Viacom

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Barbara

Ryan Doody, Georgina Macdonald

Viacom’s Holdings

Viacom, Inc. (VIAB) is an American media conglomerate with particular interests in cinema with Paramount Pictures, America’s oldest film studio; and cable television as the sixth largest cable ownership company globally, in order of revenue. Viacom houses media networks that reach approximately 700 million global subscribers with leading channels including MTV, VH1, BET, COMEDY CENTRAL and Nickelodeon.

Click here to see a list of all Viacom’s holdings

National Amusements

National Amusements, Inc. have a controlling interest of the media company. National Amusements is Viacom founder and billionaire Sumner Redstone’s holding company. This company holds a majority stake in both Viacom and its sister company, CBS Corp. Viacom was originally founded by media magna Sumner M. Redstone in 1971 and then reestablished in 2005 after splitting its original format into two publicly traded companies; Viacom and CBS Corporation. Sumner Redstone then became CEO of the newly defined Viacom, Inc. until February 2016. At the age of 92, Redstone resigned from his chairmanships at both CBS and Viacom after a court-ordered psychiatric examination.

The Redstone’s Legal Battles

This court-ordered examination by a geriatric psychiatrist is just one noteworthy outcome that has come out of a continuous stream of legal battles within and around the famously fractious Redstone family. The specific inquiry into the 92 year old’s health came after the newly-dismissed Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman sued Redstone, claiming that his dismissal was proof that Sumner was under the control of his daughter, Shari Redstone. At the time there were many rumors that Sumner Redstone’s failing health had allowed his daughter to run his company for him. These rumors were further supported by his supposed successor being someone close to Shari. Dauman and the five other board members dismissed by Redstone this year have sued to prevent their ouster. Their strategy was to prove that Shari took advantage of her father’s mental incapacity in order to seize control of the billion dollar companies. Their ‘legal drama’ and public familial feuding has been highly publicized over the last few years presenting the company as volatile, unstable and, thus, detrimentally impacted their professional image.

Management

Sumner M. Redstone, Founder & Executive Chairman

Sumner Redstone, Majority Shareholder of Viacom and Nat’l Amusements ; Chairman Emeritus

Shari E. Redstone, Non – Executive Vice Chair of Board of Trustees of Viacom

Acting CEO of Viacom Inc.; President and CEO of Viacom G.E.O.

Former CEO and President of Viacom Inc.

The Country’s Oldest Movie Studio

Paramount Pictures Corporation has experienced its worst fiscal year in Brad Grey’s twelve years as Chairman and CEO of the corporation. During his comments about their dismal year, Grey painted a ‘rosier picture’ for the future of Paramount Pictures. He hinted that with the dismissal of Dauman, the era of cost-cutting and streamlined content was over. Moreover, he insinuated that this would further allow a move ahead with more inventive content by acquiring more sub companies to provide blockbuster results; as in the spirit of Disney’s buying of companies such as Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm which has set up its slates for the next decade

The development of content is certainly the main issue with Paramount Pictures. It is reported that since the departures of Marvel, DreamWorks Animation and DreamWorks SKG, the corporation has been floundering for lucrative content for development. Grey also commented on repairing Paramount’s image within the film industry. They are seen as ‘penny-pincher’ with a poor business affairs process; a destabilized management team within their production division; and an inability to successfully launch branded sequels (as seen this year with Star Trek Beyond and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

“Recently, we’ve missed more than we should have.’ Grey said to Deadline magazine; but he went on to say that Paramount has ‘a very strong, diverse slate ahead.’ A true statement, according to critics; their roster includes a huge range of films from Oscar contenders like Scorsese’s Silence to the next chapter of the billion dollar franchise; Transformers: The Last Knight (Click here for news and spoilers).

CBS Merger

Over the past year, Viacom has flirted with the idea of re-merging with CBS, and as of November 2016 it seems inevitable. Shari Redstone has said in an interview that she “think[s] it makes sense at this point in time to explore whether it’s in the interest of both companies to merge again” (13). Viacom’s poor cable performance has put it at a weak position when it will eventually negotiate the merger with CBS. While it is uncertain who will lead the company, the most likely contender is Les Moonves, CBS’s current CEO (4).

Cable Performance

Viacom’s cable holdings have not seen nearly as much success in the past year as they have had in the past. As of November 20, 2016, there are no Viacom channels in the top 5 cable networks during Primetime. In fact, in the list of the 15 top channels on cable based on total day viewership, Viacom channels – Nickelodeon and Nick at Night – only appear twice (10).

*Highlighted channels are owned by Viacom

Source: medialifemagazine.com

The two most notable absentees from this list are MTV and Comedy Central – two of Viacom’s major channels. Comedy Central has seen a drop in viewership mainly due to the end of two of its most popular shows – The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. After Jon Stewart’s departure, Comedy Central’s viewership declined a painful 37% (11); the channel has yet to see a comparable replacement.

The new era of Comedy Central programming has yet to see the same success as its predecessors. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah’s average rating of 0.32 is about half that of Stewart’s. The Daily Show’s lack of success represents the channels struggle as a whole. While Trevor Noah may be likeable, In the words of Hayley C. Cuccinello of Forbes Magazine: “His dimples and adorable South African accent just aren’t cutting it” (11)

MTV has described the channel’s cable ratings plunge as a “transitional era” where it’s largely youthful demographic access the channel’s content primarily OTT through the MTV app. Its TV ratings have fell 29% between 2014 and 2015, yet MTV can still boast over 49 million Facebook likes, which is significantly higher than channels like Fox News that have higher TV ratings. While it may have digital success, MTV as a cable network will have to seriously innovate its content if it wants to stay relevant (12).

Argentina’s Largest TV Station

Management within Viacom has been a revolving door in recent months. Following the controversial departures of Dauman in August and Tom Dooley in September of this year, Robert Bakish became the company’s third CEO in three months. Bakish is a Viacom veteran; he became the President and CEO of Viacom International Media Networks in 2007 after worked for the company since 1997. (16)

Bakish’s move has already influenced many of Viacom’s strategies moving forward. He claims his desire is to strengthen the company both domestically and internationally; expected due to his background in global media networks. Bakish’s promotion moves complementarily with Viacom’s acquisition of one of Argentina’s main free-to-air channels, Telefe. The massive deal was announced in November this year, with Viacom pledging $345 million for the channel. (15) This certainly was a surprise purchase due to it’s well-known financial instability. This acquisition strengthens Viacom’s already prominent standing in South America; Telefe reaches 95% of all households in the country and reportedly has attracted 33% share of viewership year-to-date in 2016. However, the fiscal impact of a $345 million buy will be interesting to watch in a company with a reported $12 billion debt. (18)

Bibliography

James, Meg. November 8, 2016. LA Times. Sony Vue Dumps Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV and Other Viacom Channels. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-sony-vue-viacom-20161108-story.html
James, Meg. July 8, 2016. LA Times. Why Viacom Chief Philippe Dauman is fighting his longtime boss, Sumner Redstone. Retrieved November 26th, 2016. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-why-philippe-dauman-fights-sumner-redstone-20160706-snap-story.html
Cohan, William D. June 16, 2016. Vanity Fair. “It’s a Coup D’état Without a Doubt”: Is Shari Redstone Making Power Moves at Viacom? Retrieved November 26th, 2016. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/06/shari-redstone-power-moves-viacom
Fox, Emily Jane. November 2, 2016. Vanity Fair. Finally, There is a Winner in the Redstone Family Drama. Retrieved November 3rd, 2016. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/11/bob-bakish-viacom-compensation
Board of Directors. Retrieved November 24, 2016. http://www.viacom.com/about/pages/boardofdirectors.aspx#
Paramount Pictures. Retrieved November 1, 2016. http://www.paramount.com
Executives: Brad Grey. Retrieved November 1, 2016. http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/executives/meet-executives/brad-grey
Fleming Jr, Mike and Cieply, Michael. November 3, 2016. Deadline. Brad Grey Fights For Paramount’s Future Part Two. Retrieved November 4, 2016. http://deadline.com/2016/11/brad-grey-paramount-pictures-future-sumner-redstone-shari-redstone-1201847371/
Fleming Jr, Mike and Finke, Niki. October 8, 2010. Deadline. Paramount to End Relationship with Marvel in 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2016. http://deadline.com/2010/10/disney-paramount-marvel-restructure-marketing-distruibution-deal-76534/
Media By The Numbers: This Week’s Cable Ratings. November 23, 2016. Retrieved 28, 2016. http://www.medialifemagazine.com/this-weeks-cable-ratings/
Cuccinello, Hayley C. April 28, 2016. Forbes. Trevor Noah’s ‘Daily Show’ Reaches 100th Episode, But Noah Is Still Struggling. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/hayleycuccinello/2016/04/28/trevor-noahs-daily-show-reaches-100th-episode-but-noah-is-still-struggling/#67c25575820e
Zara, Christopher. April 15, 2015. International Business Times. MTV Ratings Decline Raises Relevance Questions As Young People Cut Cable Cord For Devices. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.ibtimes.com/mtv-ratings-decline-raises-relevance-questions-young-people-cut-cable-cord-devices-1881468
Walters, Natalie. November 23, 2016. TheStreet. Viacom (VIAB) Merging With CBS Again ‘Might Make Sense,’ Shari Redstone Says. Retrieved November 29, 2016. https://www.thestreet.com/story/13890410/1/viacom-viab-merging-with-cbs-again-might-make-sense-shari-redstone-says.html
Fox, Emily Jane. October 19, 2016. The Hive. Will Les Moonves Soon Run Viacom, Too? Retrieved November 29, 2016. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/10/les-moonves-cbs-viacom-merger
Steele, Anne. November 15, 2016. Wall Street Journal. Viacom to Buy Argentina’s Telefe for $345 Million. Retrieved November 29, 2016. http://www.wsj.com/articles/viacom-to-buy-argentinas-telefe-for-345-million-1479231471
James, Meg. October 31, 2016. LA Times. Viacom Names Robert Bakish as Acting CEO. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-viacom-ceo-20161031-story.html
James, Meg. November 9, 2016. LA Times. Paramount Quarterly Profit Plummets; Paramount Loses $137 million. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-viacom-earnings-paramount-20161108-story.html
Orr, Emma and Shaw, Lucas. August 24, 2016. Bloomberg. Viacom Said to Rethink Resistance to $12 Billion Downgrade. Retrieved November 27, 2016. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-24/viacom-said-to-rethink-resistance-to-12-billion-debt-downgrade

