AMC Networks

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Elan Schoonmaker

by Elan Schoonmaker

11 Penn Plaza
New York, NY 10001
Main Phone #: (212) 324-8500

Profile

AMC Networks is a company with a focus on delivering top quality entertainment to households all around the United States. Through its variety of cable channels IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv, IFC Films and AMC, AMC Networks is able to reach out to audiences of all shapes and forms. These channels air anything from wedding shows (WE tv), to zombie thrillers (AMC). This network knows what its audience likes to watch. Reaching 95 million households, its no wonder why AMC Networks is home to multiple award winning television shows. AMC Networks is the only network to have won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama series for four consecutive years. [1] Adding to its list of awards, the network also roped in a three straight Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series Drama.

AMC Network Channel Thumbnails

AMC: is devoted to airing past theatrical releases and original series television shows. AMC is most commonly known for its big three shows; Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Walking Dead.

Sundance Channel: known for airing independent films, world cinema, documentaries, short films and original programming.

WE tv: is a tv channel targeted at women specifically. This channel is home to famous shows like; Bridezillas, My Fair Wedding and The Golden Girls.

IFC: is a channel that airs movies and tv shows with a certain indie aspect to them. Well known tv shows from this channel are; Maron, Out There, and Portlandia

Brief History

Once known as Rainbow Media Holding, AMC Networks got its start 32 years ago. It only became known as a private business in 2005. AMC Networks has always been somewhat successful, but never as much as it has been now.

Anti Dish Network

AMC Network made an enemy back in 2008 when it decided to sue Dish Network over a channel carriage dispute. Skipping ahead four years, in 2012 Dish decided to change its home channel without any notice. Shortly after AMC was removed entirely from Dish. Dish claimed that it didn’t want to carry AMC anymore due to the channels that came packaged with it, like WE tv and The Sundance Channel. After many years and court sessions, the only thing AMC has to show is its 2.4 billion dollars in damage [2]

Key Figures

Josh Sapan

Josh Sapan, also known as President of AMC Networks has been crucial in the networks rise to stardom [3]. Before Sapan came into play, AMC was just a cable channel that played classic movies all day. Once he came along, he helped turn AMC into a channel that would produce leading entertainment originals such as The Walking Dead. He also helped the network reach out to a wider ranged audience. With the introduction of cable channels like WE tv and Sundance Channel, Sapan helped the network gain the viewership of more women.

Ed Carroll

Ed Carrol began his role of Chief Operating Officer back in 2009. It is no mere coincidence that AMC Networks has seen its greatest increase of viewership since then. He oversaw shows like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men [4]. Near the top of his list of accomplishments is his work with The Sundance Channel. After a lot of time and hard work, he was able to expand the reach of the Sundance Channel to both Europe and Asia.

Financials

In the Fourth Quarterly report in 2012, the net Income for AMC Networks was up by 13.9%. Nationally, the network had a 15.9% increase from last year, but internationally net income dropped 8.8% [5]

Operating income for AMC Networks increased 11.1% since 2011. Just like the net income, this was due to national numbers. Nationally there was a 16.8% increase in operating income [5]. The network suffered though with an international loss of $27 million dollars.

AMC Networks Stock

In the long term stock wise, AMC Networks has been seen a sharp increase in value. Exactly one year ago from this date (April 5, 2012), the stock price was $43.53 per stock. Today they are $63.24 a share, which is a 31% increase [10]. If AMC Networks continue at this rate, there will be no limit to its success.

The national business model for the network is the reason why it is profitable today. The international model however keeps losing money. Things need to change internationally if the network plans on continuing its growth.

Recent Activity

February 26, 2013: Sundance Channel will be experiencing a lot of changes over the next few months. This channel as a whole doesn’t reach out to enough viewers. As of now, AMC is the jewel of AMC Networks. That is why starting March 4, all four seasons of Breaking Bad were scheduled to air on Sundance Channel [6]. Also starting April 22 Sundance Channel will air the pilot to its new original series Rectify. This show will follow a man who been discharged of a rape conviction after 19 years. Following its debut, Rectify will also be rerun on AMC to promote the show.

March 1, 2013: AMC Networks announces two major changes in a press release. The first announcement was that AMC will renew the contract it has with Rogers Comm. Rogers Comm. is a leading Canadian communications company. This renewal will deliver HD access to all of AMC’s TV shows [7]. It will also allow customers to access AMC original series on multiple platforms. Whether that means viewing AMC on an Xbox or an Iphone, it is entirely up to the customer.

YEAH!

March 12, 2013: AMC Announces YEAH!, a movie service like Netflix in that it provides movies to customers on a streaming platform. Unlike Netflix, YEAH! provides interactive features to pre-existing movies [8]. If someone wants to watch Pulp Fiction they can watch it with never before seen interviews. They can also get fun facts throughout the film, as well as quiz questions every now and then.

April 1, 2013

The AMC channel announces its ratings for the following night, March 31. The Walking Dead alone gained the viewership of 12.4 million people [9]. These ratings mark a new record for AMC. The Walking Dead was the most viewed show on TV that night. This came as no surprise to AMC though. Since late September, The Walking Dead remained on top in the ratings, beating shows like American Idol and even The Big Bang Theory. On top of the record ratings with 5.2 million viewers, AMC’s Talking Dead talk show reached a new record as well.

Works Cited

[1] AMC Network “About Us”

[2] AMC Versus Dish Network

[3] Josh Sapan Information

[4] Ed Carroll Information

[5] Quarterly Report

[6] Sundance Channel New Format

[7] Rogers Communications Renewal

[8] Yeah!

[9] The Walking Dead Audience

[10] AMC Networks Stock

Columbia/TriStar Pictures

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Bailey Garno

Bailey Garno

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/index.html

CONTACT:

10202 West Washington Boulevard

Culver City, CA 90232

The TriStar Building

United States

Phone: 310-280-7700

Originally formed as Columbia Pictures Corporation by Jack Cohn, Harry Cohn, and Joe Brandt, Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures has evolved into one of the most accredited motion picture libraries worldwide. The group is a division within Sony Pictures Entertainment, and encompasses Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, and Screen Gems. [1]

Columbia/TriStar operations are situated in six other countries worldwide: Columbia Pictures Producciones Mexico functions in Mexico City; Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia functions in Hong Kong; Columbia Pictures Producciones Espanolas functions in Madrid; and additional divisions are in the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan. [2]

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM: [3]

Michael Lynton – CEO, Sony Entertainment, Inc.; Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Amy Pascal – Co Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment; Chairman, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Entertainment Group

The Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures Group is a highly valued operation within Sony Corporation of America (SCA). Distributing around 22 films a year in the United States alone, Columbia TriStar includes a production studio, film labels, and global motion picture production operations. The film company is consistently producing the most popular pictures at the box office.

RECENT RELEASES:

The Call (2013): “The Call” stars Halle Berry as a 911 operator destined to meet the killer of her past. Directed by Brad Anderson, this story will have you on the edge of your seat.

Release Date: March 15, 2013

Production Budget: $13 million

Opening Weekend: $17,118,745 [4]

Zero Dark Thirty (2012): Director Kathryn Bigelow’s historical drama/thriller chronicles the hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden in this Oscar-winning film starring Jessica Chastain and Jason Clarke.

Production Budget: $40 million

Release Date: December 19, 2012

Opening Weekend: $417,150 (limited); $24,428,936 (wide)19, 2012 (limited); January 11, 2013 (wide) [5]

Skyfall (2012): Daniel Craig stars once again as 007, otherwise known as James Bond, in this action flick directed by Sam Mendes.

Release Date: November 9, 2012

Production Budget: $200 million

Opening Weekend: $88,364,714 [6]

Evil Dead (2013): Frede Alvarez has, according to critics, directed the scariest movie of all time. A remake of the original 1981 film, “The Evil Dead,” this horror film stars Jane Levy.

Release Date: April 5, 2013

Production Budget: $17 million

Opening Weekend: $26,000,000 [7]

The films mentioned above are Sony/Columbia’s highest grossing films in 2013; however, “The Call” and “Evil Dead” are the only films released by the studio this year to date (April 7). There were seven films (three additional films not seen above) that have grossed from Sony/Columbia this year. A breakdown of the studios’ first quarter grossing this year will reveal that the January-March quarter was at its lowest since 2000, with a -60.2% drop in grossing compared to last years numbers. [8]

For a better look at the studio’s statistics, follow the link here.

