CBS Corp. #1

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith

CBS. Corporation Logo [16]

Headquarters:
51 W. 52nd Street
New York, New York, 10019
1-212-975-4321
http://www.cbscorporation.com/index.php

Key Executives:

Sumner M. Redstone,
Executive Chairman [17]

Leslie Moonves,
President and Chief Executive Officer [18]

Anthony Ambrosio,
Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer [19]

About:
CBS Corporation is a widely known mass media company that runs operations in various entertainment and media fields, such as cable, publishing, radio, film, local TV, and interactive media. They are especially well-known in the television industry, owning the current most-watched television network in the country [1]. The CBS Television Network currently owns more than 200 television stations and affiliates across the country. They have several programs that are number one in their respective categories; for example, the #1 sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, the #1 newsmagazine, 60 Minutes, the #1 scripted/drama program, NCIS, and the #1 daytime drama, The Young and the Restless [2]. Their television holdings include CBS Television Network, the CW (a joint venture with Warner Bros. Entertainment), CBS Television Studios, Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network, Pop (a joint venture with Lionsgate), Smithsonian Networks, and several more [1]. Overall, CBS Television Stations is made up of 29 stations, with 16 as a part of the CBS Television Network, 8 affiliates of the CW Network, 3 independent stations, and two MyNetworkTV affiliates [3].

History:

CBS Corp. “Eye” Logo – Source: Hub Magazine [20]

CBS’s brand, “the Eye,” as seen in their logo, is extremely recognizable in the industry today. This is in part due to CBS having the most watched television network in the U.S., as well as owning one of the largest entertainment libraries in the world, and several other factors. The public awareness of CBS can be seen today in the number of #1 television programs that CBS runs on their Television Network [1].
CBS was founded by William Paley in 1928. That year, Paley purchased 16 independent radio stations, calling them the Columbia Broadcast System [2]. The company experienced several name changes throughout the years, changing to CBS Inc. in 1974, and later to CBS Corporation in 1997, several years after being acquired by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. CBS started as a predominately radio-based company, before adding television to the corporation in the late 1940s. At this point, CBS Television was known as the “Tiffany Network,” and did very well against its competition [4].

Financials:
CBS is a publicly traded company. On November 19th, 2015, CBS stock was being traded for $51.75. This marks a steady increase in stock value after the stock hit its lowest point on September 28th, 2015 when it was being traded for $38.67. The value has been steadily increasing since then, with the value on November 19th representing the highest value in the last three months [5]. CBS released their third quarter results for 2015 on November 3rd. They reported that their revenues for this quarter were $3.26 billion in comparison to same prior-year period when their revenues were $3.37 billion. They relate this decrease in revenue to the timing of television licensing sales, as well as decreases in lower-margin revenues [6].

Current Programming:

Supergirl Preview [21]
This fall, on October 26th, CBS premiered the highly anticipated television show, Supergirl. The premiere did very well, with an average viewership of 12.9 million, and a 3.1 rating [7]. These high numbers led to the Supergirl premiere being the most watched television show of the fall. The success of the premiere could be due to the late premiere date, leading to a lack of competition with other new shows. The premiere also benefited from directly following CBS’s hit show The Big Bang Theory [8]. However, the ratings for the following weeks have been steadily declining, reaching its’ lowest point in it’s fifth week, on November 23rd, with a rating of 1.5. This is less than 50% of the premiere’s ratings [9].
Supergirl has also been in the news recently because November 16th episode. CBS made the decision to swap out the planned episode for the Thanksgiving special in response to the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris on November 13th. That week’s planned episode had focused on a series of bombings in National City, so the decision was made to postpone the episode due to similarities to the terror in Paris. CBS also pulled that week’s episode of NCIS: Los Angeles because it focused on recruitment methods employed by the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks [10].

OTT Services:

CBS All Access – CBS’ new OTT Service – Source: Variety.com [22]

CBS has announced several deals that contribute to their effort to shift with the industry. CBS recently announced that they will start offering a streaming program, called CBS All Access, that will allow viewers to watch many of their programs without a pay-TV subscription. CBS All Access will stream full seasons of most of CBS’s current shows, as well as some of their older content. This service will cost $5.99 per month. New episodes of their current shows will be available the day after they originally air. On CBS’ full-episode streaming app, which is free, new episodes are not available until eight days after the episode originally airs. A benefit to CBS All Access is that older seasons of programs will have 25% less advertisement time than when they aired. Another unique factor of CBS All Access is that they will include live streaming of local CBS TV stations, and allow viewers to stream any of those stations live as if they were watching it on television [11].
On October 1st, CBS announced a deal with Amazon that will give Amazon Prime the exclusive streaming rights to three of CBS’s new summer series through 2018. The deal will also expand the CBS programs that will be available on Amazon Prime. The first summer series that will be available on Amazon Prime is Braindead, which will be available for streaming four days after the initial broadcast [12].

Star Trek:

Star Trek on CBS All Access – Source: TechTimes.com [23]

CBS announced on November 2nd, 2015 that they will be launching a new Star Trek television series that will premiere in January 2017. The first episode of the new series will premiere on CBS’s broadcast network, and then transition exclusively to CBS All Access [13]. Having the program available only on CBS All Access is an attempt to draw viewers and attention to the new streaming service. Star Trek will be the first scripted program that will be produced specifically for CBS All Access. CBS All Access also currently offers every Star Trek series which, according to Leslie Moonves, are currently doing very well on the streaming platform [14]. However, CBS Studios International will eventually distribute the new series other other TV networks and digital platforms. The series will be produced by Alex Kurtzman, who previously worked on J.J. Abram’s Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, and Heather Kadin, who previously was an executive producer for Limitless [15]. The series will introduce new characters, new civilizations, and explore contemporary themes, which has been a staple of the franchise since it’s premiere [14]. The target audience of this new series is the fans that have already been watching the older series on CBS All Access, and CBS is hoping that they will easily transition to watching the new series as well.