AT&T/DIRECTV

Image

by: Sophia Malik

AT&T and DirecTV logos [1]

Company

AT&T is a leading global telecommunications company with many subsidiaries and business ventures, including DirecTV and Cricket Wireless. Its services and products include wireless communications, data/broadband and Internet services, video services, local exchange services, long-distance services, telecommunications equipment, managed networking and wholesale services [2]. Recently, the company has been working to improve employee relations, improve the brand name, and invest in new streaming technology to appeal to the ever-profitable millennial target audience.

Background

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. That was the foundation of the company that would become AT&T – a brand that is now intimately tied with innovation in communications.

_ Alexander Graham Bell with the first telephone [3]

In 1984, the former AT&T agreed to divest its local telephone operations but retain its long distance, R&D and manufacturing arms. From this, SBC Communications Inc. (first known as Southwestern Bell Corp.) was born.

Twelve years later, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 drove major changes in the competitive landscape. SBC expanded its U.S. presence through a series of acquisitions, including Pacific Telesis Group (1997) and Ameritech Corp. (1999). In 2005, SBC acquired AT&T Corp., creating the new AT&T, a leader in global communications for businesses. The acquisition of BellSouth in 2006 consolidated the ownership of Cingular Wireless.

AT&T led one of the most significant transformations in communications since the invention of the telephone: the birth of the mobile Internet. In 2013, AT&T bought Cricket to give customers in the growing prepaid market more access to mobile Internet services. In 2015, they completed their purchase of 2 Mexican wireless companies, Iusacell and Nextel Mexico. Today, they are encoiraging smartphone adoption and on their way to becoming a leading wireless provider in that country, too. Their 2015 acquisition of DIRECTV makes them the world’s largest pay TV provider.

Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO talks DirecTV acquisition [4]

Today, AT&T’s share price is $38.21 [5]. This number is the result of a nearly 6% increase in EPS. [6]

Stock Price [7]

Key Executives

Randall Stephenson, Chief Executive Officer (2007-current) [8]

David S. Huntley, Chief Compliance Officer (2014-current) [8]

Ralph de la Vega, Chairman of AT&T Inc. (2016) [8]

Lori Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and Global Marketing Officer, AT&T Inc. (2015-current)[8]

Online Content

Fullscreen

Fullscreen Streaming Service [9]

With the goal of staying relevant in the increasingly social world, AT&T is launching a new streaming service, debuted through their DirecTV platform on April 26th, 2016. This streaming service, Fullscreen, targets a younger generation of 18-35 year olds who attain much of their TV watching through online portals and OTT services. ATT&T will co-produce premium content that will air both on fullscreen subscription video on demand service and on a Fullscreen programming block on AT&T’s AUDIENCE, available to DIRECTV and U-verse TV subscribers [10].

AT&T Restructuring

Along with a changing platform for providing content, AT&T is experiencing changes throughout the entire company. Most of the changes occurring in the company today stem from the desire to evolve into the digital sphere of providing entertainment. However, the companies attention to human resources and customer relations, as in their employee initiative which helps to mentor young students [11]. They have also been spending more on advertising. AT&T spent “more than $109 million on video advertising and claimed 60.7 percent of all consumer engagements in the wireless industry from March 16 to April 15” [12]. There is also a more sustained focus on customer satisfaction and fairness. As part of a deal with the FCC in leu of last year’s merger with DirecTV, AT&T is offering $5 internet for low-income families. [13]

Sources

[1] AT&T and DirecTV. Digital image. Https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/KyvjY0LgpQZ463vTiwNjVA–/aD01NjM7dz0xMDAwO3NtPTE7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/Entertainment/Variety/directtv-att.jpg. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 13.

[2] AT&T Company Profile | Reuters.com.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

[3] “Telephone Call.” SpringerReference. http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2013/11/alexander-graham-bell-makes-telephone-call-AB.jpeg. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

[4] “AT&T Completes DIRECTV Acquisition | AT&T.” YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

[5] “AT&T Publishes 2015 Annual Report.” Investor Relations News, Financial Reporting for T:NYSE. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. <http://www.att.com/gen/landing-pages?pid=5718>.

[6] “AT&T Publishes 2015 Annual Report.” Investor Relations News, Financial Reporting for T:NYSE. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. <http://www.att.com/gen/landing-pages?pid=5718>.

[7] “AT&T Inc.” : NYSE:T Quotes & News. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <https://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:T>.

[8] “Executive Bios Landing Page | AT&T Investor Relations | AT&T.” Executive Bios Landing Page | AT&T Investor Relations | AT&T. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.att.com/gen/investor-relations?pid=7811>.

[9] Fullscreen Logo. 2016. Arm Digital. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://armdigital.in/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Fullscreen.jpg>.

[10] “AT&T Has Signed on as the Premier Launch Sponsor for Fullscreen | AT&T.” AT&T Has Signed on as the Premier Launch Sponsor for Fullscreen | AT&T. AT&T, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://about.att.com/newsroom/premier_launch_sponsor_for_fullscreen.html>.

[11] “AT&T Employees Mentor 1 Million Hours, Surpassing Goal – AT&T People | Planet | Possibilities.” Www.about.att.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. <http://www.about.att.com/content/csr/home/blog/2016/01/at_t_employees_mento.html>.

[12] Gibbs, Collin. “AT&T Spends $109M to Reclaim ‘king of Wireless TV Advertising’ Crown.” FierceWireless. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. <http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/att-spends-109m-reclaim-king-wireless-tv-advertising-crown/2016-04-25>.

[13] CNN Wire. “AT&T Offering $5 Internet to Low-income Families.” WGNTV. N.p., 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://wgntv.com/2016/04/24/att-offering-5-internet-to-low-income-families/>.

AMC Networks

Posted on October 5, 2014 by mtzukin

by Meg Zukin

AMC Networks

photo courtesy of under consideration.com [i]

Contact Information[ii]—

11 Penn Plaza

New York, NY 10001

Main phone: 212-324-8500

http://www.amcnetworks.com

About—

AMC Networks is an American entertainment company which owns and operates AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE, IFC Films, and AMC Networks International. Initially, AMC was known as Rainbow Media Holdings and until 2011, was a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems. In 2011, Cablevision made Rainbow Media Holdings a publicly traded company and changed its name to AMC Networks [iii].

AMC has recently gained momentum through television shows like The Walking Dead, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad, on its cable channel, AMC [iv]. IFC Films and its affiliate channel, IFC, are responsible for indie films like Boyhood [v] and quirky television comedies like Portlandia [vi]. Recently, the company acquired a 49.9% stake in BBC through a joint venture that cost $200 million [vii].

Key Executives—

Charles Dolan, Executive Chairman AMC Networks

Josh Sapan, President and CEO of AMC Networks

Charlie Collier, President and General Manager of amc

Jennifer Caserta, President and General Manager of IFC

Sarah Barnett, President and General Manager of BBC America and SundanceTV

Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects and IFC Films

Marc Juris, President and General Manager of WE tv

Pictures and titles courtesy of http://www.amcnetworks.com/about-us/leadership [viii]

Financials—

AMC Networks just reported its third quarter earnings. Net revenues increased a whopping 31.4% to $520 million [ix]. International revenue reached $122.7 million, up 765% from last year. This could be attributed to acquisitions of both BBC and Chellomedia, a deal AMC made in February which gave them a stack of networks in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia [x]. The company also reported earnings of $53.2 million, or 74 cents a share. Analysts estimated that AMC Networks would come in at 73 cents a share and thus, they surpassed projections [xi].

According to the third quarter report, AMC Networks is currently working with a $110 million operating income [xii].

When the market closed on December 1, 2014, AMCX was down 1.34% at $63.99 per share. The company hit a low-point in mid-October at $52.75 per share and was at its highest in March at $77.40 per share. Looking at the past 3 years (when AMCX became a publicly traded company), we see exponential growth overall.

photo courtesy of Google Finance [xxx]

What’s Happening Now?—

Sarah Barnett Named President and General Manager, BBC America

AMC Networks announced last week (November 21, 2014) that current SundanceTV chief, Sarah Barnett, would be moving up to President and General Manager of BBC America [xiii]. Barnett began her career at BBC in production before she spent a decade at SundanceTV. She will start her new position in January, surveying over both SundanceTV and BBC America until AMC taps someone else to oversee SundanceTV. The current General Manager at BBC, Perry Simon, who was on the team behind Orphan Black, is moving to production with BBC Worldwide North America [xv].

