20th Century Fox (film)

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Rachel Kucharski

20th Century Fox Logo [1]

10201 W Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310-FOX-INFO
http://www.foxmovies.com/

History

20^th Century Fox is one of the six biggest film studios in America and is owned by 21^st Century Fox Corporation. The company has released a number of successful films including The Sound of Music, Star Wars, Die Hard, Ice Age, and X-Men. They also distributed the two highest-grossing films of all-time, Avatar and Titanic. [1]

Avatar movie poster [1]

20^th Century Fox was founded in 1935 when Fox Films, owned by William Fox, merged with Twentieth Century Pictures. Joe Schenck took on the role of chief executive while Darryl F. Zanuck became the head of production. The company enjoyed success after the release of The Sound of Music in 1965 and Star Wars in 1977. In 1981, Marc Rich and Marvin Davis took over the company, who then sold it to News Corp., Rupert Murdoch’s company, in 1985. In 2013, News Corporation split into two companies. News Corporation became the publishing arm of the company while 21^st Century Fox became its own television/film company. 20^th Century Fox came under this company. [2]

Executives

Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO [3]

Emma Watts, Production President [4]

Finances

This past February, 21^st Century Fox released their second quarter earnings report for October to December of 2015 and reported revenues of $7.38 billion. Although this was a decrease of 1% ($49 million) from the prior year, this was partially offset by the success of The Martian, which had grossed over $600 million in worldwide box office by December 31, 2016. The Martian continued to grow and ended with $630 million in worldwide box office revenue with its close date on March 17, 2016. Films released during this quarter that carried over at the box office into 2016 were The Revenant, Joy, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, and The Peanuts Movie. [5] [6]

Going into 2016, 20^th Century Fox saw strong box office revenues. The Revenant debuted with $38 million at the domestic box office that weekend. This was an unexpectedly strong open. The film was only predicted to open to less than $25 million. The revenue that opening weekend brought them close to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, grossing at $41.6 million its fourth weekend in theaters. [7] The Peanuts Movie also finished strong with worldwide revenues reaching $246 billion. [8] Another hit for 20^th Century Fox at the box office was Kung Fu Panda 3, which has grossed $504 million worldwide since its release in January. [9]

On April 25, 2016, 21^st Century Fox share prices were listed at $31.00. This is up from $22.50 on February 9^th when share prices fell by as much as 4%. This was likely due to the earnings report released on this day, which predicted that profits would fall due to the strong dollar [5]. Since then, share prices have seen a steady increase and are predicted to continue to rise. The third quarter fiscal report for 21^st Century Fox will be released on May 4, 2016. [10]

Awards Season

Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Leonardo DiCaprio win three Golden Globe Awards for The Revenant [11]

20^th Century Fox studio releases did well during the 2016 awards season. At the Golden Globes, Jennifer Lawrence won best actress in a Comedy or Musical for Joy. The Martian won Best Motion Picture for a Comedy or Musical and Matt Damon also won best actor for his role in the film. The Revenant took home the Best Motion Picture award for a Drama. Leonardo DiCaprio and Alejandro G. Iñárritu won best actor and best director, respectively. [12]

At The Academy Awards, The Revenant counted twelve nominations, the most of any film nominated. Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar for Best Actor. The Revenant also won Best Cinematography and Directing. [13] The nominations and wins resulted in a boost of box office revenue for those films that were still in theaters, particularly The Revenant, that’s ticket sales increased more than 80 percent after The Academy Award nominees were announced. Between the announced nominations and Oscar Night, The Revenant brought in $113 million. The film closed with a total of $523 million worldwide. [14]

The New Superhero

20^th Century Fox’s current film in theaters is Deadpool. The film stars Ryan Reynolds and was directed by Tim Miller. Deadpool is Marvel’s new R-Rated superhero movie that features a former Special Forces operative with accelerated healing powers and an attitude problem. [15]

Deadpool has broken records since its release on February 12, 2016. It became 20^th Century Fox’s largest opening ever with $132.4 million. It also had the largest opening weekend ever for an R-rated film and the biggest opening day in February with $47.5 million. [16] So far, the film has grossed a total of $760 million thus far and is approaching its eleventh week in theaters. [17] Deadpool has been a game changer for the superhero genre. As one of the first high-budget R-rated superhero films in recent years (alongside Watchmen and Kick-Ass), there was high-risk for 20^th Century Fox in the box office. But the film was widely received and praised for its snarky humor, romance, and characters rather than big-budget action scenes. [18] Following this success, 20^th Century Fox will likely make Wolverine 3 R-rated. The film’s current release date is March 3^rd, 2017. [19]

20^th Century Fox has already confirmed Deadpool 2 for production. Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds will return for the sequel as well as the creative team. The film is said to mimic the original in tone, keeping the same snarky humor and attitude. The film is currently rumored for release in 2017. [20]

Coming Soon

Independence Day: Resurgence movie poster [23]

This summer, 20^th Century Fox is releasing four films. X-Men: Apocalypse will open on May 27, 2016 as the ninth installment in the X-Men series with Bryan Singer as director and a host of famous cast members. To market the film, 20^th Century Fox released an X-Men Movies app as well as an “Apocalypse timeline” on their website. [21]

Independence Day: Resurgence, the sequel to the highly acclaimed Independence Day, will open on June 24, 2016 starring Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum. Ice Age: Collision Course and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates are also set to release in July. [22]

Sources

[1] Foxmovies.com. 20^th Century Fox. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
[2] 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
[3] Yamato, Jen. (May 16, 2014). Fox’s Jim Gianopulos Delivers USC Film Commencement Speech; Marvel’s Kevin Feige Celebrates Rejection: Transcript. Deadline. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[4] Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 14, 2014). Fox’s Emma Watts Re-Ups For Three Years After Robust Summer. Deadline. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[5] Earnings Release for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2015. (February 8, 2016). 21st Century Fox. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
[6] The Martian. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
[7] Fritz, Ben. (January 11, 2016). ‘The Revenant’ has surprisingly strong box-office debut. MarketWatch. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
[8] The Peanuts Movie. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[9] Kung Fu Panda 3. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[10] Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. CI A. MarketWatch. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[11] Robehmed, Natalie. (January 11, 2016).‘The Revenant’ Wins Best Picture At The 2016 Golden Globe Awards. Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[12] Sharf, Zack. (February 24, 2016). The Indiewire 2015-16 Awards Season Winners Guide. The Indiewire. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[13] Donnelly, Jim. (February 29, 2016). Oscar Winners 2016: See The Complete List. The Oscars. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[14] Brueggemann, Tom. (March 11, 2016). Oscar Box Office Winners and Losers 2016. Indiewire. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[15] Deadpool. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[16] Garreffa, Anthony. (February 17, 2016). Deadpool becomes largest opening ever for 20th Century Fox. TweakTown. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[17] Deadpool. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[18] VanDerWerff, Todd. (February 15, 2016). Deadpool’s box office unexpectedly broke records. Here’s what Hollywood should learn from it. Vox. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[19] Siegal, Jacob. (February 16, 2016). Deadpool’s success could lead to an ‘R’ rating for Wolverine 3. BGR. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[20] Mccarthy, Tyler and Rebecka Schumann. (April 4, 2016). ‘Deadpool 2’ Confirmed By 20th Century Fox; Director And Creative Team Returning. International Business Times. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[21] X-MEN: Apocalypse (2016). 20th Century Fox. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[22] Coming Soon. 20th Century Fox. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[23] Perry, Spencer. (March 8, 2016). The Aliens are Back in New Independence Day: Resurgence International Poster. ComingSoon.net. Retrieved April 26, 2016.

Spotify by Daniel Rakow

Posted on February 18, 2016 by smwarren

(5)

Executives

Daniel Elk Martin Lorenzton

History

Spotify was developed in 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded by the former CTO of Stardoll, Daniel Elk and the co-founder of TradeDoubler, Martin Lorentzon. They officially launched the music streaming service in October of 2008 for paid subscribers and in 2009 they made their service available for free subscriptions. The free subscriptions opened up the service to a bigger audience while slightly hindering their income. In 2011 Spotify crossed over into the United States market and also introduced the Spotify App for devices. (1)

More About Spotify

Since 2011, Spotify has solidified its spot as one of the top music streaming services along with Apple Music and Tidal. Today, Spotify features curated playlists that are made by their employees for paid subscribers. They have radio stations that allow the user to discover new music based on artists that are similar to the ones the user listens to. Along with that, they have a huge library of music consisting of 30 million songs. Their premium service allows users to access all of their songs and provides weekly curated playlists called Discover Weekly. Currently, they have over 75 million users with 30 million of those users being paid subscribers. (2)

Potential Change of Location

(Swedish Flag)

As of recent, Spotify has been hinting at a change of location for its headquarters. Since they started the company, they have been based in Stockholm, Sweden. However, recent circumstances have lead them to reconsider their choice to remain in their hometown. As Elk wrote in an open letter that he posted online, “We love Sweden and believe that this is basically the best environment for us. But at the same time we cannot magically remove the political obstacles. Thousands of Spotify jobs could go to the U.S instead of Sweden.” Spotify is frustrated with the Swedish governments inability to let businesses in their country grow. To start, Spotify believes the housing situation needs to be revisited. It’s extremely difficult to rent apartments in Stockholm because such a large amount are controlled by housing associations. It could take over 10 years to get a rental apartment which makes it extremely difficult for Spotify to bring in foreign talent. Another area Spotify argues needs change is their education system. They argue that the country doesn’t focus at their schools enough on technology. This leads to a lack of programmers for them to hire. The lack of knowledge causes them to have to train more workers, which could be avoided. Lastly, Spotify hopes to change Sweden’s stock options. The country’s rules don’t allow Spotify to grant their employees stock options which would attract brighter employees. (6) (7)