Future Releases:

After Earth: Set 1,000 years into the future after the demise of planet Earth, this sci-fi action film starring Jaden Smith and his father Will Smith will take audiences on a journey. After crashing onto the destroyed and unrecognizable planet, the characters must fight to stay alive and recover their rescue beacon. This film was directed by M. Night Shyamalan and has not yet been rated. Scheduled release date: June 7, 2013. Click here for a peek at this exhilarating story of survival. [9]

This is the End: A hilarious depiction of real celebrities reacting to the apocalypse. While attending James Franco’s house party, a group of unlikely celebrities come together–and are torn apart–in the wake of the end of the world. Directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, “This is the End” presents an impressive and hilarious cast for audiences. Schedule release date: June 14, 2013. Click here to find the trailer. [10]

White House Down: Starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, this action/drama will remind audiences of the recent release, “Olympus Has Fallen.” While touring the White House, Tatum must save his daughter and the President as the capital falls to armed invaders. Director Roland Emmerich and screenwriter James Vanderbilt will have audiences on the edge of their seat. Scheduled release date: June 28, 2013. Click here to see a preview of the trailer. [11] Additional future releases for the year include Grown Ups 2, The Smurfs 2, Elysium, The Moral Instruments: City of Bones, One Direction: This is Us, Battle of the Year, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Captain Phillips, Carrie (2013), David O. Russell Untitled, and Monuments Men.

Recent News:

On March 28th this year, Sony Pictures announced on Twitter (@SonyPictures) that the company has launched a new beta site for easy viewing on your desktop, mobile device or tablet. Perusing this new launch, users will visibly see an update compared to the older site, which is still currently functioning. Content is same across both sites; however, the recent revamp was done for accessibility in response to the rapidly growing use of smart phones and other portable devices. Following the trend of this transition, this has certainly been a wise business move for the entertainment company. [12]

Sony Picture’s co-chairman, Amy Pascal, was honored in late March at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian gala event. Pascal received the organization’s Icon Award as an avid advocate for gay and lesbians in Hollywood. Pascal’s speech focused on continuing to include lesbians and gays in Hollywood, but not in the stereotypical roles that the past may have assigned them too. After commenting on how influential Sidney Poitier and Will Smith’s roles as black man have become, Pascal says, “Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to wait another 40 years for a character to save the world who just happens to be gay?” [13]

Sony Pictures Entertainment had a successful 2013 awards season! At the 2013 Oscars, SPE took home 7 awards including: Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Waltz in Django Unchained); Best Foreign Film (Armour); Best Original Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained); Best Original Song (“Skyfall” in Skyfall); Best Documentary (Searching for Sugarman); and Best Sound Editing (a tie!–between Hallberg & Landers for Skyfall, and Ottoson for Zero Dark Thirty). Congratulations to all winners and nominees! [14]

Sony Pictures studio blog released an article on February 26th this year announcing Screen Gems and Rainforest Films were honored with the Cinema Vangaurd Award at the 2013 African American Film Critics Association Special Achievements Awards ceremonies. Screen Gems received recognition for its continued support of positive portrayals of African Americans around the world [15]

Works Cited:

[1] “Sony Pictures Timeline.” Sony Pictures Entertainment Museum. N.p., 2006. Web. 04 Apr. 2013. http://www.sonypicturesmuseum.com/studio/timeline

[2] “Divisions | Sony Pictures.” Divisions | Sony Pictures. Sony Pictures Digital Productions Inc., 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[3] “Senior Management Team.” Sony Pictures. Sony Pictures Digital Productions Inc., 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[4] “The Call (2013) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[5] “Zero Dark Thirty (2012) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[6] “Skyfall (2012) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[7] “Evil Dead (2013) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[8] “Box Office by Studio | Sony/Columbia.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[9] “After Earth.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[10] “This Is the End.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 22 July 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[11] “White House Down.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 11 Nov. 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[12] SonyPictures. (2013a, March 28). Visit the new SonyPictures.com and our hottest titles on your desktop, tablet or mobile device! pic.twitter.com/tUfxBa2AHD [Twitter post] Retrieved from https://twitter.com/SonyPictures

[13 ] Brittany. “Amy Pascal Receives Icon Award.” Sony Pictures. Social Central Moderator, 22 Mar. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[14] “Sony Pictures at the Oscars.” Sony Pictures. Social Central Moderator. N.p., 25 Feb. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[15] “Screen Gems and Rainforest Films Honored by African American Film Critics Association.” Sony Pictures. Social Central Moderator. N.p., 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. http://www.specentral.com/2013/02/screen-gems-and-rainforest-films-honored-by-african-american-film-critics-association.php

CBS Films

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Anjela Latcheva

by Anjela Latcheva

Official Logo of CBS Films

11800 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles, California 90025

Telephone: (310) 575-7000

www.cbsfilms.com

About

CBS films is an American studio that handles the development, financing, marketing and production of motion pictures [1]. CBS films is a division of the CBS Corporation. Established in 2007, CBS Films has released nine motion pictures to date. CBS Films also plans to release about four to six movies a year including a variety of genres that will be distributed globally as well as in the United States.

Background

CBS Films originally shortly made an appearance in 1979 under the name CBS Theatrical Films. When CBS Corporation launched the new theatrical films division it was in a joint venture with Columbia Pictures and HBO called Tri-Star Pictures. CBS eventually dropped out of the venture in 1985 and CBS Theatrical Films ended its existence.

However, CBS was bought by Viacom in 2000, which also owned Paramount Pictures at that time. In March 2007, when Viacom and Paramount announced their split, CBS Corporation decided to launch CBS Films. This division was originally created to make content for CBS’s cable movie channel.

CBS Corporation then signed with SONY Pictures for a three year deal where they agreed to distribute internationally. The studio released its first film Extraordinary Measures on January 22, 2012. CBS then released its second film, the romantic comedy The Back Up Plan was released in April 2010. The divisions third release was a movie opening for the Thanksgiving Day weekend, Faster, featuring Dwayne Johnson made $12 million at the box office to start.

After the release of five films and grossing over $30 million, CBS Films’ revenue was lower than expected. CBS decided to freeze their film production for now and decided to plan on acquiring films at film festivals such as the Sundance festival. Management also changed in April 2012 which is predicted to provide interesting changes for CBS FIlms.

The pay-cable rights to the new CBS Films’ titles are held by CBS’s premium cable network SHOWTIME. SONY Pictures also has international theatrical rights as well as home entertainment distribution rights for the many CBS Films titles [1].

CBS Films: The Principles

Photo courtesy of CBS Films

Wolfgang Hammer

Co-President of CBS Films. He manages business, finance, legal affairs, and acquisitions for CBS Films [1]. Before working at CBS FIlms, Hammer was Executive Vice President of the Motion Picture Group at Lionsgate. He studied at the University of Vienna Law school and earned his master’s at Stanford University.

Photo courtesy of CBS Films

Terry Press

Co-President of CBS Films. She oversees creative, distribution, marketing and physical production for CBS Films [1].

Photo courtesy of CBS Films

Steven Friedlander

Executive Vice President, Theatrical Distribution for CBS Films. He manages the domestic theatrical acquisitions and distribution [1].

Photo courtesy of CBS Films

Ried Sullivan

Chief Financial Officer for CBS Films.

Photo courtesy of CBS Films

Rik Toulon

Executive Vice President and General Counsel of CBS Films. He manages all legal activities for the company and performs certain business functions in connection with the company’s distribution, finance, acquisition, key vendor and strategic alliance arrangements [1].

Photo courtesy of CBS Films

Maria Faillace

The Executive Vice President of Production for CBS Films. She manages production for the divisions home grown titles [1].

SOCIAL MEDIA

Like Their Page!- Facebook

Tweet CBS Films – Twitter

Check out Latest News –Tumblr

Past Releases

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Extraordinary Measures – Co-produced with Double Feature Films. Gross: $15,134,168

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

The Back-Up Plan -Co-produced with Escape Artists. Gross: $77,477,008

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Official Website: Faster – Co-produced with Tri-Star Pictures. Gross: $35,542,923

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Official Website: The Mechanic – Co-produced with Millennium Films. Gross: $51,070,807

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Beastly -Gross: $28,834,009

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Official Website: The Woman in Black – Co-produced with Alliance Films. Gross: $127,730,736

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Official Website: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen – Co-produced with Lionsgate. Gross: $34,564,651. Nominated for three golden globe awards including best picture [5]! Acquiring this film was a huge step for CBS Films, starring Emily Blunt alongside Oscar Nominee Kristen Scott Thomas this film was popular amongst many.