Sources:

[1] CBS Company Overview. Cbscorporation.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[2] CBS Television Network Portfolio. Cbscorporation.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[3] CBS Television Stations Portfolio. Cbscorporation.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[4] CBS Corporation. Britannica.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[5] CBS Corporation Finances. Google Finance, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[6] CBS’ Third Quarter Results. Investors.cbscorporation.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[7] Broadcast Ratings Oct. 26 – Nov. 1. Tvbythenumbers.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[8] “‘Supergirl’ Soars to Big Ratings for CBS”. Money.cnn.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[9] “New Show Power Rankings, Week 5: ‘Supergirl’ is Flying Less High”. Tvbythenumbers.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[10] “CBS Pulls Terror Episodes of ‘Supergirl’ and ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ After Paris Attacks”. Latimes.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[11] “CBS Starts Offering Its Signal Over the Web as Over-the-Top Gates Open”. Adage.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[12] CBS and Amazon Press Release. Cbscorporation.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[13] “Why CBS’s New Star Trek Show is a Glimpse Into TV’s Future”. Tv.com, retrieved 23 November 2015

[14] “Leslie Moonves Explains Why ‘Star Trek’ Went to CBS All Access”. Hollywoodreporter.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[15] “CBS is Bringing Back Star Trek, but it Won’t Air on TV”. Adweek.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[16] CBS Corporation Logo. Images.bwwstatic.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[17] Sumner M. Redstone Biography Page. Cbscorporation.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[18] Leslie Moonves Biography Page. Cbscorporation.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[19] Anthony G. Ambrosio Biography Page. Cbscorporation.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[20] CBS ‘Eye’ Logo. Hubmagazine.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[21] “‘Supergirl’ What You Can Expect This Season”. Cbs.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[22] CBS All Access Logo. Variety.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

[23] Star Trek Image. Techtimes.com, retrieved 23 November 2015.

CBS Corp. (TV broadcast & cable properties only)

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Emily Norman

by Emily Norman

CBS Corporation

Brief History

Classic CBS Logo. [1]

Founded in 1927 by Arthur Judson as an alternative to NBC, the Columbia Broadcasting System has been delivering news and entertainment for nearly a century. CBS has flourished in the realm of television, as it produced hits such as The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968), M*A*S*H (1972-1983), and 60 Minutes (1968-). In 1995, the company was sold to Westinghouse Electric Corporation for about $5 billion. Today, Westinghouse is known as CBS Corporation [2].

Corporate Information

Key Executives

Sumner M. Redstone, Courtesy of cbscorporation.com

Sumner M. Redstone, Executive Chairman. [3]

Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, Courtesy of cbscorporation.com

Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer. [4]

Anthony G. Ambrosio, Senior Executive Vice President. [5]

Financials

For the 2014 third quarter, CBS announced a revenue of $3.37 billion, which is up 2% from the 2013 third quarter. Similarly, advertising revenue also grew 2%, due to Thursday Night Football as well as midterm elections. However, the company’s adjusted net earnings were just $400 million, down $31 million from the year before. Also during the third quarter, CBS bought back just under seven million shares of its own stock for about $400 million [6]. As of November 28th, 2014, the price of one share was $54.88. This was just above of its 52-week low of $48.83 [7].

Broadcast Programming

CBS Daytime Programming

The Cast of The Young and the Restless. [8]

CBS has always excelled in the world of daytime drama. Now, in 2014, it is the only broadcast network to feature more than one soap opera: The Young and the Restless (1973-) and The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-). The Young and the Restless saw a 1.3 rating for the 18-49 demo this past September, which is up 8% from March. This bump in viewership is accredited to the return of Shemar Moore [9]. Meanwhile, its sister-soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, featured a pair of cross-over episodes with Big Brother in celebration of Halloween [10]. Both these daytime dramas have performed spectacularly, routinely beating out NBC’s Days of Our Lives and ABC’s General Hospital [11].

Soap Opera Ratings for the Week of November 3rd – November 7th, 2014. [11]

CBS Primetime Programming

The Cast of Scorpion. [12]

For the 2014-2015 season, CBS launched five new series in the fall. The majority of the new shows are hour-long dramas, including Scorpion, Stalker, Madam Secretary, and the second spin-off of the hit series NCIS, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS. CBS only launched one new sitcom this fall: The McCarthys [13]. Of these new series, Scorpion is performing the best, with an average 18-49 demo rating of 2.47 as of November 19th, 2014. At the bottom of the pack is the network’s lone rookie sitcom, The McCarthys, which is averaging a rating of about 1.51 in the same demo, making it susceptible to cancelation [14]. None of CBS’ new launches have been canceled as of November 20th, 2014 [15].

The Cast of The Big Bang Theory. [16]

The network boasts The Big Bang Theory as one of its top ratings giants. Now in its eighth season, the sitcom is consistently one of the highest-rated shows of the week, earning a whopping 4.5 in the 18-49 demo the week of November 10th [17]. The series has already been renewed for a ninth season [15]. Now in its twelfth season, NCIS has consistently ranked high in overall viewership; for the week of November 10th, the series boasted over 17 million viewers, trailing just behind the 20 million that NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football brought in [17]. The 2014-2015 season also marks the end of two of the network’s major veteran shows: Two and a Half Men and The Mentalist. After having lost two of its leading men, Two and a Half Men reached an all-time low average of 10.66 million viewers for its eleventh season, and, while 10 million viewers is still an impressive figure, the show has run its course and will go off the air in May [18]. The Mentalist garnered around 11.5 million viewers in its previous season. It has been speculated that, should these numbers remain impressive throughout the show’s shortened 13-episode-long final season, Warner Brothers could shop the show to other networks [19].