Barnett certainly has the chops for an upgrade in position. Under her reign, she established Sundance as an original programming network with shows like Rectify, Top of the Lake, and The Honourable Woman [xvi] With this new position she will continue to report to Ed Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of AMC Networks.

AMC Announces Two-Night Premiere for Spin-Off Series “Better Call Saul”

AMC’s next new drama series, Better Call Saul, will debut on Sunday, February 8 with its second episode debuting the next night, Monday, February 9 [xvii]. The series follows Breaking Bad character Saul Goodman, prior to him becoming Walter White’s lawyer lawyer.

video courtesy of AMC Networks on Youtube [xviii]

The back-to-back premiere is “AMC’s first ever two-night series premiere event” according to Charlie Collier [xix]. Season one is slated for 10 episodes and Talking Dead will air before it, a solid segue for high-ratings for both shows. Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan co-created the spin-off with writer-director Peter Gould [xx].

AMC Networks and BBC Worldwide Enter Partnership

In October, AMC Networks bought a 49.9% stake in the BBC America cable channel. They paid $200 million to BBC Worldwide and the marriage between the two companies leaves BBC with a 50.1% stake in BBC America [xxi]. BBC America is available in almost 80 million homes domestically and was the most critically acclaimed channel on ad-supported television in 2013 [xxii].

BBC America will be managed as a standalone channel within AMC, much like how AMC, WE tv, and SundanceTV are operated. Even though BBC still has a grander stake in its American counterpart, AMC Networks will maintain operational control over the company, as well as affiliate and advertising sales [xxiii].

This agreement occurred almost exactly on the one-year anniversary of AMC’s $1 billion acquisition of Liberty Global’s international network, Chellomedia. That acquisition led to AMC Networks International which is available in 140 countries [xxiv].

AMC Networks/IFC Films Acquires Rights to “October Gale”

IFC Films bought the American rights to writer-director Ruba Nadda‘s thriller, October Gale, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. IFC Films also released another film by Nadda, Cairo Time. The film stars Patricia Clarkson, Tim Roth, and Scott Speedman. Clarkson plays a doctor who takes in a skeptical man when he floats ashore at her secluded cabin with a gunshot wound [xxv]. Myriad Pictures is handling worldwide sales.

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein Return to Portlandia

Portlandia will return to IFC for its ten-episode fifth season in January. This season will showcase a laundry list of cameos including Vanessa Bayer, Steve Buscemi, Peter Giles, Justin Long, Shepard Fairey, Jane Lynch, and Olivia Wilde, amongst others [xxvi].

video courtesy of IFC Youtube

Viewers will be able to recap previous seasons on New Year’s Day when IFC will air a marathon but seasons 1 through 4 are also available on Netflix and iTunes [xxvii].

IFC Orders New Comedy Series: “Gigi’s Bucket List”

IFC has ordered a series starring David Krumholtz as “Gigi,” a 72-year-old Jewish grandmother from Boca Raton, Florida. Krumholtz is also an executive producer along with Grandma’s House Entertainment.

It will shoot this year and is slated to air in 2015. Gigi indulges herself after she discovers that she has access to her dead husband’s bank account [xxviii]. This series fits in with IFC’s quirky personality and will air in 73 million U.S. homes [xix].

David Dobkin to Direct “Badlands” for AMC

In July, AMC ordered Badlands, a martial arts drama that is loosely based on the Chinese Journey to the West. It is the third AMC series that was picked up straight to series at the network [xxxi].

However, it was announced on November 24, 2014 that director David Dobkin has signed onto the project as series director and executive producer. Dobkin has worked on Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights previously. AMC bought six, one-hour, episodes with an expected premiere either in late 2015 or early 2016 [xxxii].

Works Cited—

[i] AMC Logo accessed 11/20/2014

[ii] AMC Contact accessed 11/20/2014

[iii] Hoovers AMC profile accessed 11/20/2014

[iv] AMC Shows accessed 11/20/2014

[v] Boyhood, IFC accessed 11/22/2014

[vi] Portlandia, IFC accessed 11/22/2014

[vii] AMC Networks/BBC accessed 11/22/2014

[viii] AMC Leadership accessed 11/22/2014

[ix] Quarter Earnings accessed 11/30/2014

[x] Chellomedia deal accessed 12/1/2014

[xi] Quarter projections accessed 11/30/2014

[xii] Operating income accessed 11/30/2014

[xiii] Sarah Barnett, BBC accessed 11/22/2014

[xiv] Perry Simon future plans accessed 12/1/2014

[xv] BBC Worldwide North America accessed 12/1/2014

[xvi] Sarah Barnett at Sundance accessed 11/22/2014

[xvii] Better Call Saul premiere accessed 10/28/2014

[xviii] Better Call Saul video accessed 12/1/2014

[xix] AMC double night debut accessed 12/1/2014

[xx] Co-creators Better Call Saul accessed 12/1/2014

[xxi] BBC deal accessed 11/24/2014

[xxii] Metacritic BBC critically-acclaimed accessed 11/29/2014

[xxiii] BBC America management accessed 12/1/2014

[xxiv] Chellomedia acquisition accessed 12/1/2014

[xxv] October Gale acquisition accessed 10/28/2014

[xxvi] Portlandia fifth season accessed 12/1/2014

[xxvii] Recap New Year’s Day accessed 12/1/2014

[xxviii] IFC orders comedy series accessed 12/1/2014

[xix] IFC series accessed 12/1/2014

[xxx] Current state of stock market accessed 12/1/2014

[xxxi] Badlands accessed 12/1/2014

[xxxii] David Dobkin signs on accessed 12/1/2014

Cablevision

Link

by Steven Spohr

Summary

Source – Cablevision.com

Founded in 1973, Cablevision Systems Corporation is a leading telecommunications company that primarily offers television, phone, and Internet services to millions in the NY metropolitan area. Initially serving a mere 1,500 customers on Long Island, Cablevision has since expanded to offer WiFi, a leading local newspaper, and business communications solutions to its over 3 million subscribers. Former properties include Madison Square Garden and Rainbow Media Holdings. [1]

Source – Optimum.com

Cablevision’s television, phone, Internet, WiFi, and business solutions all operate under the ‘Optimum’ brand name. These include (but are not limited to) –

Optimum TV – exclusive home of News 12 Networks, a series of local news channels
Optimum Voice
Optimum Online
Optimum WiFi
Optimum Lightpath – a “leading provider of integrated business communications solutions that meets the needs of larger companies” [1]

Source – www.newsday.com/

Cablevision also owns Newsday Media Group, which runs two local papers. Newsday is a Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper that has been in circulation since 1940. Over 70% of Long Island adults read Newsday, and its articles and reporting have won numerous awards and made it the top paper on Long Island. To provide the most local news possible, Newsday works closely with MSG Varsity (part of the News 12 Networks) to provide detailed coverage of local high school and college sports. amNewYork offers a quick read of city news and events. In addition to the papers, NMG owns Star Community Publishing, which producers weekly shopper publications in Long Island and Queens. It is the largest publisher of its kind in the Northeastern United States. [2]

Leadership

The Dolan family founded Cablevision and continues to lead the company today. Key personnel include [3] –

Charles Dolan – Founder and Chairman / Source – Sean Smith, The Boston College Chronicle

James Dolan – Chief Executive Officer / Source – Al Iannazzone, Newsday.com

Kristin Dolan – Chief Operating Officer / Source – Variety.com

Brian Sweeney – President / Source – POST Online Media

Gregg Seibert – Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer / Source – Business Wire

Hank Ratner – Vice Chairman / Source – The Madison Square Garden Company

Financials

A detailed map of Cablevision’s stock pricing in 2014. / Source – Yahoo! Finance

2014 has seen Cablevision’s stock (CVC) prices gradually increase throughout the year. Starting the year at $17.22/share, CVC stock stands at $20.32/share as of November 29th. February 3rd saw the year’s low of $15.85. Prices peaked in late July, mid-September, and late November. [4]

The following financial information is from Cablevision’s Third Quarter 2014 Results.

Net revenue increased 3.7% to $1.62 billion.
Cable advertising revenue grew 6.8%
Average Monthly Cable Revenue per Customer increased 5.7% to $154.50/customer/month. [5]

These figures represent a continued loss of subscribers for Cablevision across the board. Between satellite TV providers, rival phone companies, and the public’s shift to watching TV online, Cablevision’s audience is becoming fragmented. The company chose to increase its subscription rates in response to decreasing numbers, which is represented by the net revenue and AMCR/C increases. [6]

Recent News

The latter half of 2014 has been a busy one, with notable hirings, financial news, legal troubles, and more.

