Tag Archives: media

MGM

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by Joanna Monfreda
Screen Shot 2014-11-24 at 3.08.04 PM

Metro Goldwyn Mayer [1]

Contact Information

MGM Studios Inc.
245 N Beverly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Key Executives

Gary Barber
Chairman and CEO

Jonathan Glickman
President, Motion Picture Group

Roma Khanna
President, Television Group and Digital

Profile

History

Screen Shot 2014-11-24 at 3.03.57 PM

Alfred Hitchcock serving MGM mascot Leo the Lion tea [5]

In 1924 Metro Pictures Corp., Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer merged to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a company that would go on to win 200 Academy Awards and uphold itself to an outstanding level of cinema creation. Known for films such as The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and hundreds more, the film production company paved its way during the beginning days of cinema as the leading studio in the business. [I] Through their peak from the 1930s to the 1950s MGM had many contracted actors such as Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, and Lucille Ball. [II] Through the 1960s and 1970s, MGM studio was less successful than it had been in the golden age. In the hands of Kirk Kerkorian, many of the studio’s prized props, historical lots, and other possessions were sold. He then put most of the company’s money towards the construction of the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. [III] The studio’s downhill spiral continued into bankruptcy in 2010 where the company was in 4 billion dollars of debt and desperately needed an overhaul. Since then MGM has slowly been working on building itself back up. [IV]

Finances

MGM Holdings Inc. made $233.5 million dollars in revenue in their third quarter ending in September 2014. The quarter included the months of July, August and September. The company saw $6.5 million dollars from theatrical revenue in these three months, which came from the release of Hercules in areas where MGM controls distribution.

Their worldwide home entertainment revenue was $41.7 million. This was impacted by the home distribution release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and RoboCop.

 Another $150.6 million came from worldwide television licensing this quarter. This revenue came from not only the licensing of Teen Wolf, Fargo, and Viking, but from the television licensing of Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and their horror film, Carrie. This is less than the company’s third quarter in 2013, but that is due to how much of an impact Skyfall had on the company’s revenue last year. [V]

What’s Happening Now

Orion Pictures was obtained by MGM in 1997. The studio was responsible for some of the most famous films through the 80s and 90s such as Terminator, The Silence of the Lambs, and Dances with Wolves.

After declaring bankruptcy and being acquired by MGM, the studio did not see much success. It wasn’t until this past October, that MGM released a film through the small studio.

A remake of the horror film The Town That Dreaded Sundown was released by Orion Pictures on October 16th, 2014. [VI] There hasn’t been talk of MGM pushing Orion Pictures to be a stand-alone studio, but they do have their hands in other future film distribution deals. [VI][VII]

 

Along with Orion Pictures, MGM is also rebuilding United Artists. This September MGM spent $343.8 million dollars on a 55% ownership in a joint venture with Roma Downey, Mark Burnett, and Hearst Entertainment’s Steven Swartz to create United Artists Media Group. This merge includes Downey and Burnett’s production companies LightWorkers Media and One Three Media. MGM originally purchased United Artists in 1981, and since then the studio has gone through many different hands.

LightWorkers Media and One Three Media are responsible for shows such as The Voice, Survivor, The Celebrity Apprentice, The Bible and Shark Tank. United Artists Media Group is now leaning towards producing more faith based content and will be launching a faith focused, subscription channel called “Over The Top” or OTT. The channel will have new and old faith focused programming including Christian music videos, and both film and television content. [VIII] The executives saw success from their spiritual driven content such as The Bible and Son of God. They seek to target audiences interested in faith and family content because their ratings have shown there is a market for it. [IX] While the MGM works to put together a team to bring OTT to life, they are also looking into other film and digital media ventures as well. [X]

 

MGM collaborated with Warner Brothers on If I Stay a film based on the popular, young-adult novel written by Gayle Forman. The film was made with an 11 million dollar budget, and directed by R.J. Cutler. It was released on August 22th, 2014 of this year, and closed on November 6th, 2014. Its eleven-week run grossed 78.3 million dollars worldwide. [XI]

 

 

 

What’s to Come

On December 17th, 2014 the last film of The Hobbit series The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will be released. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey grossed over one billion dollars worldwide, while its sequel, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug grossed 958.4 million dollars worldwide. [XII][XIII]

With such a large fan base, there are high expectations for the amount of money the ending film of the trilogy will bring the studio. [XIV]

 

ABC has just announced a spin off of Shark Tank that will be produced by MGM’s United Artists Media Group and Sony Picture Television called Beyond the Tank.

 It will be a series documenting past contestants current success and business state after being on the show. The network has called for 10 one-hour episodes, but has not released a premiere date. [XV]

 

On November 27th, 2014 NBC released their first trailer for A.D.: Beyond the Bible produced by MGM’s United Artists Media Group. Roma Downey and Mark Burnett will be the show’s executive producers.

The mini-series is scheduled to premiere on April 5th, 2015, which is Easter Sunday. It is a sequel to The Bible, and begins at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The series continues the story of the creation of the Christian faith. [XVI]

The company already has two films are scheduled to be released in 2015. The first, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, will be produced in collaboration with Paramount Pictures. The sequel’s theatrical release is directed by Steve Pink, and will be February 20th, 2015. [XVII] The second, in collaboration with 20th Century Fox, will be a remake of the 1982 horror film Poltergeist. It’s directed by Gil Kenan, and its release date is October 26th, 2015. [XVIII]

 

[I] MGM History mgm.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[II] The Historic MGM Studios seeing-stars.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[III] MGM Again: 87 Years of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio History moviefanfare.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[IV] MGM Files for Bankruptcy Protection nytimes.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[V] MGM Third Quarter Financial Report mgm.com. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
[VI] Iconic Film Company Orion Pictures Returns After 15 Years slashfilm.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014
[VII] MGM Quietly Revives Orion Pictures deadline.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
[VIII] MGM, LightWorkers Media and One Three Media Merge mgm.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[IX] Mark Burnett: MGM Deal Will Drive Faith and Family Channel variety.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[X] Creation of the United Artists Media Group deadline.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
[XI] If I Stay Box Office Results boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[XII] The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey Box Office Results boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[XIII] The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Box Office Results boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[XIV] The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Trailer Release variety.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[XV] Inspired by the success of “Shark Tank” ABC Announces Launch of “Beyond the Tank” mgm.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[XVI] NBC’s “A.D.” Trailer Promo Released: Riveting Portrayal of Passion of Christ christiantimes.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[XVII] Details of Hot Tub Time Machine 2 ropeofsilicon.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[XVIII] Details of Poltergeist Remake ropeofsilicon.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.

[1] MGM logo mgmlogo.jpg. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[2] Gary Barber socialregister.co.uk. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[3] Jonathan Glickman socialregister.co.uk.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[4] Roma Khanna deadline.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[5] Alfred Hitchcock Serving Leo the Lion instagram.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
[6] Hercules imdb.com. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
[7] The Town that Dreaded Sundown imdb.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
[8] Orion Pictures manlymovie.net. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
[9] United Artist Media Group insidetv.ew.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
[10] Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies imdb.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[11] Shark Tank imdb.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[12] If I Stay imdb.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[13] A.D.: Beyond the Bible comingsoon.net. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
[14] RoboCop imdb.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014.

Discovery Communications

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by Brendan Germain

Discovery Logo [1]

One Discovery Place Silver Spring, MD 20910 — 240.662.2000

“Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity, engaging and entertaining viewers with high-quality content on worldwide television networks…” [2] 

COMPANY PROFILE

As the number one pay-TV programmer and non-fiction media company, Discovery Communications paves the way for cross platform content appealing to 2.7 billion subscribers across 150 cable networks in over 220 countries. Discovery’s commitment to innovation and segmenting audiences has earned it its place as a leader in targeted media programming headed by Discovery Channel, operating also the Animal Planet, Hub Network and a joint venture with the OWN network among others. The company’s online and media services work in conjunction with its cable programming and have made Discovery a true multi-media, synergistic company.

