Paramount shifted an expensive film like Shutter Island to 2010 and moved the lucrative G.I. Joe DVD to November to improve fourth-quarter numbers. Kim Masters asks: Is such short-term thinking worth it?Paramount shifted an expensive film like Shutter Island to 2010 and moved the... more
"Has Viacom found what amounts to a "smoking gun" in its lawsuit against Google's YouTube? The billio-dollar suit was filed in 2007 because Viacom believes YouTube hosted many Viacom-owned video clips without permission"
They have one thing saying that Youtube employees knew about it, but they also have one thing where Viacom itself put videos on YouTube.
I think that might hurt their case, since Viacom has to tell them the videos they want removed, that was the rules at the time."Has Viacom found what amounts to a "smoking gun" in its lawsuit against Google's... more
Does the DMCA matter to YouTube staffers? Apparently not according to evidence uncovered by lawyers for Viacom in its suit against the popular online video sharing site. Perhaps the better question: Does the DMCA matter to anyone?Does the DMCA matter to YouTube staffers? Apparently not according to evidence... more
Sumner Redstone plays hardball! After threatening to pull Dora (in full page newspaper ads) Time Warner caved in yesterday and gave their pennies to the bully. Though this episode of bullying is over, my daughter is STILL asking me why Dora was crying. Sumner really abused the Dora character for a crummy 23 cent increase (per viewer). Which got me thinking that we should all send some pennies to the bully, as a means of protest. If you're onboard, send your pennies to:
Sumner Redstone
Viacom
1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036
At the very least the mailroom will have to figure out what to do with all the pennies!Sumner Redstone plays hardball! After threatening to pull Dora (in full page... more
Time Warner Cable will be allowed to carry Viacom Inc's MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central channels, the companies said after they reached an in-principle distribution agreement.
The companies did not provide the details of the agreement in their statement.
Viacom on Tuesday said it will pull its cable television networks off Time Warner Cable if the companies do not reach a deal on carriage fees by January 1.Time Warner Cable will be allowed to carry Viacom Inc's MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy... more
As of January 1st, Time Warner Cable subscribers across the country will lose 19 Viacom channels including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV. After intense negotiations, Time Warner claims that Viacom is asking for unreasonable increase in carriage fees and can still make money through ad. revenue by putting their shows online. Viacom states that TWC can afford these fees, especially when they have such hit shows to offer. So no more Spongebob Squarepants for the kids, no more MTV reality shows for the teens, and no more Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Colbert Report for the 20s+.
Happy new year, TWC subscribers!As of January 1st, Time Warner Cable subscribers across the country will lose 19... more
Some of the larger layoffs include AT&T (12,000 jobs), Viacom, NBC, Dupont, Adobe, AP, Sun Microsystems, BT, Nokia, Etc, EtcSome of the larger layoffs include AT&T (12,000 jobs), Viacom, NBC, Dupont, Adobe, AP,... more
Watching the Redstone clan is better than watching TV. Sumner Redstone is so far in debt he's hoping the Pixar release of Up can save him. Read the twisted tale of love and greed that put Sumner, head of Paramount Pictures, in this predicament.Watching the Redstone clan is better than watching TV. Sumner Redstone is so far in... more
Viacom faces a number of challenges, chief among them is the fact that its cash cow networks, MTV, VH1 and BET, are having ratings problems.
The company claims that ratings have gone soft because teens and 20-somethings are are tired of repeat programming. The solution, according to chief executive Philippe Dauman, is to "increase the amount of original programming;" add more components to "engage viewers" and experiment with "new ways to better serve our young audience and marketing partners."
Viacom also plans to ramp up promotional spots for some of its hits, including "The Hills" (above), "America's Best Dance Group" and "Exiled;" and to roll out some new original programs.
The comments were made during Wednesday's conference call, which was held to discuss Viacom's fairly rotten third-quarter. Net income fell 37 percent to $401 million, or 65 cents per share, down from $641 million, or 96 cents per share, last year.
Viacom faces a number of challenges, chief among them is the fact that its cash cow... more
Sumner Redstone has a big bar tab coming due, and to make good he has to either lose Paramount Pictures, his daughter's movie theater chain or his toes. You choose which he'll decide to keep. Read my article to find out more.Sumner Redstone has a big bar tab coming due, and to make good he has to either lose... more
MySpace and MTV Networks are testing a new system that will allow content owners to profit from piracy, Reuters reports.
From now on, when MySpace subscribers upload copyright-infringing footage, the usual take-down notices will be substituted by advertisements and original content from the parent company (in this case, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon), thus generating revenue.
"This is a game-changer," said Jeff Berman, president of sales and marketing at MySpace. "We're going from a world of no to a world of yes while protecting the rights of the copyright holder."