Competition

In the last month Spotify has had to deal with more competition than ever. Not only have they been going head to head with Apple’s streaming service Apple Music, they have also seen a few new players enter the streaming world. To start, Apple has signed exclusive contracts with big artists. These artists’ new albums debut on Apple Music and take a few weeks before they are available on Spotify. Artists like Drake have Spotify users growing impatient when he drops new content. He has 24 million monthly listeners and is the 7th most played artist on Spotify. This could hurt them eventually if it doesn’t change. Jay-Z music streaming service Tidal is another competitor with Spotify. In early February Rihanna took to Tidal to release her new album Anti. While it is now available on Spotify, for months it had users converting to Jay-z’s service to access it. Similarly, Kanye West exclusively released his new album The Life of Pablo on Tidal. However, The Life Of Pablo was recently made available on Spotify as well. Soundcloud, in the last month, has also entered the subscription space. They created Soundcloud Go which will also directly compete with Spotify. Even with all these competing services, Spotify has a loyal user base of over 75 million people that will be hard to take away from them. (8)

Spotify x Billboard

(Billboard)

On April 21 Billboard announced it’s partnership with Spotify for 2016. This is a huge win for Spotify over Apple Music. Billboard will bring all of its users to Spotify instead of Apple Music. Billboard’s charts are turning to Spotify to make it easier for its users to access today’s hits by streaming songs directly from their weekly charts. Now, when viewing the Hot 100 or Billboard 200 the user is able to listen to the songs they are analyzing. There are 30 second previews directly next to the song on the chart that also give the option to stream the full version on Spotify. Billboard will also be publishing 3 new spotify driven charts on billboard.com. One will be a 30 song Velocity Chart which will include the 30 most trending songs on Spotify. The next will have a Viral 50 chart which will consist of the 50 most shared songs across social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Lastly there will be a Velocity Chart with 30 songs with 5 songs for each decade (1960-2000). To take a look at the Billboard Hot 100 with Spotify streaming click here. (9)

Money

Spotify recently has raised over 1 billion dollars in debt financing. This is a substantial amount especially for a company that is financially stable. It is no doubt that Spotify now has money to spend but the question is: what will Spotify decide to do with all this extra money? forbes.com went into detail with ways that Spotify is planning on improving. Firstly, they are expected to get into the video space. Apple and Tidal already both have video content on their service. Spotify, being their number one competitor, will definitely start exploring music videos, behind the scenes, artist episodes, tour videos, and live footage. One major area they will have to work on is their payment rates. Their current rate per stream is .004. This rate tends to anger artists because they believe they are not being compensated for their art. This has lead artists like Taylor Swift and Adele to not allow their catalog of music to be included on their streaming service. With the extra money Spotify is planning to start working in these areas. (10)

Sources

(1) Streatfield, Brooke. Rise of a Tech Giant: The History of Spotify. The Telegraph. Retrieved: April 25, 2016

(2) Person, Adam Pasick. The Magic That Makes Spotify’s Discover Weekly Playlists so Damn Good. Quartz. Retrieved: April 25, 2016

(3) Bertoni, Steven. Spotify’s Daniel Elk: The Most Important Man In Music. Forbes. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

(4) Sloan, Paul. The Future of Music. CNET. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

(5) Spotify. Vulcan Post. Retrieved: April 25, 2015

(6) McIntrye, Hugh. Spotify May Soon Leave Sweden. Forbes. Retrieved: April 23, 2016

(7) Swedish Flag. Eduniversal. Retrieved: April 23, 2016

(8) Apple Music’s Biggest Swipe at Spotify Yet. Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

(9) Billboard Staff. Billboard Announces Spotify as Exclusive Playback Partner of The Charts. Billboard. Retrieved: April 24, 2015

(10) McIntrye, Hugh. What Can Spotify Do With The $1 Billion It Just Raised? Forbes. Retrieved: April 24, 2015

Singleton, Micah. Spotify Hits 30 million Subscribers. The Verge. Retrieved: April 25, 2016

Sirius XM Radio – Joshua Weisleder

Posted on February 18, 2016 by smwarren

1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

James E. Meyer | Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM

Scott Greenstein | President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM

Dara Altman | Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, SiriusXM

About

SiriusXM delivers quality ad-free satellite radio programing to its subscribers ever since its early inception in Washington, DC in the early 90’s. The broadcasting company transmits satellite radio services like Sirius Satellite Radio, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius XM Radio anytime and and anywhere for its subscribers in North America. Users can access the service in their car, computer, and smartphone and tablet devices. Sirius also has constructed deals with every major automaker while also providing weather and traffic updates for automobiles, trucks, boats, RVs and aircrafts. In regards to content, Sirius offers musical stations from various genres and time periods, sporting entertainment from all major professional leagues and top notch talk show programming across its hundreds of channels. SiriusXM also allows users to individualize their content by using MYSXM which lets users listen to hours of on-demand programing so they will never miss a beat. In regards to revenue, SiriusXM is the biggest in the market and recently reached 30 million subscribers during its first quarter of 2016(1). The American based company also has a Canadian subsidiary called SiriusXM Canada, which has a user base of 2 million users.

New Programming

This past year, SiriusXM has added more quality programs to its already impressive collection of stations. Some of their new content includes SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, SiriusXM Comedy Greats, FOX News Headlines 24/7, Velvet (a vocalist curated station for the likes of John Legend and Adele), SiriusXM Fly (Hip/Hop and RnB from the 90’s and early 2000’s) and KIDZBOP Radio(2).

SiriusXM also schedules in limited time channels throughout the year to test out potential ratings or to celebrate particular events or musical artists. In anticipation for the acclaimed music festival, Sirius launched Coachella Radio on April 11 to feature music by artist that are scheduled to perform(3). Last January, recently after his death, Sirius added a commemorative David Bowie station on channel 30 to celebrate his legendary career(4). As well, with the recent passing of Prince, they created a station in his honor on channel 50(5).

This past march, SiriusXM provided all users access to every second of every game of the 2016 NCAA March Madness on their satellite radios and internet connected devices. They provided extensive coverage for both mens and women’s basketball with insight analysis from Mike Krzyzewski, Bobby Cremins, Tom Brennan, Steve Lappas and Mateen Cleaves(6). In addition, at the beginning of April, SiriusXM expanded its broadcasting coverage for Golfs biggest event, The Masters. There programing included commentary and hours of live play-by-play coverage from Augusta National(7). As well, Sirius will broadcast all the NBA and NHL playoff action this postseason while also providing MLB and NFL regular season and playoff games throughout the rest of 2016 and beyond.

Finances

Currently, Sirius XM Holdings Inc. has a share price of $3.96 on NASDAQ(8)

In 2015, the company recorded its highest revenue at $4.6 billion while having their Net Income reach $510 million(9). Their Net Subscriber base grew by 2.3 million in the previous year, which helped them propel to 30.1 total users in 2016. In addition, their EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization(10)) surged 13% to an all time high for the company by reaching $1.66 Billion at the end of 2015 which eclipsed its 2014 mark of $1.47 Billion. For 2016, the company projects a 1.4 million net subscriber increase, $4.9 Billion rise in revenue, an EDBITDA of roughly $1.78 Billion and a Free Cash flow of around $1.4 billion. In addition, highly regarded financial analysis and TV personality for Mad Money, Jim Cramer, publicly stated earlier in April that: “When you see a lot of cars being sold — and we have a remarkable number of cars being sold — you want to own Sirius(11).” With SiriusXM having market control of satellite radios with the main automobile manufactures, its safe to say that SiriusXM will continue to be profitable.

Howard Stern

The king of SiriusXM’s programing is unquestionably Howard Stern. He has two stations on the service, Howard 100 and Howard 101, attracts millions of listeners and has generated huge earning for the company. As the highest paid radio broadcaster in the country, there was speculation if Stern would leave SiriusXM to purse a new distribution medium like Apple Music or Netflix(12). However, he decided to renew his contract with SiriusXM last November to give him a 5 year $90 Million per year deal, which is an annual increase from his previous $80 million yearly salary. By locking him up, SiriusXM can ensure that there biggest star is happy and still an integral part of their growing business(13).

Broadcasting Partners

Despite having several fantastic musical stations, SiriusXM has established great partnerships with several sports, news and talk programming corporations. Some of their partners are BBC, Bloomberg Radio, CNBC, CNN, the Dave Ramsey Show, ESPN, NPR, Playboy, Radio Disney, and the Weather Network(14). By having a strong group of media corporations available for users within the Sirius ecosystem, it gives users tons of options to recieve quality news and talk.

Automobile Partnerships

With a major source of listenership generated from car owners, SiriusXM has partnered with almost every major car manufacture in the market. They have existing deals with Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Harley Davidson, Honda, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Toyota, and many more manufacturers(15). By having SiriusXM accessible with both American and non-American automobiles and in both luxuries and more affordable cars, the company is allowing all drivers the opportunity to subscribe to their service and its setting themselves up to be the go to place for in car audio entertainment in North America.

Closing Statements

SiriusXM provides a service unmatched in the industry. Despite heavy competition in the streaming market, SiriusXM is the only provider of ad-free satellite radio with a multitude of stations to entertain any kind of listener. From your favorite pop songs on Hits 1 to breaking news on CNN, you have 100’s of channels to choose from. After following another successful fiscal year, locking up their biggest entertainment asset in Howard Stern and continuously locking down automobile partnerships, theres nothing slowing down the satellite radio giant.