KEY EXECUTIVES

David Zaslav- President and CEO [4]

Andrew Warren-Senior Executive VP and CFO [5]

Marjorie Kaplan- Group President Discovery Channel [6]

HISTORY

John Hendricks, a West Virginia bred, University of Alabama grad, founded the Cable Educational Network in Maryland back in 1982. Discovery Communications would soon grow from the launch of the Discovery Channel in1985. By 1988 the cable programmer had amassed over 32 million subscribers and by 1991, after acquiring The Learning

Discovery Logo-1988

Discovery Logo-1988 [9]

Channel (TLC) and launching Discovery in Europe, the company changed its name to Discovery Communications. Over the next 10 years, the company would see considerable international growth in Asian, African and Middle Eastern markets and soon launched a $10 million news site distributing original news content on its Discovery homepage [7]. In 2004 Hendricks stepped down as CEO passing it off to current position holder David Zaslav and this past May, Hendricks retired as Chairman, leaving the company he had built over the past 35 years with a drive towards the environment, education and technological advances. [8] 

FINANCES

This past quarter, coming in early November, saw a 14% increase for Discovery Communications (DISCA) on the NASDAQ year-over-year (YOY), with revenue at $1.57 billion [10].

DISCA’s Yearly Stock Price as of December 1, 2014  CLICK TO VIEW CURRENT CHART [12]

The publicly traded conglomerate has been on a rise in stock price, ending around $34 dollars recently with around 148 million shares outstanding. Since 2010, DISCA has been on a mass buyback movement to repurchase in excess of 25% of its stocks to consolidate its outstanding shares, giving the company more control over its numerous domestic and international platforms [11]. The company is segmented into three areas of revenue–Domestic, International, and Education, the first two being programming and education being products and services. Revenue for the domestic programming has seen minimal drops of 1% YOY as advertising budgets for the company have raised 3%, while the international segment as seen rises as high as 34% in revenue, in direct relation with Discovery’s acquisition of Eurosport [13]. Discovery is projected to reach a total revenue between $6.3 billion and $6.35 billion for this 2014 fiscal year.

 ACQUISITION OF EUROSPORT

Staking its claim as the #1 Pay-TV programmer for educational, niche content across its over 200 networks domestically and internationally, Discovery has taken a turn towards broadcast and  sports media sphere with its spring

Eurosport Logo [15]

Eurosport Logo [15]

acquisition of Eurosport. Eurosport, the premier sports media group in Europe, is valued at $1.2 billion and reaches over 133 million homes. TF1, the French media conglomerate had previously owned 80% of the company before Discovery pushed to expedite the deal which had been set for 2015, though TF1 will holds its stake in the sports media group until the end of the year. [14].

[Click here to view Eurosport’s promo stinger]

Discovery acquired 51% of the company, with TF1 being the only other owner holding the remaining 49%. DISCA is looking to capitalize on the fragmented nature of the sports broadcast industry over in Europe, a step in a different direction from their pay-TV and cable roots, in hopes of building up Eurosport to the status of Europe’s version of ESPN [16].

"Eurosport is a perfect strategic fit for growing market share, strengthening relationships with advertisers and affiliates, and bringing ‘must have’ content to passionate viewers across the globe...” [17] 
      -Discovery CEO David Zaslav-

There are talks already about the possibility of Discovery buying out TF1, giving DISCA full ownership of Eurosport, in turn adding six new pay-TV brands to Discovery’s arsenal.

 DISCOVERY CHANNEL

The network that started it all, Discovery Channel (formerly The Discovery Channel), excels at non-fiction programming reaching over 100 million homes in the U.S. and over three times that amount internationally. Launched in 1985, Discovery Channel produces science, nature, adventure and history geared television, among other genres, and has revved up its live-streamed programming over the past few years [18]. In June 2013, Discovery aired a live program special with adventure enthusiast Nik Wallenda traversing the Grand Canyon on a tightrope [19]. The record breaking broadcast event amassed over 13 million viewers, Discovery’s highest-rated live event, with an additional 1.3 million trending Tweets about the stunt, awarding DISCA an Interactive Emmy for Multi-platform storytelling. Discovery Channel followed Wallenda again earlier this month in his tightrope walk between two Chicago skyscrapers at a 15-degree angle, aptly titled SKYSCRAPER LIVE WITH NIK WALLENDA.

Play to view highlights of Nik Wallenda's SKYSCRAPER LIVE walk [21]

Though not drawing the magnitude of coverage as his Grand Canyon walk, this live event in addition to others showcase Discovery’s risky intent to air content to attract an audience, stunts so daring that someone could die [20]. Understanding this, Wallenda carried a $20 million public liability insurance claim, should anything catastrophic have happened. The tightrope walk was a success and coming this May, Discovery Channel intends to air live footage of expert climber Joby Ogwyn’s Mount

SURVIVAL LIVE Logo [24]

SURVIVAL LIVE Logo [24]

Everest jump in a winged suit, titled EVEREST JUMP LIVE, hooking up eight cameras to his suit to get full 360 degree coverage [22]. In addition, the network is continuing on its multi-platform successes with a new, interactive program called SURVIVAL LIVE, a 42-day survivalist event pitting 8 strangers against each other in the remote wilderness [23].The cross-platform media gives viewers the ability to track survivalists biometric, medical statistics during the 24 hour live-streamed event as well as the option to donate needed supplies or help online. Moving to attract a growing, interactive audience, Discovery is prompting new growth in cross-media programming and their push for high adrenaline, live-streamed events sets them apart from other cable networks.

 DISCOVERY FAMILY CHANNEL

Since being renamed this past October, Discovery Family, formerly The Hub Network, DISCA’s children geared daytime programming network, has broadened its program offerings in a strengthened partnership between Discovery Communications and Hasbro,

Hasbro, Inc. Logo [25]

Hasbro, Inc. Logo [25]

Inc. The Hasbro Studios have published upfronts intending to move into primetime television timeslots [26]. With Discovery owning 60% in this joint venture, Discovery Family is projected to have over 70 million U.S. homes tuning in to programs and the two look to move into nightly family targeted programming. The two corporations will both capitalize on producing branded content, marketable to advertisers, and accessible for both children and families [27].

UP AND COMING

Discovery has recently paired up with Sony Entertainment Network to bring channels from DISCA to Play Station Vue, Sony’s cloud-based, internet television service [28]. Sony’s subsidary, Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI), will offer the subscription based service to current users of a PS3 or PS4 come early 2015, totally over 35 million users. The deal will bring Discovery’s 13 U.S. networks to users, in addition to next-gen services like Discovery Digitial Networks [29].

Theorized PlayStation Vue Format [15]

Theorized PlayStation Vue Screen [30]

This is new territory for Discovery, a cloud streaming service, and whether or not users will be willing to pay for the subscription fees is up for debate. Prices per month have yet to be set, though the service brings DISCA’s historically cable programming to an internet based provider follows the path Discovery Communications is walking in becoming a more cross-media driven media group and high-level television programmer.

  SOURCES

[1]Discovery Logo corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/18/14

[2] Corporate Mission corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/18/14

[3] Company Profile Information biz.yahoo.com RT:11/18/14

[4] David Zaslav Image corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/18/14

[5] Andrew Warren Image corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/18/14

[6] Marjorie Kaplan Image corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/18/14

[7] Discovery History referenceforbusiness.com RT: 11/18/14

[8] Hendricks Leaves Discovery variety.com RT: 11/18/14

[9] Discovery Logo 1988 logos.wikia.com RT: 11/24/14

[10] DISCA Annual Finances finance.yahoo.com RT: 11/24/14

[11] DISCA Quarterly Report corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/24/14

[12] DISCA Yearly Stock Chart finance.yahoo.com RT: 11/27/14

[13] Discovery Segments/Projections zacks.com RT: 12/1/14

[14] Discovery Acquires Eurosport nytimes.com RT: 11/28/14

[15] Eurosport Logo eurosport.com RT: 11/28/14

[16] Discovery Moves to Broadcast corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/28/14

[17] David Zaslav Quote corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/29/14