CBS’ Average Ratings for the 2014-2015 Season, As of November 19th, 2014. [14]

Additional Properties Programming

The CW Programming

Grant Gustin as The Flash. [20]

The joint venture of Time Warner and CBS, The CW has been a staple in young adult programming since 2006 [21]. For the 2014-2015 season, The CW launched two new series: The Flash and Jane the Virgin [22]. The Flash garnered nearly seven million viewers in the Live+7 ratings for its October premiere, making it the most watched piece of television that the network has ever aired [23]. Meanwhile, Jane the Virgin has accumulated critical acclaim for introducing diversity to The CW’s lineup [24]. Both The Flash and Jane the Virgin were picked up for full-season orders on October 21st [25].

The Cast of Supernatural. [26]

Supernatural, which began as a WB series in 2005, recently celebrated not only the debut of its tenth season, but also its 200th episode, which garnered the show’s highest ratings since the season premiere: 2.92 million viewers in the Live+3 category [27]. The network has also decreed that a 22nd cycle of America’s Next Top Model be commissioned for the 2015 season [28]. As of Friday, November 14th, the show’s current cycle holds a 0.4 in the 18-49 demo [29].

The CW's Average Ratings, As of November 19th, 2014.

The CW’s Average Ratings for the 2014-2015 Season, As of November 19th, 2014. [30]

Showtime Programming

Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper on Twin Peaks. [31]

CBS’ cable holding, Showtime, announced this fall its intentions to resurrect Twin Peaks, which ran from 1990-1991 on ABC. Showtime will air the original 30 episodes ahead of the new series, which will consist of nine episodes. The continuation of Twin Peaks will debut in 2016 [32]. In the meantime, Showtime continues to experience success with its critically-acclaimed series Homeland. The series garnered a season-best 1.66 million viewers on November 16th, however, when all platforms are taken into account, the series is averaging well over 5 million viewers on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, The Affair, which airs in the slot following Homeland, delivered roughly 778,000 viewers that same evening, up 16% from the previous week. As with Homeland, multi-platform viewing accounts for a significant portion of its viewership, resulting in a total number of 3.8 million viewers [33].

Showtime’s Average Ratings for the 2014-2015 Season, As of November 19th, 2014.

Showtime’s Average Ratings, As of November 19th, 2014. [34]

Current Events

CBS All Access

This fall, CBS became the first broadcast network to begin offering a streaming service akin to HBO’s service. This product is called CBS All Access and costs subscribers $5.99 a month. That being said, as of October 16th, the service is only offered in seven US markets, and does not feature NFL games. CBS All Access offers customers a wide array of both current series and canceled series [35].

CBS New York’s Coverage of CBS All Access. Click for Full Video. [36]

Dispute with Dish

In November of 2014, CBS experienced a dispute with Dish TV over negotiations. The companies’ previous contract was signed in January of 2012, and was set to expire by the end of November, however, CBS, along with other major broadcast networks, filed a lawsuit against Dish, citing their ad-skipping feature as the main source of conflict. The feature, which allows the customer to automatically skip over commercials, also prompted an attempt on CBS’ behalf to break their current contract with the satellite company [37]. With multiple Owned & Operated stations on the verge of being blacked out to Dish customers, both companies agreed to a deadline-extension on their current contract; as of November 26th, the extension will reach into early December, prompting further negotiation, while the O&O stations still air their programming [38].

Sources

[1] CBS Logo. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://awfulannouncing.com/2013/cbs-sports-chairman-sean-mcmanus-on-that-other-pregame-show-concussions-and-fantasy-football.html

[2] CBS Corporation. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100876/CBS-Corporation

[3] Sumner M. Redstone. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany-executives.php?id=&exec=156

[4] Leslie Moonves. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany-executives.php?id=&exec=150

[5] Anthony G. Ambrosio. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany-executives.php?id=&exec=135

[6] Investor Relations – Financial and Stock Information. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://investors.cbscorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99462&p=quarterlyearnings

[7] Investor Relations – Stock Quote. Retrieved November 28, from http://investors.cbscorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99462&p=irol-shareowner_stockquote

[8] The Cast of The Young and the Restless. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Young_and_the_Restless

[9] Big Ratings for Y&R. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_young_and_the_restless/news/1003158/

[10] B&B & Big Brother Spooktacular. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/news_blog/1003342/

[11] Soap Opera Ratings. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/15/soap-opera-ratings-the-young-the-restless-the-bold-the-beautiful-general-hospital-up-in-women-18-49-viewers/327190/

[12] The Cast of Scorpion. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.cbs.com/shows/scorpion/about/

[13] CBS Fall TV Schedule 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvline.com/2014/05/14/cbs-fall-tv-lineup-2014-the-big-bang-theory-monday/

[14] CBS 2014-15 Season Ratings. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/cbs-2014-15-season-ratings-33998/

[15] CBS Predictions. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/18/cbs-predictions-stalker-is-a-toss-up-to-be-canceled-or-renewed/327282/

[16] The Cast of The Big Bang Theory. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.movieweb.com/movies-you-havent-seen-with-the-cast-of-the-big-bang-theory

[17] TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/18/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-sunday-night-football-tops-week-8-with-adults-18-49/329077/

[18] ‘Two and a Half Men’ Final Season. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://www.ibtimes.com/two-half-men-final-season-how-show-survived-losing-charlie-sheen-why-season-12-last-1716310

[19] ‘The Mentalist’ to end on CBS. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/04/the-mentalist-canceled/

[20] Grant Gustin as The Flash. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.comicvine.com/articles/big-change-to-flash-s-role-in-arrow-update/1100-147601/

[21] The CW. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cbscorporation.com/portfolio.php?division=95