August 4th

August 4th saw Cablevision’s announcement that it has hired David Dibble as Chief Technology Officer, a newly-created role. Dibble is formerly of Yahoo!, and his hiring is part of Cablevision’s efforts to “become the premier connectivity provider in the market, delivering a peerless customer experience”. [7]

November 7th

A New York Times article revealed a major legal proceeding against Cablevision. The National Labor Relations Board has charged Cablevision CEO James Dolan with “illegally threatening to deny company technicians in Brooklyn a pay increase unless they voted to quit their union”. The NLRB also charged Cablevision itself with “illegally [undermining] the union’s representation of those workers by sponsoring a nonbinding poll to determine whether they wanted to leave their union”, while some workers reported they were being ‘spied on’ during the vote. Federal law states that such a vote can only be conducted by the labor board, not the company. CEO Dolan fired back, calling the NLRB “a tool of Big Labor” and questioning the validity of its findings. The case is ongoing, and Cablevision has stated it will appeal to federal courts, if necessary. [8]

CEO Dolan has plenty of reasons to be frustrated, especially with his ongoing legal troubles with the National Labor Relations Board. / Source – ESPN.com

November 11th

Cablevision teamed up with Time Warner Cable to release the first ever “New York Television Audience Insights Report”. The report sampled the 3.5 million subcribers of Cablevision and TWC in the New York area, which is half of the TV homes in the region. Its aim was to help advertising and marketing departments and companies get better value out of their advertising purchases. Some key findings include –

74% of all TV programming watched was outside of traditional TV ‘prime time’ (8-11PM).
On average, a subscriber will only watch 25 channels in a month.
a whopping 90% of all viewing comes from a mere 100 channels. [9]

These new insights will help create better statistics for TV viewership and aid advertisers in spending money more efficiently.

November 18th

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city is planning an extensive new WiFi network across the five boroughs. The project, dubbed LinkNYC, would provide not only free WiFi, but also no-cost domestic calling and video chat. The 10,000 hotspot system would replace the city’s decaying network of archaic payphones and operate completely with money generated through advertising. Projected to cost around $200 million, LinkNYC would bring in over $500 million over the next twelve years, according to city officials.

This announcement led some to think Cablevision’s Optimum WiFi network would be threatened by this new, massive competition. Cablevision officials have not only dismissed these musings, but have actively worked with New York City on a number of initiatives, possibly including LinkNYC itself. [10]

Mayor-Elect De Blasio Makes Announcement

Mayor de Blasio’s ambitious project looks to dramatically improve WiFi services within the five boroughs. / Source – PIX 11

November 22nd

The Lewisboro Ledger revealed that Cablevision has a new deal with the town of Lewisboro (Westchester County). The deal, which primarily concerns franchising fees, has a number of key improvements –

Over $270,000 in new franchising fees are expected in 2015.
Free cable would be provided to 16 municipal and school buildings, including the public library.
New offers would include a senior discount for those aged sixty-five and older.
Town Board meetings would become available for live-streaming.
The town’s parks and baseball fields will become WiFi-equipped. [11]

November 25th

Kids video-on-demand network Kabillion announced a carriage deal with Cablevision. Kabillion, which is the only independently-owned VOD network ranked in the Top 10 Kids Free On Demand list, will now reach over 50 million homes nationwide. The deal is beneficiary to Cablevision too, as Kabillion reports views exceeding 65 million in 2014. [12]

Bibliography

Time Warner Cable

Link

By Gauraa Shekhar

The Time Warner Company logo

History

Time Warner Cable, Inc. was founded in 1990 when Time, Inc. merged with Warner Communications. Being the second largest cable provider in the United States, the company owns and manages cable systems in over 29 states as of date. Time Warner Cable offers a vast array of customer-friendly family oriented home entertainment, including high speed Internet, digital cable, on-demand video, and phone services. [1]

Key Executives

Being a massive corporation, Time Warner Cable has a staff of over 10,000 employees. In 2013, Glenn Britt, who had been with the company for twelve years, announced his plans to retire and was thereby replaced as chairman and CEO by the Chief Operating Officer, Robert D. Marcus for the year 2014. [2]

Robert D Marcus, courtesy of Time Warner Cable, Inc.

Marcus started working at Time Warner Cable in 2005 as the Senior Executive Vice President and gradually moved up the ladder by moving the company forward through its consumer centric focus. He carefully coordinated TWC’s move from a private company to a publicly traded one, and played a huge part in getting the company to where it is today.

Dinesh C. Jain, courtesy of Time Warner Cable

The current Chief Operating Officer is Dinesh C. Jain, who has been with the company since 2003. He held the position of Chief Financial Officer, where he closely monitored operations, and orchestrated product development, and content acquisition functions. As current COO, he holds the responsibility of overseeing the company’s sales, marketing, strategy and development marketing. [3]

Financials

Ever since the company went public in February 2007, it has delivered good results while making the investments needed for longer-term success in a competitive market. Currently, the largest segment is Cable TV which makes about 44.7% of the TWC business. Their second largest segment is Broadband Internet which constitutes of 33.8% of their stock price estimate. Though digital phone services, advertising and franchising also constitute as important segments of the company, the company generates majority of its revenue through subscription fees and pay-per-view programming. In the year of 2013 alone, Time Warner Cable Inc. generated over $22 billion in revenue, with a remarkably high market share. Their cash flow became drastically stronger, and the shares that they repurchased totaled approximately $2.7 billion. After their acquisition of Communications for $3 billion, they grew up in many key financial and operational metrics. The company also announced a merger with Comcast Corporation earlier this year. [4]

Recent Acquisitions and Activities

Acquisition of DukeNet Communications

DukeNet Communications, courtesy of DukeNet Communications

This year, TWC announced that it has acquired DukeNet Communications, LLC, a fiber optic network that enables cloud computing and high bandwidth applications for enterprise, data center, government entities, intended for wholesale carrier costumers. By this $600 million transaction, Time Warner was able to add over 8700 miles to its service network. This allows the company to target a large number of customers in the Southeast, particularly enabling them to tap into the markets in North and South Carolina. It will also enable the Time Warner Cable Business Class to put the additional fiber capacity that DukeNet offers to use by offering enterprises and commercial firms services like high speed Internet and cloud enabled hosting.[5]

Merger with Comcast Corporation

Comcast Time Warner Cable Merger, courtesy of The Wrap

Another activity that stirred a lot of controversy this year was Time Warner Cable’s merger with Comcast Corporation. Owning media companies like NBCUniversal, Universal Pictures and producer of multiple television channels including E! Entertainment Television, the Golf Channel, and NBCSL, Comcast is the largest Internet service provider and Cable Company in the United States, and the largest mass media and Communications Company in the world by revenue. The merger was a strategic win-win for both participants, as it would accelerate the delivery of Comcast’s Technologically Advanced Products and Services to Time Warner Cable’s Customers. The transaction, founded on the basis of future growth, will operate at a greater efficiency, creating multiple benefits for the two companies. They portmanteau company is looking forward to working with their team to adjust the operating cash flow levels.[6]

Sponsorship Deals:

In the past, Time Warner Cable did not have the healthiest relationship with Madison Square Garden. This was partly because they were competitors who successfully took a slice of the market share away from them by drawing fans in to switch cable companies so as to be able to watch Rangers and Islander games. However, in 2012, the two rival companies waved white flags and struck a multimillion dollar partnership instead. Time Warner agreed upon a long-term contract to become an official sponsor of MSG, replacing Absolut as a partner. [7]

Katy Perry Time Warner Concert Series, courtesy of Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable has since been a sponsoring company, not only to sports series but also to musical concerts, covering everything from Knicks games to Madonna shows. This year, they are the official sponsors to Katy Perry’s MSG shows. They further use this partnership opportunity to leverage their On Demand Movie service. In this case, they are also using the MSG concert series to promote the pop sensation’s documentary movie, “Part of Me”. [8] [9]

Upcoming Projects:

According to its Annual Investor’s Report, Time Warner Cable is positioning itself to continue generating strong operating results and financial results in the coming years. The company is aiming to improve its reliability, quality and customer service by revitalizing and scaling residential services, specifically video, phone, and HSD. Furthermore, TWC is emphasizing on rolling out next generation products such as DVRs with an improved video on demand capacity of 75,000 hours. Since their IP video app was so successful on tablets universally, they are also looking into expanding community WiFi beyond the 200,000 hot spots that exist currently. [10]

Time Warner Cable’s New “Max”:

Additionally, TWC intends to re-brand its previous TWC City by City with TWC Max, starting with New York City and Los Angeles by the end of this year. The company will replace set top boxes with new boxes at no cost to the customer, plant certification programs, and carry all video in crystal clear digital format only. They will also implement significantly higher speeds and state-of-the-art in-home WiFis with its new acquisition of the nationwide fiber backbone. The company is also gearing its new technology towards other states to capitalize on future growth capacity.[11]

Sources:

[1] Time Warner Cable History RT: 4/13/14

[2] Time Warner Cable’s Key Executives RT: 4/13/14

[3] About Robert D. Marcus RT: 4/14/14

[4] About Dinesh C. Jain RT: 4/14/14

[5] Acquisition of DukeNet Communications RT: 4/17/14

[6] Comcast and Time Warner Cable Merger RT: 4/13/14

[7] Time Warner Cable’s Sponsorship Deal With Madison Square Garden RT: 4/13/14

[8] Time Warner Cable Sponsors Katy Perry at Madison Square Garden RT: 4/13/14

[9] Time Warner Leverages Brand Partnership to Promote On Demand Video Service RT: 4/14/14

[10] Time Warner Cable’s Investor’s Report RT: 4/15/14

[11] New “Max” Service RT: 4/21/14

AMC Networks

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Tyler Cunningham

By Tyler Cunningham


courtesy of [1] hitstate.com

AMC Network Entertainment LLC

11 Penn Plaza – New York, NY 10001 – (646)-273-7105

HISTORY + ABOUT:

Upon its launch in 1980, AMC Networks was originally known as Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision. After 25 years of successful programming and mergers, Cablevision executives took Rainbow Media public on July 1st, 2011 under its new name, AMC Network Entertainment. [2]

courtesy of [3] imgl.wikia.nocookie.net

Now in its third year as a publicly traded company, AMC Networks owns and operates some of today’s most popular cable channels including AMC, Sundance TV, WE tv and IFC. Additionally, the company owns the independent film distributor, IFC Films, as well as the IFC Center cinema in Greenwich Village. [4] AMC Networks has a commitment to producing only the most distinctive and compelling content that engages many different audiences.