[18] Discovery Channel Profile corporate.discovery.com RT:11/29/14

[19] Discovery Live Streams press.discovery.com RT: 11/29/14

[20] Risk of Live Events nytimes.com RT: 11/29/14

[21] SKYSCRAPER LIVE Highlights Footage youtube.com RT: 11/29/14

[22] Everest Jump Live deadline.com RT: 11/29/14

[23] SURVIVAL LIVE press.discovery.com RT: 11/29/14

[24] SURVIVAL LIVE Logo adage.com RT: 11/29/14

[25] Hasbro, Inc Logo hasbro.com RT: 11/30/14

[26] Hasbro, Inc Partnership investor.hasbro.com RT: 11/30/14

[27] Discovery Family Deal corporate.discovery.com RT: 11/30/14

[28] PlayStation Vue Contract polygon.com RT: 12/1/14

[29] Discovery/Vue Offerings corporate.discovery.com RT:12/1/14

[30] PlayStation Vue Screen polygon.com RT: 12/1/14

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Cablevision

Link

by Steven Spohr

Summary

Cablevision_Logo

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]

optimum_yellowdot_2__120906171458

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]
225px-Newsday

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] –

charlesdolan

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

jamesdolan

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

kristin-dolan

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

brian_g_sweeney

Brian Sweeney – President / Source – POST Online Media

Gregg-Seibert-

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

 

hratner-282x307

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

 

Financials

CVC Stock 2014

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]

dolanmand

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

  1. http://www.cablevision.com/about/index.jsp

  2. http://www.cablevision.com/local/newsday.jsp

  3. http://www.cablevision.com/about/leadership.jsp

  4. http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=CVC+Interactive#%7B%22range%22%3A%221y%22%2C%22scale%22%3A%22linear%22%7D

  5. http://www.cablevision.com/pdf/news/110614.pdf

  6. http://online.wsj.com/articles/cablevision-subscriber-losses-offset-by-price-increases-ad-sales-1415284257

  7. http://www.cablevision.com/pdf/news/080414.pdf

  8. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/08/nyregion/labor-board-says-cablevision-chief-tied-raises-to-vote-against-a-union.html?_r=0

  9. http://www.fiercecable.com/story/twc-and-cablevision-team-quarterly-nyc-dma-reports/2014-11-11

  10. http://www.fiercecable.com/story/competition-cablevision-nyc-launches-ambitious-public-wi-fi-project/2014-11-18

  11. http://www.lewisboroledger.com/15707/cablevision-renewal-to-benefit-town/

  12. http://www.cedmagazine.com/news/2014/11/kids%E2%80%99-vod-network-kabillion-lands-deal-with-cablevision

Viacom

Posted on by 
By Sam Mackoff
[1] Viacom Logo

[1] Viacom Logo

ABOUT VIACOM

Viacom, short for Video and Audio Communications, is a mass media company that produces content globally across television, movies, online and mobile platforms.  Viacom’s media networks reach about 700 million global subscribers, making it one of the world’s largest media conglomerate [2].  Viacom operates about 170 leading entertainment brands including MTV Networks, VH1, BET Networks, Comedy Central, CMT, SPIKE, Nickelodeon Networks, Paramount Pictures and more [3].

Television Networks 

[4] Viacom's Media Brands

[4] Viacom’s Media Brands

Viacom has a large variety of networks that represent a diverse collection of programming. From Nickelodeon, the leading brand in children’s entertainment, to Comedy Central, the number one brand in comedic television, Viacom continues to produce original content that is relevant to all different audience members [4].  Some of Viacom’s leading shows are Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, MTV’s Teen Wolf and Awkward, Comedy Central’s South Park and many more [5].

Film

Paramount Pictures logo

[6] Paramount Pictures Logo

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a production and distribution studio for film.  It is a subsidiary of Viacom.  Paramount distributes content from DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Marvel Studios, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies [4]. Paramount is ranked as the fourth highest grossing film distributor [7]. Some of Paramount’s notable films are, “Transformers”, “Indiana Jones”, “Star Trek”, “Titanic”, and “Forrest Gump” [8].

 FINANCIALS

Viacom is a publicly held.  This year, Viacom did well financially with its media networks revenue, but did not do well financially in film entertainment.  The media networks revenue had a $462 million increase to $9.7 billion by the end of 2013 [9].   The film entertainment revenues had a $538 million decrease from the previous year to $4.3 billion by the end of 2013 [9].  Viacom’s net earnings still increased 2% from 2012 to 2013, from $2.3 billion in 2012 to $2.4 billion in 2013 [9].

KEY EXECUTIVES

[10] Philippe Dauman, President and Chief Executive Officer

[10] Philippe Dauman,
President and Chief Executive Officer

[11] Thomas E. Dooley, Chief Operating Officer

[11] Thomas E. Dooley,
Chief Operating Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECENT NEWS
Viacom and Google Call a Truce

image6611550x

[12] Google Vs. Viacom

After seven years of battling in court, Viacom and Google have settled the copyright infringement lawsuit, in which neither company exchanged money to the other.  Viacom filed a $1 billion lawsuit in 2007 against YouTube, which is owned by Google, stating that there were billions of dollars in damages for copyright infringement by uploading unauthorized clips from Viacom programming.  After years of arguing, Viacom and YouTube released a settlement statement saying, “This settlement reflects the growing collaborative dialogue between our two companies on important opportunities, and we look forward to working more closely together” [13].

Viacom Teams Up with Tumblr

Tumblr-partnership-with-Viacom

[14] Tumblr and Viacom Partnership

Viacom announced an exclusive partnership with the popular blogging website, Tumblr. The two companies together will offer co-branded campaigns and content for shows and events for Viacom’s networks through the 2014 Upfront Season.  This partnership marks Viacom as the first television programmer to develop a marketing partnership with Tumblr. Viacom’s partnership with Tumblr creates a unique opportunity for Viacom to use this creative platform with its advertisers in order to reach a large audience because of its major social activity.  On the consumer end, it allows users to view content in a fun and interactive way [15].

RELEASES

[16] “The Wolf of Wall Street”, directed by Martin Scorsese

The Wolf of Wall Street

The dark comedy, “The Wolf of Wall Street”, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort’s life. The film takes you through the New York stockbroker’s journey from rags to riches, starting in penny stocks to running an extremely successful firm.  This film has had major success worldwide.  The high admiration has earned the film a Golden Globe and five Academy Award nominations [17]. Surpassing all Christmas sales in theaters on its holiday release date [18], the film made $10 million on its opening day and over $18 million on its opening weekend [19]. This film has accumulated grosses of $116.9 million domestically and $272.7 million in the foreign market [19].

 

001_Noah_poster

[20] “Noah”, directed by Darren Aronofsky

Noah

The recent release of the biblical inspired film, “Noah”, directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Russell Crowe, is inspired by the biblical story of Noah’s Ark.  Noah is chosen by God to take on a mission to rescue the innocent before an apocalyptic flood hits the world.  This film ranked #1 at the box office on its opening weekend on March 28th [21].  “Noah” brought in a diverse audience including men and women of all ages that were Christian, Catholic Latino and African American [22].  “Noah” has faced a sizable decline with a 68% drop since its release [23].  Predictions say that this number will increase during the weekend of Easter because of the faith based audience [24].  “Noah” has made $93.3 million domestically and $197.4 million in the foreign market [21].

 

 UPCOMING RELEASES

Nickelodeon Introduces a New Awards Show

8-Kids-Choice-Sports-Awards-2014-350x348

[25] Michael Strahan, Future Host of Kids Choice Sports

Nickelodeon announced a new award show called Kids Choice Sports, hosted by former football player, Michael Strahan, set to debut this summer.  Kids Choice Sports give viewers the opportunity to have a voice in the show by voting for their favorite teams, players and sports moments as well as selecting the stars to get slimed.  In additions to the awards, the event will also have a musical performance, competitions against athletes and slimed filled sports stunts [26].  Kids Choice Sports has the potential to bring in a whole new audience of parents and children who are interested in sports, as well as other viewers who want to be a part of the additional events of the awards show.

Candid Camera Returns After 66 Years

Candid-Camera-creator-Allen-Funt-499x400
[27] Allen Funt, the Original Host of Candid Camera

TV Land announced that it is bringing back a new version of the 1940’s show, Candid Camera.  Candid Camera is a show that captures the reactions of people in unusual situations using hidden cameras.  Peter Funt, the son of the host and creator of the original show, will be co-producing Candid Camera.  There are 10 new episodes that are set to air this summer [28].