[22] The CW’s Fall Schedule. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://tvline.com/2014/06/25/cw-fall-tv-schedule-2014-arrow-vampire-diaries/

[23] ‘The Flash’ Premiere Ratings. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://deadline.com/2014/10/the-flash-ratings-premiere-most-watched-cw-863045/

[24] ‘Jane the Virgin’ is The CW’s Best Show Ever. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/28/jane-the-virgin-is-the-cw-s-best-show-ever.html

[25] ‘The Flash’ ‘Jane the Virgin’ Get Full Season Orders. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/flash-jane-virgin-get-full-739683

[26] The Cast of Supernatural. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/supernatural/29404/supernatural-spin-off-casts-its-leads

[27] The CW’s ‘The Flash’ and 200th Episode of ‘Supernatural’. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/16/the-cws-the-flash-and-200th-episode-of-supernatural-hit-best-ratings-since-season-premiere-in-live-3-ratings/328353/

[28] America’s Next Top Model Renewed. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/americas-next-top-model-renewed-the-cw-1201358635/

[29] Friday TV Ratings. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/friday-tv-ratings-last-man-standing-antm-amazing-race-grimm-shark-tank-34732/

[30] CW 2014-2015 Season Ratings. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/cw-2014-15-season-ratings-34237/

[31] Kye MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://inthetreesartpreview.blogspot.com

[32] Cult Favorite ‘Twin Peaks’ to Return. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.whas11.com/story/entertainment/2014/10/20/15980076/

[33] Showtime’s ‘Homeland,’ ‘The Affair’ Continue Ratings Rise. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/ratings/showtimes-homeland-the-affair-continue-ratings-rise-1201359488/

[34] Showtime’s Average Ratings. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/showtime-tv-show-ratings-33448/

[35] HBO, CBS Set Up Streaming Service. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://movienewsguide.com/hbo-cbs-set-streaming-service/34363

[36] CBS Offers Digital Subscription Service. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xBLol05Uh8

[37] Dish Could Lose 16 CBS Stations In Fee Fight. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.tvpredictions.com/dish110314.htm

[38] Dish Extends CBS Deal Another Week. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://adage.com/article/media/dish-extends-cbs-deal-week-standoff-looms/296014/

CBS Corp. (TV broadcast & cable properties only)

Link

by Mike Liebenson

[1] CBS Logo

CBS Headquarters
51 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019-6188
1-212-975-4321 [1.5]

KEY EXECUTIVES

[2] Leslie Moonves- President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation

[3] Sumner M Redstone- Executive Chairman

[4] Joseph Ianniello- Chief Operating Officer

[5] Anthony G. Ambrosio, Senior Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Administration, CBS Corporation.

OVERVIEW

CBS Corporation is an industry-leading mass media company that creates and distributes content across a multiple platforms to audiences worldwide. Spanning virtually every field of media and entertainment, CBS’s operations include cable, film, radio, publishing, local TV, and interactive/social media. [6]

Network Portfolio

[7] All of CBS’s Assets

CBS is home to one of the world’s largest libraries of media content, making it one of the most recognized brands in business. Specific to television, CBS’s businesses include CBS Television Network, The CW, Showtime Networks, TVGN, CBS Sports Network, Smithsonian Networks, CBS Television Studios, and CBS Television Stations [6].

CBS CURRENT FALL SEASON

[8] One of the Thursday Night Football games featuring San Diego at Denver.

The 2015 season has been kind to “The Big Eye,” with the network averaging 12.2 million viewers daily. This puts the network ahead of every other network, with NBC trailing behind at 9.8 million [9]. Part of this is due to their addition of Thursday Night Football to their fall line-up. Each week their installment of football, which replaced conventional series for the first two months of the season, topped Thursday nights for total viewership. The final game aired earned a 13.2 rating and 23 percent share [10]. That’s slightly less than the all-time high overnight household rating of 13.7 when the season opened on September 11. While Thursday Night Football has done well, analysts projected it to do even better. Yesterday RBC Capital Markets’ David Bank dropped his earnings forecast for CBS by 27 cents to $3.07 because of the ratings letdown [8].

Newcomers

Among CBS’s five other newcomers for the 2014-2015 season, only one was a half-hour sitcom. The Mccarthys, which debuted 1.7/5 in the 18-49 share and 8.08 total million viewers [12], but has fallen to 1.4 and 6.53 total million viewers [13].

[11] First Look

Of the four dramas that premiered this season, consisting of Madame Secretary, Scorpion, NCIS: New Orleans, and Stalker, Scorpion has the strongest for the 18-49 share while the NCIS spin off has the highest overall views. Scorpion debuted at 3.2 share, but has decreased to a low 1.9 as of their 11/24 episode [14].

[15] First Look

NCIS New Orleans debuted at 17.37 million views, and as kept most of its view with their most current episode garnering 14.47 million views. NCIS: New Orleans, along with its predecessor, both skew older and target viewers above the age of 50 [16]. All four of the new dramas have been picked up for full seasons as of 10/28/14 [17].

[18] First Look

Returning Shows

[19] The cast of The Big Bang Theory

Of its current series, CBS boasts the most watched scripted series by both total views and 18-49 shares. The Big Bang Theory, which moved back to Thursdays as of 11/20, has consistently had highest 18-49 share for a scripted series with their most current rating averaging a 4.1 as of 11/25 [20]. Their eighth year’s average is lower so far than their past season, which averaged a 5.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 17.65 million total viewers. The series is renewed until season 10, though, with higher salaries for their lead actors as well [21].

[23] The cast of NCIS

NCIS captures the most viewers for a scripted series every week with their 11/25 episode garnering 16 million viewers. This season is also down from last, with their 11th season of NCIS averaged a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 18.5 million total viewers [22]. Even with their top shows dipping in the numbers slightly, CBS is maintaining a steady flow of cash revenue.