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Official Website: The Words – Co-produced with Animus Films. Gross: $13,231,461

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Official Website: Seven Psychopaths – Co-produced with Blueprint Pictures. Gross: $23,492,318. Voted best Ensemble Cast by The Boston Society of FIlm Critics [5] !

Courtesy of CBS FIlms

Official Website: The Last Exorcism: Part II

Future Releases

The Kings of Summer

The official selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. This coming of age comedy, previously known as Toy’s House, will be in theaters May 31st 2013. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Robert and written by Chris Galletta, this film follows three friends as they decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods and living off the land [4]. Watch the trailer here!

7500

From the director of The Grudge, this Sci-Fi thriller is about a group of passengers that encounter what appears to be a supernatural force while on a transpacific flight. Directed by Takashi Shimizu, Flight 7500 was originally scheduled to be released in August 2012 but has been delayed until sometime in 2013. 7500’s cast includes Ryan Kwanten, Jerry Ferrara, and Amy Smart [4]. Watch the trailer here!

The-To-Do-List

Directed and written by Maggie Carey, this comedic film is about a girl’s list of things to accomplish before hitting college campus in the fall. The film follows her experience and exploits the pressure to become more sexually experienced during high school. The To-Do list cast includes Rachel Bilson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse from Superbad, and Connie Britton from ABC’s Nashville [4]. Watch the trailer here!

Last Vegas

Another comedy schedules to be released in December 2013, this film is about three friends in their mid thirties who decide to take a break from their day-to-day lives and throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single bud. An amazing famous cast including Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, and Jerry Ferrara [4].

courtesy of entertainment weekly

Inside Llewyn Davis

CBS Films announced that it has acquired the US rights to Inside Llewyn Davis which is written and directed by academy award winners Joel and Ethan Coen. The film follows an aspiring singer-songwriter as he navigates in the 1960’s folk-music scene in New York City. Cast includes Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and John Goodman. Sneak Peak of the trailer below!

Inside Llewyn Davis trailer

What’s Next for CBS Films?

Being that CBS Films is a relatively young and upcoming division, it has been doing extraordinary well at the box office. I predict we will be seeing more of CBS Films since CBS Films recently announced that they had acquired the rights to the movie Inside Llewyn Davis, this just might be an enormous breakthrough for CBS Films. The movie’s directors have made it to the festival in previous years and have actually had some success. There is word from a previous screening during February that now created tremendous hype for Inside Llewyn Davis which has already been suspected as a possible candidate for the Cannes Films Festival competition. The Cannes Film Festival is still the most prestigious and definitely the most important event in our cinematic calendar, which kicks off May 15th 2013 [3].

Contact [6]

Grey Munford

Vice President of Communication, CBS Films

(310) 575-7435

E-mail: Grey.Munford@cbs.com

SOURCES

[1] www.cbsfilms.com – Official website of CBS Films

[2] www.cbscorporation.com – Official website of CBS Corporation

[3] http://insidemovies.ew.com – Entertainment Weekly, Inside Movies, Announcement about new CBS film acquisition

[4] www.imdb.com – Movie and film information

[5]http://www.cbsfilms.com/news/seven_psychopaths_voted_best_ensemble_cast_by_the_boston_society_of_film_cr – Recent News on CBS Films

[6] http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-films/ – Lastest press on CBS Films

SiriusXM Radio

Posted on April 7, 2013 by llehman

Address:

1221 Avenue of The Americas

36^th Floor

New York, New York

10020

Telephone:

212-584-5100

Overview:

Sirius XM Radio is a radio broadcasting company that offers two satellite radio services called XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Sirius XM was born after Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio merged in 2007. Sirius has numerous channels that broadcast weather, news, comedy, traffic, talk, sports, music and entertainment. The company has over 23,900,336 subscribers as of December 31, 2012. Liberty Media Corporation owns over 50 percent of the shares of stock in Sirius. As of December 2012 Jim Meyer is the CEO. [2]

History before the merger:

The company was originally incorporated on May 17, 1990 in Delaware. It was called Satellite CD Radio Inc. IT changed its name to CD Radio Inc. on December 7, 1992. The company changed its name again on November 18, 1999 from CD Radio Inc. to Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. In July 2008 a subsidiary of Sirius, Vernon Merger Corporation merged with XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. The name Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. was then changed to Sirius XM Radio Inc. on August 5^,2008. In April 2010 XM Satellite Radio Holdings merged with XM Satellite Radio Inc. XM Satellite Radio Inc. merged with Sirius XM Radio Inc. in January 2011. (where it says Sirius radio make it lead to this clip or the company [3]

Key Executives: [5]

James E. Meyer: James E. Meyer, age 58 replaced Mel Karmazin as the CEO of the company in December 2012. Mr. Karmazin had been CEO since 2004. Mr. Meyer’s position was president of sales and operations from May 2004 to December 2012. His previous jobs included being the president of Aegis Ventures Inc. and a special advisor and a senior executive vice president at Thomson S.A. a consumer electronics company. [4]

Scott Greenstein: The president and chief content officer. His previous jobs included being senior vice president at Miramax Films, co president of October Films, chairman of USA Films and chief executive officer of the Greenstein Group.

Dara Altman: The executive vice president and chief administrative officer. Altman was originally an attorney with the law firm Willkie Farr and Gallagher. She later became senior vice president and general council of Reiss media enterprises. From 1997 to 2005 she was the executive vice president of business affairs for Discovery Communications. January 2006 through September 2008 Altman was the executive vice president, business and legal affairs of XM.

Steven Cook: The executive vice president, sales and automotive. Prior to filling this position, Cook was the group vice president and general manager, automotive division from July 2008 through January 2013. He held various positions with XM from February 1999 to July 2006 including executive vice president, automotive, executive vice president, sales and marketing and senior vice president, sales and marketing.

Patrick L. Donnelly: The executive vice president, general counsel and secretary. Donnelly originally began his career as a lawyer for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. He has been in his current position at Sirius since May 1998.

David J. Frear: The executive vice president and chief financial officer. Early in his career, he worked at Bear, Sterns & Co, Inc. and Credit Suisse. Frear has been at Sirius since June 2003 acting as its executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Enrique Rodriguez: The executive vice president, operations and products. Rodrigues worked for Microsoft Corp., Xbox Partnerships for Microsoft as well as Cisco System Inc. prior to joining Sirius in October 2012.

Financials: [6]

Subscription fees are Sirius’ main source of revenue. The company has over 23,900,336 subscribers. Most customers subscribe to Sirius either yearly, semiannually, quarterly or monthly. The company offers discounts if a customer prepays or has a long-term subscription. Sirius generates revenue from the sale of advertising on non music channels, by selling satellite radios, components and accessories as well as from the sale of additional services related to internet radio, backseat TV, traffic and weather. In 2012 Sirius XM and its subsidiaries had total revenue of $3.4 billion. Its total operating expenses are $2.5 billion. The net income for 2012 was $3.4 billion.

Sirius XM Program Offerings: [2] [6]

Star Power: Sirius is well known for using stars to lure its customers to purchase subscriptions. For example Oprah Winfrey, Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Bob Dylan and Jimmy Buffet are some of the many stars who are contracted with Sirius.

Music Programs: The company has numerous music channels, which are commercial free. Various genres including classical, country, rock and hip hop are offered. (Link of a music station or music video). Artist Confidential where customers of Sirius can listen to interviews and performances of the biggest names in musical talent is one of many special features offered. Sirius also hosts a Town Hall special feature where listeners can hear live audiences in the area of sports, talk and music.

Sports: Sirius is known for its select sports talk channels such as ESPN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, Sirius XM NFL Radio and MLB Network Radio. The company is known for providing its listeners with live play-by-play sports (SU BASKETBALL GAME BROADCASTER) in the professional and college arena.

