Viacom

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Jacqueline Perrelli

by  JACKIE PERRELLI

Viacom Logo [1]

Company

Viacom is an entertainment powerhouse responsible for connecting with audiences through a variety of platforms. With approximately 700 million global subscribers [2], Viacom distributes their content across television, and more importantly, online. Lately, Viacom has been focused on restructuring the company and finding new ways to reach audiences. With his recent two-year contract extension, Philippe Dauman, [3] both CEO and President, is believed to be the right man in charge to handle the Viacom reboot.

Dauman’s leadership is especially important in a time when Sumner Redstone, founder of Viacom, is in questionable health. Redstone was not able to attend the last shareholder meeting held in early March [4]. The company is prepared; however, for a post-Sumner world. A board of trustees is in place consisting of current CEOs and family members, ready to protect the Viacom empire. It has even been rumored that Viacom will merge with another media conglomerate, but told not during Redstone’s reign [5].

Background

Viacom TV Channels [23]

MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and TV Land are a few channels inclusive to the Viacom brand. In 1987 Redstone, controlling shareholder, bought the company for $3.4 billion dollars [6]. Today, Viacom’s share price is 69.77 [7]. This number is the result of a 14 percent decline last year and already another 8.8 percent downfall in 2015 [8]. Within the past 52 week period the Viacom share price has been as high as 89.76 [7]. One source of the drop in stock price can be attributed to poor ratings.

Stock Price [9]

Viacom Ratings [11]

Viacom pinpoints Nielsen ratings and their inability to calculate views from online sources [10]. Due to the fact that most traditional viewers are switching to some sort of online viewing, ratings from online sources are imperative to Viacom. Since last year, most Viacom channels have declined greatly and are down 30 percent ratings wise [11]. For this reason and many more is why Viacom is in the middle of a reconstruction period.

Online Content

Noggin is a new mobile subscription service for preschoolers.

Noggin Streaming Service [13]

With the goal of staying relevant in a world that skews online, Viacom created a streaming service outside their traditional cable package. This streaming service, Noggin, is through Nickelodeon and aimed at a younger demographic. Due to an 18 percent tumble in audience viewership last quarter, Viacom introduced the service in order to compete with other companies. However, known for their television bundle, Viacom has to be careful not to turn viewers completely online, resulting in subscription cancellation. The livelihood of other channels like VH1, MTV, and TV Land, are at risk if viewers abandon their subscriptions [12]. Viacom is already in risky territory with Suddenlink, the seventh-largest cable operator in the U.S, having recently discontinued their services with Viacom [14].

Viacom VS Suddenlink [22]

Not wanting to pay significant increases for channels, Suddenlink got rid of the bundle completely. Although Suddenlink lost significant viewers from the Viacom split, 99.7 percent of their customers continued to pay for Internet services [14]. At a time with such a strong online presence, Viacom fears that other cable companies could follow in Suddenlink’s footsteps and drop the channel lineup; resulting in solely online streaming. In preparation for the future of television, Viacom has planned to reorganize their company. This has resulted in the favoring of employees with technical capabilities rather than traditional workers as content continues to move online [12].

Viacom Restructuring

Along with a changing platform for providing content, Viacom is experiencing changes throughout the entire company. Most of the changes occurring in the company today stem from both low ratings and advertisement sales. To ameliorate the ad sales, Viacom is going into upfront season with a new strategy to boost advertisers participation within the network. With the Nielsen ratings not sustaining the amount of klout they once had, Viacom has chosen to guarantee success for the advertiser’s ads by broadcasting to very niche audiences [15].

[16]

That in mind, the company outlined a plan that would restructure the Viacom brand moving forward. This business plan included the layoff of 400 jobs across the company ranging from New York to Los Angeles, and encompassing some highly ranked positions. With the elimination of some jobs and cancellation of underperforming shows, Viacom aims to save $350 million dollars annually once the restructuring is complete. But before this can happen, Viacom put a halt on their share buyback program, which aims to shrink the number of outstanding shares, and recorded a $785 million in pre-tax charge for the compensation of laid off workers, abandonment of ineffective programming, and declining ratings due to online competition [17].

To learn more about the Viacom reboot period and which shows are getting cut from the Viacom lineup: click here [18].

Another part of the Viacom restructure deals with the consolidation from three television network groups into two. The first group includes: Comedy Central, MTV, Spike, Logo, and VH1, while TV Land and CMT are now placed with Nickelodeon. The first group will focus towards general content, while the second network group will have a more family-entertainment aspect to it [19]. The Viacom reboot has a significant focus on a shift from traditional TV to more digital content, having a more niche staff, and investing in areas that progress Viacom as a company.