FINANCIALS

[24] 2014 Q3 earnings for CBS

CBS is publicly held. As of their 2014 third quarter report, CBS’s shares rose 2.3% from $3.30 billion in 2013 to $3.37 billion now [24]. This was mostly thanks to a 4% increase in content licensing and distribution revenues from higher domestic and international licensing of their television programming. The main Entertainment unit, which includes the CBS TV network and studios, saw a 1% increase in revenues to $1.91 billion. Thanks to the political revenues of the midterm elections and their introduction to Thursday Night Football on CBS, the corporation saw their advertising revenue increase by 2%. In cable networks, like Showtime, revenues were up 5% to $624 million due to the company’s increased rates and increased cash flow from license agreements for its original series [25]. As of December 1 at 4:02 pm, CBS’s stock closed at $54.47, a .75% decrease from the day before [26].

MAJOR HAPPENINGS

CBS All Access

[27]

On October 16, 2014 CBS announced a first for any of the major traditional broadcast networks; subscription based multi-platform access to their content called CBS All Access [28]. For $5.99, the network will offer subscribers episodes from their current and classic shows on-demand across computers, tablets, and smartphones. Subscribers will also have the ability to live stream local CBS television stations in 14 of the most popular U.S. markets; And that number will only grow [28]. The most important amenity of this new service is that customers do not have to be subscribers of a cable or satellite company to access this service; They just need to pay their subscription to seamlessly interact with CBS’s content across their multiple platforms.

TVGN to POP

[29] Redesigned Logo

The TV Guide Network, a joint venture between CBS Corp. and Lionsgate, is planning to receive a major facelift in January of 2015. TVGN will be rebranded as POP, a network centered on the celebration of American fan boy culture [30]. The theme has a much more unique POV, allowing the channel to look at anything that draws on the experience of high intensity fans. POP will launch with more than 400 hours of original programming, featuring A New Kids on The Block reality series, a scripted series, entertainment news, red-carpet specials, and other exciting new content. One series in particular, The Story Behind, will look inside the origin stories of successful hit series [29]. CBS is hoping to be able to obtain more money a month per subscriber. The current TVGN commands two cents a month in comparison to networks garnered towards similar audiences, like E!, that get 24 cents a month per subscriber. Their hopes extend to increased ad revenue as well, since it is on the smaller side [30].

CBS vs. Dish Dispute

[31]

Tensions are rising between CBS and the no. 2 Satellite Distributor over this past month. On November 14, CBS reached out to Dish Network subscribers to inform them of the impending loss of their affiliated channels due an unresolved deal between the two companies after their carriage contract expires at the end of November. CBS has extended the deadline twice, with their deal now supposed to close by the end of the first week in December [31]. The deal seems to me more about rights over CBS content rather than financial issues, specificaly Dish’s ability to include it in the over-the-top service that it aims to launch as well as offering out-of-home viewing rights to their subscribers. There is been concern over Dish’s Hopper DVR service that allows users to record large amounts of primetime with one button. The rollout of this new DVR launched lawsuits against Dish by the major broadcasters, not just CBS [32].

Works Cited

[1] CBS Logo, Deadline.com, RT: 12/1/14

[1.5] CBS Contact, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[2] Photo of Leslie Moonves, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[3] Photo of Sumner Redstone, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[4] Photo of Joseph Ianniello, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[5] Photo of Anthony Ambosio, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[6] About CBS, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[7] Assets of CBS, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[8] Photo of Thursday Night Football, deadline.com, RT: 12/1/14

[9] CBS 2014-2015 Ratings, tvseriesfinale.com, RT: 12/1/14

[10] ‘Thursday Night Football’ Ends on High Note, hollywoodreporter.com, RT: 12/1/14

[11] The Mccarthy’s- First Look, youtube.com, RT: 12/1/14

[12] Thursday Final Ratings (10/31), tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com, RT: 12/1/14

[13] Thursday Final Ratings (11/25), tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com, RT: 12/1/14

[14] Scorpion: Season One Ratings, tvseriesfinale.com, RT: 12/1/14

[15] Scorpion- First Look, youtube.com, RT: 12/1/14

[16] NCIS: New Orleans: Season One Ratings, tvseriesfinale.com, RT: 12/1/14

[17] NCIS: New Orleans, Scorpion, Madam Secretary, Stalker: CBS Orders Full Seasons, tvseriesfinale.com, RT: 12/1/14

[18] NCIS: New Orleans- First Look, youtube.com, RT: 12/1/14

[19] The Big Bang Theory Cast Photo, moviepilot.com, RT: 12/1/14

[20] The Big Bang Theory: Season Eight Ratings, tvseriesfinale.com, RT: 12/1/14

[21] ‘Big Bang Theory’ Renewed Through Season 10, hollywoodreporter.com, RT: 12/1/14

[22] NCIS: Season Twelve Ratings, tvseriesfinale.com, RT: 12/1/14

[23] NCIS Cast Photo, jenniferbadger.com, RT: 12/1/14

[24] CBS Corporation Earnings Release, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[25] CBS Narrowly Beats Q3 Earnings Estimates, deadline.com, RT: 12/1/14

[26] CBS Interactive Stock Chart, finance.yahoo.com, RT: 12/1/14

[27] CBS Offers Digital Subscription Service, youtube.com, RT: 12/1/14

[28] CBS New Multi-Platform Digital Subscription Service, cbscorporation.com, RT: 12/1/14

[29] Meet POP, variety.com, RT: 12/1/14

[30] TV Guide Network To Relaunch In Early 2015 As POP, variety.com, RT: 12/1/14

[31] CBS Will Star on Dish Through the Weekend, deadline.com, RT: 12/1/14

[32] Carriage Talks Progress, variety.com, RT: 12/1/14

CBS Corps.