Talk and Entertainment Programs: Customers can listen to talk radio programs with hosts including doctors from NYU Langone Medical Center, Howard Stern, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Opie and Anthony and Senator Bill Bradley. Comedy channels featuring Jamie Foxx’s The Foxhole, Blue Collar Comedy and Raw Dog Comedy are also presented. Entertainment channels including playboy radio, road dog trucking, kids place live and radio Disney attract thousands of listeners. Sirius customers can also enjoy religious programs including family talk and the catholic channel.

News: Sirius offers local traffic reports for 22 cities throughout the United States. Information and news programs from around the world can be heard at HLN, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, BBC World Service News and Bloomberg Radio. A variety of political talk shows are offered including Sirius’ POTUS channel.

Access to Sirius: Satellite radios are mainly distributed when a consumer purchases or leases a new vehicle. Every major automaker provides satellite radio in their vehicles as per contracts between Sirius and the automakers. Automakers pay Sirius in advance for the subscription to Sirius included in the sale or lease of the automakers vehicle. Sirius also sells satellite and Internet radios through its website to consumers.

March Madness: [7]

To lure back 50 million ex subscribers, Sirius XM activated satellite receivers from March 19^th through March 24^th for the first six days of NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The company is hoping that the fans who are no longer subscribers will pay to get service through the Final Four which occurs in early April.

Sources:

[1] http://www.siriusxm.com/ – Sirius XM Radio Website

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius_XM_Radio – Sirius XM Radio Wikipedia

[3] http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/908937/000090893713000004/siri-20121231x10k.htm – Sirius XM Radio Security Government

[4] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121219/us-sirius-xm-ceo/?utm_hp_ref=sports&ir=sports) (http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/908937/000090893713000004/siri-20121231x10k.htm – James E. Meyer Huffington Post

[5] http://www.siriusxm.com/bios -Sirius XM Radio Bios

[6] http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/908937/000090893713000004/siri-20121231x10k.htm#sC183289BF5206A53B1AFDC965946148E – Sirius XM Radio Security Government Financials

[7] http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/03/16/this-week-in-sirius-xm-radio-22.aspx – Sirius XM Radio Fool.com Investing

[8] http://njbrideau.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013MarchMadness.jpg – March Madness 2013 picture

DreamWorks Animation

Posted on April 7, 2013 by alwenner

by Alex Wenner

1000 Flower St.
Glendale, CA, 91201, United States
(818) 695-5000
dreamworksanimation.com

Origins:

DreamWorks’ Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen on the cover of Time Magazine, March 27, 1995. Coutesy of malibucomplete.com

Co-founded in 1994 by entertainment veterans Stephen Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, DreamWorks Animation SKG has released a total of twenty-six animated feature films that have grossed over $10 billion worldwide (as of 2012). In 1995, DreamWorks embarked on a co-production venture with Pacific Data Images. This new unit was created to produce computer-animated motion pictures, beginning with 1998’s Antz. In 2005, Viacom purchased the live-action division of DreamWorks, only to end this partnership in 2008. Reliance Entertainment now acts as its parents company. 20th Century Fox took over international marketing and distribution for SKG in 2012, and the SKG studio now handles its own domestic distribution. In addition to feature films, DreamWorks produces television programming and other family entertainment. [1] [2]

Key Executives:

Spielberg, Courtesy of static-I3.org

Jeffery Katzenberg, Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

Jeffrey Katzenberg – CEO and Director: Directed Disney‘s animation unit to successes like The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994) before co-founding DreamWorks Animation in ’94. Heavily involved in early SKG animation hits.

Lew Coleman – President and CFO: Spent 37 years in the banking industry before joining SKG in 2007.

Stephen Spielberg– Principal Partner: One of Hollywood’s most recognizable names and

Lew Coleman, Courtesy of dreamworksanimation.com

talents, Steven Spielberg co-founded the studio. From 1997 to 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , all Spielberg films were released through DreamWorks live-action division. [3] [4]

Financials: [5]

Revenue: $749 million (2012)

Operating Income: -$65 million (2012)

Animation Portfolio:
DreamWorks has enjoyed considerable success, both commercial and critical, with its large library of animated films. SKG’s films boast a $430 million gross average, an astounding number second to only Pixar. Four of DreamWorks films rank amongst the fifty highest-grossing films of all time, and the studio can lay claim to sixteen of the fifty highest-grossing animated features of all time. Though the studio has a history of traditionally-animated films (The Road to El Dorado, Sinbad), SKG has confirmed that all future films will be computer-animated. [6]

Chicken Run (2000)

Courtesy of impawards.com

Co-financed and distributed by DreamWorks for Aardman Animation, the stop-motion animated Chicken Run marked one of the company’s first forays into animated motion pictures. It was a decisive success, grossing nearly $228 million worldwide with a $42 million budget.

Shrek (2001)

DreamWorks found solid gold with the release of Shrek, a box-office smash-hit that

Courtesy of traileraddict.com

catapulted the studio to the forefront of film animation alongside studios like Pixar and Disney. The green ogre grossed $485 million worldwide and earned the Academy’s first award for Best Animated Feature. The computer animation used in Shrek was different from the traditional animation methods used in previous DreamWorks features, and the film’s release marked a subtle change in direction for the studio; now it would focus its efforts almost entirely on computer animation. Its sequel, Shrek 2, would go on to shatter box-office records in 2004 ($920 million worldwide gross).

Madagascar (2005)

Courtesy of impawards.com

Following the computer-animated tradition of Shrek, Madagascar continued the string of massive success for SKG, taking in $530 million worldwide in ’05.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

impawards.com

Jack Black stars in this computer animated comedy that marked DreamWorks biggest opening for a non-sequel, and the highest grossing animated feature of the year ($632 million worldwide).

Rise of the Guardians (2012)

Expected to launch a new franchise, Guardians (featuring a re-envisioning of classic characters Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, etc.) was considered a flop despite being well-received critically and grossing over $300 million worldwide. It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. [7]

Courtesy of yodale.org

Recent Activity:

February 26, 2013 – DreamWorks Animation reported a quarterly loss of nearly $83 million, mainly due to the disappointing performance of Rise of the Guardians (which still brought in over $300 million to an estimated $145 million budget, excluding marketing costs). CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg attributes Guardians lackluster performance to poor marketing. Another film in production, Me & My Shadow, was sent back into development, accruing more losses for the studio. As a result of the studios reset setbacks, SKG announced a series of layoffs that will see around 350 employees lose their jobs by the end of the year. This resulted in a small drop in SKG stock.[8]

March 13, 2013 – Despite watching its stock price drop in the wake of its 4th quarter earnings report, DreamWorks Animation SKG stock experienced an 8% rise after an analyst predicted the studio’s new release, The Croods, will exceed box office expectations. As of April 7th, The Croods has earned over $330 million worldwide in two and a half weeks. [9] [10]

March 20, 2013 – DreamWorks Animation releases the theatrical trailer for its upcoming summer 2013 animated feature, Turbo. Starring voice talent such as Ryan Reynolds, Snoop Dogg, Paul Giamatti and Luis Guzman, the film chronicles a snail’s dream of becoming a racing legend, and will be distributed by 20th Century Fox. [11]

Upcoming Projects- Even with the recent theatrical release of The Croods and the summer release of Turbo, DreamWorks Animation SKG has a full slate of movies set for production. Two sequels to SKG’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon (2010) are set for release in 2014 and 2016. In fall 2013, SKG plans to release Mr. Peabody & Sherman, a Rocky & Bullwinkle spin-off. With five planned releases including new films from the Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda franchises, 2015 figures to be a huge year for Animation SKG. [12]

Sources:

[1] http://animation.about.com/od/industryprofiles/p/dreamworks.htm

[2] http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/company

[3] http://quotes.wsj.com/DWA/company-people

[4] http://www.forbes.com/companies/dreamworks-animation/

[5] http://quotes.wsj.com/DWA?mod=DNH_S_cq

[6] http://animation.about.com/od/industryprofiles/p/dreamworks.htm

[7] http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/DreamworksAnimation.php

[8] http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/dreamworks-reports-82-7-million-loss/

[9] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dreamworks-animation-stock-surges-8-428424

[10] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=croods.htm

[11] http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/watch-dreamworks-animations-speedy-theatrical-trailer-for-turbo/

[12] http://screenrant.com/dreamworks-animation-lineup-2013-2016/all/1/

Spyglass Entertainment

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Mack Bleach

by Mack Bleach

Logo

245 N. Beverly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.443.5800 (Tel)
310.443.5912 (Fax)
http://www.spyglassentertainment.com/

ORIGINS [1][2]
Co-founded by veteran producers and executives Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum in 1998, Spyglass Entertainment Group, LLC, is a small, private American production company that was forged from the joint investments from The Walt Disney Company—a later distributor for them—and several European investors, including Scandinavia’s Svensk Films, Portugal’s Lusomundo, Germany’s Kirch Group, and Italy’s Mediaset. Its current lone European distributor is StudioCanal UK. The Cerberus Capital Group, a private equity firm, acts as its parent holding company.