KEY EXECUTIVES:

[5]

Charles F. Dolan – Executive Chairman

[5]

Joshua W. Sapan – President & CEO

[5]

Edward A. Carroll – COO

[5]

Sean E. Sullivan – Executive VP & CFO

FINANCIALS AS OF SPRING 2014:

AMC Networks has not yet reported its First Quarter earnings for 2014, however it recently reported its Fourth Quarter & Full-Year Earnings for 2013.

The Fourth Quarter saw a net revenue increase of 18.7% to $435 million, up from $395 million in the company’s Third Quarter report. [6] And what’s more is that 2013 saw an annual net revenue increase of 17.7% to $1.592 billion, up from $1.353 billion in 2012.These increases, according to CEO Joshua Sapan, can be entirely attributed to the company’s “ability to produce content that is valuable and monetizeable.” [7]

courtesy of [8] nasdaq.com

The company is publicly traded as AMCX on NASDAQ and has seen an especially successful Spring 2014. As seen in this graph that documents AMCX’s share price since going public in 2011, the price has been at an all-time high since the beginning of 2014, hitting $78.39 per share on March 7th. This is up from $59.18 on the same day in 2013.

RECENT HAPPENINGS:

AMC’s The Walking Dead Continues its Ratings Reign –

courtesy of [9] beyondhollywood.com

Even in the face of the XXII Winter Olympics, The Walking Dead‘s mid-season premiere on February 9th still garnered 16 million viewers and maintained its position as the highest-rated program on all of television in the key 18-49 demographic. [10] The zombie apocalypse drama’s popularity is commonly attributed to its incredibly tense storytelling and excellent character development. The Walking Dead will return for its fifth season this October.

Chellomedia is Offically Acquried for $1 Billion –

courtesy of [11] chellomediapaytv.com

After a lengthy courting process, AMC Networks purchased the London-based Chellomedia for $1 billion this spring. Chellomedia is a European television content distributor that owns and operates a massive collection of channels that reach an estimated 390 million homes across Europe. AMC Networks reportedly made the acquisition to broaden their European audience. [12] With net earnings of $465 million in 2013, Chellomedia is expected to now make up 20% of AMC Networks’ earnings. [13]

Final Season of Mad Men Opens to Lackluster Ratings –

courtesy of [16]

There’s no denying that Mad Men is one of the most critically-acclaimed shows in recent history, but when it comes to ratings, AMC wins some and they lose some. The seventh and final season of Mad Men premiered on April 13th to just 2.3 million viewers – their lowest premiere rating since the show’s second season in 2008. [14] Media analysts suspect that recycled, overused plot lines in season six (Don was predictably unfaithful, etc.) are to blame for the loss of public interest. [15]

New Drama, Turn, Premieres to Lukewarm Reviews –

AMC was hoping to add to its collection of hit dramas with the new Revolutionary War espionage thriller, Turn. However, it is looking unlikely that they will be able to do so. The series premiere on April 6th opened to a modest 2.1 million viewers (only .5 of them in the 18-49 demographic) and a bag of mixed reviews. [17] While some publications celebrated its arresting cinematography and stellar performances [18], most have labeled the show as “hollow,” with very little suspense or excitement to be found in its storytelling. [19] Turn – Trailer (YouTube)

UPCOMING PROJECTS:

Tech Drama, Halt and Catch Fire, to Premiere June 1st –

With Breaking Bad put to rest and Mad Men not far behind, “the question of ‘what’s next’ looms large for AMC.” [20] And many who attended the SXSW sneak peak of Halt and Catch Fire argue that the new series has what it takes to be the network’s next big smash. [21] The 1980s period drama tells the story of three techies with dreams of creating a more perfect personal computer that has the potential of replacing the most popular IBM model. The show’s riveting storytelling explores the multiple motives, burned bridges and egos involved in the fight to weaken IBM as the dominant player in the marketplace. The aptly titled series is slated for a June 1st premiere. Halt and Catch Fire – Trailer (YouTube)

courtesy of [25] amctv.com

Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul, to Premiere in November –

Diehard Breaking Bad fans were given reason to live again after a spinoff series, Better Call Saul, was announced following the show’s wrap. The show will center around Bob Odenkirk’s character, Saul Goodman, Albuquerque’s favorite crooked lawyer, and is named after the character’s hopelessly corny business slogan. The show will not be “Breaking Bad 2.0,” but rather a dive into the smattering of trouble and hilarity that ensues as a result of Saul’s shady business practices. [22] Better Call Saul – Webisode (YouTube)

courtesy of [26] leviathyn.com

Dark Comic Series, Preacher, to be Adapted for Television –

After many failed starts with other production companies, the 1990s comic book series, Preacher, will receive its first major television treatment from AMC. Preacher tells the story of Jesse Custer, a Texas preacher who becomes possessed by a supernatural entity that is half-angel, half-demon, making Custer the most powerful creature on Earth. Through his possession, he discovers that God has abandoned his responsibilities in Heaven and is now roaming freely on Earth. A preacher to his core, Custer sets out on a journey to track down God and send him back to his post. However, there are many demonic forces that will stop at nothing to keep this preacher from reaching God. The Seth Rogan-produced religious thriller is hoped to bring success similar to that of The Walking Dead. [23] A release date has not yet been set.

courtesy of [24] empireonline.com

SOURCES:

[1] – HitState, RT: 4/16/2014

[2] – Deadline, RT: 4/16/2014

[3] – imgl.wikia.nocookie, RT: 4/16/2014

[4] – AMC Networks, RT: 4/16/2014

[5] – AMC Networks – Investors, RT: 4/17/2014

[6] – AMC Networks – Investors, RT: 4/17/2014

[7] – Seeking Alpha, RT: 4/17/2014

[8] – NASDAQ, RT: 4/17/2014

[9] – Beyond Hollywood, RT: 4/17/2014

[10] – Seeking Alpha, RT: 4/18/2014

[11] – Chellomedia, RT: 4/18/2014

[12] – The Hollywood Reporter, RT: 4/18/2014

[13] – Seeking Alpha, RT: 4/18/2014

[14] – E! Online, RT: 4/18/2014

[15] – Indiewire, RT: 4/18/2014

[16] – SquareSpace, RT: 4/18/2014

[17] – Vulture, RT: 4/18/2014

[18] – The Daily Beast, RT: 4/19/2014

[19] – Variety, RT: 4/19/2014

[20] – Forbes, RT: 4/19/2014

[21] – Indiewire, RT: 4/19/2014

[22] – Screenrant, RT: 4/19/2014

[23] – The Hollywood Reporter, RT: 4/19/2014

[24] – Empire, RT: 4/19/2014

[25] – AMC TV, RT: 4/19/2014

[26] – Leviathyn, RT: 4/19/2014

Time Warner

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Isabel Sherman

By Isabel Sherman

Time Warner Logo [1]

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

Key Executives:

Jeff Bewkes- Chairman of the Board and CEO, Time Warner Inc. [1]

John K. Martin-
Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Time Warner Inc. [1]

Howard M. Averill- Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Time Warner Inc. [1]

Paul T. Cappuccio- Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Time Warner Inc. [1]

Gary L. Ginsberg- Executive Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Time Warner Inc. [1]

For more information on executives click here.

About Time Warner Inc.:

[1]

[1]

[1]

Time Warner Inc. is a multinational media corporation that provides high-quality media and entertainment content through varied outlets. It is one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. [16] It has businesses in television networks, film and television shows, and publishing. The company’s four operating divisions are Home Box Office (HBO), Time Inc., Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros. Entertainment. [1]

[31] Visual representation of Time Warner’s TV assets

Time Inc. runs consumer titles including People, Time, and Fortune. [16]

Warner Bros Entertainment runs Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Television Group, and DC Entertainment. [1]

[37] Turner Broadcasting’s Brands

Turner Broadcasting operates some of the leading cable TV networks CNN, HLN, TNT, TBS, AdultSwim, Turner Sports, TCM, truTV, and Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network is a go-to channel for kids. CNN is the original 24-hour news network and delivers news to global audiences across all platforms. [1]

HBO is the most successful TV-service in the world. In 2012 it was the number one domestic premium pay television service in primetime and total day ratings. As of 2013, there are approximately 114 million HBO and Cinemax cable subscribers worldwide. There are 8.5 million registered users on HBO GO, which is an unlimited access online/tablet/smart-phone service to watch HBO shows and movies that comes free with an HBO subscription. [1] Current popular HBO shows include The Newsroom, Girls, Veep, True Blood and Game of Thrones. [4]

[18] Girls – A show about 20-something girls in New York created by Lena Dunham is currently filming it’s third season, set to air in January

[33] The Newsroom – A political drama series created by Aaron Sorkin just finished its second season on HBO

Competitors:

Major competitors to Time Warner Inc. include NBC Universal, 21st Century Fox, and The Walt Disney Company. [16]

A Brief History Starting with the Warner Brothers in 1923……

[36] A graphic representing the unsuccessful merger of Time Warner and AOL that led to its split in 2009

In 1923, Polish immigrant brothers, the Warners, created the film company Warner Brothers Pictures Inc. in Los Angelos. [2] In 1972, Kinney National Company bought Warner Bros. and established Warner Communications (WCI). [2] In 1989, Time Inc., which was at the time, the third largest cable operator in the country, merged with WCI and Time Warner was formed. [3] The company purchased Turner Broadcasting System in 1996. [3] In January 2001, a $106 billion merger between AOL and Time Warner was approved. [2] The company was called AOL Time Warner, but in 2003 it became just Time Warner. [3] In 2009, Time Warner split with AOL. [2]

Financials:

Time Warner is publicly traded under the NYSE with the symbol TWX.

