By Isabel Sherman

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

Key Executives:

 For more information on executives click here.

About Time Warner Inc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

Competitors:

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

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

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

 Financials: 

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

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

IMPORTANT STATS FROM 3RD QUARTER:

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

OTHER RECENT STATS:

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

• 

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

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

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

RECENT NEWS:

Home Box Office:

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

“Looking” Season 1 Trailer [8]

 

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

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

Read an interview with the director here:

Variety Article: Interview with Valentine Road Director

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

 Turner Broadcasting System: 

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

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

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

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

Sources:

[1] Time Warner Website

[2] Britannica: Time Warner Inc.

[3] History of Time Warner

[4] Time Warner: About HBO

[5] NY TImes: Time Warner Profits

[6] TWX_3Q13 Earnings Report

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

[8] Looking Season 1 Trailer

[9] About the New HBO Series 

[10] HBO- John Oliver

[11] NYTimes Valentine Road 

[12] Time Inc. to Split from Time Warner

[13] CableOne Dispute Resolved

[14] CableOne Agreement with Turner

[15] FCC Fines For Conan Ad.

[16] Hoovers- Time Warner

[17] NYTimes Susan Lacy Leaves PBS 

[18] Girls Poster 

[19] Hollywood Reporter – Gravity

[20] TBS Logo

[21] TNT Logo

[22] CNN Logo

[23] Susan Lacy 

[24] PBS Logo

[25] Reuters: Emmy’s Recap

[26] Turner-Verizon Deal

[27] Cable One

[28] FiOS Verizon

[29] Box Office Mojo- Gravity

[30] Valentine Road

[31] Neatorama- Time Warner

[32] Boardwalk Empire Poster

[33] The Newsroom Poster

[34] Jack Black on Conan – FCC Fine

[35] Miami Heat Picture

[36] Split of AOL and Time Warner 

[37] Turner Broadcasting Brands Image 

[38] Yahoo Finance – TWX