Sources

Billboard – April 23rd, 2016
SiriusXM: Channel Update – April 23rd, 2016
SiriusXM: Investor Update – April 22nd, 2016
SiriusXM Blog: David Bowie – April 24th, 2016
SiriusXM Blog: Prince – April 24th, 2016
SiriusXM: Investor Update Golf – April 22nd, 2016
Marketwatch – April 23rd, 2016
SiriusXM Investor Update – April 22nd, 2016
SiriusXM 2015 Financial Report – April 15, 2016
Investopedia – April 24th, 2016
The Street – April 22nd, 2016
TechTimes – April 22nd, 2016
Today – April 23rd, 2016
SiriusXM Partners – April 24th, 2016
SiriusXM Automobile Partners – April 24th, 2016

Radio One

Posted on February 18, 2016 by smwarren

RADIO ONE, INC.

– Radio One Logo [1]

COMPANY

Radio One, Inc. is a multi-media company that primarily targets urban consumers. While the company primarily focuses on radio broadcasting, it also has ownership in TV One, Reach Media, and Interactive One, which are digital resource outlets that provide users with

-Interactive One logo [3]

information and news. With fifty-five broadcast stations in sixteen United States markets primarily geared towards African-American listeners, Radio One is the largest radio broadcasting operation [2].

Radio One has also branched out in television media. It recently acquired a controlling interest in TV One, which produces cable programming that like the radio network is designed to target a primarily African American audience [4].

KEY EXECUTIVES

Alfred C. Liggins – CEO, Radio One [5]

Linda Vilardo – Executive Vice President, Radio One [6]

Peter D. Thompson – Chief Financial Officer, Radio One [7]

BACKGROUND

– Catherine Hughes – Founder, Radio One [8]

Radio One is targeted at minority audiences and was itself founded by an African American woman, who continues to own a majority stake in the company. Catherine Hughes began her career in gospel radio in Washington DC, before eventually buying her first station with the help of bank loans, her own savings, and a loan from the African American venture capital firm Syncom, which funded African American media start-ups. Hughes’ overcame constant struggles with debt, eventually hosting her morning drive show herself as the bank refused to allow her to pay a salary for someone to host the slot. Gradually, Hughes’ venture achieved profitability and expanded, though she still had to contend with banks that insisted she programmed her stations to include white music for white audiences. Hughes was convinced that black programming was the way to profitability, and the entire history of her company vindicated her insight and self-belief. Hughes retired in 1993 and was replaced by her son Alfred C. Liggins III, who oversaw the massive expansion of the station in the 1990s, following the relaxation of ownership rules. Ironically, Hughes had feared that relaxing ownership rules would concentrate ownership in the hands of a few large corporations: Radio One has become the largest African American owner of stations in the United States [9].

In 2012, Radio One was expected to generate revenues of $433 million dollars. When asked how she had the vision to start such a venture, Hughes pointed to her need to take care of her son. She did not want him to become another statistic as part of the loss of African American youth in our society [10].

In 2013, Radio One acquired a majority stake in Reach Media. This allowed the company to expand its black talk radio programming, designed to offer an alternative voice to white conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh. The network features the Reverend Al Sharpton and other popular African American hosts and commentators [11].

However, before gaining success, Radio One faced financial difficulties in the mid 2000s and was forced to abandon its black audience formatting in some of its stations. In 2007, Radio One changed its format in Houston, Columbus and Cincinnati to cater to mainstream white audience because of the difficulties of generating sufficient revenue. At the same time, black radio stations in New York City were forced to merge because of falling revenues [12].

ADVERTISEMENTS

-Vision Critical Logo [13]

Part of Radio One’s success has arisen from its ability to get customers to advertise on its shows by convincing them that they can connect with African American audiences and give them the tools they need to do so. Vision Critical, a marketing organization, has been instrumental in helping Radio One develop the systems it needs to connect with its advertisers and inspire new companies to advertise on its stations [14].

RESTRUCTURING

Deon Levingston, General Manager [15]

Recently, Radio One has restructured certain facets of itself in order to target the modern African-American. On March 1, 2016, Radio One reported that Deon Levingston would return to the company as the General Manager of Indianapolis and Regional Vice President of Detroit and St. Louis. Since leaving Radio One, he played a role in the success of mainstream hit African American shows such as The Steve Harvey Morning Show, The Wendy Williams Experience, and Circle of Sister [14]. This experience has given Levingston the tools to create strategies to more accurately target modern urban consumers.

FINANCIALS

Since its first radio station was acquired in 1980, Radio One has hired 1,740 employees and has accumulated a sales revenue of $303.2 million [16]. Radio One held a revenue increase each year since the start of the company until 2014 when its revenue decreased by 2% from 2013’s fiscal of $448.7 million to 2014’s fiscal of $441.4 million [17]. As of April 24th, 2016, Radio One’s stock is steady at a high of 1.8300 and a low of 1.8300 with a declining 7.11 per cent change. Radio One holds an Avg Vol (3m) at 42,237 and a market cap of 92.36 million [18]. While Radio One’s stations have received higher ratings in the first quarter of 2016 than the fourth quarter of 2015, Alfred Liggins, the CEO of Radio One, reported in February 2016 that the company’s revenue has decreased. Radio One’s revenue decreased by 4.3% in the first quarter of 2016 since the fourth quarter of 2015 because of a decrease in listeners in the Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Indianapolis markets. Liggins explains that Radio One’s strategy to increase ratings have worked; however, the company is still searching for ways to increase revenue. Liggins feels that one of the issues the company faces is that there are not enough young account executives employed [19]. While many Radio One listeners are of the 18-24 demographic, some Radio One executives are not young enough to execute appropriate strategy plans targeted towards a younger demographic. In addition to the company’s decline in overall revenue, Radio One saw an advertising revenue decrease of 5.2% between the fourth quarter of 2015 and the fourth quarter of 2014 [20].

DEBT

Despite its success, Radio One carries around $1 billion dollars of debt that it chose to refinance in May of 2015. CEO Liggins is confident that Radio One can continue its profitability in the light of increasing minority audiences and the increasing spending power of underrepresented groups. As he stated, “In the continuingly browning America, multicultural advertising continues to rate strong and move forward and I think that we’re right at the epicenter of it. We’ve got some more exciting announcements and initiatives in the coming months as it relates to really firming up and filling out this platform.” [21]

FUTURE

Company executives have had the chance to examine the reasons behind the company’s revenue declined and are prepared to set up a strategy to increase revenue for the next quarter. Radio One’s plan for the next quarter is to develop its cross-platform sales and marketing strategy through One Solution which offers advertisers more opportunities to reach Radio One’s urban consumers [22].

SOURCES

[1] Radio One Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.earlboston.com/testimonials/

[2] Radio One: The Urban Media Specialist. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://home.radio-one.com/about-us/

[3] Interactive One Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.frequencynews.com/wordpress/urban-music-formats/interactive-one-presents-its-all-black-music/

[4] Radio One: The Urban Media Specialist. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://home.radio-one.com/about-us

[5] Alfred C. Liggins Headshot. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://soba.iamempowered.com/content/alfred-c-liggins

[6] Linda Vilardo Headshot. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.directwomen.org/alumnae/alumnae-biographies/linda-j-vilardo

[7] Peter D. Thompson Headshot. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://thesoundla.com/2014/12/mark-thompson-host-new-mark-morning-show-beginning-february-2015/

[8] Catherine Hughes Headshot. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.mbda.gov/blogger/mbda-agency/women-history-month-profile-catherine-l-hughes

[9] Radio One, Inc. – Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Radio One, Inc. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/40/Radio-One-Inc.html

[10] Cathy Hughes, Radio One: From Teen Mom To Media Mogul. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/catherine-hughes-radio-one_n_1798129.html

[11] Radio One, Reach Media Launching Urban Talk-Radio Network. Retrieved April 25, 2016. https://www.targetmarketnews.com/storyid10310501.htm

[12] A Radio Merger in New York Reflects a Shifting Industry. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/30/business/media/a-radio-merger-in-new-york-reflects-a-shifting-industry.html

[13] Vision Critical Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.lisagoller.com

[14] Radio One Announced Changed in Local Leadership. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/radio-one-announced-changes-in-local-radio-leadership-300228791.html

[15] Deon Levingston Headshot. Retrieved April 26, 2016. http://www.insideradio.com/features/insider_interviews/q-a-deon-levingston-gm-emmis-communications-nyc-cluster/article_4ed43390-7369-11e5-8d0c-ff558f527f8a.html

[16] Radio One, Inc. – Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Radio One, Inc. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/40/Radio-One-Inc.html

[17] Radio One, Inc. Rankings & Reviews. Retrieved April 26, 2016. http://www.vault.com/company-profiles/radio/radio-one,-inc/company-overview.aspx

[18] Yahoo! Finance: Radio One. Retrieved April 26, 2016. http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ROIAK

[19] FMQB Thinking Ahead. Retrieved April 26, 2016. http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=2993698

[20] FMQB Thinking Ahead. Retrieved April 26, 2016. http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=2993698

[21] Radio One Gears Up For TV One Deal. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.insideradio.com/free/radio-one-gears-up-for-tv-one-deal/article_4de2e636-cecb-11e4-9469-0701768ec384.html

[22] Radio One Gears Up For TV One Deal. Retrieved April 25, 2016. http://www.insideradio.com/free/radio-one-gears-up-for-tv-one-deal/article_4de2e636-cecb-11e4-9469-0701768ec384.html

Pandora Radio

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Rachel Blackman

By Rachel Blackman

Company

Pandora Radio is an online and mobile personalized radio model that utilizes the Music Genome Project.

Pandora Logo [6]

The Music Genome Project is an algorithm set by music analysts that matches people to other music they may like based on their taste in artist or song [1]. Essentially, the listener may pick an artist/band, genre, or song and, based on the characteristics and technical elements of their choice, music that has similar traits will be played in accordance in a channel format. Comedy has also recently been added to the Pandora portfolio, so there is the option to explore that realm in the same streaming/radio hybrid system.

Pandora also has a blog section and benefits such as exclusive presale opportunities for concerts as well as premade stations for those who just want to listen to a less narrow selection.