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Maggie O'Reilly

By Maggie O'Reilly

CBS Corporation

CBS Logo, photo courtesy of forbes.com

CBS Headquarters
51 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019-6188
1-212-975-43211-212-975-4321

http://www.cbscorporation.com/

About CBS Corporation [1]

CBS Corporation is a mass media corporation, primarily operated in the United States. Originally founded as Viacom in 1971, the modern-day CBS Corporation is the result the 2005 split of Viacom into two publicly traded companies. With the split, CBS Corporation retained the rights to all CBS broadcast networks as well as pay-cable stations. Their current television assets include CBS, Showtime, and CBS Sports Network. They also have a 50/50 share of the CW with Time Warner’s Warner Bros division.

Key Executives [2]

Sumner M. Redstone, photo courtesy of CBS Corporate website

Sumner M. Redstone: Sumner M. Redstone serves as Chairman of the Board of both CBS Corporation and Viacom. He assumed these roles after the 2005 split of Viacom into two separate companies. Prior to the split, Redstone had served as Chairman of the Board of Viacom since 1987 and CEO of Viacom since 1996. Currently, he is the controlling shareholder of both companies.

Leslie Moonves, photo courtesy of CBS Corporate website

Leslie Moonves: Leslie Moonves is President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation. He was was named CEO of CBS Corporation upon its creation in 2005. Prior to this, he had served as CEO of CBS Television since 1998 and was briefly Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Viacom from 2004 to 2005.

Financials

CBS Corporation has been publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange since January 3, 2006. On March 6th, 2014, their stock price hit an all time high, reaching $67.55. Since then, the stock price has been steadily decreasing. Their current stock price is $60.64.[3]

photo courtesy of nasdaq.com

In the 2013 fiscal year, CBS earned revenues of $15.3 billion with net earnings of
1.9 billion, a strong 19.4% increase from their 2012 net earnings. At the end of the 2013 fiscal year, CBS Corporation’s assets were valued at 26.4 billion while their debts are currently calculated at roughly 6.5 billion. [4]

Assets [5]

.CBS: The CBS broadcast network, formerly the Columbia Broadcasting System, first launched as a radio network in 1927. Currently, CBS is one of the “Big Four” television networks, competing with NBC, ABC, and FOX.

.Showtime: CBS Corporation’s premium-cable channel, Showtime, launched on July 1, 1976. The original Showtime channel has served as a flagship for Showtime Networks, which now consists of over 10 premium cable channels, including The Movie Channel, FLIX, and Smithsonian Networks.

The CW: The CW was launched on September 18, 2006. The CW is the result of merger between UPN (formerly operated by CBS) and the WB (formerly operated by Warner Bros). The CW’s target demographic skews a bit younger than CBS and Showtime networks.

CBS Sports: CBS Sports is sports-oriented cable channel that was originally launched as the National College Sports Network in 2002. In 2011, the channel was re-branded as CBS Sports Network. The channel currently airs the PGA tour, US tennis, NCAA basketball, and college football.

Top Rated Programming

The CBS Television Network, has been #1 in total viewers for 10 of the past 11 years. [6] This is largely due to CBS’s successful prime-time lineup. Currently, CBS airs television’s #1 drama, NCIS. During the first week of February 2014 sweeps, NCIS brought in an impressive 19.53 viewers. CBS also airs several other acclaimed television dramas, including NCIS: Los Angeles, Blue Bloods, and Person of Interest. [7]

Cast of NCIS, photo courtesy of nbcpressexpress.com

CBS is also home to television’s #1 sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. In the first week of February 2014 sweeps, The Big Bang Theory drew in 17.53 million viewer whereas ABC’s best performing sitcom, Modern Family, only attracted 9.87 million viewers. CBS also airs several other incredibly successful sitcoms, including 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, and Two and a Half Men. [8] [9]

Cast of The Big Bang Theory, photo courtesy of nbcpressexpress.com

In the week of April 7th, 2014, it was reported by Nielsen that 7 of the weeks top 10 broadcasts aired on CBS, helping to further cement CBS as the top rated channel on television. [10]

CBS in the News

How I Met Your Mother Ends Legendary Nine Year Run

Cast of How I Met Your Mother, photo courtest of cbspressexpress.com

Cast of How I Met Your Mother, photo courtesy of cbspressexpress.com

CBS’s long running sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, came to an end on March 31st, 2014 after nine successful seasons. The series followed the lives of main character, Ted Mosby, and his group of friends living in Manhattan. During How I Met Your Mother’s nine season run, it received 28 Emmy Award nominations, of which it won 9. The series also turned several of its stars into household names, including Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel. The series finale was met with mixed reviews from critics and fans. While some praised the finale for tying up loose ends, others were left disappointed, believing that the writers disregarded nine seasons of character development. Despite the mixed reaction, How I Met Your Mother’s series finale was the highest rated episode of the series, drawing in 13.13 million total viewers. It was also the #1 18-49 broadcast during the week that it aired, with a 5.4 rating. [11] [12] [13] [14]

NCAA Basketball Tournament Draws In Big Numbers for CBS

NCAA Division I Championship Game, photo courtesy of CBS philadelphia

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball championship game aired on CBS on April 7th, 2014, drawing in an impressive 21.2 million viewers and a 7.2 rating in the 18-49 demo. However, the UConn vs Kentucky game did not beat the numbers of the 2013 championship game between Louisville and Michigan, which brought in 23.4 million viewers. The rest of the tournament games averaged 9.3 million viewers, which is a 3% increase over 2013 numbers. [15] [16]

David Letterman Announces Late Show Retirement, Stephen Colbert Named as Replacement