Chart over the last three months (Sept. 18-Nov. 18) Visible upward trend [38]

The third quarter for the company ended September 30, 2013. [6]

IMPORTANT STATS FROM 3RD QUARTER:

44 percent increase in earnings from $822 million for the same quarter a year ago to $1.18 billion for the third quarter of 2013 [5]
HBO and Turner’s channels provided the biggest increase for Time Warner in the quarter, revenue rose by $182 million to $3.5 billion, increasing 5% [5]
Adjusted Operating Income increased 8% to $1.7 billion [6]
Adjusted Operating Income margins increased year-over-year for the eighth time in the last nine  quarters [6]

OTHER RECENT STATS:

TBS Logo [20]

At Turner, as of September, TBS was the #2 ad-supported cable network in primetime for adults 18-34 and 18-49 [6]

TNT Logo [21]

CNN Logo [22]

TNT finished the quarter (in September) as the #2 network among adults 25-54 in total day time ratings [6]

Total day ratings for CNN in its key demographic increased by 15% (September) [6]

[25]

[32] Boardwalk Empire took home 5 Emmys on September 22

September 22, 2013: HBO received 27 Primetime Emmy Awards, for series including Veep, The Newsroom, 5 for Boardwalk Empire and 11 for the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra. [25] This is the 12th year in the row that HBO has the highest number of Emmy Awards than other station) [6]

[1]Gravity was released October 4, 2013 and has made $234,279,000 so far. [29]

Alfonso Cuaron’s 3D space movie, Gravity, was the top October opening of all-time. It debuted to $55.8 million in North America. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in the movie. The movie contributes to Time Warner Inc.’s total revenue. [19]

RECENT NEWS:

Home Box Office:

September 2013: HBO is set to release a new series, Looking, which stars Jonathon Groff, best known for Glee and the broadway show, Spring Awakening. The series centers on the life of three gay friends living in San Francisco. The show is created by Andrew Haigh and is set to be released Sunday, January 19^th at 10:30 p.m. on HBO. It is currently filming in San Francisco. [9]

“Looking” Season 1 Trailer [8]

[23] Susan Lacy and her Emmy Awards for American Masters and Inventing David Geffen

September 2013: Susan Lacy is moving from PBS to HBO to produce and direct documentaries for HBO. She is best known as the creator and executive producer of American Masters, a television series that documents the history of icons of American culture. [17] As well as numerous Emmys for American Masters, Lacy has received an Emmy for “Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction series” for Inventing David Geffen. [17]

[24] Susan Lacy produced and directed under PBS before she signed the multiyear deal with HBO

[30] Poster for Valentine Road which premiered October 7th on HBO

October 2013: The documentary Valentine Road, directed by Marta Cunningham, premiered on HBO, based on an 2008 shooting at a junior high school in Oxnard, Calif. The movie premiered as a part of National Bullying Prevention Month. [11]

Read an interview with the director here:

Variety Article: Interview with Valentine Road Director

November 2013 – HBO signs John Oliver to star is a comedy series set to start in January 2014. The show will be weekly on Sunday nights and will take a satirical view on the news and current events. John Oliver will be leaving The Daily Show with John Stewart to join the HBO family. [10]

John Oliver [10] on the Daily Show

Turner Broadcasting System:

[28]

October 2013: Turner Broadcasting and Verizon announced a multi-year renewal agreement to provide Turner’s Networks, including CNN, TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network, to Verizon FiOS TV subscribers across a plethora of platforms. This is a long term distribution agreement that will give FiOS TV subscribers’ access to a large array of on-demand programming. [26]

[27]

October 2013: A disagreement over prices between Cable ONE and Turner Broadcasting led Turner to cut channels from Cable ONE on October 1, 2013. [13] A Cable ONE press release stated that Turner Broadcasting wanted an almost 50% increase in price for the channels. It was the largest recess of channels in the company’s history. [14] Cable ONE has 730,000 customers in 19 states and is the 10th largest cable company in the U.S. [14] On October 26, 2013 Cable ONE, according to The Anniston Star, “has reached an agreement with Turner Broadcasting System Inc. to restore Cable One’s carriage of Turner’s channels CNN, CNN en Espanol, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, truTV and Boomerang.” [13]

[35] Miami Heat opening night game

October 2013: TNT showed exclusive NBA coverage of the Miami Heat against the Chicago Bulls game on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. ET. The game was the second highest-rated and most-viewed opening night game in network history with 5.4 million viewers and a 3.3 U.S. rating. [7]

[34] Jack Black guest-starring on Conan

November 2013 : Turner Broadcasting is being forced to pay a $25,000 fine by the Federal Communications Commission. [15] In April 2012, a promotional gag for TBS’ Conan used the emergency weather tones to gain attention for a commercial advertising the appearance of Jack Black on the show. The FCC has warned broadcasters not to air the real EAS tones for any reason other than airing a real alert or a test to avoid panicking the public. [15]

Sources:

[1] Time Warner Website

[2] Britannica: Time Warner Inc.

[3] History of Time Warner

[4] Time Warner: About HBO

[5] NY TImes: Time Warner Profits

[6] TWX_3Q13 Earnings Report

[7] TNT Chicago Bulls Vs. Miami Heat Press Release

[8] Looking Season 1 Trailer

[9] About the New HBO Series

[10] HBO- John Oliver

[11] NYTimes Valentine Road

[12] Time Inc. to Split from Time Warner

[13] CableOne Dispute Resolved

[14] CableOne Agreement with Turner

[15] FCC Fines For Conan Ad.

[16] Hoovers- Time Warner

[17] NYTimes Susan Lacy Leaves PBS

[18] Girls Poster

[19] Hollywood Reporter – Gravity

[20] TBS Logo

[21] TNT Logo

[22] CNN Logo

[23] Susan Lacy

[24] PBS Logo

[25] Reuters: Emmy’s Recap

[26] Turner-Verizon Deal

[27] Cable One

[28] FiOS Verizon

[29] Box Office Mojo- Gravity

[30] Valentine Road

[31] Neatorama- Time Warner

[32] Boardwalk Empire Poster

[33] The Newsroom Poster

[34] Jack Black on Conan – FCC Fine

[35] Miami Heat Picture

[36] Split of AOL and Time Warner

[37] Turner Broadcasting Brands Image

[38] Yahoo Finance – TWX

AMC Networks

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Garrett Braddock

By Garrett Braddock

AMC Networks Logo

AMC Networks Inc.

11 Penn Plaza

New York City, New York, USA

(212) 324-8500

http://www.amcnetworks.com/

About AMC Networks [1}:

AMC Networks is an entertainment company based in New York that owns a multitude of popular channels including AMC, IFC, WE tv, and the Sundance Channel. Their flagship channel, AMC, boasts the impressive feats of having the most

The various properties owned by AMC Networks

watched drama series in cable history with, The Walking Dead, and also stands as the only cable network to win an Emmy for “Outstanding Drama Series” four years in a row. AMC Networks also owns the film company IFC films and the highly regarded IFC center, a movie theater in New York City.

Key People at AMC Networks [2]: (All images curtesy of AMC Networks)

Charles Dolan– Executive Chairman

Joshua Sapan–President and Chief Executive Officer

Edward A Carroll— Chief Operating Officer

Finances in Fall 2013:

AMC Networks enjoyed a financially beneficial third quarter here in Fall 2013. The Wall Street Journal reports that the networks earnings were up by 59% from last year, a rise that is sure to make investors very happy people. This growth can be

Past Year Stocks for AMC Networks. Courtesy of Seeking Alpha

contributed to a high demand from advertisers to be placed on their channels. The Journal states, “The growth was driven by a 36% rise in advertising revenue to $146 million, helped by a strong demand for original programming.”[3]

News Stories from Fall 2013:

-Harmonious Deals with Chellomedia

Logo courtesy of Chellomedia

One of the major moves that AMC Networks made this fall was the purchasing of Chellomedia, which is an international content division of Liberty Global, an acquisition that cost around $1.04 billion. Chellomedia focuses on operating digital and broadband channels across Europe and Latin America, a spread that will broadly widen the amount of viewers AMC could reach. It is estimated that Chellomedia reaches around 400 million viewers in 138 countries. This acquisition means that AMC will be able to access various netoworks in the aforementioned countries and have a much wider, international market for their already popular programs. Of the deal, Josh Sapan said, “This acquisition allows us to secure a large, global platform on which to distribute our increasingly successful original programming through a collection of strong, well-established and well managed assets worldwide.”[4] One criticism of this deal is that it makes AMC less likely to be bought out by a larger company, a move which some investors may have been expecting. Previously, it was thought that AMC may be the target of larger cable network companies New Corp or CBS Corp, but this acquisition seems to prove that AMC is still looking to expand before looking for potential buyers.[5] Overall, the acquisition of Chellomedia, likely to officially go through in early 2014, will broaden the reaches of AMC Networks, expand their global market, and allow them to become much less dependent on success in the US market.[6]

-Breaking Bad? More like Breaking Records!!