There is a freemium version of the service with advertisements between songs, and a premium subscription service, Pandora One, that costs $4.99 a month for no ads.

Brief History

Pandora Radio is, in many ways, looked at as the originator of the personalized streaming service craze that is so prominent in the world today. Founded in 2000 by Tim Westergren and Jon Kraft, the company began humbly as just the idea of the Music Genome Project.

Come 2005 and beyond, Pandora was fully formed and blew up with popularity[2]. People were discovering music and finding the ease of having it on demand and tailored to their own tastes, a model that every competitor has been utilizing since.

Pandora x Ticketfly Merger [13]

As Spotify exploded and streaming services grew, the attention faded a bit from Pandora, but it is on its way back. At the end of last year, Pandora purchased the concert ticketing entity Ticketfly for $450 million in one of its biggest moves ever[3]. With this merger, Pandora is going to be able to sell tickets through its service, adding to its attraction and uniqueness.

Rdio Logo [14]

Next, Pandora purchased the streaming service Rdio’s assets for $75 million in efforts to make it into the digital streaming world as direct competition to players like Spotify and Apple Music[4].

The company is currently in a transition period where it is implementing these new acquisitions in order to get ahead of the game in streaming in 2016 and beyond.

New Features

Browse Graphic [5]

January 28, 2016, Pandora launched a new feature for their app: Browse. Browse recommends and assists people in discovering artists they may like based on their music taste. There is also an analysis level to the feature where listeners can view how many others are enjoying an artist they love, a useful resource for both the creators and the fans. Along with Browse, the app was redesigned to look cleaner and be easier to use[5].

Another exciting and innovative new idea Pandora implemented March 8^th is their AMPcast service. AMPcast allows artists to speak to their followers through audio messages they can record on their cell phones and upload to their music channel[6], a valuable form of connection for the artists to their fan base that has not yet been utilized anywhere else.

Live Music

Pandora Discovery Den [15]

Pandora has been making huge strides in the live music game this year as well. For example, this was their first year as the official streaming partner to the popular and forward-thinking music festival/conference, South By Southwest in Austin, TX. This year, their fittingly named stage Discovery Den hosted hot up-and-coming acts from March 16-19. From hip-hop artists like Kevin Gates and Anderson .Paak to electronic like Louis the Child[7], Pandora was thoughtful and current in its choices and tapped into young, hip audiences in the perfect setting to do so.

Concert poster for The ATL [8]

April 6^th, Pandora announced the lineup for its leap into the hip-hop world via their Pandora Presents: The ATL concert taking place May 5^th. Featuring wildly popular rap and hip-hop acts Young Thug, K Camp, and Dej Loaf, Pandora is targeting a key young and musically active audience that they have not been as present with until now[8]

Company structure

The company has been going through some executive changes in 2016, including naming cofounder Tim Westergren as CEO March 28^{th [9]}. Westergren is a musician himself and has always seen the importance in discovering new talent, something Pandora is putting a lot of attention into currently and a concept that will keep them relevant.

Along with this change, there was a restructuring of the upper offices including instating Mike Herring as President and CFO, promoting Sara Clemens from CSO to COO, and putting Chris Phillips in the Chief Product Officer seat [9].

Revenues

Pandora’s 2016 first quarter financial review has not yet been released, but will be made public April 28. Given the numbers from last year, it would appear as though the company is on an upward trend. Their fourth quarter revenue at the end of 2015 was up 25% year-over-year at $336.2 million, and their total revenues for all of 2015 were $1.164 billion, a growth of 26% year-over-year[10]. It is reasonable to expect that this years numbers will be even greater, especially given their acquisitions of Ticketfly and Rdio and their movement into live music.

As for right now, Pandora Media’s stock has gone up 0.04 since its last close with a volume of 9.06m[11].

Finally, Pandora just hit the $2 billion mark on April 18^thfor artist and songwriter royalties[12].

Overview/Looking to the Future

Pandora is making big moves towards being a powerful player through their innovative new streaming updates, their live music target on hip-hop in particular, and their company restructuring. It should be fascinating to watch how effective their strategies prove to be in execution.

Sources

[1] “About The Music Genome Project®.” (n.d.): n. pag. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[2] “Origin Story: The Founding of Pandora Radio.” Startup Grind. N.p., n.d. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[3] Sisario, Ben. “Pandora Buys Ticketfly, a Competitor to Ticketmaster.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 2015. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[4] “Pandora’s Rdio Acquisition Sets Stage for Epic Streaming Music Battle.” Variety. N.p., 2015. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[5] “Pandora Debuts New Personalized Destination to Discover Music.” Press Release Distribution, EDGAR Filing, XBRL, Regulatory Filings. N.p., n.d. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[6] Lunden, Ingrid. “Pandora Raises Its Social Media Game with AMPcast, DIY Audio Messaging For artists.” TechCrunch. N.p., 2016. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[7] “Pandora Reveals Initial Lineup in Its First Year as the Official SXSW Streaming Partner – NASDAQ.com.” NASDAQ.com. N.p., n.d. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[8] “Young Thug, K Camp & DeJ Loaf To Perform At Pandora ATL Concert.” Vibe. N.p., 2016. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[9] “Pandora Brings Back Founder Tim Westergren As Newest CEO.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[10] “Pandora Reports Q4 and Full Year 2015 Financial Results.” Press Release Distribution, EDGAR Filing, XBRL, Regulatory Filings. N.p., n.d. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[11] “Pandora Media Inc.” P Stock Quote. N.p., n.d. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[12] “Pandora Hits $2 Billion in All-Time Royalties for Artists and Songwriters.” Press Release Distribution, EDGAR Filing, XBRL, Regulatory Filings. N.p., n.d. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2016.

[13] Dufree, Rachel. “Pandora and Ticketfly Join Forces to Create the World’s Most Powerful Music Platform.” Ticketfly. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

[14] “Rdio Adds Free Streaming With Nearly 500 Live Broadcast Stations – Next Geekers.” Next Geekers. N.p., 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

[15] “Discovery Den at SXSW 2016: Four Days of Your New Favorite Music.” South by Southwest 2016 Music, Film and Interactive Festivals. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

iHeartMedia

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Clelia Ryan

iHeartMedia Logo -Source iheartmedia.com

Headquarters

iHeartMedia, Inc.
200 East Basse Road
San Antonio, Texas 78209-8328

Corporate Structure

Bob Pitman: Chairman and CEO [3]

Richard J. Bressler: President, CFO and COO [3]

Wendy Goldberg: Executive VP & Chief Communications Officer [3]

John Sykes: President of Entertainment Enterprises [3]

About

[source – Electro Area Youtube Channel]

iHeartMedia has become a major force in the mass media industry. It was founded under Clear Channel Communications when they purchased their first radio station in 1972. Today, iHeartMedia Inc. is the parent company of iHeartMedia Capital I, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings (CCO) as well as iHeartMedia (IHRT) [14].

iHeartMedia has the largest impact of any media platform in America, reaching 245 million monthly listeners through radio. Their reach expands to 150 different markets and ownership of 850 stations. iHeartRadio is a digital platform to listen to all iHeartMedia stations [1]. The company proves to be very successful in the digital radio space. In 2014, Clear Channel Media formally changed its name to iHeartMedia. CEO Bob Pittman states, “The new name will reflect the company’s multi-platform presence and ability to embrace innovation and new technology” [9]. This name change allows the company to align itself with the iHeartRadio name that consumers are familiar with. iHeartRadio is responsible for many live music events throughout the year, such as the Jingle Ball national tour, iHeartRadio Music Festival and iHeartRadio Awards.

Radio

Radio is a still huge media outlet and continues to reach 91% of Americans ages 12+ each week [23]. As of January 2016, iHeartRadio has 80 million register users and total listening hours grew by 30% [18]. iHeartRadio has coined deals with some of the most well known on-air personalities such as Ryan Seacrest and Elvis Duran of New York’s Z100. Seacrest hosts of LA’s number one morning stations, 102.7 KISS-FM. He also hosts nationally syndicated programming with the broadcasts of On Air with Ryan Seacrest and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest [16].

Ryan Seacrest [16]

The iHeartRadio website and app provides “Live Radio“, allowing listeners to listen live to over 858 stations. They also provide “For You“, a feature that suggests stations based on the users preferred selection of genres. Finally, “Artist Radio” is a custom made station with songs by an artist selected by the listener and related music [17].

Right Here, Right Now: Financial Woes

Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw Reports on iHeartMedia’s Debt [20]

Click here to view a Bloomberg video summarizing iHeartMedias debt crisis [20].

Recently, iHeartMedia has been making headlines for their massive debt reported at the end of 2015. The company is reported to have approximately $20.6 billion of debt [2]. In 2008 the company was bought by private equity firms Bain Capital Partners LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners for $28 billion in a leveraged buyout. The buyout came during the economic recession and it was expected that in the coming years iHeartRadio would profit greatly [10]. However since 2008, iHeartMedia has been battling to pay off debt.

In response to the news, it was announced on March 8th that iHeartMedia Inc. hired Moelis & Co. as a financial advisor [4].

Also on March 8th, many bondholders became displeased with iHeartMedia’s executive decision to move $500 million in assets to a subsidiary. As a result bondholders filed notices of default. These bondholders argue that in transferring their shares of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. to Broader Media LLC, iHeartMedia violated debt agreements. This was done in an attempt to clear up some of their massive debt [5].

In a press release issued on March 8th, iHeartMedia announced they filed a lawsuit in State District Court in Bear County Texas to prove their transfer of shares was done legally [6]. On behalf of the company, Chief Communications Officer Wendy Goldberg states, “We believe our recent contribution of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. stock to our subsidiary Broader Media LLC constituted a permitted investment under, and fully complied with, our financing agreements” [5].