Birnbaum and Barber

KEY PEOPLE [3]
Gary Barber – Co-founder, Co-chairman, Co-CEO
Roger Birnbaum – Co-founder, Co-chairman, Co-CEO
Jonathan Glickman – President
Jose Gutierrez – CFO, Executive VP
Peter Oillataguerre – Executive VP of Production
Rebekah Rudd – Executive VP of Post-Production

ROLE
As a younger, smaller production house, Spyglass is owned and maintained by other companies and has either co-financed, co-distributed, and most importantly, co-produced, its films alongside other production groups; never has it produced a film on its own. However, Spyglass is known to finance and produce television and films for international distribution purposes, partnering with Canal Plus for television distribution in France, Sweden and Poland, Sogecable S.A. for Spanish television, Pony Canyon Inc. for distribution in Japan, and Forum Film Ltd. for Israeli cinema [2].

CINEMA SUCCESS [4]
Since its inception in 1998, the company has released films with every one of the “Big Six” film studios, garnering over $5 billion in global sales. Spyglass has co-produced a variety of different types of films for over a decade, including, most notably, the $661-million-dollar worldwide launch of The Sixth Sense (1999), followed by Bruce Almighty (2003), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) Star Trek (2009), and Get Him to the Greek (2010). Prior to Spyglass and MGM’s merger in 2010, The Sixth Sense, Bruce Almighty, and Seabiscuit (2003), dominated domestic box offices, helping to bring US totals to nearly $2 billion in revenue before the end of the decade. Spyglass films have collected over 34 Oscar nominations and 3 wins.

Theatrical poster

The Sixth Sense (1999)
Produced for Disney’s Hollywood Pictures affiliate, the M. Night Shyamalan-directed thriller pic starring Bruce Willis earned six Oscar nominations and grossed over $500 million worldwide, ranking it as the ninth highest grossing film in history at the time. Its commercial success confirmed investors’ faith in Barber and Birnbaum and was the company’s first breakthrough [2].

Theatrical poster

Bruce Almighty (2003)
Its most important film of the 2003-2004 releases, the Jim Carrey comedy pulled in nearly $500 million worldwide and its particular international draw heavily bolstered Spyglass’ financial standing through the international rights it acquired with co-financing partners overseas [2].

Theatrical poster

Seabiscuit (2003)
Coming after a split with Disney and a proud new partnership with co-financier DreamWorks, the film adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand’s novel about the famous racehorse, starring Tobey Maguire, proved to be a commercial and critical success that earned seven Oscar nominations. Spyglass put up half the budget with Universal Pictures, agreeing to rights for all international markets while Universal handled domestic markets [2].

Theatrical poster

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
Based on the best-selling novel by Arthur Golden, the Rob Marshall-directed, Steven Spielberg-produced and Spyglass-produced drama starring Ken Watanabe and Michelle Yeoh garnered three Oscars out of its six nominations, including Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design in 2006 [5].

By the end of the decade, with analogous companies like Bel-Air, Mutual Film, Alcon, Mandalay, and New Regency facing financial ruin and scaling back activity, Spyglass’ success in the movie business was considered a fluke in the system. Because Spyglass Entertainment Television division’s debut endeavor, Miracles, failed in 2004, followed by the television failures of The Ranch and Out of the Shadows, Spyglass devoted itself to a strictly film content producer, and throughout the 2007-2008 year was especially prolific, producing fifteen films, from The Lookout (2007) to Four Christmases (2008). Today, Spyglass’ competition consists of Beacon Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, and IFC. [2][6]

MERGER [7][8]
Around Christmas 2010, the ailing Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM) was ready to declare bankruptcy when Spyglass, one of the studio’s creditors, wrote off nearly $5 billion in debts, accumulated interest and fees in a trade for ownership of MGM, although both Spyglass and MGM would be considered separate entities. Barber and Birnbaum became co-charman and co-CEOs of the studio, despite Spyglass’ stake being reduced from 5% to 1% in a move by business magnate Carl Icahn, who, as a 14% owner, agreed after the plan was re-packaged to exclude titles from the Spyglass archives.

Get Him to the Greek (2010) Trailer [9]
One of Spyglass’ first co-produced films following the merger, and a highly successful comedy.

ACTIVITY [10]
Since the merger, Spyglass has scaled back its operation, and only produces several films a year [2], if that, which includes Dinner for Schmucks (2010), The Tourist (2010), No Strings Attached (2011), and, most recently, The Vow (2012).

Spyglass is currently attached to the action-adventure film adaptation of Radical Comics’ Hercules: The Thracian Wars (2014), which starts pre-production in May, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Ian McShane.
Barber, Birnbaum, and Glickman (as Spyglass Entertainment) are signed on as producers for Ironbow: The Legend of William Tell, a version of the Swiss folk hero’s legendary creation of the Swiss Confederation, written by Jay Wolpert and directed by Justin Chadwick.
The trio are also producers, along with Robert De Niro, on The Undomestic Goddess, a film in development based on Sophie Kinsella’s novel of the same name.
Spyglass’ producers have teamed up with writer/director Brian Koppelman and several other producers in the development of The Game, a film adapation of Neil Strauss’ memoir as a pickup artist, starring Josh Gad.
In another adaptation, Spyglass has signed on as co-producer of the 1979 remake of the sci-fi/horror film, The Brood, written by Cory Goodman and directed by Breck Eisner.
Spyglass is behind Spanky Johnson: Monster Hunter (2014), a comedy about a boy who is forced to assume his father’s monster hunting business, starring Dan Fogler, who also appeared in Spyglass’ 2007 comedy success, Balls of Fury.

References

[1] www.spyglassentertainment.com

[2] http://www.answers.com/topic/spyglass-entertainment

[3] http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1505245

[4] http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/SpyglassEntertainment.php

[5] http://motioncolor.blogspot.com/2011/08/memoirs-of-geisha.html

[6] http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spyglass-entertainment-forms-television-division-megan-wolpert-to-head-spyglass-entertainment-television-as-senior-vice-president-76555697.html

[7] http://www.globaltimes.cn/business/world/2010-12/603275.html

[8] http://variety.com/2010/film/news/mgm-restructuring-becomes-official-1118029320/

[9] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ixkr0-qvo

[10] http://pro.imdb.com/company/co0031181/

NewsCorp/Fox

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Adam Kloos Jr

by Adam Kloos

News Corporation

Fox Broadcasting Station

[1][2]

Contact Information [3]:

1211 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY, 10036 United States

(212)-852-7000

http://www.newscorp.com

Key Executives [6]:

Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO

[7]

Rupert Murdoch is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation. He is very active within the company and continues to expand into new media outlets.

Jose Maria Anzar, President

[9]

Jose Maria Aznar is the president of News Corporation and former Prime Minister of Spain.

HRTS Kicks Off With "A Conversation With.. Chase Carey"

Chase Carey, President and COO

[10]

Chase Carey is the President and Chief Operating Officer of News Corporation.

Natalie Bancroft, Director

[11]

Natalie Bancroft is the Director of Newscorp. She is part of the Bancroft family that used to own the Dow Jones Media [5].

Gaude Lydia Paez, Vice President of Corporate Communications

[12]

Gaude Lydia Paez is the Vice President of Corporate Communications at FOX Broadcasting Company.

Overview:

News Corporation is a corporation made up of a large number of various media businesses. News Corporation has assets in film, magazine, newspapers, direct satellite television, news, cable broadcasting, cable programming, television programming and broadcast, as well as sports teams and social media [4]. The media conglomerate was created and is currently under control of Rupert Murdoch, who according to Forbes is the 26th most powerful person in the world and the 91st richest[5]. News Corporation currently operates on 5 continents that include North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia [8]. Their main competitors include CBS, NBC/Comcast, and Disney. The FOX Broadcasting Company was launched in 1986 as a fourth broadcast station that has been largely successful in competing with the Big Three. It owns 27 different stations in the US and many more internationally. Throughout the early 2000s until 2012 FOX was the number one watched station by young adults, 18-49 [13].