Promotion for beginning of fifth and final season of Breaking Bad. Courtesy of AMC

Throughout its airing, Breaking Bad has become one of the most highly regarded and well-liked shows on television. The show tells the story of a high-school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer and decides to secure financial security for his family by cooking and selling meth. The show has garnered both viewer and critical acclaim, and won “Outstanding Drama Series” at this years Emmy awards, after being nominated for the past 3. AMC saw record numbers for Breaking Bad almost every episode of the last season, with those numbers peaking on its final episode, “FiNaLe” where the average viewership was 10.3 million according to Nielsen. When it comes to the important adults 18-49 demographic, Breaking Bad achieved a 5.4 rating, reaching about 6.7 million people.[7] This impressive finale ranks third in cable series finales, finishing behind only The Sopranos and Sex and the City.

An interesting article on Slate discussed how Nielsen began ranking television shows on the number of people tweeting about them, and how that reflects on Breaking Bad. It was estimated that 9.3 million people tweeted about, or viewed tweets about Breaking Bad during its penultimate episode. This is an important statistic because it displays how many people are actively engaged in the show, a fact many advertisers would love to know so they can more intelligently places their advertisements. [8]

-Ratings Spring Back To Life With The Walking Dead

Another one of AMC Network’s hugely successful series, The Walking Dead, comes again from their flagship channel, and has been racking up huge ratings with every episode. This show follows a group of survivors during the zombie apocalypse and chronicles their

Main promotion for The Walking Dead. Courtesy of AMC

harrowing tale. The show has seen growing success over its first 3 seasons, with ratings and viewer numbers reaching record-breaking heights during the premiere of the fourth season. TVbythenumbers reports that 16.1 million people tuned in for the premiere with 10.4 million being of the adult 18-49 demographic.[9] The Walking Dead has become the #1 show on television across both cable and broadcast networks. Even compared to Sunday Night Football, The Walking Dead is 23 percent bigger than the perennial broadcast telecast.[10] These ratings and numbers have either stayed the same or grown with each passing episode. On the heels of such success, AMC Networks announced on October 29^th that it has renewed The Walking Dead for a fifth season, in which they are likely to have continued success.[11]

-The Sundance Channel Brings a New Kind of Zombie to Life[12]

This fall The Sundance Channel premiered The Returned, a French hit, and one of the

Photo showing premise of The Returned: the reconnecting of those once thought to be dead

channel’s first forays into scripted TV series. The series tells the stories of people who come back to life exactly as they were before they died. The show, based on the French film, They Came Back, was a critical hit in France before being picked up by The Sundance Channel. The show is quietly doing very well for the channel, considering the small audience and fact that the show is subtitled to English. As mentioned earlier, The Returned has received critical acclaim, being lauded for its beautiful cinematography and emotionally believable characters.[13] Despite only having eight total episodes, the show has an impressive 92/100 score on metacritic.[14]

-Low Winter Sun: Maybe Sinking a Bit too Low?

Another AMC show to be grabbing headlines this fall was crime-drama Low Winter Sun. This show tells the story of a cop in Detroit who believes his girlfriend was murdered by another detective. Despite airing after the widely watched Breaking Bad, this show has

Promotion for Low Winter Sun. Courtesy of AMC.

never gotten the viewer attention AMC Networks was hoping for. Low Winter Sun has received mixed reviews, with many leaning towards the negative side, citing the show’s pace and darkness as its main adverse aspects.[15] The show has even drawn criticism from one of its stars, James Ransone. Ransone said of the show, “It wasn’t a good show…” and “If it doesn’t get canceled, I’ll be goddamn shocked…the ratings were terrible.”[16] AMC Networks has yet to decide if the show will be renewed for a second season, but the decision is likely to come by early December.

Sources:

Univision

Posted on April 9, 2013 by jgalvare

by Juan Alvarez

(Photo courtesy of Univision Corporate website) [4]

605 3rd Ave.
New York, NY, 10158 United States
(212) 455-5200

http://corporate.univision.com

http://www.univision.com/

Key Figures

(Picture Courtesy of Univision Corporate Website) [1]

Randy Falco

Joined Univision Communications in June 2011 as President and Chief Executive Officer. Before joining the company he was Chairman and CEO of AOL. Since his arrival, Univision has added three new cable networks and steadily increased its net revenue. [1]

Cesar Conde
(Picture Courtesy of Univision Corporate Website)[1]

Cesar Conde

Mr. Conde is president of the Univision Networks and is responsible for every television network including Univision Network, Unimas and Univision Cable Network. He is also responsible for the Univision Studios which were established in 2009. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Univision Communications. [1]

Andrew W. Hobson
(Picture Courtesy of Univision Corporate Website)[1]

Andrew W. Hobson

Joined Univision Communications in 1993 as Executive Vice President of Univision Network. In 2007 he became Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Univision Communications playing a vital role in the company’s recent financial growth. [1]

Profile

Univision Communications is the leading spanish broadcaster in America with a pedigree of television, radio and interactive media operations. The company’s primary audience are Latin American families in the United States. Univision Communications runs the top-rated Univision Network, as well as sister networks UniMas and Galavision. In addition, the company owns and operates about 60 local TV stations and 70 radio stations all across the nation and an online division which owns and distributes a network of online and mobile products like Univision.com. Some major competitors include TV Azteca, S.A. de C.V, Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. and NBCUniversal Media, LLC. [2] Some of the most successful current programs are Sabado Gigante, which has been on the air since 1997, and Primer Impacto since 1994.

The following video summarizes what Univision’s vision consists on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsf76kXaiKw

Television: The television segment owns a large number of TV stations and networks of which the most successful is Univision Network, the driving force behind the company. Univision Network has the largest spanish speaking television audience in the world and has reached parity with the 5 major english television networks outranking The CW several times. The television department also owns UniMas a spanish language broadcast television network, as well as Galavision a cable network in the U.S. In addition to the three major networks the company recently added three single format 24-hour cable networks: Univision Deportes Network, ForoTV and Univision Telenovelas. In 2009 the company founded Univision Studios, their own production division. Last year the company announced the creation of Fusion, an english language joint venture with ABC targeted at hispanic americans. [3]

Univision and ABC joint venture (photo courtesy of mediabistro.com) [10]

Radio: The radio segment owns and operates 69 radio stations in the United States. In 2003 Univision completed the acquisition of the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation to form Univision Radio, the largest spanish language radio broadcasting company in the United States. In addition, the company founded Univision America this past summer, which is a spanish talk radio network that operates in major states like California, Texas and Florida. [3]

Univision America (photo courtesy of mediamoves.com) [11]

Interactive Media: This segment is responsible for operating a network of online products of which Univision.com is the most important. Univision interactive media was launched in 2009 to house Univision Movil and Univision.com, an online publisher that features entertainment, news and information. The interactive media segment also includes UVideos, a bilingual digital network and Univision Partner Group, a publishing network. [3]

Univision.com Homepage
(photo courtesy of Univision.com) [12]

History

In 1955 KWEX-TV, the first full time Spanish language station in America was founded. The station changed owners several times until in 1968 the new owners decided to name it Spanish International Network after buying channels in New Jersey and LA. By the mid 1970s the company had grown into a national network in the United States. In 1986 a Partnership of Televisa (a major media production company) and Hallmark cards bought the network formally naming it UNIVISION. Univision online was launched in 2000. [4]

In the past decade Univision Communications has grown in many fronts of the industry launching UniMas, formerly known as Telefutura (2002), Univision Radio (2003), Univision Studios (2009) and Univision Interactive media (2009). [4]

Financials

During 2012 Univision Communications Inc. reported a steady rise in their financials. Both their OIBDA and their total net revenue increased in comparison to the previous numbers of 2011. For the full year, net revenue increased 7.4 percent to $2,442.0 million from $2,273.5 million in 2011 and OIBDA increased 7.4 percent to $1,003.2 million from $933.9 million in 2011. Moreover the increase took place in each of the three media production areas of the company (Television, Radio and Digital). [5]

(photo courtesy of Univision Corporate financial statement 2012) [5]

In the News

January [6]:

The new revamped UniMas was launched coast to coast on January 7th premiering two prime time series that same night: Made In Cartagena and Quien eres tu.

(photo courtesy of underconsideration.com)

“Quinceañera” the groundbreaking production that catapulted Thalia and Adela Noriega is being rebroadcasted by Univision Telenovelas on January 7th.
Univision Communications announced a partnership with Samsung to carry their digital video network UVideos, in all 2013 Samsung smart TVs and connected devices.
Univision Network launches new talent competition show “Lo que mas quieres” on January 27th.

Lo que Mas Quieres ad campaign (photo courtesy of latinospost.com) [13]

February [7]:

Univision’s “Despierta America” established itself as the fastest growing morning show in the current season regardless of language registering its seven month of consecutive growth among adults 18-49 and 25-54.