Long time Late Show host David Letterman announced his retirement from the program on April 3rd, 2014. Letterman, who has hosted the show since August 1993, will leave his position as host of the Late Show when his contract expires in 2015. The news of his retirement comes not long after the retirement of his foremost late night competitor, Jay Leno, who hosted his last episode of NBC’s The Tonight Show on February 6, 2014. Jay Leno has since been succeeded by the much younger Jimmy Fallon, who has been averaging an impressive 1.53 rating in viewers 18-49 since taking over. Comparatively, Letterman has been averaging a .56 rating in the same time period. [17] [18]

Stephen Colbert (left) and David Letterman (right), photo courtesy of yahoo.com

On April 10th, 2014, CBS announced that they plan to replace David Letterman with Stephen Colbert, who currently hosts The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Interestingly, The Colbert Report has also been averaging a .56 rating among 18-49 year olds. Reactions to CBS’s decision to bring Stephen Colbert on as host of The Late Show have been mixed. While many agree that Colbert is definitely comedically competent enough to take over The Late Show desk, some wonder if CBS missed an opportunity to change the current trajectory of late night. [19] [20]

On The Horizon

CBS Renews Most of its Lineup
CBS recently renewed 18 of its current programs, including favorites like The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, Elementary, and Two and a Half Men. CBS also renewed several newcomers, including The Millers and Mom. [21]

current CBS schedule, courtesy of cbs.com

Thursday Night Football
In February, CBS won the bid to air Thursday night football this upcoming fall. This will certainly affect their current schedule, as their #1 sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, currently airs on Thursday nights. Nevertheless, CBS plans to broadcast eight Thursday night games this fall. [22]

Sources

[1] CBS Corp, About CBS, Retrieved April 15th, 2014

[2] CBS Corp, Executives, Retrieved April 15th, 2014

[3] Google Finance, CBS, Retrieved April 20th, 2014

[4] CBS Corp, SEC Filings 2014 10-k Annual Report, Retrieved April 15th 2014

[5] CBS Corp, “Our Portfolio” Retrieved April 15th, 2014

[6] CBS Corp, “Leslie Moonves” Retrieved April 15th, 2014

[7] TV by the Numbers, “Tuesday Final Ratings: ‘NCIS’, ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ & ‘The Originals’ Adjusted Up; ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’, ‘ The Goldbergs’. ‘Supernatural’ & ‘Trophy Wife’ Adjusted Down” Retrieved April 15th, 2014

[8] TV by the Numbers, “Thursday Final Ratings: ‘The Big Bang Theory’, ‘American Idol’, ‘Two and a Half Men’ & the Olympics Adjusted Up; ‘The Millers’ Adjusted Down” Retrieved April 15th, 2014

[9] TV by the Numbers, “Wednesday Final Ratings: ‘Super Fun NIght’ Adjusted Down”, Retrieved April 15th, 2014

[10] Nielsen, Top Ten, Retrieved April 20th, 2014

[11] TV by the Numbers, “TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Tops Week 28 With Adults 18-49; ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Leads Total Viewers” Retrieved April 18th, 2014

[12] Time, “How I Met Your Mother Watch: Mate and Switch”, Retrieved April 18th, 2014

[13] The Guardian, “How I Met Your Mother: the latest show to fail in the search for a perfect ending” Retrieved April 18th, 2014

[14] DailyMail, “SPOILER ALERT: A wedding, a funeral and a French horn… How I Met Your Mother delivers a legendary series finale” Retrieved April 18th, 2014

[15] Forbes, “March Madness Ratings and Revenue Keep Reaching New Heights” Retrieved April 20th, 2014

[16] CBS, “2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Averaging 9.3 Million Total Viewers; Highest Viewership in 21 Years”, Retrieved April 20th, 2014

[17] The Wall Street Journal, “David Letterman Announces Retirement from CBS’s ‘Late Show'”, Retrieved April 20th, 2014

[18] TV by the Numbers, “Late Night TV Ratings For April 7-April 11, 2014”, Retrieved April 20th, 2014.

[19] CBS, “CBS ANNOUNCES STEPHEN COLBERT AS THE NEXT HOST OF THE “LATE SHOW”, Retrieved April 20th, 2014.

[20] USA Today, “Will real Colbert be a loser on ‘Late Show’?”, Retrieved April 20th, 2014

[21] The Hollywood Reporter, “CBS Renews 18 More Shows for 2014-15 Season”, Retrieved April 20th, 2014

[22] CBS Sports, “CBS to broadcast eight Thursday night football games in 2014”, Retrieved April 20th, 2014.

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CBS Corporation

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Gabrielle Sferra

By Gabrielle Sferra

Courtesy of CBS Corporation [1]

CBS Headquarters

51 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019-6188
1-212-975-4321

History

CBS Corporation is a major media conglomerate founded by William S. Paley in 1928. While the company originated in radio broadcasting, television broadcasting soon became CBS’s area of success. Historically, programs such as “I Love Lucy”, “Gunsmoke“, and “All in the Family” catapulted CBS into profitable success [2]. In 1995, Westinghouse Broadcast bought CBS and sold it again in 2000. Viacom and CBS Corporation were considered a unit since 1970, but in 2006, the company split into two and CBS Corporation became what it is today [3].

Executives

Sumner M. Redstone

Courtesy of CBS [5]

Mr. Redstone is the CBS’s Executive Chairman of the Board, as well as Viacom’s. His role as executive chairman resulted from the split of the two companies in 2006. He is the leading shareholder in both companies. [4]

Leslie Moonves

Courtesy Of CBS [7]

Mr. Moonves is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation. He is responsible for all of the corporations holdings. He has held this position since the Viacom/CBS split in 2006. He has pushed the company to new limits, and brought the network and its various programs to more than 100 countries. [6]

Financials

Courtesy of Reuters [8]

CBS Corporation is a publicly traded company in NYSE exchange. The current value of share is $58.89. This past year, the stock price has steadily increased. Starting the year at a much smaller exchange rate ($37.98), each quarter has produced more profit than the previous [9]. This past quarter, the company has earned $3.6 Billion, which is an increase of 3% from last quarter [10].