It certainly is an interesting idea to protect copyrighted material and I can see YouTube using a similar system in the near future. But I guess that the question is, would you rather see the usual "Sorry, the video is no longer available" or an unsolicited commercial?MySpace and MTV Networks are testing a new system that will allow content owners to... more
Be afraid. Be very afraid
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Let me see ... first, there were the Nazis. Then the Russians. Then the oil sheiks. Then the international Trilateral Commission bankers. Then the European terrorists. Then the Japanese industrialists. Then the Hong Kong Chinese tongs. Then the Red Chinese. Then the media moguls. Then the Middle East terrorists. Now film and television studios plan to make Wall Street execs into the next big villains.
No wonder. Because the stock-market plunge has meant panic time in Big Media executive offices. Overleveraged Sumner Redstone had to sell $233 million worth of his controlling shares of Viacom and CBS, which he’d used as collateral for a $1.6 billion loan (more below). And now Wall Street investor Carl Icahn, who loves to destabilize management when a stock is underperforming, has increased his stake from 4 percent to 9.17 percent (10.762 million shares) in Lionsgate Entertainment.
In the SEC filing, Icahn said he took the position because he thinks the shares are undervalued. A Lionsgate rep claims Icahn and the mini-major are having a “constructive dialogue.” But be afraid, be very afraid, Jon Feltheimer. Because Icahn caused all that trouble for Time Warner and its chairman/CEO Dick Parsons not too long ago. (Remember when Icahn was pressing TW for board seats and then enlisted Bruce Wasserstein to try to take over the company and put Frank Biondi in as the new CEO?) And the same guy who made Jerry Yang’s life miserable at Yahoo. And on and on ...
Icahn looks to be bottom-feeding. That’s why I was surprised when the suck-up trades celebrated when Feltheimer this month extended his contract to run Lionsgate through March 14 for a base salary that’s reportedly $1.2 million until 2011, at which point it rises in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.
The pact also provides that he’ll receive 458,036 shares of stock vesting over a three-year period starting in 2012, giving him a 1.5 percent ownership stake — while Lionsgate shareholders keep getting hosed. The mini-major’s stock price has hit a 52-week low in a downturn that has impacted all media stocks. And at least one mogul.
It’s now come to light that, as the stock plummeted to more than a four-year low, Lionsgate Entertainment Vice Chairman Michael Burns lost 49 percent of his stake in the mini-major on October 10 in a forced liquidation by Merrill Lynch. In other words, the trades were not initiated at the direction of Burns. Merrill liquidated 672,000 of his shares for $4.04 million, according to regulatory filings. The sales left Burns with just 689,635 shares, according to the filings. Yikes!
So far there’s no indication that Feltheimer’s Lionsgate stake has been harmed. But here’s what really confounds me about him: how someone who was such a brilliant TV mogul at Sony, and whose mini-major had the good taste to be in business with Matthew Weiner for Mad Men, could allow Lionsgate to keep making revolting horror flicks, including many with torture porn?
True, Lionsgate — with its long-term association with Tyler Perry and its newly expanded studio production — is moving away from the traditional “Hard R” gory fare that made the mini-major successful financially into making more PG-13 product fare.
But I want Feltheimer to make a public announcement renouncing torture porn kinds of films before Saw V is released this month. My own fervent wish has been for someone to strap him to a chair and force him to repeatedly watch the sicko Saw franchise. But now Icahn may represent punishment enough for Feltheimer.Be afraid. Be very afraid
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Let me see ... first, there were the... more
Yesterday the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers tried to convince the Screen Actors Guild that there's nary a penny left in the purse. Will the Actors buy this sob story or will they reach for the change left in the Producers' pockets? Read my article to find out.Yesterday the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers tried to convince... more
This has been a rough week for the Redstone clan. At the start of the week Sumner had to sell off $233 million worth of Viacom shares because of a loan obligation. And today Paramount announced a 25% cutback in production. Could this all be Shari Redstone's fault? Read my article and find out.This has been a rough week for the Redstone clan. At the start of the week Sumner had... more
This innovative blogspot has the capacity to operate on both the grassroot and cyberspace level.This innovative blogspot has the capacity to operate on both the grassroot and... more
Urban Ads Blogspot serves as the peoples link to networks, search engines, and sites. It's the business gateway to the trend production reserves...Urban Ads Blogspot serves as the peoples link to networks, search engines, and sites.... more
Here's what happens when a big American media corporation takes over your island and starts getting real: On a small remote island in the Republic of Panama where MTV filmed the next "Real World/Road Rules Challenge", MTV allegedly cleared parts of the rainforest, built an access road through the forest, trashed the beach and left a massive mess for locals to deal with. During production, MTV also hired local police to stand as armed guards, restricting access the public beach, so locals were unable to actually see what was happening to their island until the crew left. Shame on them. Here's what happens when a big American media corporation takes over your island and... more
John McCain's bio film shows him through the wild years up to abandoning everything he's always stood for. John McCain's bio film shows him through the wild years up to abandoning everything... more
So, who actually watches MTV anymore?
What a pile of drivel.
I can't wait for the African, Latino, Asian, Australian and European VMA's so she can win more.So, who actually watches MTV anymore?
What a pile of drivel.
I can't wait for the... more