On March 10th, iHeartMedia was granted a temporary restraining order which rescinds the default noticed filed against the company. Moving forward, iHeartMedia and the bondholders, who issued the default notices, will have a court hearing before a judge. This hearing may determine how iHeartMedia will move froward in paying off their $20.6 billion in debt [11].

The trial regarding this matter is set to take place in a Texas state court on May 16, 2106. The shares in question are valued at $1.2 billion [12] .

Click for updating stock prices [19]

On April 25, 2016. iHeartMedia Inc.’s stock (IHRT) closed at $1.18 per share. This is a major drop in price compared to June 2015, when it was selling for $7.50 per share. Subsidiary, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings also saw a drop in stock price from a year ago. It closed at $4.88 as opposed to its price of $11.21 seen in April 2015 [19]. In their Fourth Quarter and Full Year Report iHeartMedia stated a 3% revenue increase to $1.8 billion [18].

iHeartMedia’s Place in Political Advertising

Brendon DelToro [22]

On February 16th, iHeartMedia announced Brendon DelToro has been appointed to Vice President For Political Strategy. DelToro will aid in managing iHeartMedia’s relations with candidates and other political organizations. This year the company plans to have an iHeartMedia Campaign 2016 Command Center to keep track of over 2,000 elections in 150 markets. Brendon’s role will be to merge the political sales teams across iHeartMedia’s broad market reach [7]. The goal of iHeartMedia’s engagement with the political campaign is to allow political and advocacy groups to have access to iHeart’s 80 million users.

iHeartMedia is also planning on capitalizing on the 2016 election by having advertisers pay to place ads via radio rather than the traditional TV route. Candidates strive to target specific demographics, which is getting more difficult to do through traditional TV. Digital radio platforms, specially iHeartMedia can provide campaigns with data that is relevant for targeting the key audiences [8].

Continuing Their Place in the Entertainment Industry

Despite their well known debt and pending court hearings, iHeartMedia continues to hold their place in the music and entertainment industry.

iHeartMedia celebrated their 3rd annual iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 3rd. This award show is primarily driven by fans and users of the iHeartRadio app to vote for nominees.

iHeartRadio Music Awards Promotional Ad [13]

On social media the iHeartRadio Awards generated 115 billion impressions. This number includes the promotional period of the show throughout the television broadcast. This massive number of engagements far exceeds that of other popular award shows such as the MTV Video Music Awards. Chris Williams, Chief Product Officer credits the shows success to the fan engagement and radio personalities involvement [13].

Photo from the 2015 iHeartRadio Pool Party [15]

This summer, iHeartRadio will also be hosting their iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party. Tickets to this exclusive event at Miami’s Fontainebleau will be given to listeners across the country through on-air contests. This years lineup will feature Kygo, Flo Rida, DNCE and Jason Derulo [15]. Seasonal concert events such as the iHeartRadio Pool Party and Jingle Ball Tours are proven to boost listenership across iHeartRadio stations nationwide.

Summary

iHeartMedia is a well respected entertainment company but struggles with being profitable, due to its burdensome debt servicing obligations. Looking ahead, iHeartMedia’s debt crisis and battle with bondholders will have an effect on the financial future of the company. Overall, iHeartMedia remains competitive in the digital radio industry against companies such as Spotify and Pandora providing similar services.

Works Cited

[1] iHeartMedia Corporate. iheartmedia.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[2] “The Largest U.S. Radio Operator Is Saddled With $20 Billion Debt”. bloomberg.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[3] iHeartMedia Our Team. iheartmedia.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[4] “iHeartMedia hires Moelis to tackle debt burden”. newsdaily.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[5] “iHeartMedia, Lenders in Fight Over Disputed Share Transfer”. bloomberg.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[6] “iHeartMedia, Inc. Responds to Lender Group Allegation”. Businesswire.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[7] “iHeartMedia Names Brandon DelToro Vice President for Political Strategy”. iheartmedia.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[8] “Inside iHeartMedia Strategy to Steal Presidential Ad Dollars From TV” adage.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[9] “Clear Channel Rebrands As iHeartMedia” adage.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[10] “Coming, the collapse of radio’s iHeartMedia”. Medialifemagazine.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[11] “Court Rescinds Default Notices Against iHeartMedia”. Insideradio.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[12] “iHeartMedia Default Fight Set to Go to Trial” wsj.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[13] “2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards Social Engagement Captures 115 Billion Impressions Across U.S.” broadwayworld.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[14] “iHeartMedia Loses A Director, Gets More Time To Resolve Its Massive Debt Problems” billboard.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[15] “iHeartRadio Is Throwing Miami’s Biggest Pool Party of the Year With Flo-Rida, Kygo and More” miaminewtimes.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[16] “Ryan Seacrest Inks New Mega Deal with iHeartMedia” hollywoodreporter.com, retrieved April 23, 2016

[17] iHeartRadio. iheartradio.com, retrieved April 23, 2016

[18] iHeartMedia Investors. iheartmedia.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[19] iHRT Stock Price. Google.com/ihrt+stock+price, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[20] “Has iHeartMedia Defaulted on Debt?” uk.finance.yahoo.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[21] iHeartMedia Sizzle Reel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6pQXJ0jHO8P9ih4rPRh8Kg, Retrieved April 24,2016

[22] Photo Brendon DelToro. allaccess.com, Retrieved April 24, 2016

[23] “Why Radio Fact Sheet”. rab.com, Retrieved April 24, 2016

Emmis Communications – Jake Kalmenson

Posted on February 18, 2016 by smwarren

Emmis Communications

by Jake Kalmenson

1 Emmis Communications’ Logo

Emmis Communications

40 Monument Circle, Suite 700

Indianapolis, IN 46204

http://www.emmis.com

About

Emmis Communications is a media conglomerate based in Indianapolis that specializes in broadcast radio and publishing. The company holds 24 radio stations in six different markets, as well as six magazine publications in five different markets. The company was established in 1979 when Jeff Smulyan purchased WSVL, a radio station in Shelbyville, Indiana. After a few years of struggling to get the operation going, WENS was finally launched, penetrating the market as an adult contemporary format—the station was nearly an automatic hit. One significant member of the newly launched radio station was David Letterman who was just entering broadcast as a career. His fast appeal as a personality contributed mightily to the overall success of the radio station. With the success of the companies first acquisition, Smulyan used his profits and reinvested them into the company, eventually turning Emmis Communications into a multi-media company that today ranks among the top 10 in the radio industry in the United States. 2

3 Jeff Smulyan – Founder and Board Member – Emmis Communications

Jeff Smulyan serves as the founder and Chairman of the Board of Emmis Communications. In 1989, Smulyan and a group of investors purchased the Seattle Mariners. Only three years later they decided to sell it. Evidently, Jeff isn’t solely a radio guy, he has immersed Emmis into the magazine publication industry as well as the digital marketplace. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in history and Telecommunications, as well as earned a Juris Doctor degree from the USC Law School. 4

5 Rick Cummings – President of Programming

Rick Cummings joined the media company as its first program director for WENS-FM. He later went on to become the national program director for Emmis Communications in 1984. Later on in 2002, he became the President of Programming.6

RADIO: Emmis has a variety of stations in a multitude of markets, however a few in particular help bring in the majority of its revenues. These include its two flagship stations: Power 106 and Hot 97

Power 106

7 Power 106

Power 106, Emmis’ Los Angeles-based hip-hop station, is a huge brand and has been the number one urban-hit station in LA for years. The station serves as a portal to debut hits as well as break new artists as millions of people tune in each day. For years KPWR (Power 106) had “Big Boy” host the morning show. However, last year the huge radio company Clear Channel (IHeart Radio) entered the market as a clear competitor with the launch of 92.3. The largest radio conglomerate used its leverage to strip Power 106 of its long-time morning show host by offering him a bigger contract. Since Big Boy left KPWR, the station has seen a serious dip in its ratings: the company moved from #5 in the market to #16 by the end of the year. 8

9 Kanye West at Power 106

Hot 97

10 Hot 97 Logo

WQHT or “Hot 97” became the first all hip-hop station in 1992 when the format changed from dance to hip-hop and R&B. This change was in response to the station experiencing an all-time-low in ratings. Ever since, the station has been a powerhouse, trendsetting and defining hip-hop culture in the number one radio market, New York City. Hot 97’s principal demographic is 18-34 year olds. The station has facilitated the breaking of big time artists including: Jay Z, Nas, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and 50 Cent.11

Concerts

Every year Emmis Communication takes advantage of its powerful position in the music industry by hosting multiple music festivals. In Los Angeles, Power 106 puts on the concert ‘PowerHouse,’ which features many of the top hip-hop artists in the world. Additionally, the company’s New York hip-hop radio station ‘Hot 97’ hosts the music festival “Summer Jam” which takes place at MetLife stadium in New York City. In recent news, Emmis Communications has expanded its ‘Summer Jam’ to Tokyo.

12 Summer Jam Takes Tokyo

Financial

In the financial report released November 30th, 2015, Emmis Communications released its net revenues per sector of the company. Evidently, radio revenues were the highest at $132,789,000 nine months into the year. As compared to last year, the company is down almost $5 million in revenue. Revenues from publishing remained steady: only dropping in the $10,000 range. What stands out most is that the company generated a significantly higher amount in the field of ‘Emerging Technologies,’ which refers to online radio and digital advertising. In 2014, the company saw $318,000 in revenue, whereas in 2015 the company saw almost $1 million in revenue: $985,000.13

14 Financial Results for Q3

Emmis Communications or (EMMS) currently sells for 58 cents per share. Over the last month (since March 28th) the company’s stock price has fluctuated within a range of 10 cents. It has hit a high of .65 cents per share, meanwhile hitting a low of 55 cents per share.

15 EMMS Stock – Month

As shown below, the price has significantly wavered since 2012: it hit a high of over $3 per share, meanwhile also hitting a low of its current state, .58 cents per share. The company’s owner has attributed its fallen stock price to the recent struggles the company has faced in Los Angeles as well as the general consensus that radio is a declining industry.