New Audiences

Funny or Die Logo [20]

As Viacom attempts to save money and explore new options, the company has two audience-building transactions in the works. The first transaction deals with the acquisition of three comedy websites. The Onion, Funny or Die, and CollegeHumor, give Viacom more ways to tap into digital and online audiences. [12]

International Revenue [21]

The second transaction involves new audiences and opportunities for Viacom in India. With a very saturated, highly online, U.S. market, Viacom is looking to places overseas worth investing in. While U.S. viewers tend to get most of their content in ways other than the traditional TV, India offers more pay-for-tv customers. Viacom already owns Channel18 in India and is now vying for five more local entertainment channels. The company sees India as a place to invest with over 250 million households with pay-TV service and subscriptions. A benefit of investing in areas overseas are the low-budget production costs and the ability to expand Viacom’s American channels to new countries. Foreign markets allow Viacom to tap into potential audiences outside The United States [21]. India is a popular market not only for Viacom, but also other television companies that are beginning to see the potential in investing overseas.

Overview

It is apparent that many changes are taking place at Viacom, and will continue to take place until the company feels ready and back on its feet. The reorganization of the company, streaming service, and plans for the future are all positive ways in which Viacom can grow and prosper.

Sources

[1] Stempel, Jonathan (March 12 2015). Viacom Agrees To $7.21 Million Settlement To End Interns Wage Lawsuit. Huffington Post. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[2] About Viacom. Viacom. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[3] Hagey, Keach and Stynes, Tess (January 15 2015). Viacom Extends CEO’s Contract by Two Years. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved: April 2 2015.

[4] Szalai, George (March 12 2015). Sumner Redstone to Miss Viacom Shareholder Meeting. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved: April 2 2015.

[5] Atkinson, Claire (March 14 2015). Post-Sumner CBS-Viacom power a mixed bag. New York Post. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[6] The Autumn of Sumner. The Economist. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[7] Viacom Stock Price. Google Finance. Retrieved: April 10 2015.

[8] Sakoui, Anousha (April 6 2015). Viacom Halts Buybacks, Sees $785 Million Restructuring Costs. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[9] Viacom Stock Price. Yahoo Finance. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[10] Hagey, Keach and Ramachandran, Shalini (February 11 2015). The Picture Gets Fuzzy at Viacom. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[11] Layoffs, restructuring leads to chaos at Viacom. Fox Business. Retrieved: April 14 2015.

[12] Steel, Emily (January 29 2015). Nickelodeon to Offer a Streaming Service as Viacom Steps Up Digital Efforts. The New York Times. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[13] Perez, Sarah (February 25 2015). Nickelodeon Unveils “Noggin,” A Mobile Subscription Service For Preschoolers Arriving In March. Tech Crunch. Retrieved: April 13 2015.

[14] Steel, Emily (March 8 2015). Provider’s Dispute With Viacom Highlights Skirmish Over the Cable Bundle. New York Times. Retrieved: April 6 2015.

[15] Steinberg, Brian (April 13 2015). Time Warner, Viacom Back Away From Nielsen Guarantees For Ads. Variety. Retrieved: April 15 2015.

[16] Ryssdal, Kai (April 14 2015). Make more upfront: Viacom, Turner discuss new ad model. Marketplace. Retrieved: April 14 2015.

[17] Gottfried, Miriam (April 7 2015). Viacom: Buyback Step Back Isn’t a Setback. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[18] Viacom faces behemoth $785M charge. Youtube. Retrieved: April 15 2015.

[19] Viacom restructures to take $785 mn charge, brings TV networks into two units. Television Post. Retrieved April 10 2015.

[20] Hunsucker, Andy (November 10 2011). A Place For Film Interviews – Funny Or Die Producers. Indiana Public Media. Retrieved: April 14 2015.

[21] Sharma, Amol (January 19 2015). Why Viacom Is Looking to India for a New TV Audience. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved: April 9 2015.

[22] Goff, Andrew (October 2 2014). Ack! The Suddenlink vs. Viacom War Now Hurting Humboldt’s Ability to Watch the Daily Show Online. Lost Coast Outpost. Retrieved: April 13 2015.

[23] Dampier, Phillip (April 1 2015). Viacom Demands 100% Rate Increases for Hundreds of Small Cable Systems, Military Bases. Stop the Cap! Retrieved: April 13 2015.

Cablevision

Link

by Steven Spohr

Summary

Source – Cablevision.com

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

Source – Optimum.com

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

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

Source – www.newsday.com/

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

Leadership

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

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

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

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

Brian Sweeney – President / Source – POST Online Media

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

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

Financials

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

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

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

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

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

Recent News

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

August 4th

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

November 7th

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

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

November 11th

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

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

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

November 18th

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

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

Mayor-Elect De Blasio Makes Announcement

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

November 22nd

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

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

November 25th

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

Bibliography

Viacom

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Samantha Mackoff

By Sam Mackoff

[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

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

[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

[11] Thomas E. Dooley,
Chief Operating Officer

RECENT NEWS
Viacom and Google Call a Truce

[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

[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].