 

Transformers To Release Fourth Film

The fourth Transformers film called, “Transformers: Age of Extinction”, is hitting the theater this summer.  This film was directed by Michael Bay and has notable actors staring in it such as Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Jack Reynor [29].  This popular franchise has earned $2.6 billion in the global box office.  The bar for this film was set very high after the last film, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”, earning $1.1 billion globally.  This film is set to release June 27th [30].

Trailer [31]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Recreated in a Live Action Film

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is returning to the screen in a live action film this summer. Producer Michael Bay and director Jonathan Liesmasman, are working together to recreate the story that was originally based off of a comic series [32].  Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount said, “Michael Bay is committed to making sure young audiences have a reason to flock back to your theaters” [33]. This action comedy film is about four trained ninja turtles that work together to fight off evil.  This summer blockbuster, starring Megan Fox, Noel Fisher, Will Arnet, Jeremy Howard and Alan Ritchso, is set to release August 8th [32].

Trailer [34]

Sources

[1] Viacom’s Logo, Adweek.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[2] About Viacom, Viacom.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[3] “Viacom: Veteran Leading the Way”, Investing Daily, 12/31/2013, RT: 4/17/2014

[4] Viacom Brands, Viacom.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[5] Most Popular TV Shows, TV.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[6] Paramount Pictures Logo, Nickelodeon.Wikia.com, RT: 4/18/14

[7] Leading Distributors- 1995-2014, The-Numbers.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[8] Paramount All Time Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[9] Viacom Inc.- Annual Report, Viacom.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[10] Philippe Dauman, Trialx.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[11] Thomas E. Dooley, CNN.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[13] “Google and Viacom Settle Copyright-Infringement Lawsuit over YouTube”, Variety, 3/18/2014, RT: 4/19/2014

[14] Viacom and Tumblr, YourNewSticker.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[15] “Yahoo’s Tumblr First TV Ad Deal Is with Viacom”, Variety, 3/20/2014, RT: 4/19/2014

[16] Wolf of Wall Street Poster, UBCFilmSociety.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[17] Wolf of Wall Street Awards, IMDB.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[18] “‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Poised for No. 1 at Christmas Box Office with $10 Million”, Variety, 12/25/13, RT: 4/19/14

[19] Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[20] Noah Poster, MovieFanatic.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[21] Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/19/14

[22] “‘Noah’ sails to estimated $44-Million Opening at Box Office”, Los Angeles Times, 3/30/2014, RT: 4/19/14

[23] “North America: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ Sets New April Record with $96.2M”, BoxOffice.com, 4/6/14, RT: 4/19/14

[24] “‘Heaven is for Real’ Posts Strong Opening Day Returns”, BoxOffice.com, 4/17/14, RT: 4/19/2014

[25] Kids Choice Sports Picture, TVByTheNumbers.zap2it.com, RT: 4/20/14

[26] “Nick Launching Sports Award Show”, BigStory.ap.org, 3/13/214, RT: 4/20/14

[27] Allen Funt, rtvfmediastudies.tcu.edu, RT: 4/20/14

[28] “Candid Camera: TV Land Reviving Classic Series for Summer”, TVSeriesFinale.com, 4/9/14, RT: 4/20/14

[29] Transformers Cast and Crew, IMDB.com, RT: 4/20/14

[30] “‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ to Kick Start New Trilogy”, Variety, 4/11/14, RT: 4/20/14

[31] Transformers: Age of Extinction Trailer, Youtube, 3/5/2014, RT: 4/20/2014

[32] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cast and Crew, IMDB.com, RT: 4/20/14

[33] “Paramount Kicks Off CinemaCon With ‘Ninja Turtles,’ ‘Transformers’ Footage”, Variety, 3/24/14, RT: 4/20/14

[34] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Trailer, Youtube, 3/27/2014, RT: 4/20/2014

IAC

Posted on by 
By Carlos Bonachea
IAC Logo

Courtesy of IAC Press Kit [1]

555 W. 18th St.
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-314-7300
Website: www.iac.com

Key Executives

Barry Diller - Chairman and Senior Executive, IAC & Chairman and Senior Executive, Expedia, Inc.Chairman and Senior Executive, IAC - Chairman and Senior Executive, Expedia, Inc.

Barry Diller – Chairman and Senior Executive, IAC & Chairman and Senior Executive, Expedia, Inc.
Courtesy of the official IAC website [2].

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Courtesy of the official IAC website

Jeff Kip – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Courtesy of official IAC website [3].

Victor Kaufman – Vice Chairman, oversees all strategic planning, financial and legal matters.
Courtesy of official IAC website [4].

      IAC remains at the forefront of internet commerce, communication, and media by strategically managing the investment, acquisition, and sale of some of the worlds most innovative companies [5]. IAC began as Silver King Communications Inc., a television company led by Barry Diller, who previously was in charge of Fox Broadcasting as well as Paramount Pictures prior to that. [6]

      IAC now boasts over 1.3 billion total monthly visits amongst it’s network of sites and controls over 150 brands and products all at the cutting edge of web commerce and modern living. IAC has spawned six independent publicly traded companies – Expedia, TripAdvisor, HSN, Tree, Interval, and Live Nation (formerly Ticketmaster). Simply put IAC is the 9th largest network in the world and one of Fortune’s most admired companies in the internet services sector. [5] [7]

About_Overview_Nov2013

Some of the many brands owned by IAC.

Financials

From April 22 2013 to April 17, 2014 stock prices of IAC (IACI) have risen 55.2% from $44.25 a share to $68.67 a share, proving IAC’s value to it’s investors. [8]

2013 Q4 statements show that revenue for IAC is down 5% from 765.3M in Q4 2012, to 724.5M.

IAC Head Quarters in NYC Photo courtesy of Vimeo on Flickr.

IAC Head Quarters in NYC Photo courtesy of Vimeo on Flickr.

IAC saw a 48% adjusted EPS growth from 0.7 in Q4 2012 to 1.04 in Q4 2013.

IAC also has enjoyed and increase in adjusted net income of 38% from 66.2 in Q4 2012 to 91.1 in Q4 2013.

Thus IAC has now entered its 19th consecutive quarter of double-digit operating income before amortization growth.

Financial Statements courtesy of IAC’s public quarterly report [9].

Media

Logo courtesy of IAC official Profile

Logo courtesy of IAC official Profile

      Vimeo is one of IAC’s hottest commodities and a worthy innovator in the realm of web video and user generated content. Vimeo currently has over 100 million unique monthly users and over 22 million register users which provide content. Vimeo is known to be the best video player “in the galaxy” which attracts some of the best independent filmmakers. Though Vimeo is within the media branch of IAC which accounts for a relatively small portion of revenue compared to ‘web search and applications’ or the Match group the media prospects of IAC prove to be some of the most innovative. [11]

      As edea.cameo_transparentof March 18 2014, Vimeo has acquired ‘Cameo‘ a video making app which the leaders at Vimeo say is going to be independently run much like the recent acquisition of Echograph about a year prior. This is very much inline with the philosophy of supporting new ideas which is so close to the core idealsCH-Logo-300x186_black of IAC. [10]
Another company in the Media branch is CollegeHumor which, thought it does not directly create a majority portion of IAC’s revenue, it has a huge impact in pop culture and the multimedia habits of the 18-14 demographic. It draws over 100 million monthly video views and the number 9 most subscribed to channel on youtube. [12]

Match

      The Match group of IAC is comprised of all the the websites and brands which deal Match_logo_300x186with dating and matching people together. Match.com being the primary website but also including many other brands. Meetic, the European leader in online dating, Chemistry.com, okcupid, and tinder. There are also some brands which specialize in helping advertisers find their audience.
Match.com recently made an exclusive MLBpartnership with Major League Baseball to further find matches based on team preferences. This joint effort can mean serious revenue for the Match group in future quarters. [13]
IAC in an effort to restructure some of the company for unknown reasons recognized Greg Blatt as the new Chairman of the newly created Match Group, on the Board of directors as of December 19 2013. This strategic moves serves as an indicator of the companies success in the Match department.

IAC thus far has proven to be a very innovative company which has harnessed the reach of its network to self facilitate more growth across company and brand lines. This innovative approach is reshaping not only pop-culture and the way we access media but the daily lives of the average person. IAC will continue to shape the way the internet does business and the way people interact. With projected financial statement the decrease in operating costs will lead to a great deal of profit in the following quarters which will more than likely prompt another large media acquisition given the highly increased capital which IAC now has.