16 EMMS Stock – Year

Recent News

Due to the difficulties the company has seen with its flagship station KPWR, it has taken action to cut costs by laying off employees, cutting executive salaries and lowering its budget. After experiencing a weak fiscal quarter, the company laid off 32 employees, cutting about 3% of its workforce. In addition to the layoffs, the company is also shaving the salaries of all its senior executives. In an article published by The Indy Star, the company is looking to cut “$7.5 million from its budget, as well as $5.3 million from its radio properties.” Additionally, Smulyan decided not to renew the contract of Mike Corbin–someone who had worked for the company for nearly 10 years, as well as Deon Levingston, the company’s New York general manager. 17

What’s to Come

While the situation in Los Angeles as well as the decline of its stock price might suggest a variable future for the company, many believe that the low valuation is a result of an overreaction to a declining radio industry. While studies show that more and more people are using streaming services to consume music, there continues to remain strong evidence showing that radio is still the most dominant medium for music consumption. According to the Nielsen Total Audience Report, AM/FM radio still reaches over 90% of all Americans and 223 million people each week.18

Sources:

“Emmis Communications.” Emmis Communications Home Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
“History of Emmis Communications.” History of Emmis Communications. N.p., n.d. Web.
“Jeff Smulyan – Chairman, CEO, and Founder.” Emmis Communications. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Ibid.
“Rick Cummings – Emmis Communications.” Emmis Communications. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Ibid.
“Power 106 | Where Hip Hop Lives.” Power 106 | Where Hip Hop Lives. Emmis Communications, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
“Emmis Radio: Power 106 KPWR – Los Angeles.” Emmis Communications. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
“Kanye West – Awesome – [LEAKED MUSIC].” Power 106. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
“HOT 97 | Where Hip Hop Lives.” HOT 97 | Where Hip Hop Lives. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
“RADIO: New York – HOT 97 WQHT – Emmis Communications.” Emmis Communications. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
“Hot 97’s Summer Jam Takes Its Talents To Tokyo.” Vibe. N.p., 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Newton, R. Emmis. “801.” The Mathematical Gazette 12.178 (1925): 475. Summary of Financial Results. Web.
Ibid.
“Emmis Communications Corporation.” : NASDAQ:EMMS Quotes & News. Google Finance, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Ibid.
Briggs, James. “Emmis Communications Confirms Layoffs.” Indystar. Indystar, n.d. Web.
“STATE OF THE MEDIA: AUDIO TODAY 2014.” Nielsen. N.p., n.d. Web.
Contents, Table Of. EMMIS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION (n.d.): n. pag. Emmis Communications 10-K. Emmis Communications. Web.
“Emmis Announces International Expansion of HOT 97 Summer Jam.” PR Newswire. PR Newswire, n.d. Web.
“Emmis Communications Income-statement 2016-Q3.” Emmis Communications Quarterly Income Statement 2016 Q3, 2016 Q2. Amigo Bulls, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
“HOT 97 | Where Hip Hop Lives.” HOT 97 | Where Hip Hop Lives. Emmis Communications, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Owen, Laura. “Left on the Dial: With Young People Trading AM/FM for Streaming, Will Radio Find a Home in Your next Car?” Neiman Lab. Neiman Lab, n.d. Web.
“RADIO: New York – HOT 97 WQHT – Emmis Communications.” Emmis Communications. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
“RADIO REACHES 223M LISTENERS EACH WEEK.” Inside Radio. Inside Radio, n.d. Web.
“Top Audio Companies.” : Media Ownership Database. State of the News Media, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

CBS Radio

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Rachel Lipsitz

By: Rachel Lipsitz

CBS Radio logo [1]

Contact Information [2]

1271 Avenue of the Americas FL 44

New York, NY 10020

212.649.9600

Cbsradio.com

Key Executives [3]

Andre Fernandez, President

Scott Herman, Chief Operating Officer

Ezra Kucharz, President, Local Digital Media

Chris Oliviero, Executive Vice President, Programming

Jo Ann Haller, Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Bob Phillips, Senior Vice President and Director of Sales

Overview

CBS Radio is the nation’s number 2 radio group, including 117 stations, 26 of which are in the largest radio markets in the country. In 2015 alone, CBS radio estimated generating around $1.3 billion in revenue[4]. CBS Radio’s geographically dispersed stations serve to target many different demographics through a broad range of formats, including: rock, classic, adult contemporary, top 40, sports and country [5].

History

CBS Radio was created as a radio network in 1927. From 22 stations that started to air in 1928, the company grew to 114 stations in just a single decade and by 1932 was earning an annual profit of $3 million [6]. In the late 1940s, CBS Radio was able come out on top due to its development of long-playing records by its Columbia Records division. In 1995, Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired CBS for $5.4 billion. In 1997, Westinghouse changed the name of his new company to CBS Corporation and moved its headquarters from Pittsburgh to New York City [7]. In 1999, entertainment conglomerate Viacom announced that it was taking over CBS in a deal worth $37 billion, but only lasted until 2005 when CBS split into two, where CBS Radio became a part of CBS Corporation under its broadcasting division [8].

Competitors

iHeartMedia logo [29]

Emmis Communications logo [30]

Entercom Communications logo [31]

CBS Radio has four direct competitors: Emmis Communications, Entercom Communications, iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio competes within their respective markets for audience, advertising revenues and programming with other radio stations [9]. These company’s radio stations, which also include their online internet streaming services, compete with services like Spotify and Pandora.

Financials

CBS Interactive Stock Chart from Yahoo Finance updated April 23, 2016 at 3:30 pm [10]

CBS Corporation is a publicly traded company and on April 23, 2016, was traded at $56.59 per share, which is is down from last years price, which was $60.63 per share. Right now, the company’s stock value lies between the 52 week low of $38.51 per share and the 52 week high of $63.95 per share [11].

The majority of CBS Radio’s revenues are generated from the sales of local and national advertising [12]. In 2015, CBS Radio’s radio revenue decreased by 6% and took a $484 million write-down on the value of its FCC radio licenses [13].

Financials CBS Radio of Local Broadcasting [14]

Due to the fact that CBS Radio is a subsidiary of CBS Corporation, the financials for the radio division are combined with the financials for the local broadcasting television division.The Local Broadcasting revenues for the fourth quarter of 2015 were $719 million. CBS Radio revenues were down 5%, which reflected the continued decrease in the radio advertising marketplace [15].

CBS Sports Radio

CBS Sports Radio Logo [34]

CBS Sports Radio was launched in January 2013 and offers 24/7 national sports coverage and programming to over 330 stations, including stations in all of the top 10 markets. CBS Sports has many different programs across across multiple weekdays and weekend time periods that feature expert sports commentary by very experienced broadcasters [16].

98.5 The Sports Hub [33]

Most recently, CBS Radio’s 98.5 The Sports Hub finished first overall during the three-month winter Nielsen Audio Ratings period as sports talk continued to dominate the Boston radio market [17]. The Sports Hub earned an 11.8 share overall from the period of December 31 to March 23, which is a higher than the station got last winter, when the New England Patriots were in the SuperBowl [18].

CBS Corporation Potentially Getting Rid of Radio Division

Leslie Moonves, Chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation [35]

CBS Chairman and CEO, Leslie Moonves, recently made a public announcement about exploring other options for CBS Radio due to the fact that it is no longer the crown jewel of the company. Some of the options that Moonves is referring to is either spinning off the radio divisions as a separate company or selling the stations as a whole [19].

“We have 117 radio stations and we think that will be a great standalone company. As a standalone high-cash, relatively low-growth business, it will do really really well and it’ll do better as a standalone than part of the other divisions of CBS” [20].

-Leslie Moonves

On March 30, 2016, Andre Fernandez sent a memo to the CBS Radio staff informing them what was discussed in a meeting with Leslie Moonves, regarding the future of the company. In the memo, Fernandez tells the staff that the primary course of action by CBS Corporation is to split CBS Radio off via an IPO [21]. By making CBS Radio an IPO, the goal would be to become their own publicly traded company, which would allow the radio division to define their own operating strategy. The memo also stated that there are other options that are being explored for how the company should handle the situation: there is the possibility that CBS Radio will become part of another company [22].

Due to the fact that CBS Radio has acquired many assets throughout the decades, the company should have major tax consequences depending on how the sale of the division is structured [23].

Some Restructuring Within the Company

Karen Mateo, SVP/Communications, who has played an integral part at CBS Radio’s management division for 13 years, announced that she will be leaving the company.

Todd Cavanah was recently named the new vice president of programming for CBS Radio Chicago. Cavanah will be in charge of program oversight for the six Chicago radio outlets and will be in charge of identifying opportunities to improve ratings, which are directly connected to each station’s ability to generate ad revenue [24].

Chad Fitzsimmons was promoted to VP of Music Initiatives at CBS Radio. His new position will put him in charge of creation and execution of CBS Radio’s concert series, which includes We Can Survive and The Night Before [25].

“The exponential growth and critical acclaim that our national events have experienced over the last few years is a direct result of Chad’s vision and passion for the unique and powerful marriage of radio and the music industry” [26].

-Chris Oliviero

2016 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards

Edward R. Murrow Awards logo [36]

At the 2016 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, The Radio Television Digital News Association announced the winners, where 11 respected CBS Radio stations received a total of 25 awards. Stations in San Francisco and Philadelphia were honored with the Overall Excellence award for Large Market Radio stations [27].

“It brings me great pride to see our stations recognized for their continued excellence in journalism. Telling the stories that mean something to the local communities we serve has been the hallmark of CBS Radio for decades, and that long standing commitment to our audience is the foundation upon everything we do as broadcasters” [28].