[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 28^th [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

: [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 27^th [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 8^th [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

Univision

Posted on April 9, 2013 by jgalvare

by Juan Alvarez

(Photo courtesy of Univision Corporate website) [4]

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

http://corporate.univision.com

http://www.univision.com/

Key Figures

(Picture Courtesy of Univision Corporate Website) [1]

Randy Falco

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

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

Cesar Conde

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

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

Andrew W. Hobson

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

Profile

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

History

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

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

Financials

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

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

In the News

January [6]:

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

(photo courtesy of underconsideration.com)

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

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

February [7]:

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

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

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

The following video demonstrates the recent rating success of Univision.

UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS INC from Univision Insights on Vimeo.

March [8]:

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

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

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

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

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

Future of Univision

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

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

Sources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12. Univision.com www.univision.com

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

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

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

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

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:

Sinclair Broadcast Group

Posted on September 19, 2012 by stgeer

by Steven Geer

Logo courtesy of www.sbg.net

Headquarters – 10706 Beaver Dam Road, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030

Telephone – (410)-568-1500

Social Media – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@sbgi)

Brief History

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/photo/262/262314-Credit_Nicholas_Griner_Baltimore_Business_Journal.jpg

David B. Smith, President & CEO – Photo courtesy of Nicholas Griner, Baltimore Business Journal

Sinclair Broadcasting Group is a telecommunications company located in Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA. Founded as Chesapeake Television Corporation in 1971 by Julian Sinclair Smith, its station ownership started in Balitmore (WBFF), Pittsburgh (WPTT/WPMY) and Columbus (WTTE). In 1985, the remaining stocks of the business were bought out by Smith’s four sons and its name was changed to Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Since 1988, David B. Smith has served as President & CEO while the remaining brothers hold executive positions as well. Their leadership brought the company to a new level, expanding both its audience reach and content variety. In 1995, the company became publicly traded on NASDAQ with the symbol SBGI [1][2].

Sinclair Broadcasting was a pioneer of local marketing agreements in the early 1990’s. Though many stations are owned and operated by Sinclair, others are affiliated through LMA’s. Sinclair’s stations are affiliated with major networks like Fox, NBC, CBS, and ABC. Also, this company was one of the first to experiment with “prepackaged” news programs, produced by the news organization, News Central [3].

Sinclair has a diverse array of holdings outside telecommunications as well. Ring of Honor Wrestling is just one of their many subsidiaries. They air the content they produce in certain markets and upload some episodes to YouTube.

Here is Ring Of Honor Episode 54 from October 11, 2012:

Recent Acquisitions and News

A buying spree in 2011 and early 2012 added the assets of Four Points Media Group, the Freedom Communications stations group, and six stations from Newport Television [4][5][6]. Sinclair Broadcast Group now operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States.

Their most recent acquisitions closed December 1, 2012 and include stations in new and previously established markets. In addition to increasing the audience reach of Sinclair 3%, these purchases also increased the number of affiliated stations in Sinclair’s portfolio. Some of the stations now owned by Sinclair are WTTA (MNT) Tampa, KBTV (FOX) Beaumont, WKRC (CBS) Cincinnati, WOAI (NBC) San Antonio, WHP (CBS) Harrisburg, WPMI (NBC) and WJTC (IND) Mobile, KSAS (FOX) Wichita, and WHAM (ABC) Rochester.

See all of Sinclair’s holdings and their information here.

Sinclair’s Markets – Map courtesy of Sinclair Broadcast Group

The failure of New Central and Sinclair’s profile as a “profit first, journalism second” broadcaster prompted the company to shift its focus to quality news in local markets. Sinclair’s recent acquisitions included many local news stations, atypical purchases for the company, but smart because of their powerful local presence. Sinclair has even joined the National Association of Broadcasters, a sign that they’re willingness to participate in Washington alongside competitors [7].

Hurricane Sandy had a large impact on many viewers in Sinclair’s markets, creating an opportunity for the company to serve its local constituents. During the storm, Sinclair provided non-stop coverage by “simulcasting” the news programs online. This allowed those without power to access it using mobiles phones and tablets. Online streaming and other technology platforms are being considered at Sinclair Group. Chief tech executive Del Parks spoke for the company claiming that the multiscreen experience is, “a very personal thing for our news operations.” Simulcasting was also used this fall in local office campaigns within certain Sinclair markets by streaming town hall debates on their website [8].