Sources

[1] IAC Online Press Kit RET: 4/13/2014

[2] Official IAC Website– Bio Page on Barry Diller – Photo credit: Michele Asselin RET: 4/13/2014

[3] Official IAC Website– Bio Page on Jeff Kip RET: 4/13/2014

[4] Official IAC Website– Bio Page on Victor Kaufman RET: 4/13/2014

[5] Official IAC Website– Overview of Brands RET: 4/14/2014

[6] Official IAC Website– Timeline of company progress, acquisitions and sales RET: 4/15/2014

[7] CNN Money– IAC’s ranking as one of the world’s most admired companies by Fortune RET: 4/15/2014

[8] Google Finance– IAC share value from 4/22/13 – 4/17/14 RET: 4/15/14

[9] IAC public quarterly report– RET: 4/15/2013

[10] Re/Code– Article by Peter Kafka on the aquisition of Cameo by IAC’s media company Vimeo; published March 18 2014; RET: 4/11/2014

[11] Official IAC Website– Vimeo brand profile and overview RET: 4/13/14

[12] USA Today– Match.com partnership with MLB RET: 4/14/14

Hearst Television

Posted on by 
By Apollonia Maldonato
Hearst TV

Photo courtesy of hearsttelevision.com

Hearst Television Inc.

300 W 57th St.

New York, NY, 10019 United States

(212) 887-6800

http://www.hearsttelevision.com

About Hearst Television Inc. [1]

Hearst Television Inc. is the broadcasting arena of the Hearst Corporation. It is comprised of 29 television stations and two radio stations. Its stations reach as many as 18% of households in the United States spanning over two dozen markets. It is one of the nation’s largest television groups. The company owns several ABC and NBC affiliate stations. They also have two radio stations in Baltimore as well as two CBS affiliate stations. Hearst Television leads the convergence of local broadcast television and the Internet through its partnership with Internet Broadcasting. The company started trading privately in 2009 after becoming privately owned by Hearst Corporation.

Key Executives:

David J. Barrett [2], Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hearst Television Inc. began working for Hearst Corporation in 1984 as the general manager of the company’s Baltimore radio stations. He was appointed CEO of the company in 2001. Barrett has received several awards in the industry including being inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2008 and being named Broadcasting & Cable magazine’s 2004 “Broadcaster of the Year.” jordan wertlieb- HearstJordan Wertlieb [3],  President of Hearst Television, began working for Hearst Corporation 1993 and was named the company’s president in December 2012. He also serves as the President- Chairman of the NBC Affiliate board.Frank Biancuzzo- Hearst

Frank Biancuzzo [4], Senior Vice President of Hearst Television, began working for the company in 1995 when he served as the Vice President of Marketing and Promotion. He later became the President of the Hearst Television ABC station in Milwaukee from 2002 until 2007. He was appointed to be a Senior Vice President in 2007. He also has a role of Hearst Television Group Head.john drain- Hearst

John J. Drain [5], Senior Vice President of Finance, began working at Hearst in 2010 when he was appointed the Senior VP of Finance. Before working for Hearst Television, he was the Vice President of Finance and Administration for the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable Corporation, Comcast Spotlight.

Click for more information on important people at Hearst Television

Competition [6]

Some major industry competitors of Hearst Television are:

  • Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.
  • Raycom Media Inc.
  • Local TV, LLC

Financials [7]

The last annual report available to the public was published in 2008. During this year the the company had earned $755,738 in revenue. In 2009, Hearst Corporation acquired Hearst- Argyle and it became Hearst Television, a wholly owned component of the company. Since the acquisition, it is no longer a publically traded company and its financial statements are unavailable. However, according to Crain’s New York Business, the company has earned a revenue of almost $10 billion, a $1 billion increase from its 2012 revenue which was slightly more than $9 billion. [8]

Brief History [9]

Hearst argyle

Photo courtesy of onedomain.com

Hearst Corporation was founded in 1928 when it entered the broadcasting world by acquiring WSOE Radio Milwaukee. Since its original acquisition, the company has bought out dozens of other TV and radio stations. Hearst merged with Argyle Television in 1997 to form Hearst- Argyle Television. The company was publicly traded, first on Nasdaq until 1998 and then transferred to the New York Stock Exchange where it was public until 2009 when the company became wholly owned by Hearst Corporation. The name was officially changed to Hearst Television.

Hearst Television’s Current Expenditures:

Hearst Television’s Upward Spiral

cronkie award

Photo courtesy of cronkiteaward.org

Although Hearst Television is not a commonly spoke of company, its role in political coverage through the years has made Hearst Television a staple in news broadcasting. A challenge for the entirety of Hearst Corporation is finding new businesses that can help define the future of Hearst. The company is currently spiraling upwards, and Hearst Corporation CEO, Steven Swartz and Hearst Television CEO, David Barrett, are striving to find new ways to keep the company heading in this direction. The company has won six consecutive Walter Cronkite Awards for its coverage of politics and is the media leader in political coverage. The Hearst Television group has been successful in local advertising as well as solid coverage of elections. [10]

Improving the TV Viewing Experience

An article published by TV Technology on November 7 stated that Hearst Television Inc has fully incorporated Matrix Solutions’s web-based media CRM and sales analytics solution into all of its TV stations. The complete implementation process took a total of ten weeks to complete. According to Al Lustgarten, vice president of IT for Hearst Television, “Hearst Television’s objective was to find a CRM solution with a partner that understands the broadcast business model and could provide software as a service model.” The Matrix system allows access by means of the web or mobile device. It normalizes data saving time in analyzing it. This is extremely useful at a corporate level. [11]

Hearst vs. Aereo: A Copyright Fight

aereo_logo

Hearst Television appeared in federal last month in a plea to shut down the internet streaming website startup, Aereo. The federal court denied Hearst’s request and decision could lead to a supreme court case. The website is unlawfully using copyrighted content from WCVB, Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate Boston TV station, for profit. The law suit was originally filed by Hearst in July. The Judge had decided that the compnay did not make its case and the victory went to Aereo. However, other major broadcasters are fighting the same battle with Aereo’s, so-called, unconstitutional practices. [12]

A Visit to UNC Chapel Hill

Just last week, Hearst Televsion CEO, David Barrett and ABC News President, Ben Sherwood  headlined at the Wade H. Hargrove Communications Law and Policy Colloquium at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The two men shared their own remarks on what they believed would be the “Future of Televsion News.” they then engaged in an open discussion with the audience. During his visit, Barrett shared a conversation with Dean Susan King of the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The two discussed disruptive media in today’s culture as well as the reputation Hearst strives to uphold in society. [13]

Conversation between David Barrett and Dean of UNC Chapel Hill School of Journalism

Support of New Technologies: Investment in Roku

Roku Box- amazon

Photo courtesy of amazon.com

Roku, an internet set-top box company, had earned $60 million in funding. One of the companies that invested in Roku was Hearst Television. The company sells softball size boxes that allow consumers to stream music and videos. Roku is currently collaborating with consumer-electronics to have merchandise with Roku readily installed.The Senior Managing Director at Hearst, Ken Bronfin, said in a statement about Roku’s product that Hearst is very impressed about the unique position that Roku has constructed in the media market and they anticipate working with them to develop other innovative services for television audiences. CEO of Roku is grateful for the recognition of his brand’s potential success in the market and belief in the Roku platform. Hearst’s, along with other companys’ generous funding was necessary for this product to potentially re-frame future television consumer experiences. [14]

Hearst Ahead of the Times: The Next Generation Newsroom

Hearst Television’s new project, The Next Generaton Newsroom, is giving reporters, photographers, and producers the latest technology so they can update news on all platforms. The state of the arc technology has changed the way the newsrooms operate. Although the consumers do notice the change, they expect it. Brian Bracco, Vice President of News at Hearst Television Inc. states that with all of the new platforms and methods of spreading news, there is no more exciting time than the present to be in the media business. [15]

Watch “The Next Generation Newsroom” Video

Conclusion

Over the years, Hearst Television has developed innovative ways to better the TV viewing experience. The company has earned a renowned reputation due to its outstanding coverage on politics. Hearst continues to strive to be one of the best television companies in this fast paced world. 