History:

The history of News Corporation stretches back to 1952, when Rupert Murdoch inherited ‘The Adelaide News,’ a newspaper company his father owned. After returning from school to run the company, Murdoch greatly improved its profits. From there he acquired a number of other newspapers throughout Australia and New Zealand before eventually moving to the British market in the mid-60s. In 1973 he turned his attention to the US where he began buying up American newspaper publishers. In 1980 he announced the creation of News Corporation as a global holding company [4].

In 1985, News Corporation acquired 50% of TCF Holdings which was the parent company of 20th Century Fox. In 1986, 20th Century Fox launched FOX, an alternative to the already existing broadcast stations ABC, CBS, and NBC [14]. In the early 90s, FOX signed a contract with the NFL, giving them the rights to broadcast NFL games on Sundays. Today FOX continues to be the preferred station of youner adults with popular shows such as The Simpsons, American Idol, Glee, Family Guy, Bones, and The X Factor [15].

What They Are Doing Presently?

In 2011, News Corporation was caught in a huge phone-hacking scandal that involved the family of a murdered British school girl by News of the World. There were also accusations of phone-hackings of the London subway bombing victims, families of deceased British soldiers, and an FBI investigation of possible phone-hackings of 9/11 victims. As a result of this, Rupert Murdoch shut down publication of the magazine, News of the World in England and 12 people were arrested. This scandal also caused the company to withdraw a $12 billion bid for shares of British Sky Broadcasting [16]. The arrests and investigation continued into late 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIZNXZVNk74

Apart from the scandal, News Corporation announced in 2012 that they plan to split into two publicly traded holding companies. One division would take care of all film and television assets including 20th Century Fox film studio, Fox Broadcasting Company, and Fox News. The other would have control over the company’s publishing division that includes The Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Post. Rupert Murdoch would remain chairman of both companies while Chase Carey would remain Chief Operating Officer of the entertainment and media company [17].

What Are Their Plans For The Future?:

Disney and News Corp. are currently in negotiations over the video streaming service Hulu. Jason Kilar, the current CEO of Hulu is planning to leave his postion, and the interim CEO for now is senior vice-president Andy Forssell. Once News Corp. and Disney finalize their negotiations, a permanent CEO will be named to take over Hulu. There has been recent talk of both Disney and News Corp. planning to buy out each others stake in the company. Both companies admitted that Hulu was losing money due to the high costs of liscensing television shows and computer servers [18].

Fox Broadcasting Company is looking forward to “Fox Now,” a collection of apps for mobile devices. These apps allow audiences to view their favorite FOX shows and allow viewers to be more interactive with the content. “T-Commerce” is part of the “Fox Now” app that enables viewers to shop online while watching the show New Girl. The items from the show such as clothing and other paraphenelia would be available to audiences in real time [13].

Programming:

American Idol, 2002-present

[19]

American Idol has been a long running success on the Fox network. It first aired in 2002 and had been the number one watched show for eight consecutive seasons through 2011. The show is very interactive with the audience because the millions of viewers get to decide which contestants get to move on to the next round each week, before eventually choosing the winner [20].

The SImpsons, 1989-present

[21]

The Simpsons is the longest running prime-time animated comedy series in the history of television. Created by Matt Groening in 1989, it is currently in its 24th season. The show focuses on the lives of a dysfunctional lower class family in Springfield. The show is typically family friendly [22].

Family Guy, 1999-present

[23]

Family Guy was created by Seth McFarlanein 1999. Family Guy has remained a hit on Fox since that time and gained an undeniable cult following. Also focusing on the lives of a dysfuncitonal working class family, this show contains content for more mature audiences with it’s slapstick and often raunchy humor. The show is currently in its 11th season [22].

Financials:

By the end of 2012, News Corporation had assets that equaled out to $63 billion and saw a revenue of $34 billion, the highest it had ever been. This was up from 2011 by about $500 million. The increase in revenue can be attributed to its deals with Netflix and Amazon.com for its sitcoms and films [6]. Currently a share of News Corporation is $30.68 [24]. This is improved from exactly one year ago when a share was going for $23.18. Stockholders have been pleased with the strong growth over the past few years, especially the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

Works Cited

1. http://www.logok.org

2. http://www.zenithotimedia.blogspot.com

3. http://www.hoover.com

4. http://www.corporatewatch.org

5. http://www.forbes.com

6. http://www.newscorp.com

7. http://www.guardian.co.uk

8. http://www.nndb.com

9. http://www.en.mediamass.net

10. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com

11. http://www.nymag.com

12. http://www.foxflash.com

13. http://www.thefutoncritic.com

14. http://www.thehistoryofcorporate.com

15. http://www.fox.com

16. http://www.poynter.org

17. http://www.money.cnn.com

18. http://www.news.yahoo.com

19. http://www.roniloren.com

20. http://www.tvguide.com

21. http://www.collegiatetimes.com

22. http://www.imdb.com

23. http://www.tv.com

24. http://www.wsj.com

AMC Networks

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Elliott Brannon

by Elliott Brannon

amc_network_logo_render

11 Penn Plaza
New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 324-8500
Website: http://www.amcnetworks.com

About the Company: [3] [4]

AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX) is an American entertainment company founded in 1980 whose brands include the cable networks AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, and WE tv. The company also controls IFC Films, a United States distributor of indie film.

In 2012, the company’s revenues increased from $1.188 billion in 2011 to $1.353 billion, a growth of 13.9%. AMC Network’s overall income also increased 11.1%, maturing from $327 million in 2011 to nearly $463 million in 2012. Company stock prices have also increased about 18% since January (as of April 3, 2013).

Brands: [5]

AMC was first launched in 1984. Since then, the network has gone on to become the only cable network in history to receive the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row and the only cable network to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama for three years in a row. AMC’s popular original series include Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead.

IFC is the Independent Film Channel and was initially launched in 1994. The channel airs original series such as Onion News Network and Portlandia as well as numerous indie films and other syndicated television shows.

Sundance Channel was founded by Robert Redford in 1996. Its original series include Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and All On The Line.

WE tv is a network targeted at women and was first launched in 1997. Popular original series include Braxton Family Values and Bridezillas.

IFC Films distributes independent films throughout the U.S. This division also controls the feature film production company, IFC Productions.

Key Executives: [1]

Josh Sapan, President & Chief Executive Officer of AMC Networks

Charles Dolan Executive Chairman
Josh Sapan President & Chief Executive Officer
Charlie CollierPresident & General Manager, AMC
Jennifer Caserta Priore President & General Manager, IFC
Sarah Barnett Executive Vice President & General Manager, Sundance Channel
Kim Martin President & General Manager, WE tv

Recent News (January-April 2013):

April 1: The season three finale of AMC‘s The Walking Dead on March 31st delivered 12.4 million viewers total and 8.1 million viewers age 18 to 49 with a 7.4 HH rating, making it the #1 TV program for the week and #1 television show for the overall season amongst adults age 18-49 [6].

AMC’s new logo and tagline

During the airing of the finale, AMC debuted its brand new logo and tagline, replacing its old tagline, “Story Matters Here,” with “Something More.” Linda Schupack, AMC’s executive vice president of marketing explained that, “AMC: Something More further refines our focus on- and off-air and speaks to our promise to viewers to provide an experience that is unexpected, unconventional and uncompromising” [7].

March 21: AMC released a trailer for its newest original series, Low Winter Sun, a police drama set in Detroit based on a 2006 British miniseries.

The show is being co-produced by AMC Studios and Endemol Studios. Its credits include executive producer Chris Mundy, who has previously worked on CBS’s Criminal Minds [8].

March 13: James Maiella was appointed as the new senior vice president of corporate communications at AMC Networks. Maiella will overlook business and trade relations for all of the companies cable networks as well as IFC Films. He will work alongside the company’s other current senior vice president of corporate communications, Georgia Juvelis [9].

March 12: AMC Networks launched YEAH!, a movie streaming service. Movies are currently available on www.YEAHTV.com, which carries classic films with added bonus features, such as interviews with filmmakers and story notes, only available exclusively through the service. Users must pay $5 to watch a movie and its additional bonus features or can pay $2 to watch a movie without the added content. The service is only available online through a computer for now, but an iPad app is set for release this summer [10].