On November 13, 2012 it was announced that Sinclair Broadcasting would be partnering with Datasphere, a technology company aimed at small business solutions in major media and reaching the hyperlocal market. Sinclair’s television station websites will be retrofitted with Datasphere’s event calendars for local event lists in each market. An example of this calendar can be seen on WBFF Baltimore’s event website. This will be used alongside a whole new technology platform at Sinclair Group. It is a full-sized service that connects local small businesses to media companies for advertising needs. Datasphere’s services will be introduced into 21 markets including Austin, Baltimore, Columbus, Dayton, Nashville and San Antonio [9].

Sinclair attends many industry conferences. Their next conference is the JP Morgan Global HYLFC in Miami Beach, February 25-27, 2013.

Financial Overview

Sinclair’s income statement for December 2, 2012 shows the stock price settling at $11.03; this is still low compared to their period of $14.00+ shares back in 2003-2004. This company has battled through the economic recession, however, showing staggering growth in returns over a three year period. In fact, they’ve quadrupled the 3 year return percentage of their competitor Belo Corporation from 2009 to 2012 [10].

SBGI Total Returns Comparison

Chart courtesy of www.ycharts.com

Three year returns are a significant figure for a long-term shareholder of this company. High returns indicate a growing business. Sinclair has rebounded from the recession and continues to show steady growth.

High third quarter revenues this year were reported following Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath. The 44% increase from $181 million to $260 million was attributed to political advertising associated with the campaign season and a spike in automotive advertising on Sinclair’s stations. After reaching retransmission agreements with networks like Comcast and Dish, Sinclair found that higher retransmissions revenues also contributed to the figure [11][12].

Hear or watch the rebroadcast of the 3rd quarter 2012 earnings results here.

Sinclair’s financial calendar is as follows:

February 6, 2013 – Fourth Quarter 2012 Earnings Report
May 1, 2013 – First Quarter 2013 Earnings Report
June 16, 2013 – Annual Shareholders Meeting
August 7, 2013 – Second Quarter 2013 Earnings Report
November 6, 2013 – Third Quarter 2013 Earnings Report

Controversies

Sinclair Broadcasting, though successful and respected in the industry, is not immune to scrutiny by its competition and the public eye. The company is known for blatantly taking sides on social and political issues including political campaigns. A conservative bias can be noticed in the programming Sinclair chooses to air around election time. Even so, they deny any partisanship and claim to only be informing and engaging the public.

Photo courtesy of cbs12.com

The 2012 Presidential Campaign was another opportunity for Sinclair to garner the profits of political advertising at the cost of their audience’s scheduled news programming. The decision to preempt regular programs in order to air the “ABC 6 Election Special – VOTE 2012” didn’t sit well with supporters of Obama [13]. The special was aired in markets all located in battleground states.

A writer for The Baltimore Sun wrote in an article that, “the only thing that was lower than the attack-ad-dominated style of campaigning by both sides was the performance of an increasingly superficial and partisan press,” [14][15]. Sinclair has since rejected the criticism, claiming that the specials were focused on the issues and not so much the candidates, and that the markets where they were aired had more “news value.” [16]

Watch a recap of the election special here.

In a dispute with Dish Network this past August, Sinclair was ready to black out 74 of its stations carried by Dish when they wouldn’t accept a new retransmission agreement. A public exchange of words between the two companies resulted in high tensions and little motivation for Sinclair to bargain with the distributor. Dish claimed that Sinclair was charging more than any other broadcaster, resulting in higher subscription fees for customers. Sinclair, however, views retransmission fees as an important resource for the company. A multi-year consent agreement was finally reached after several weeks. Sinclair has become increasingly aggressive towards television providers and retransmission fees. Similar disputes between Mediacom, Time Warner, and Comcast all ended with agreements favoring Sinclair [17].

Sources

[1]: http://www.sbgi.net/about/history.shtml

[2]: http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/sbgi

[3]: http://www.sbgi.net/about/profile.shtml

[4]: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/473517-Sinclair_Grabs_Four_Points_Stations_for_200_Mil.php

[5]: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/19/sinclairbroadcast-acquisition-idUSL4E8IJ3M120120719

[6]: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/19/us-sinclairbroadcast-acquisition-idUSBRE86I0OY20120719

[7]: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/481963-Local_TV_s_Death_Star_Gets_in_Sync.php

[8]: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/63574/second-screens-now-a-necessity-at-sinclair

[9]: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/13/4981878/datasphere-teams-up-with-sinclair.html

[10]: http://ycharts.com/companies/SBGI/performance

[11]: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hmOfM9u5nekq4hbPyXAmLOj9OErg?docId=365c480866ce41d9b245673a0f614900