Aereo vs. Fox, CBS and Univision: The week’s best insights
The first thing I thought of when I heard earlier this week that News Corp. had threatened to make Fox a cable-only outlet if it doesn’t win its suit against Aereo is how much things have changed since Bob Wright…
Veteran media fund manager Hal Vogel worries about stock market collapse
Veteran media-fund manager Hal Vogel has watched, warily, as media and entertainment stocks have mounted a spectacular run-up in the past year, with an average gain of 42% among big conglomerates Time Warner Inc., CBS Corp., Walt Disney Co., Comcast…
Hard to see advantages of Cablevision’s suit against Viacom
Cablevision’s lawsuit this week against Viacom for “illegally” bundling desirable cable networks with channels that have low ratings must offer the cable operator advantages that can only be seen in the sealed court documents, because they don’t otherwise seem very…
Cable could be headed for a wreck, but studios, networks can (and probably will) prevent it
Michael Wolff has a smart take on the future of the cable business in USA Today, arguing that the industry is foolishly trying to stave off a la carte in the face of its obvious inevitability. “TV Everywhere” is doomed…
Bernstein’s Juenger reaffirms Market Perform rating on CBS, lifts price target
Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Todd Juenger reiterated his market perform rating on CBS Corp. stock Friday, and lifted his price target to $46 from $43. Though the company reported fourth-quarter results late Thursday that fell short of most earnings and…
Tighter focus on TV, movies could pay off for Bewkes, Time Warner
A Time Warner Inc. even more dedicated to its core television production/distribution, movies and home video businesses could be a tougher competitor for its rivals, as Chairman and Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes will have more time to set his gaze…
Two takeaways from Comcast earnings call
1. The company expects expenses at its cable operations unit to rise by a “low double-digit” percentage in 2013 after a 7% increase in 2012. Chief Financial Officer Michael Angelakis pointed to “continued expansion of rights to multiple platforms, additional…
NBC’s sudden ratings woes and other themes to listen for on Comcast earnings call
After Comcast Corp.’s report Tuesday of better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, that it will raise its quarterly dividend by 20% and buy the 49% of NBC Universal it doesn’t already own from GE for $16.7 billion, there are a number of interesting…