March 5: Anchor Bay Entertainment and AMC Networks completed a home entertainment distribution deal, giving Anchor Bay the rights to distribute DVD and Blu-ray releases of AMC, IFC, and Sundance original series throughout the United States and Canada. Some specific digital distribution deals are also included in the agreement.

Sundance’s Rectify and AMC’s Low Winter Sun, which have both not debuted yet, will be the first series distributed under the new deal. Anchor Bay has worked closely with AMC Networks in the past, serving as the home entertainment distributor for AMC’s The Walking Dead [11].

February 25: Sundance Channel and AMC reached an agreement giving Sundance Channel syndication rights to the off network premiere of AMC’s Breaking Bad.

Breaking Bad’s Walter White

This agreement comes in lieu of the upcoming premiere of Sundance Channel’s first ever scripted series, Rectify, which is produced by the same group behind Breaking Bad [12].

Rectify is set to premiere on April 22, 2013 at 10:100pm et/pt [13].

February 21: WE tv greenlighted a new unscripted reality series, Glam & Gold, starring olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross and two-time Super Bowl champion Aaron Ross. Filming is already underway in Austin and Jacksonville. Glam & Gold joins a host of other WE tv shows starring African-Americans including Mary Tary and Braxton Family Values [17].

February 15: IFC Films secured North American rights to the indie neo-noir thriller, The Canyons, starring Lindsay Lohan and James Deen and directed by Paul Schrader. The film will premiere in early summer at a Special Presentation at the Film Society of Lincoln Center in conjunction with a day-and-date release. Schrader’s film will also be simultaneously released on a variety of other digital platforms [18].

February 11: The Walking Dead’s February 10th airing of its season 3B premiere on AMC delivered 12.3 million viewers. With 7.7 million viewers age 18-49, the episode delivered the highest rating for a television series in basic cable history for that demographic.

The series’ average viewership in season 3 for adults 18-49 was 6.8 million, making it the #1 program of the season amongst that age range [14].

February 5: Joel Stillerman, executive vice president of programming, production, and digital content for AMC, announced a two-year first look deal with Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg of Double Feature Films. Shamberg and Sher are both two-time Academy Award nominees and have worked on a variety of films together including Django Unchained, Erin Brokovich, and Garden State [15].

January 15: AMC and Fox Television Studios announced a new agreement that will bring AMC’s The Killing back to the network for a third season. The agreement brings Veena Sud back as the series’ executive producer and showrunner and also brings back lead actors Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman. Production of the show’s new season began on February 25 in Vancouver [16].

References:

A+E Television Networks

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Jacqueline Grossman

by Jacqueline Grossman

Courtesy of www.aenetworks.com

A&E Overview

A&E Television Networks is a privately held media company located in New York City that owns and operates 10 channels that are available by both cable and satellite. The network’s channels reach more than 300 million households in 150 countries, producing content in 35 different languages [1]. Its mission involves bringing human stories to life, knowing full well that quality entertainment can come straight from real-world experiences. Lifetime Television, its flagship network, is the most powerful media brand targeted to women, with shows such as Dance Moms and Project Runway. Since its launch in February, 1984, Lifetime has grown significantly, reaching nearly 98 million households today [2]. In addition to this station, the A&E television channel itself offers a mix of reality-based programming and documentaries while its History, Military History, and History 2 channels air original programs on historical topics. The company also operates sister networks such as Crime & Investigation Network and The Biography Channel. It has international networks in the UK and Asia. [3].

History

AETN was formed in 1983 as a joint venture between Hearst, Walt Disney, and NBCUniversal (NBCU). The company launched Lifetime in 1984, followed by the History Channel, History Channel International, and The Biography Channel in 1995 and 1998, respectively. Throughout its history, the network has achieved incredible success, for instance in 2004 when it won 24 Emmy nominations and in 2008, when HISTORY (renamed from The History Channel) became the #1 cable network in primetime among the target demographic: adults 18-49. A&E continues to demonstrate success through its new reality television shows Duck Dynasty, Storage Wars, and Hoarders. In July of last year, NBC sold its 15.8 percent stake of A&E to Hearst and Walt Disney for $3.03 billion. [1]

Key Executives

Abbe Raven, courtesy of www.aenetworks.com

Abbe Raven has been the President and CEO of A&E Television Networks since March 2005. Before overseeing all A&E holdings, she was part of the original team that launched the History Channel and reinvented A&E (channel) in 2003. Ms. Raven is a firm believer in the motto “slow and steady wins the race,” having started as a secretary for A&E and learned the business from the bottom up. Today, she is an award-winning President and CEO who has been named one of the Top 5 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter. [1]

Gerard Gruosso, courtesy of www.aenetworks.com

As, Executive VP, Finance and CFO, Gerard Gruosso is responsible for the management of A&E’s accounts, budgets, and strategic planning. He also oversees the network’s facilities and information management. Mr. Gruosso has been with A&E since 1985, beginning as Assistant Controller, working his way up to Controller and Vice President, and eventually reaching his current position. [1]

Nancy Dubuc, courtesy of www.aenetworks.com

President, Entertainment and Media Nancy Dubuc oversees the creation and development of A&E’s brand and marketing in addition to managing A&E International and A&E Digital. Before transitioning to this position, Ms. Dubuc previously served as the President and General Manager of HISTORY and Lifetime Networks. [1]

Dan Suratt, courtesy of www.aenetworks.com

Six-time Emmy Award-winner Dan Suratt is the Executive VP, Digital Media and Business Development. He handles the network’s business negotiations and digital distribution. As a result of his efforts, Mr. Suratt has doubled A&E’s site traffic to 22 million visitors per month. [1]

Competitors

A&E’s top three competitors are Discovery Communications, Inc., MTV Networks Company, and AMC Networks Inc. [4]

Company News

January

Lifetime Television was off to a great start in the first month of 2013. It’s original movie, Prosecuting Casey Anthony, generated great success for the channel; it ranked as the number one telecast across ad-supported cable in total viewers, adults 18+, women 18+, women 25-54, and women 18-49 on the night it premiered. The movie—which starred Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee Rob Lowe—was the first opportunity to recount the infamous Casey Anthony trial. It is from the perspective of Jeff Ashton, the Florida prosecutor who was involved in the case and provides details on his aggressive investigation of Caylee Anthony’s death. [10]

February

Duck Dynasty, courtesy of www.aetv.com

A&E’s unexpected hit, Duck Dynasty, became the channel’s number 1 telecast ever and number one nonfiction series on cable in 2013. The show follows the lives of the Roberson family members, owners of Duck Commander, a business that makes products for duck hunters. Its season three premiere earned a total of 8.6 million viewers, ranking ahead of FOX’s American Idol. What is it that distinguishes this series from other “redneck” reality shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Swamp Pawn, and Buckwild? Television critics argue that it comes down to the characters themselves. The Robersons are savvy, educated businessmen with diverse yet endearing personalities. In addition, the show flows at a relaxed pace and is suitable for family audiences. [11][12]

March

Nielsen ratings for cable network TV shows, courtesy of www.nielsen.com

A&E received more great news in March. Its A&E television channel had its best quarter in history among total viewers and adults 25-54, soaring past the previously record-setting first quarter 2012. One of the key reasons for this success is the increase in well-received original series that aired in the first quarter of 2013, specifically Bates Motel, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars. Due to these shows, the network was up 2% in adults 25-54 (835,000 vs. 819,000) and up 6% in total viewers (1.7 million vs.1.6 million). March was the most watched month in the quarter, and it was the first time A&E averaged more than one million viewers age 25-54 in a single month. These records have propelled A&E up to become the fourth ranked most-watched cable network in all three demographics this March (18-49, 25-54, and total viewers). [8]

Vikings, the History Channel’s new show, courtesy of www.history.com

The History Channel enjoyed success from its first scripted series, Vikings. The hit drama explores the adventure, bloodshed, and passion that existed during the Dark Ages, all through the eyes of the Vikings. Vikings is special in that it not only celebrates the excitement of warfare but also demonstrates the strength of familial ties. According to the network, Vikings attracted 4.8 million total viewers, with 2.2 million adults 25-54 and 1.9 million adults 18-49. These ratings made Vikings the most-watched cable series in its timeslot. [9]

April

Storage Wars, courtesy of www.aetv.com

One of A&E’s most popular television shows, Storage Wars, is returning on April 16th with a full series of 24 episodes, despite the network’s participation in lawsuits with former show star Dave Hester. The hit series premiered in 2010 and features teams of auctioneers looking to “hit it big” by purchasing the contents of storage facilities after inspecting it for a short amount of time. Hester took the network to court claiming the show is staged; he argued that the show’s producers knew what items were in which storage locker and used this knowledge to rig the bidders’ fates. [6] Even with this controversy, Storage Wars ranked as A&E’s number one series among adults aged 18-49 and 25-54. It also achieved the number three rating for non-fiction show on cable among adults aged 25-54. Last year, the show averaged 4.2 million total viewers. [7] Click here for a link to this season’s trailer.