Company Holdings

Courtesy of CBS Corp. [15]

CBS Corporation is responsible for many different stations, including, but not limited to, CBS Television, CBS News, The CW, Showtime, and The Smithsonian Channel. [11] CBS is consistently the number one station on broadcast television in total viewers. However, does not lead in viewers in the ideal 18-49 demographic [12]. CBS Television is definitely geared to a much older demographic. In recent years, with the introduction of programs such as “2 Broke Girls” and “Hawaii Five-0“, the network has been trying to breach this gap. However, their popular programs are also watched by the desired 18-49 demographic, contrary to popular belief [13] [14].

Successful Programs

The Big Bang Theory

Courtesy of Chicagonerds.com [21]

“The Big Bang Theory” is CBS Corporation’s number one comedy, consistently bringing in viewers every week [16]. The show premiered in September 2007. Syndication rights were bought by TBS and is currently the number one syndicated program, both off-network and first-run syndication [17]. Each episode costs TBS around $2 Million to air [18]. Before the show aired this September, three of the lead actors (Cuoco, Galecki, & Parsons) were bargaining for higher salaries, as they currently make $350,000 an episode. The negotiations have not begun yet, however [19]. Finally, the show appeals to many advertisors, as it is popular both within and outside of the 18-49 money demographic. Each 30 second spot costs aprox. $326,260, the second highest rate for primetime television, behind NFL Primetime Games [20].

How I Met Your Mother

Courtesy of TV Listings [24]

The popular series “How I Met Your Mother” will conclude this year in its ninth season. Syndication of the popular show began in 2008 with Lifetime Network. FX picked up syndication rights as well in 2011. The non-exclusive deal allows both networks to air the program. To air an episode, it costs $725,000 [22].

With the show concluding in May, CBS has just announced a spin-off called “How I Met Your Dad”, which will focus on the feminine version of the “How I Met Your Mother” story [23].

Fall Season

CBS introduced six new shows this season, including the new primetime hit The Crazy Ones, starring Robin Williams, and The Millers, starring Will Arnett. Other series, such as Hostages starring Toni Collette, and Mom, starring Anna Faris, have not pulled in high ratings. All of the new CBS shows, unfortunately, have been dropping audience numbers week-to-week [25].

Upcoming

Courtesy of Fansided.com [27]

CBS Corporation recently worked out a deal with Netflix to air the first four seasons of the hit show “Dexter“, in order to entice people to buy subscriptions to their network Showtime. The four seasons will be available until January 1, 2014, when they will be replaced by the next four season [26].

Another news program is in the early stages of production, as Charlie Rose and Gayle King may sign on to revamp the failing program “The Early Show.” During a block of daytime talk shows, CBS is interested in pursuing a hard-hitting news show to counter program. An announcement is expected anytime for the future of the two-hour program [28].

The CW Network has had a great season for CBS Corp., as the three new shows this season (“Reign“, “The Originals“, “The Tomorrow People“) were all picked up to finish their seasons in May. Nielsen says that ratings for the CW are up 9% from last year, averaging around 2 Million viewers. While the network’s target audience is a younger demographic, the 18-49 Demo is up 11% this year for the CW [29].

Courtesy of Youtube [30]

This past week, CBS became the first network of the season to sweep four straight nights of viewers in the 18-49 demo, as well as total viewers, from Tuesday to Friday [31].

CBS Fall Schedule:

Courtesy of The Wire [32]

Sources

[1] CBS Corporation Logo

[2] William Paley Obituary NY Times

[3] Dominick, Joseph R., Fritz Messere, Barry L. Sherman, and Joseph R. Dominick.Broadcasting, Cable, the Internet, and Beyond: An Introduction to Modern Electronic Media. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.

[4]CBS Company Portfolio

[5] Ibid.

[6] CBS Company Portfolio

[7] Ibid.

[8] Reuters CBS Portfolio

[9] Wall Street Journal

[10] CBS Corporation Investor Profiles

[11] CBS Company Portfolio

[12] TV By The Numbers – Ratings CBS

[13] The Wire – CBS Demo

[14] TV By The Numbers – CBS 18-49 Demo

[15] CBS Company Portfolio

[16] TV By The Numbers – Big Bang Theory

[17] TV Media Insights – Syndication

[18] Deadline – Syndication of Big Bang Theory

[19] Hollywood Reporter – Big Bang Theory Pay Raise

[20] AD Week – Big Bang Theory Advertisement Rates

[21] Chicago Nerds – Big Bang Theory Picture

[22] TV By The Numbers – November 18th Ratings

[23] Deadline – How I Met Your Mother Syndication

[24] Yahoo News – HIMYM Spinoff

[25] Zap2it – HIMYM Picture

[26] TV By The Numbers – Netflix & Dexter Deal

[27] Fansided- Dexter Picture

[28] NY Times – CBS’ The Early Show Revamp

[29] Variety – The CWTV

[29] Youtube CW Sizzle Preview

[30] Variety – The CWTV & CBS

[31] The Wire – CBS Fall Schedule

[32] Columbia Journalism Review

Viacom Inc.

Posted on April 9, 2013 by namezaro

[1]

by Nicole Mezaros

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

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

Top Executives

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

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

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

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

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

A Brief History

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

General Overview

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

Viacom’s TV Assets [11]

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

Spongebob Squarepants, airing on Nickelodeon. [13]

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

Financials

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

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

Viacom Inc. Stock 1 Year Chart [16]

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

Recent News

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

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

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

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

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

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