Sources

[1] About Hearst Televsion

[2] David J. Barrett

[3] Jordan Wertlieb

[4] Frank Biancuzzo

[5] John J. Drain

[6] Competition

[7] Financial Information

[8] More Financials

[9] History of Hearst

[10] Hearst on a role

[11] Implementing Matrix Solutions

[12] Lawsuit with Aereo

[13] A Visit to UNC Chapel Hill

[14] Investment in Roku

[15] Next Generation Newsroom

Univision

Posted on by 
by Tiana Flores
Univision logo courtesy of Univision.com [1]

Univision logo courtesy of Univision.com [1]

Univision Communications Inc.
605 3rd Ave.
New York, NY 10158
United States
(212) 455-5331

www.Univision.com

Brief History:

In 1979 Galavisión was the first spanish-language cable network to launch nationwide. During the 1980’s Hallmark Inc. and it’s minority partner First Chicago Venture Capital bought the Spanish International Network television stations, which included Galavisión. The new owners renamed the Spanish International Network to what is now known as Univision Network.[2]
In the 1990’s A. Jerrold Perenchio, Televisa and Venevision acquired Univision from Hallmark Inc. Since then Univision has expanded into various media platforms including radio and digital. Univision Communications Inc. owns and operates various television networks that broadcast sports, music, films, dramatic stories, reality shows, etc. Univision is considered to be the leading media company serving Hispanic Americans. [2]

Media Properties:

Main Executives:

-President & Executive Chief Officer: Randy Falco Photo courtesy of Univision.com

-President & Executive Chief Officer: Randy Falco
Photo courtesy of Univision Corporate [3]

Falco joined the Univision team back in 2009. Under Falco’s leadership, Univision has added three cable companies and digital offerings.Falco has increased Univision’s revenue and expanded across various multimedia platforms. [4]

Senior Executive VP & Chief Financial Officer: Andrew W. Hobson Photo Courtesy of Univision.com

Senior Executive VP & Chief Financial Officer: Andrew W. Hobson
Photo Courtesy of Univision Corporate [5]

Hobson has been with Univision since 1993 and throughout his time with the company he has held several leadership roles. Before assuming his current position in 2005, Hobson was the Chief Strategic Officer. [6]

Financials:

Third quarter 2013 net revenue increased by 10.1% to $692.7 million from $628.9 million in 2012. Also stated is the adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) increased by 9.2% to $301.8 million from last year’s $276.5 million. The third quarter came to an end on September 30, 2013 and for the past nine months, the net revenue increased by 9.1% to $1,931.2 million from $1,770.3 in the previous year. Meanwhile the OIBDA also increased to $824.3 million from $713.9 million in 2012. [7]

Recent News:

Photo Courtesy of Global Football Today

Photo Courtesy of Global Football Today [8]

Univision Deportes Leads the Pack in the 2013 Third Quarter

Univision Deportes Network (UDN) is a 24-hour Spanish-language sports network dedicated to providing the Hispanic community with the most sports on a daily basis.UDN was launched in April 2012 and it’s owned by Univision Communications Inc. In the third quarter of 2013 UDN outperformed ESPN Deportes and Fox Deportes, making UDN the number one Spanish-language sports network nationwide. UDN also announced that Nielsen will now be able to publicly report ratings for the sports Network. [9]

Primetime viewing audiences for the 2013 third quarter [9]:
Univision Deportes Network 52,000 Adults 18-49; 83,000 P2+
FOX Deportes 31,000 Adults 18-49; 55,000 P2+
ESPN Deportes 31,000 Adults 18-49; 54,000 P2+

These numbers insinuate that Univision Deportes Network is the fastest growing Spanish-language sports channel on the air. Since the recent Time Warner agreement, UD currently reaches 35 million households .

The UDN surpasses all the other Spanish-language sports networks in various aspects. In the 2013 third quarter, Univision’s sports network broadcast more live sporting events than it’s Spanish-language competitors. It reportedly aired 176 live events, which is more than both ESPN Deportes and Fox Deportes.

UDN also had a very strong third quarter in the social media department. Since July, Univision Deportes Facebook page has been engaged by fans about 4 times as much as Fox Deportes page and 8 times as much of ESPN Deportes. Meanwhile during the Gold Cup game, Univision Deportes received more social media activity and engagement than Fox Soccer. Throughout the tournament, UDN had about a 25% larger audience on Twitter per match than Fox Soccer. It also had a 30% average Twitter activity per match than Fox Soccer. [9]

Courtesy of Ignites Social Web

Courtesy of Ignites Social Web [10]

Univision Deportes App for Xbox One

In early November 2013, Univision Communications Inc. announced the launch of the Univision Deportes app for Xbox One, which will make it’s debut on November 22, 2013. This app will be the first Spanish-language sports app launched on Xbox One in the country. [11]

The Univision Deportes app will give fans a rare soccer experience by providing them with live streaming and VOD content of Liga MX, the Mexican National Teams and the 2014 World Cup, which are all considered to be some of the most popular sports properties worldwide. [11]. The app will also give sports fans 24/7 worldwide soccer coverage, which includes sports news updates, real-time scores and stats, videos and photographs of all the important soccer tournaments and leagues around the world.

Photo Courtesy of Brands of the World

Photo Courtesy of Brands of the World [12]

HSN Partners Up With Univision to Create an Online Boutique

HSN, the home shopping network, has partnered up with Univision Communications to reach a large amount of the hispanic market. The three-year partnership includes the development of a new shopping portal called Boutique Univision on Univision.com.

Boutique Univision offers electronics, fashion beauty, home decor and cookware products. The shopping portal will also include popular brands such as Vince Camuto, Samsung, Apple, Curtis Stone and Lancôme. These products and brands have been specifically selected for Hispanic costumers.[13]

Promotions for the online boutique began last Thursday (Nov. 14), with popular HSN host Lesley Ann Machado as a special guest on Univision’s morning show “Despierta América.” During the show, Machado and original host Maggie Jiménez announced the creation of Boutique Univision.

HSN has also been promoting the new portal on its network. HSN featured live feed of the announcement during a segment that included chef Lorena Garcia. Jiménez was a guest on the HSN show “Beauty Report” and discussed the fashion and beauty products available on Boutique Univision.

HSN decided to partner up with Univision due to the company’s ability to reach a large number of the Hispanic demographic. The chief marketing and business development officer at HSN Inc., Bill Brand noted “We are able to reach this Hispanic consumer through the most trusted brand in their community, and that’s Univision. That’s an unprecedented opportunity for us.”[13]

Photo courtesy of Famous Logos website

Photo courtesy of Famous Logos website [14]

Univision & Toyota Announced Trans-media Partnership

Earlier this month, Univision Communications Inc. and Toyota announced a trans-media partnership that integrates Toyota automobiles into Televisa’s brand new telenovela “Lo Que La Vida Me Robo.” Part of the partnership includes, Toyota as the main sponsor of this new telenovela, which first aired November 18, 2013. Through this partnership Toyota will be able to reach and influence an entirely new demographic across all media platforms. The two companies have combined various media platforms such as television, digital and social media in order to provide consumers with an immersive multi-platform experience and also to introduce exclusive and interactive opportunities. [15]

Throughout the broadcast of “Lo Que La Vida Me Robo” fans have access to the main characters of the telenovela through a digital correspondence feature, which allows them to become active participants in every new plot twist [15]. Additional content related to the telenovela is also made available to fans. Another way for fans to gain access to exclusive content is through Univision apps but only users who opt to sync up with the Toyota experience will gain access.