Contact A+E

Website: http://www.aenetworks.com/

Address: 235 E. 45th St. New York, NY, 10017 United States

Telephone: (212) 210-1400

Works Cited

1. About A&E Networks – bringing human stories to life

2. Lifetime

3. A&E International Information

4. Hoovers – A&E Competitors

5. A&E Executive Bios

6. Storage Wars Lawsuit

7. Storage Wars

8. A&E Scores Best Quarter in Network History

9. Vikings

10. Casey Anthony Movie

11. Salt Lake Tribune – Duck Dynasty

12. TV By the Numbers – Duck Dynasty Article

SiriusXM Radio

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Trevor Gill

by Trevor Gill

Courtesy of SiriusXM.com

The Basics

Website: www.SiriusXm.com

Address

221 Avenue of the Americas #36

New York, NY 10020

Phone Number: (212) 584-5100

Social Media: Twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube

What is it?

Sirius XM Radio is one of the largest subscription media companies in the United States, providing commercial free satellite radio to subscribers who pay anywhere from $14.49 to $17.99 per month (depending on the package they choose).

Courtesy of IMDB.com

Sirius XM has 23.9 million subscribers. The service offers over 140 channels with content ranging from Howard Stern talk radio, to hits from Jimmy Buffett, to NASCAR and beyond. Subscribers can access content either built into their vehicles via satellite, on Sirius XM’s website, or on mobile applications available for Apple and Android powered devices. (1)

A visual of what Sirius XM is all about, courtesy of their website.

Courtesy of SiriusXM.com

James E. Meyer, Courtesy of satelliteradioplayground.com

Key People

James E. Meyer, Chief Executive Officer

James Meyer joined Sirius XM radio in May of 2004, and after former CEO Mel Karmazin stepped down from the position, Meyer took over as CEO on December 18^th, 2012. Before becoming CEO, Meyer held the position of President of Operations and Sales. Said Meyer, “Sirius XM is a great business and I look forward to working with our talented management team to continue to deliver the best content and service to our subscribers, while enhancing value to our shareholders.” (2)

Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer

Scott Greenstein is in charge of programming and marketing for Sirius XM. Greenstein previously was a consultant to the company on contractual agreements negotiated with the National Football League. (3)

Dara Altman, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer

Altman was previously the Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for XM Satellite Radio, prior to the merger between Sirius and XM. (4)

What’s Going On Today?

Financial News

On February 5^th Sirius XM released its annual financial report from 2012. The company reported that 2012 revenue was $3.4 billion, a 13% increase from 2011 revenue, which was $3.0 billion. Another positive for Sirius XM was that Net Income for 2012 was $3.5 billion, compared to $427 million in 2011. Net Income was higher than revenue for 2012 because of a $3 billion income tax benefit, and thanks to $130 million due to a loss on extinguishment of debt.

Sirius XM was also happy to announce that it added 2 million subscribers in 2012. That is the largest amount of added subscriptions since 2007 (before Sirius and XM merged).

Sirius XM predicts that 2013 revenues will exceed $3.7 billion. Also predicted is a total net subscriber addition of 1.4 million. (5)

On the negative side for Sirius XM, on Friday April 5th its stock (SIRI), dipped below $3 for the first time since late February. The stock dropped to $2.95, the lowest price so far in 2013. However on Monday, April 8^th the stock closed at $3.04 per share, up from what was a down last week. (6)

The Competition

On April 2^nd, A new study by The NPD Group suggest that streaming music is quickly gaining ground on traditional terrestrial radio, especially with the younger demographics (ages 13-35). The report, which looks at the fourth quarter of 2012, shows that in this 13-35 demographic, 23% of music is being heard on Internet radio, while 24% is still heard on traditional AM/FM radio. The report shows that just 5% of listeners in this age group listen to music via satellite radio.

Courtesy of NPD.com

Breaking down the 23% of Internet “streaming” radio usage, Pandora leads the way, taking up 39% of users time. In second is iHeartRadio, which accounts for 11% of usage amongst ages 13 and 35 in the 4^th quarter of 2012. (7)

Courtesy of NPD.com

Apple

According to Paul Sloan of CNET.com Apple is in the works of signing deals with both Warner Music and Universal Music Group to allow Apple and iTunes to offer streaming content, similar to what Pandora offers. The new product is rumored to be called iRadio. This would add another huge source of competition for Sirius XM, especially if the Apple product is free (or cheaper than Sirius XM’s monthly rate). (8)

Courtesy of CNET.com

Current Programing

Super Bowl Coverage

Courtesy of twitter.com

Sirius XM Radio offered in-depth coverage of Superbowl 47, which included broadcasting the game in eight foreign languages, and airing Beyonce’s halftime performance live. In addition, they offered coverage all Superbowl week long with specials from SiriusXM NFL Radio, Mad Dog Radio, Maurice Jones-Drew, Jeff Foxworthy and more. Sirius XM also aired a limited-run, special New Orleans jazz Channel called “Radio New Orleans” from February 1^st – 3^rd. (9)

Town Hall Exclusive with Al Gore

Courtesy of biography.com

On Thursday, February 28^th Sirius XM’s “Town Hall” series sat down with former Vice President Al Gore to discuss his new book “The Future: Six drivers of Social Change”. The special was hosted by Ari Rabin-Havt, who hosts The Agenda on Sirius XM, and allowed for audience members to ask Gore about a wide variety of topics. (10)

New 24/7 Entertainment Weekly Channel

On March 1^st, Sirius XM announced that Entertainment Weekly would launch an all-new channel, Entertainment Weekly Radio, offering 24/7 coverage of all the latest news in the world of entertainment. The channel will offer shows hosted by Entertainment Weekly and EW.com editors, featuring news, interviews, opinions and more. (11)

New Addition to Mad Dog Radio

Courtesy of twitter.com

On March 4^th, Sirius XM announced that Adam Schein has joined its all-sports Mad Dog Radio channel. Schein will host his own show, Schein on Sports. Schein previously worked for Sirius XM in 2004. He also currently works for SportsNet New York (SNY) and the CBS Sports Network. Prior to that Schein had worked at WFAN Radio in New York, and Fox Sports Radio.

Schein graduated from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1999. (12)

More Live Coverage

NCAA Final 4

Sirius XM provided an array of live broadcasts from The NCAA Final Four in Atlanta, including coverage of the National Championship game. Shows such as Inside College Basketball, Tim Brando Show, and SiriusXM’s Final Four Roundtable all provided live coverage from Atlanta, from Thursday April 4^th, to Tuesday April 9^th. (13)

The Masters

Courtesy of espn.go.com

Sirius XM will offer live hole-by-hole coverage of the 2013 Masters on the PGA TOUR Radio Channel from the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. The Masters coverage will last the length of the tournament from Thursday April 11^th, to Sunday April 14^th. The channel will also offer a two-hour pre-Masters show before each day of the event, and Masters Review recapping each round. (14)

Sources

1. Sirius XM Corporate Website

2. James Meyer Corporate Bio

3. Seth Greenstein Corporate Bio

4. Dara Altman Corporate Bio

5. Sirius XM 2012 Report

6. This Week in Sirius XM Radio – The Motley Fool

7. NPD report on Radio Streaming Usage

8. CNET.com article by Paul Sloan

9. Sirius XM Press Release (on Superbowl coverage)

10. Sirius XM Press Release on Town Hall Event

11. Sirius XM Press Release on Entertainment Weekly Announcement