. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://www.aenetworks.com/about/executive/abbe-raven>.

8.) “Carlton Cuse, A&E Sign First-Look Development Deal.” Variety. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/carlton-cuse-ae-sign-first-look-development-deal-1201326747/>.

9.) “A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS, LLC.” |Company Profile|Vault.com. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. <http://www.vault.com/company-profiles/media-entertainment/ae-television-networks,-llc/company-overview.aspx>.

Image Sources:

A&E Logo: http://www.gopusa.com/news/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2013/12/ae_network.jpg

Nancy Dubuc: http://www.disneybymark.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Nancy_Dubuc.jpg

Abbe Raven: http://www.buffalo.edu/content/dam/www/news/imported/hires/AbbeRaven2.jpg

Carlton Cuse: https://image-cdn.zap2it.com/images/carlton-cuse-lost-bates-motel-tca-gi.jpg

Critics’ Choice Movie Awards: http://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/critics-choice-movie-award__120113100547.jpg

Spotify

Posted on October 14, 2014 by hlu04

by Helen Lu

[1] Spotify’s Logo

KEY EXECUTIVES

[2] Spotify Founders- Martin Lorentzon & Daniel Ek

[3] Jeff Levick- Chief Business Officer

[4] Steve Savoca- Head of Content

[5] Ken Parks- Chief Content Officer & Managing Director USA

SPOTIFY OVERVIEW

[6] Spotify’s sleek interface layout for their multi-platform service.

Spotify is a privately-owned, digital music streaming service that provides on-demand access to tracks. It is available on multiple platforms, including computers, mobile, tablets, and home entertainment systems. Originally founded in Sweden in 2006, Spotify launched in the United States in 2011; it is now available in 58 markets. [7]

Spotify offers listeners the free model, “made possible by ads,” and the premium model for $9.99 monthly, which is ad-free, high-quality, and available offline. [8] With over 20 million songs, over 20,000 tracks added daily, and over 1.5 billion playlists, Spotify has accumulated 10 million active users and a total of 40 million active users. [9]

COMPETITORS

Rdio, Pandora, Rhapsody, Google Play Music, Beats, iTunes Radio, Music Unlimited, and Xbox Music are worthy contenders in this competitive space. Product reviews assess service quality with major factors include song catalog, user interface, support, and features. [10] Each racing for a market share, these top players in the market are making strategic ploys to stay afloat.

On November 12th, Youtube announced their own streaming service, Youtube Music Key for $9.99. It will be interesting to see how it will affect the music industry when it fully hits the market in 2015. [11]

[12] Spotify and The Echo Nest collaboration

In early March 2014, Spotify acquired The Echo Nest, a big data company to enhance the music discovery feature, forcing Rdio, Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, and Vevo to look elsewhere for a discovery algorithm. [13]

THE SPOTIFY STRATEGY

Spotify has successfully targeted college students, establishing a solid audience base and brand loyalty. With personal information confirming their status, Spotify offers students Spotify Premium for only $4.99. [13]

[13] Spotify engages their target audience: college students and 18-24 year-olds.

COLLEGE CASE STUDY

Spotify’s tenacious grasp on college students’ listening is reflected in their recently released research report of the Top 40 Musical Schools in America. The findings are a close study of the musical norms in the schools.

[14] Detailed graphs document music-genre distribution and listening spikes, showing not only what students listen to but also how they listen.

The data that Spotify is able to collect can be utilized for targeted advertising and marketing campaigns today. Moreover, with such a large following of the developing youth, Spotify is not only able to make significant advancements with the invaluable information about today, but accurate inferences about these soon-to-be adults tomorrow. [13]

#THATSONGWHEN

Spotify launched their #thatsongwhen campaign with advertising agencies Ogilvy & Mather and David to further engage their millennial base. #Thatsongwhen allows users to tie their emotional experiences to their favorite songs, to create, and to tell stories. The customization, personalization, and interactivity of a musical experience attracts and retains a young crowd. [15]

The stories are media clips that are charged with emotion, and of course, music. Don’t Go Chasing Girls is about a man’s early memory of his childhood crush that is easily triggered with TLC’s hit song, Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls. Stories and songs are updated and posted on a live feed.

AD TAKEOVER

Spotify is introducing two new advertising options for eager advertisers:

1. The dubbed Video Takeover, only available on desktops, allows brands to takeover the screen during 15-30 second advertising breaks.

2.The dubbed Sponsor Sessions forces mobile users to view a 15-30 second video on their mobile devices in order to proceed onto 30 minutes of uninterrupted streaming. [16]

McDonald’s, Universal Pictures, and Ford are just some of the major sponsors that have opted into this advertising innovation. [17]

[18] McDonald’s format and utilization of Spotify’s advertising product – Video Takeover.