Sources:

[1] Univision Logo From Univision.com
[2] The Univision Story
[3] Randy Falco Photograph From Univision Corporate
[4] About Randy Falco
[5] Andrew Hobson Photograph From Univision Corporate
[6] About Andrew Hobson
[7] Bloomberg Financials on Univision Communications Inc. Third Quarter 2013
[8] Univision Deportes Network Photograph From Global Football Today
[9] Univision Deportes Leads the Pack in the 2013 Third Quarter From Univision Corporate
[10] Xbox One Logo From Ignites Social Web
[11] Univision Deportes App for Xbox One From Univision Corporate
[12] HSN Logo From Brands Of The World
[13] HSN Partners Up With Univision to Create Online Boutique From The New York Times
[14] Toyota Logo From Famous Logos Website
[15] Univision & Toyota Announce Transmedia Partnership From Univision Corporate

Radio One

Posted on by 
Greg Jacks

[1]

 “THE URBAN MEDIA SPECIALIST”

1010 Wayne Ave. 14th Floor

Silver Spring, MD  20910

 

 

Basics

[2]

Radio One, Inc. is the largest urban-centered multi-media outfit primarily targeting an African-American audience in the world. They own and/or operate 55 broadcast stations in 16 major U.S. markets including: Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Atlanta. The genres of their stations include: gospel, mainstream r&b/soul, hip-hop, and classic r&b. Radio One also has majority ownership of TV One, LLC (a black-    oriented cable channel), Reach Media, Inc, and Interactive One (a series of online platforms serving the black community). [1]

History

[3]

In college, Catherine Elizabeth Hughes, founder and chairperson of Radio One, developed the now highly popular format called Quiet Storm; a late-night show specializing in urban contemporary ballads. Following the success of this new format, Hughes sought to own a station of her own. After many attempts to drag money together, Hughes and her husband finally managed to buy their first radio station in 1980. The station was first called Almic Broadcasting, and started as a 24-hour news broadcast for Washington D.C.’s black community. By the late 80s, Hughes had handed down the position of president to her son Alfred C. Liggins III, who helped propel the company to new heights. Throughout the 90s, Radio One was buying up locally-owned radio stations in city markets and turning them into urban stations. The success of this period, made Radio One the media conglomerate that it is today. [2]

Key Executives

[4]

Alfred C. Liggins, III – Chief Executive Officer, President, and Treasurer

Liggins has been C.E.O. of Radio One since 1997 after being promoted by his mother. He has helped the company expand into new markets and media. He was a graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Since taking over the company from his parents, Liggins has done nothing but shine, now one of multimedia’s top young moguls. [3]

[5]

Catherine L. Hughes – Chairperson of the Board of Secretary

Hughes co-founded the company in 1980, and has served with it ever since. She has held various titles within the company: C.E.O., President, General Manager, General Sales Manager and talk show host. Outside the company, Hughes has been on the Board of Directors for a myriad of groups including Broadcast Music, Inc. Her 30 years business experience has saved her a special place in the African-American community. [4]

 

Owned Station Samples

                                 Urban AC – Washington                    Gospel – Atlanta                   Hip-Hop – Philadelphia                       News/Talk – Houston                    Old School Jams – Dallas            Black Talk – Baltimore

*All images in section taken from website links. Source is the radio station’s main web page

Properties

TV One

[6]

Launched in 2004, TV One is a cable channel which delivers reality and scripted programming to the African-American consumer. Through sitcoms  real life TV, recorded movies, and news specials, TV One attempts to understand the diverse experience of black life. In 2008, TV One went HD and debuted their now trademark show, Unsung, a biography series focusing on the lives of great R&B musicians. [5]

[7]

Reach Media, Inc.

An atypical media company, REACH Media was founded by Tom Joyner (the nation’s number 1 syndicated radio host). The company is built off the success of The Tom Joyner Morning Show which airs in more than a hundred markets reaching eight million listeners. REACH Media provides a highly popular platform for advertisers to relay messages to the black community. The company also operates several web-based media, namely The Black America Web. [6]

Interactive One

[8]

Interactive One was launched in 2007 to serve as a digital network for Radio One’s African-American community. Now, the site is the number 1 black online platform, serving 9 million monthly users. [7]

 

Recent News [8]

[9]

Jan. 22, 2013 – TV One’s most watched reality series, R&B Divas, is getting renewed for a second season. Also a spin-off, R&B Divas: LA, is in production and set to launch in Q3 2013

Jan. 24, 2013 – TV One adds the original half-hour sitcom Family Time to its classic Friday comedy block

Jan. 28th, 2013 – Radio One announces that Samuel Rogers, formerly of CBS Radio, has been named VP of National Sales.

Feb. 25th, 2013 – TV One announces the debut of its new docu-series, Deceived. It chronicles the stories of those who have been conned or betrayed.

[10]

Mar. 5, 2013 – Radio One’s launches a Telemundo affiliate with the purchase of WDNI in Indianapolis. The station will become the city’s first local Spanish-language broadcast station on March 11.

Mar. 18, 2013 – TV One orders for a second season of the record-breaking summer sitcom, The Rickey Smiley Show.

Apr. 8, 2013 – Radio One has chosen WideOrbit to system the traffic for all 55 of their stations [9]

 

Financials

Unlike most radio affiliates today, Radio One is doing quite well and seeing growth in their company. Their 2012 fourth quarter radio revenues were up 11% from the previous year. TV One also saw Q4 increases, with sales up 8% from 2011 [10]. It seems the growing minority population in this country was had a dramatically beneficial effect on Radio One and its comprising affiliates. It can operate and flourish, despite providing niche programming, for only a segment of the American people.

Stocks

Radio One, or ROIA as it is listed on the NASDAQ, has seen a sharp increase in stock price just since the start of this year. It went from trading at around $0.75 in December of last year to $1.75 in April of 2013. At the market’s close today, April 8th, ROIA is selling at $1.76 a share. [11]

[11]

 

Sources

1. “About Us | Radio One.” Radio One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

2. “Radio One, Inc. History.” History of Radio One, Inc. – FundingUniverse. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

3. “Radio One’s Number One.” Wharton Alumni Magazine: 125 Influential People and Ideas: Alfred C. Liggins. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

4. “Catherine L. Hughes.” Radio One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

5. “TVONE.” About TV One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

6. “REACH Media | Radio One.” Radio One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

7. “Interactive One | Radio One.” Radio One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

8. “Latest News | Radio One.” Radio One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

9. “WideOrbit Traffic Selected By Radio One For 55 Stations.” All Access. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

10. “News Releases | Radio One.” Radio One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

11. “Stock Information | Radio One.” Radio One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

Images

1. http://www.radio-one.com/

2. Kysdc Staff. “Radio One Erects Sign Above New Silver Spring Headquarters.” 93.9 KYS FM. Radio One, 28 Jan. 2012. Web.

3. King, Morgan. “Cathy Hughes: Finding A Way Or Making One.” Visionary Artistry Magazine RSS. Radio One, 18 Apr. 2011. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

4. “Interactive One LLC » Alfred C. Liggins III.” Interactive One LLC RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

5. Odessey, Bruce. “RADIO ONE: A SMALL BUSINESS THAT GREW LARGE.”Small Businesses at Work. InfoUSA, n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

6. “TVONE.” Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

7. “REACH Media Inc.” Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

8. “Interactive One.”Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

9. “Faith Evans & The R&B Divas Share Some ‘Joy’ & ‘Lovin’ With You » SOULBOUNCE.COM.” Faith Evans & The R&B Divas Share Some ‘Joy’ & ‘Lovin’ With You » SOULBOUNCE.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

10.”TV One: The Rickey Smiley Show.” Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

11. “Stock Information | Radio One.” Radio One. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

Comcast/NBCUniversal

Posted on by 
by Zach Eisen

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
212.664.4444

www.nbcuni.com

About the Company [1]:

A snapshot of what NBCU owns

NBCUniversal is a major media company owned by the Comcast Corporation. With headquarters in world-famous Rockefeller Center, NBCU owns and operates a variety of media outlets across many different platforms, including broadcast and cable television, film, and digital media. NBCU’s content is distributed around the world.

Television

NBCUniversal has a variety of holdings in both broadcast and cable television. It owns the NBC broadcast network and the Telemundo network, airing popular programs such as NBC Nightly News, Today, Saturday Night Live, and The Office. NBC also owns and operates TV stations in some of the largest markets in the country, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. NBCU’s cable holdings include the NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, E!, Bravo, and The Weather Channel. NBC also owns the broadcast rights to the Olympics, NHL and NFL games, and many other major sporting events.

Film

NBCU owns Universal Pictures, one of the Big Six major film companies. Universal is famous for movies such as E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Jaws, and the Bourne series [2]. The company also owns Focus Features, which is Universal’s art, foreign, and independent film division. NBCU also owns Universal Parks and Resorts, with full ownership of the parks in Los Angeles and Orlando and part ownership of locations in Japan and Singapore.