-Leslie Moonves

Future

Considering the recent announcement that CBS Radio is thinking about becoming an IPO, the future of the company can be going in a few different directions. Throughout the coming weeks and months, people will be keeping a close eye on what Leslie Moonves and Andre Fernandez decide to do with the company, and how much of their decision they decide to share with the public and with their investors. The fact that CBS Radio is making new management changes gives hope to many that the structure of the company should not change much if they decide to become an IPO, but watching what happens in the future with CBS Radio and CBS Corporation will be interesting.

Sources

CBS Radio: Houston @ Dave Farra. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Radio Contant Information. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Radio Executives. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Fitch Expects CBS Radio To Remain Sound. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 10. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Erickson, Harold. January 26, 2016. CBS Corporation. Britannica. April 24, 2016.
Columbia Broadcasting System. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Columbia Broadcasting System. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 11. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Interactive Stock Chart. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
CBS Historical Stock Quotes. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 11. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Kelps, Kevin. April 10, 2016. Radio Dials Up Doubt For Stations. Crain’s Cleveland Business. April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 20. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 20. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Sports Radio, About Us. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Finn, Chad. April 13, 2016. Sports Hub Dominates Latest Boston Radio Ratings. Boston Globe. April 24, 2016.
Finn, Chad. April 13, 2016. Sports Hub Dominates Latest Boston Radio Ratings. Boston Globe. April 24, 2016.
Wagoner, Richard. March 25, 2016. Is CBS Getting Rid of its Entire Radio Division? Daily News. April 24, 2016.
Moonves: CBS Radio Will Do Better On Its Own. Retrieved April 24, 2106.
Andre Fernandez Addresses the Future of CBS Radio in an Email to Staffers. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Andre Fernandez Addresses the Future of CBS Radio in an Email to Staffers. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Morgan, Richard. March 31, 2016. CBS Plans to Spin Off Radio Business With an IPO. NY Post. April 24, 2016.
Lazare, Lewis. April 21, 2016. CBS Radio Adds New Management Layer to Chicago Programming Ranks. Chicago Business Journal. April 24, 2016.
CBS Radio Promotes Fitzsimmons. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Chad Fitzsimmons Elevated to VP/Music Initiatives at CBS Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Ross, Kevin. April 19, 2016. CBS Radio Stations Honored with 25 2016 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. Radio Facts. April 24, 2016.
CBS Radio, Press Room. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
iHeartMedia Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Emmis Communications Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Entercom Communications Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Cumulus Media Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
98.5 The Sports Hub Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
CBS Sports Radio Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Leslie Moonves Executive Picture. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Edward R. Murrow Awards Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

Viacom

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Zaynah Anderson

About the Company

Viacom is an American global mass media company. The company and its content reach audiences in over 160 countries with content produced nationally and internationally [2]. It is the sixth largest broadcast and cable company as far as revenue but has the largest portfolio of ad-supported cable networks in the United States. Viacom’s cable networks are among some of the most popular and most watched channels by families across the world. This includes BET, VH1, MTV, TV Land, Comedy Central, Spike TV, Nickelodeon including all of its spin-offs, amongst many others [3]. In fact,Viacom has been rated the number one family cable network for numerous years.

Key Executives

Phillippe Dauman serves as President, CEO, and the Executive Chairman [4].

Wade Davis serves as Executive Vice President and CFO.

Thomas E. Dooley serves as Chief Operating Officer.

Sumner M. Redstone [5], is a majority owner of the company and also serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors. However, his unstable health conditions [6] have decreased his ability to be present in the flesh during meetings as he is currently struggling with physical and speech mobility [7].

The Deal on Dish

Tensions between Viacom and Dish, a satellite-TV provider, had been brewing for quite a while before the issue was publicized nearing the Wednesday, April 20, 2016, deadline for a new carriage contract [8]. The root of the problem was a supplier-distributor disagreement in which Dish felt the carrier fees being charged by Viacom was unreasonable and overpriced. They stated that they only wanted to sign a contract that took into account the significant changes in the TV landscape and the way media is consumed. The company threatened to drop Viacom’s channels if Viacom didn’t compromise on the new deal [9].

Viacom however, suggested that they had offered Dish a best-of-its-kind deal for its very popular channels and explained that they have extended the deadline multiple times for Dish [10]. Refusal to come to an agreement would have resulted in a blackout of Viacom channels at midnight-eastern standard time. This would have been bad news for Viacom who has suffered low viewership with media being consumed in non-linear ways and would certainly impact ad revenue if it lost Dish’s 14 million viewers. The situation caused Viacom stock to drop nearly 10% on Tuesday with the fate of Viacom and Dish’s partnership still in the air [11]. However, the share prices increased the next day after CEO Charlie Ergen hinted in a conference call on Wednesday, that he would be interested in pursuing a new deal with Viacom should the company adhere to their conditions [13].

KEEPVIACOM.COM

In efforts to boost awareness on this issue, Viacom launched a website under the name www.keepviacom.com. The site broadcasted Dish’s plan to get rid of a total of 18 Viacom channels and allowed concerned visitors to learn more about the situation under a tab called “Get The Facts.” Other important tabs featured on the web page included “Shows You Will Miss” outlining viewer favorites and other shows that would have been gone forever.

One of the most important features on the site was a link titled “What People Are Saying” which provided a live feed from a discussion board of distressed Dish users and other Viacom supporters that spoke out against Dish threatening to drop the channels. Many Dish users openly expressed willingness to leave the cable provider should they drop the Viacom channels. The website also provided direct access to Dish’s Facebook page encouraging viewers to “make their voice heard” by posting on the page and urging them to join in the conversation on both Facebook and Twitter in which the hashtag #KeepViacom was trending. People of all ages used the hashtag to support Viacom and prevent Dish network from dropping the channels. The site made sure users of Dish network were able to voice their opinions by including Dish’s phone number on the digital protest site along with tips on how to get through to the company via phone [14].

Aftermath

Within the 24 hours leading up to the fate of Viacom and Dish’s relationship, hundreds of thousands passionate consumers reached out to Dish. Their voices proved to have been heard as the network did not drop the channels. Instead, Dish rose to the occasion meeting the deadline and renewing a multiyear deal with Viacom. The “keep Viacom” site has since been taken down, replaced by a message expressing gratitude and assuring users that an agreement with Dish had been met [15].

Fortunately, an agreement was reached putting both Viacom and Dish in a better position. The renewed multi-year deal includes plans for bringing select Viacom content onto Sling TV, Dish’s single and multi-stream service, as well as keeping all Viacom channels available for Dish subscribers [17].

Viacom in International Markets

Viacom has made an imprint in international markets through both acquisitions and expansions. Viacom’s acquisition of channel 5 in the United Kingdom has contributed to the company’s continued growth with a 20% growth in operating income in the country. With the acquisition of channel 5, Viacom was able to garner 23 others crucial networks allowing the company to gain access to 100% of the UK’s television audience. Viacom also has assets in India’s television market [18]. With a recent launch of VOD digital streaming service VOOT that gives India exclusive rights to consume over 17,000 hours of content through the service that is available on Android, and iOS devices for free with lots of kid-friendly content from Nickelodeon and MTV readily accessible [20].

Financial Plans

Despite ratings revealing that Viacom may be experiencing trouble with viewership, considering the decrease in ad revenue by 1% year over year and a decrease in overall revenue by 6% year over year, the CEO Phillippe Dauman assures everyone that Viacom will bounce back soon and see a growth in both ad revenue and overall ratings. They are making strides to accomplish this by using other tools of measurement aside from Nielsen in order to get advertisers acclimated with new ad formats. In addition to allowing them to make use of other platforms more frequently used to consume Viacom content such as laptops and tablets. One such tool is a service called Vantage which allows advertisers to place their ads more accurately along a variety of different platforms using varied consumer data as a catalyst [22].

Social Media

Viacom maintains communication with fans and investors via social media outlets such as Facebook in which the overall company has close to 150,000 likes and Twitter where it has over 23,000 followers. These numbers do not include the subscriber base for Viacom’s individual channel networks such as MTV and Nick for example, in which the numbers would soar much higher.

Forecast

Looking ahead Viacom’s future looks promising [23]. Many of its networks have plans for renewing shows for additional seasons after audience viewership numbers soared. The networks have also green-lighted lots of original content that will be introduced that should certainly garner some positive feedback. As of Friday, April 22, 2016, Viacom’s share price is $43.78, an increase of 2.87% [24]. Leading into May, the stock is now at the highest it’s ever been since the beginning of February.

Viacom’s 2nd Quarter Earnings Conference call is set to release on April 28, 2016, which will provide additional information into the company’s future and finances [25].

Sources

[2] “ABOUT VIACOM.” Viacom. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. http://www.viacom.com/about/pages/default.aspx.

[3] “Viacom Brands.” Viacom. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. https://www.viacom.com/brands/pages/default.aspx.

[4]”SENIOR MANAGEMENT.” Viacom. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. http://www.viacom.com/about/pages/seniormanagement.aspx#.

[5] “BOARD OF DIRECTORS.” Viacom. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. http://www.viacom.com/about/pages/boardofdirectors.aspx?bioid=1.

[6] Ackner, Daniel. “Inside the Viacom “Brain Drain”” Vanity Fair. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/04/inside-the-viacom-brain-drain.

[7] Person, and Vanity Fair Magazine. “Read Sumner Redstone’s E-mails About His Succession Plans.” Vanity Fair. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/05/sumner-redstone-retirement-health-viacom-future.

[8] Ingram, Mathew. “Dish vs. Viacom Fight Is All About the Shifting Balance of Power in TV.” Fortune Dish vs Viacom Fight Is All About the Shifting Balance of Power in TV Comments. N.p., 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. http://fortune.com/2016/04/20/dish-vs-viacom/.