SPOTIFY PARTNERSHIPS

VODAFONE

Everything is going mobile, and music is no exception. This rapid trend of playing and streaming music from a smartphone is particularly prevalent in Australia. Due to these recent findings, Vodafone Australia has partnered with Spotify to bundle in Spotify Premium for free with their monthly plan. A Spotify Premium subscription generally costs $11.99 Australian dollars each month. The exclusive offers with Spotify vary, and are known as the Red Plans. [19]

[20] Research shows that 1.5 million Australians stream music from their mobile devices.

Vodafone believes that Spotify Premium’s features complement and maximize the use of their faster network speeds, value plans, and expanding 4G network. Both the companies and the listeners are benefitting from this collaboration as the marriage of these digital services follow consumer trends and meets consumer needs. [21]

CARPLAY

Apple Carplay is an a new feature configured in select 2014 vehicles. Spotify is on board for this innovative ride as it has updated and fixed some bugs for this new multimedia system. [22] The music player allows users to access their Spotify accounts using a compatible iPhone. [23] With a built-in display to play music, Carplay is an exclusive and luxurious market; the Ferrari FF is one of the few select cars with Carplay. Several automobile manufacturers, however, are making an effort to include and support this system in the future. [24]

[24] Spotify collaborates with Apple Carplay to incorporate music services in the latest car models.

UBER

Uber is a hip taxi service, and Spotify is a hip streaming service. These two successful startups partner up for a new listening experience. Passengers can link their custom playlists to Uber vehicles for a fun ride. Although this new feature has started off in ten cities, it makes a big splash in the car service industry and the music industry. This partnership allows both companies to co-promote their respective brands and to change with the times. The service is for Spotify Premium account holders. [25]

[26] Spotify and Uber modernize the standard cab-ride as they join forces to create a new listening experience.

SPOTIFY CONTROVERSY

Taylor Swift pulled her entire catalogue from Spotify’s music database as she believes that it does not fairly compensate artists. [27] As a popular musician, her bold move and her public statements rejecting the streaming business model has made headlines for weeks. Fans and critics are responding to her decision with distaste as both parties point out that there are other viable services, such as Youtube and SoundCloud, to play her music. [28] While she recently accepted the first-ever Dick Clark Award for Excellence at the 2014 American Music Awards Ceremony, she added another snide comment jabbing at Spotify and streaming services again. [29] Jason Aldean has followed Swift’s footsteps, and pulled his new album Old Boots, New Dirt from Spotify. [30]

Spotify executive, Ek, combats this frenzy and reports that artists that use Spotify to promote their music actually sell more, and that Spotify has returned over $2 billion to music industry today. Top artists like Swift are set to project over $6 million in revenue a year. [31] Despite the financial debate and moral controversy, the Spotify team still hopes for Swift to change her mind. [32]

[33] Taylor Swift is a firm believer in the value of music, and that it should not be free. Swift has pulled her music catalogue from Spotify.

It is unlikely that many artists will join Swift’s banning of the digital streaming business, as it is the digital age. Reports confirm that streaming services grew 28% in the first half of 2014. [26] Listeners’ habits changed; artists can sink, but digital streaming services will swim.

SPOTIFY: LOOKING AHEAD

Despite the recent controversies, Spotify has achieved success with their recent collaborations; the student discount and the partnership with Vodafone have led Spotify subscriptions to increase by 42%. [28] Spotify Family Plan has launched with popular demand and proven financial success with previous discount deals. The plan allows subscribers to add four family members to their account for half the price. [34]

Spotify’s name is globally recognized, and Spotify’s services are well integrated into the new digital age. Its key strategies and partnerships keep it on the bleeding edge of the music industry.

Sources

1. Spotify’s Logo, Spotifypress.com, RT:11.29.2014

2. Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, RT: 11.29.2014

3. Jeff Levick, RT: 11.29.2014

4. Steve Savoca, Spotifypress.com, RT:11.29.2014

5. Ken Parks, Evolver.fm, RT: 11.29.2014

6. Spotify Interface Layout, RT: 11.29.2014

7. Spotify Business Information, investing.businessweek.com, RT: 11.29.2014

8. Spotify Official Website, spotify.com/us, RT: 11.29.2014

9. Spotify Press Information, spotify.com/information, RT: 11.29.2014

10. “Spotify and competitors play to their musical strengths”, usatoday.com, RT: 11.29.2014

11. “YouTube Launching Spotify-Style Paid Music Service”, TIME, RT: 11.29.2014