Despierta America (photo courtesy of tucuentas. com) [14]

Univision’s “Premios Lo Nuestro“, which is Television’s longest running Latin music award show, aired on Feb 21 reaching 11.6 million viewers and making Univision No. 2 network for the night among adults 18-34 for fourth consecutive year.
WXTV Univision 41 New York received 22 Emmy Award nominations. According to Nielsen, Univision 41 was also the #1 newscast in the 6pm slot during the month of January.
On February 11 ABC and Univision announced their joint venture news and lifestyle network for Hispanics is being named Fusion and is set to launch during the second half of 2013.
Univision set milestone as the No 4. network in February sweeps ahead of NBC. Univision out performed NBC establishing a 26% margin among adults 18-49 and a 47% among adults 18-14.

The following video demonstrates the recent rating success of Univision.

UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS INC from Univision Insights on Vimeo.

March [8]:

Premiere of new romantic comedy telenovela “Porque el amor manda” on Univision Network set for March 11.
“Nuestra Belleza Latina” a beauty competition show is set to launch its seventh season March 10 on Univision Network. The show includes sponsors like AT&T and Subway.

Seventh season of Nuestra Belleza Latina (photo courtesy of lagranciudad.net) [15]

The season finale of “Por ella soy Eva” made Univision stations #1 among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 in several cities like Los Angeles and Houston and Chicago.
On March 11 Univision Radio and TuneIn announced an alliance to extend the reach of 50 terrestrial stations via TuneIn.
Univision Studios announced the premiere of “Arranque de Pasion, La historia de Ela“, an original webnovela produced exclusively for Univision Online and mobile properties set to begin April 1.

Arranque de Pasion webseries (photo courtesy of univision.com) [16]

Univision signs a major contract with DirecTV enabling the satellite provider to carry all of Univision’s own and operated broadcast stations, as well as the network feeds for Univision, UniMas, and Galavision.

Future of Univision

ABC News and Univision News merge to create Fusion in 2013
(photo courtesy of Univision Corporate Website) [4]

When it comes to its future Univision Communications seems stronger than ever. If the current trends continue the network could become a recurrent top four in the United States Television market because of the constant increase of the Latino population. Furthermore, Univision is on the verge of launching a great number of new series including “Los Heroes del Norte” (NotiMas) and “Que Bonito Amor“ (Univision), which are two long awaited primetime series set to premiere this April. Last but not least, Univision News is focusing greatly on the creation of the new joint venture with ABC news called Fusion (to be launched sometime this year). The new network will be carried by 5 cable operators and will serve 50 millions Hispanics; a number expected to double by 2050 [9]. This measures are expected to further enhance the company’s presence in the multimedia market during the next decades.

Sources

1. Key Executives http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/executive-leadership/#axzz2PxOlER2b

2. Univision Company Information Hoovers http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Univision_Communications_Inc.a9ff6a528ba4bf61.html

3. Company Overview Bloomberg http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=352350

4. The Univision Story http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/#axzz2PxRZSjvT

5. Financial Statement 2012 http://corporate.univision.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/FINAL-Press-Release-Q2-2012-1.pdf

6. January Press Releases http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/press/press-releases/?date=2013-1#axzz2PxUQXB7G

7. February Press Releases http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/press/press-releases/?date=2013-2#.UWPlYqvwIx4

8. March Press Releases http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/press/press-releases/?date=2013-3#.UWPldavwIx4

9. April Press Releases http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/press/press-releases/?date=2013-4#.UWPlnKvwIx4

10. ABC / Univision picture http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/files/2012/08/abc-news-univision-logo.jpg

11. Univision America logo http://www.mediamoves.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/UNIVISION_America-logo-e1338509306117.jpg

12. Univision.com www.univision.com

13. Lo Que Mas Quieres ad campaign http://images.latinospost.com/data/images/full/11264/lo-que-mas-quieres.jpg?w=600

14. Despierta America promo https://www.tucuentas.com/images/product/pic_1315599492.jpg

15. Nuestra Belleza Latina picture http://lagranciudad.net/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Nuestra-belleza-latina.jpg

16. Arranque de Pasion promo http://univisionnetworks.com/assets/uploads/homepages/ArranqueDePasion1.jpg

Viacom Inc.

Posted on April 9, 2013 by namezaro

[1]

by Nicole Mezaros

Viacom Inc.
1515 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
(212) 258-6000
www.viacom.com
@Viacom

Sumner M. Redstone, Philippe Dauman, Thomas E. Dooley, Robert Bakish, and Brad Grey [2],[3],[4],[5],[6]

Top Executives

Sumner M. Redstone: Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2006. He also serves as the Executive Chairman of CBS [7].

Philippe Dauman: President and CEO since 2006 [8].

Thomas E. Dooley: Chief Operating Officer since 2010. He previously served as the CFO [8].

Robert Bakish: President and CEO of International Media Networks since 2011. He oversees all media networks outside of the United States [8].

Brad Grey: CEO of Paramount Pictures since 2005. Grey oversees the entire branch of Paramount Pictures [8].

A Brief History

In 1971, Viacom was formed by breaking off from CBS; it then merged with Warner Communications in 1983 [9]. It bought MTV in 1986, and then merged with Paramount Communications in a nearly $10 billion agreement [9]. The VIA stock became available to be bought and sold in the NYSE in 1999 [9]. CBS, the company it came from, and Viacom merged in a nearly $40 billion merger in 2000 [9]. In the next few years, it purchased BET, Noggin, Comedy Central, TNN, and more [9]. CBS and Viacom then split again in 2006 [25]. Also in 2006, Paramount acquired Dreamworks LLC, and MTV then partnered with Warner Music group [9]. Most recently, in 2011, Viacom International Media Networks was created [9].

General Overview

Viacom has many diverse assets, and therefore produces a lot of varied programming in different markets. It owns 205 television channels, spanning over 169 territories and in nearly 40 different languages [10]. It also owns Paramount Pictures, a big player in the film industry, and has released films of all types, such as The Adventures of Tintin and Paranormal Activity, that reach varied demographics.

Viacom’s TV Assets [11]

In the cable television market, Viacom has many different assets. These networks are very different and, again, reach many different audiences. Some of their major assets include MTV and Nickelodeon, which reach a younger audience, Comedy Central, Spike, and BET, which reach an adult audience, and TV Land, which reaches an older audience. Each network plays very different programming. VH1 and MTV play both shows about popular music and reality shows, with series such as Buckwild on MTV and Top 20 Video Countdown on VH1. Comedies of all different types are played on Comedy Central, such as The Colbert Report, and TV Land offers a lot of reruns of old shows and some original programming. Networks such as CMT (Country Music Television) and BET (Black Entertainment Television) also reach very specific demographics. Nickelodeon is the #1 cable network for seventeen years, showing the success of their networks [12].

Spongebob Squarepants, airing on Nickelodeon. [13]

Viacom has a lot of competitors, some of which include NBCUniversal, Time Warner, and Walt Disney [14]. Still, it is a leader in the cable television market .

Financials

During the first quarter of 2013, Viacom had a revenue of $3.314 billion, which includes $2.394 billion from media networks and $975 million from films [15]. This number is down 16% from last year’s first quarter [15]. However, media networks hardly decreased, down only 2%; this decrease is mainly due to filmed entertainment, which is down nearly 40% [15]. MTV is the network with the highest revenue, at around $548 million, with Nickelodeon following at around $357 million [10].

Viacom Inc. (VIAB) Interactive Chart Analysis - NASDAQ jpg

Viacom Inc. Stock 1 Year Chart [16]

The Viacom stock, sold as VIAB on NASDAQ, is currently priced at $65.49, hitting a high [16]. This is nearly $20 higher than CBS, around $7 higher than the Walt Disney Company, and nearly $25 higher than Comcast, all of which are Viacom’s competitors [17]. The VIAB stock increased greatly this year, raising from $46.75 a year ago to $65.49 today [16]. Viacom also sells class A stock, VIA, at $66; with this, stockholders have voting rights.

Recent News

Viacom has been in the news recently due to two major cases. First of all, Cablevision, a big cable TV service provider, is suing Viacom for bundling its channels and charging more for single channels [18]. This has, however, been its practice for a very long time. Also, last year, the case starting in 2007, in which Viacom sued Youtube, the popular website where users can upload their own videos, saying that some of its content infringed on Viacom”s copyright, was revived [19]. This case is still going on today.

Viacom also, however, has had a lot of positive things going on recently. VH1’s ratings in adult viewership raised 33% in 2012 [20]. It also has a lot of new shows airing this season, including Best Week Ever and The Jenny McCarthy Show, and new episodes of older shows, such as the very successful Mob Wives.

NEW SHOWS + NEW LOOK + @VH1 #plussed (:30)

Also, the 26th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards, airing on March 23rd, drew an audience of nearly 6 million viewers with just the premiere, boosting Nickelodeon’s ratings greatly [21]. The 2013 MTV Movie Awards are set to air April 13th, which should also boost MTV’s ratings.

2013 Movie Awards: VOTE NOW FOR MOVIE OF THE YEAR!

Digitally, Viacom is working on a lot of new technology in order to better the viewer experience. The new Star Trek into Darkness app allowed app users to get tickets to an early showing of the film [22]. Also, Spike TV, a cable channel, has created a new app for using while viewing Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts fighting tournament. The app allows veiwers to interact with the show in a way not used with other second screen apps, using results from judging on the app in the live show [23].