[9] James, Meg. “Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen Threatens to Permanently Drop Viacom Channels.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-dish-charlie-ergen-viacom-dispute-20160420-story.html.

[11 ]Lieberman, David. “Viacom Warns That Its Networks May Go Dark On Dish Network.” Deadline. N.p., 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. http://deadline.com/2016/04/viacom-dish-contract-negotiations-impasse-1201740218/.

[12] “Charlie Ergen.” About DISH. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. http://about.dish.com/leadership/executive-leadership/charlie-ergen.

[13] Littleton, Cynthia. “Viacom Stock Plunges as Dish Renewal Fight Heats Up.” Variety. N.p., 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/viacom-dish-stock-drop-renewal-deadline-1201756655/

[14] “Viacom and DISH Agree to Multi-Year Renewal.” Viacom. N.p., 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://news.viacom.com/press-release/viacom/viacom-and-dish-agree-multi-year-renewal.

[15] Frankel, Daniel. “Dish Deal Shows Viacom Channels Haven’t Lost Their Value, Analysts Say.” FierceCable. N.p., 22 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.fiercecable.com/story/dish-deal-shows-viacom-channels-havent-lost-their-value-analysts-say/2016-04-22.

[21] “1st Quarter ’16 Earnings Presentation.” (n.d.): n. pag. Viacom. 9 Feb. 2016. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.

[17] Perez, Sarah. “Streaming Service Sling TV Will Add MTV, Comedy Central, Nick Jr & More, following Viacom deal.” TechCrunch. N.p., 22 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://techcrunch.com/2016/04/22/streaming-service-sling-tv-will-add-mtv-comedy-central-nick-jr-more-following-viacom-deal/.

[18] Pelts, Shirley. “Welcome to Market Realist.” India: Why Is It Viacom’s Valuable Asset? N.p., 24 Mar. 2016. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. http://marketrealist.com/2016/03/india-viacoms-valuable-asset/?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=feed&utm_content=read-next-a&utm_campaign=viacoms-acquisition-channel-5-stronghold-uk.

[20] “Voot Video-on-Demand Service Launched in India.” NDTV Gadgets360.com. N.p., 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. http://gadgets.ndtv.com/tv/news/voot-video-on-demand-service-launched-in-india-819555.

[21] “1st Quarter ’16 Earnings Presentation.” (n.d.): n. pag. Viacom. 9 Feb. 2016. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.

[23] Lazaroff, Leon. “Viacom Could Go Higher Even after Dish Deal Removes Overhang.” TheStreet. N.p., 22 Apr. 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. http://www.thestreet.com/story/13541284/1/viacom-could-go-higher-even-after-dish-deal-removes-overhang.html

[24] “Viacom, Inc.” Yahoo! Finance. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://finance.yahoo.com/q?uhb=uh3_finance_vert&fr=&type=2button&s=viab.

[25] “Events & Presentations.” Viacom Inc. -. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://ir.viacom.com/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=170845.

Pictures (not cited above):

[1] “Voot Image Logo.” Viacom18. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. http://www.viacom18.com/viabuzz/viacom18-digital-ventures-voot/.
[2] “Viacom Brands Logo. “Whoever Controls the Media, Controls the Mind.” N.p., 25 Dec. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. http://annesmedia.blogspot.com/.

21st Century Fox

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Jamie McCoy

[1] 21st Century Fox Logo

COMPANY

21^st Century Fox is a world premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets extending across six continents. With an audience of more than 1.8 million subscribers whom speak approximately 50 local languages daily, 21^st century Fox is a home to global portfolio cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, FOX Sports Networks, National Geographic Channels, STAR India, 20 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 300 international channels.[2]

BACKGROUND

Rupert Murdoch founded 21^st Century Fox on June 28, 2013 when he decided to split the company’s predecessor, News Corporation, into two separate media properties. Murdoch believed the split would “unlock the true value of both companies and their distinct assets, enabling investors to benefit from their separate strategic opportunities,” which he also proposed would allow for each division to gain more focused management. 21^st Century Fox primarily deals in the film and television industries.

KEY EXECUTIVES

[3] Rupert Murdoch: CEO and Chairman

[4] Lachlan K. Murdoch: Executive Co-Chairman

[6] James Murdoch

[5]Chase Carey

FINANCIALS

In the 2015 fiscal year, the cable networks business assisted in driving the performance of 21st Century Fox by gaining double digits in affiliates as well as advertising revenue. At its core, the sports and news networks have assisted in the development and growth of 21st Century Fox this year. They have faced a few concerns such as change in foreign currency exchange rates as well as interest rates and stock prices, however, they are working to manage these potential risks and concerns. There is currently no 2016 fiscal year report. [7]

BUDGET CUTS

Due to financial troubles from fiscal year 2015, 21^st Century Fox has entered 2016 seeking to cut $250 million in expenses for the current fiscal year, primarily through buyouts amid unprecedented challenged in its core television and film businesses. [8] Because of higher programming and marketing costs, along with an increasingly turbulent media environment, Fox’s corporate bottom line has been under increased financial pressure. Consumers are switching to digital platforms for entertainment and are either using their pay-TV subscriptions less or are canceling them all together, resulting in less revenue for Fox and other programming companies that rely heavily on cable programming fees for profit.

21^st Century Fox intends to trim its West Coast workforce to help reach the cost-reduction goal and has been offering ‘generous’ benefit packages to employees at Fox Networks who resign voluntarily. Failure to meet the cost-reduction goal through voluntary buyouts will most likely result in job cuts for employees and additional restructuring for the company.[9]

INVESTMENTS

[10] FuboTV Logo

Despite early financial challenges for the fiscal year 2016, 21^st Century Fox has made some seemingly wise investments, many of which include joining the U.K. satellite TV operator, Sky, to lead the raising of $15 million in the Series B for TV startup, FuboTV. [11] FuboTV was launched in January 2015 and is the fastest-growing virtual MVPD in the U.S., as it bundles sports TV networks with entertainment content that complements its core offering. It is also currently the second largest service and top provider for live streaming of soccer in the U.S. FuboTv plans on using the funding provided by 21^st Century Fox and Sky to expand its lineup of TV networks and build new features to enhance the viewing experience for its audience members. [12] While neither investor is currently licensing content to FuboTV, both 21^st Century Fox and Sky intend to work closely with this startup as it continues to grow.

PARTNERSHIPS

[13] Give a Note Foundation Logo

To commemorate the series final of Fox’s groundbreaking reality series, “American Idol,” 21^st Century Fox is partnering with the National Association for Music Education’s Give a Note Foundation to distribute a new wave of 21^st Century Fox Give a Note Grants. [14] The grants will support up to 20 under-funded music education programs at schools across the United States. The 15-season television program has not only created and discovered some of music’s biggest stars, but has also inspired millions of young students across the country to take part in their school’s music programs. 21^st Century Fox is very proud to honor American Idol’s legacy by backing the Give a Note Foundation and supporting music education act schools across America. [15]

OVERVIEW

While it is clear that 21^st Century Fox has left fiscal year 2015 with some financial challenges, it is also apparent that the company is making strategic strides in the right direction in attempt to gain more suitable finances for the current fiscal year moving forward. The company is not only making an attempt to cut its spending by $250 million through buyouts, but is also investing its money in more promising projects and programs such as FuboTV. Unlike the current state of the entertainment industry’s media landscape, startups like FuboTV, which are more in line with popular media consumption methods like online streaming, are more likely to provide a stable source of revenue. Lastly, despite the financial turmoil and transitions the company has been experiencing, 21^st Century Fox is still upholding the profound legacy of one of its biggest television hits, American Idol, by participating in partnership with the Give a Note Foundation to provide under-funded music programs in schools across America with grants.

Sources:

21^st Century Fox Logo. com. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

Busniess Wire. (March 10, 2016). “FuboTV – the Leading Sports-First Virtual MVPD – Raises $15 Million Series B Investment Led by 21^st Century Fox and Sky.” Business Wire. Web. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.
Rupert Murdoch Photo.com. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

Lachlan K. Murdoch photo. The Age. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

Chase Carey Photo. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

James Murdoch Photo. Deadline. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

21^st Century Fox Annual Fiscal Report. com. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

The Guardian. (Feb. 1, 2016). “Fox Seeks $250m Worth of Staff Cuts.” The Guardian. Web. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

Flint, Joe and Keach Hagey. (Feb. 1, 2016). “Fox, Offering Buyout, Targets $250 Million in Cost Cuts.” The Wall Street Journal. Web.

FuboTV Logo. Web. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

Spangler, Todd. (March 9, 2016). “Soccer-Streaming Startup FuboTV Raises $15 Million Led by 21^st Century Fox, Sky.” Variety. Web. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

Busniess Wire. (March 10, 2016). “FuboTV – the Leading Sports-First Virtual MVPD – Raises $15 Million Series B Investment Led by 21^st Century Fox and Sky.” Business Wire. Web. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.

21^st Century Fox. (April 1, 2016). “21^st Century Fox Partners with Give a Note Foundation to Honor ‘American Idol’ Series Finale by supporting Music Programs at U.S. Schools.” CSRWire. Web. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

James, Meg. (February 1, 2016). “Fox to Reduce Workforce; Targets 425 million Budget Cuts.” Los Angeles Times. Web. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

Flint, Joe and Keach Hagey. (Feb. 1, 2016). “Fox, Offering Buyout, Targets $250 Million in Cost Cuts.” The Wall Street Journal. Web.

Principles & Practices

Website by the students of TRF235

Category Archives: TRF235 Spring 2016

20th Century Fox (film)

History

Executives

Finances

Awards Season

The New Superhero

Coming Soon

Sources

Spotify by Daniel Rakow

Sirius XM Radio – Joshua Weisleder

Radio One

Pandora Radio

iHeartMedia

Emmis Communications – Jake Kalmenson

CBS Radio

21st Century Fox