Online

NBCUniversal owns multiple digital and online companies, including NBC.com, Fandango, and iVillage. It also is part of a joint-venture in Hulu, the online streaming service.

Key Executives [3]:

Stephen B. Burke – CEO, NBCUniversal

Stephen B. Burke

Stuart J. Epstein – Executive VP and CFO, NBCUniversal

Stuart J. Epstein

Robert Greenblatt – Chairman, NBC Entertainment

Robert Greenblatt

Brian Roberts – Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation

Brian Roberts

For more information on NBCUniversal’s executives, click here.

Competitors:

In the broadcast television market, NBC’s main competitors are the other Big Four major networks, which are ABC, CBS, and FOX. However, cable viewership is quickly growing, which means NBC also competes with basically every television station for viewers and advertising dollars.

Ownership History [4]:

NBCUniversal was officially founded in 2004, when NBC and Universal merged into one company. At the time of the merger, Vivendi and GE shared ownership of the company. In 2009, GE and Comcast announced plans to create a joint venture out of NBCUniversal’s companies and Comcast’s cable holdings. The plan was finalized in early 2011, with Comcast taking a majority stake in the company. In early 2013, Comcast announced it would buy GE’s 49% minority stake, a $16.7 billion deal which allowed them to assume 100% ownership of NBCUniversal [5].

Financial Information [6]:

2012 was a successful year for NBCUniversal across the board. The company earned $23.8 billion in total revenue, an increase of nearly $2.7 billion, or 12.7%, from 2011. NBCU’s revenue in all four of its divisions (Broadcast Networks, Cable Networks, Film, and Theme Parks) saw increases in 2012.

The largest gains were made in the Broadcast Television division, which jumped 27.4% from the previous year. The broadcast numbers were aided by the network’s airing of the 2012 London Olympics and Super Bowl XLVI. Excluding these events from the numbers, the Broadcast division’s revenue still saw a 4.8% increase, driven by political advertisements on its Owned & Operated stations. The increased revenue from the political ads also helps explain the Broadcast division’s 7.9% increase in the fourth quarter of 2012 from the same period in 2011.

NBCU’s Cable Networks division accounted for the company’s smallest increases in 2012 (3.3%), but generated the most revenue for the company ($8.8 billion). The NHL lockout hurt ratings for the NBC Sports Network during that time, which boasts NHL coverage as its key selling point. However, ratings for that network reached all-time highs once hockey returned [15]. Advertising revenue decreased by 1.5% in the fourth quarter for NBC’s cable networks.

News:

 

• GOODBYE, GE
On March 19, Comcast completed its purchase of GE’s 49% stake in NBCUniversal [7]. The $16.7 billion deal also included the sale of GE’s headquarters at the famous 30 Rockefeller Plaza building to Comcast. The deal brings to an end GE’s involvement with NBC, which began in 1919 when the company helped found the Radio Corporation of America, which started the National Broadcasting Company in 1926 [8]. Since then, NBC has been owned by GE, RCA, Westinghouse, Vivendi and now Comcast. Watch Wall Street Journal Live’s analysis of the deal below (video courtesy of YouTube).

 

• ADIÓS, NBC

For the first time ever, NBC fell out of the top four networks during a sweeps period conducted by Nielsen [9]. Univision, the Spanish language network, moved ahead of NBC as the fourth most watched network among adults ages 18-49 during the month of February. NBC struggled during that month, as its new show Do No Harm was cancelled after just two episodes, and the new comedy 1600 Penn struggled as well [10].

 

• THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH…

Jimmy Fallon (right) will take over for Jay Leno (left) as host of “The Tonight Show”.

…Jimmy Fallon? NBC announced in April that the Late Night host will replace Jay Leno on The Tonight Show starting in 2014 [11]. Leno, who has hosted The Tonight Show for 22 years, took over for Johnny Carson in 1992. Leno was replaced by Conan O’Brien in 2009 [12], but returned only seven months later [13] after a feud with the network over a time for his new show. It is being rumored that Saturday Night Live head writer and “Weekend Update” host Seth Meyers will replace Fallon as host of Late Night.

 

 

• USA! USA!

NBCU’s USA Network earned the best primetime ratings for a cable network in the first quarter of 2013, its eighth year in a row earning that honor [14]. Popular programs such as Suits and WWE Raw helped the network win the quarter, defeating rivals with popular programs such as AMC and its hit The Walking Dead. USA averaged over 3 million viewers during the primetime slots. Another NBCU network, Bravo, also improved, making the top ten networks among viewers ages 25-54.

 

• NHL COVERAGE SCORES FOR NBC SPORTS NETWORK

The NBC Sports Network is posting record numbers this year for its NHL coverage [15]. The network, formerly Comcast’s Versus, is averaging 448,000 viewers per game, up from its previous high of 348,000 viewers. The numbers may have gotten a boost because of the lockout that cut the season down to 48 games. National games airing on NBC’s broadcast network are also doing better, averaging 1.7 million viewers,just ahead of its previous tally of 1.6 million.

 

• ‘THE VOICE’ NEARS IN ON ‘IDOL’

The popular singing competition show, The Voice, has returned to NBC’s lineup, and has outperformed FOX’s American Idol so far [16]. Although Idol‘s first two episodes earned stronger ratings than The Voice‘s, NBC’s program is gaining momentum, while FOX’s is seeing its lowest ratings in the 12-year history of the show. The show’s performance in the ratings for the remainder of the season may tell whether it will replace Idol as America’s favorite singing show.

 

• USING THE SECOND SCREEN

In March, USA allowed fans of its series Psych to choose the ending of the show’s 100th episode [17]. The vote was part of a new online and mobile feature called USA Sync, an attempt by the network to use new media to add interactivity to its programming [18]. The program allows fans to post about the shows, connect with each other, and play interactive games. On the mobile platform, the service is available as an app that gives users access to more content through other applications.

 

• A DELICIOUS PREMIERE

The much anticipated new series Hannibal premiered on NBC on April 4. The series, about fictional evil genius Hannibal Lecter, serves as a prequel to the 1991 classic film The Silence of the Lambs. The show earned praise from Internet critics, with some calling it “riveting” [19], and others saying it was “beautifully shot and…surprisingly thoughtful” [20]. Watch a promo for Hannibal below (video courtesy of YouTube).

 

• FOR E!, OLDE IS NEW

Jeff Olde

In March, E! named former VH1 executive Jeff Olde head of its programming [21]. Olde will be in charge of the development of E!’s shows, including Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Soup, and Chelsea Lately. Olde will begin his new job this summer.

Sources:

[1]: http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/about-us/

[2]: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?studio=universal.htm

[3]: http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/

[4]:http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/about-us/history/

[5]: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/comcast-buying-g-e-s-stake-in-nbcuniversal-for-16-7-billion/

[6]: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/comcast-reports-4th-quarter-and-year-end-2012-results-2013-02-12

[7]: http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/comcast-completes-acquisition-nbcuniversal/

[8]: http://www.gereports.com/its-a-wrap/

[9]: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/02/27/univision-sets-milestone-as-no-4-network-in-february-sweeps-ahead-of-nbc-in-key-demos/171192/

[10]: http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/nbc-sweeps-ratings-lastloses-to-univision/

[11]: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/02/source-jimmy-fallon-to-take-reins-of-tonight-show-from-jay-leno.html

[12]: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/arts/television/30leno.html?em&_r=0

[13]: http://www.accesshollywood.com/jay-leno-heading-back-to-late-night-conan-obrien-weighing-options_article_27490

[14]: http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/usa-suits-ratings-amc-walking-dead-1200332772/

[15]: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2013/03/19/Media/NHL-Ratings.aspx

[16]: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/in-ratings-race-the-voice-gains-on-idol/

[17]: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/NATL-Viewers-to-Choose-Psych-Ending–200075821.html

[18]: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2013/04/01/usa-network-launches-the-next-phase-of-usa-sync-first-live-second-screen-content-syndication-platform-625513/20130401usa01/

[19]: http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/review-nbcs-hannibal-a-riveting-silence-of-the-lambs-prequel

[20]: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/hannibal-tv-review-433109

[21]: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jeff-olde-named-es-head-431347