Viacom Inc.

Rupert Murdoch warns about Facebook, sees echo of 'crappy' Myspace

2013-05-17 09:06:00

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Facebook's initial public offering, a milestone that often prompts reflection and introspection. And in the case of Rupert Murdoch, the occasion provided an opportunity for a nanny-nanny-nah-nah tweet: "Look out...

Less dancing at ABC! Viacom jumps gun in upfront ad race.

2013-05-15 05:40:00

After the coffee. Before the CBS and TNT upfronts. Jealous yet? The Skinny: It feels like I've been here a week. Oh wait, I have been here a week! By the time most of you read this, I'll have already been to two upfront events and in desperate need of a...

A Sony entertainment spinoff would provide opening for CBS

2013-05-14 14:45:00

New York hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb wants Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. to spin off its Culver City entertainment business. CBS Corp. might like that, too. Loeb, whose Third Point funds own more than $1 billion in Sony stock, sent a letter...

'Gatsby' does great. Upfront week! Bruce Rosenblum on way out.

2013-05-13 06:27:00

After the coffee. Before getting through two upfronts in one day. The Skinny: It's a beautiful day here in New York. Too bad I'll spend it indoors at the NBC and Fox upfronts, and then running in and out of Starbucks to steal their Wi-Fi to file blog...

John McCain introduces Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013

2013-05-09 11:39:00

Calling the business practices of the television industry an "injustice being inflicted on the American people," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation Thursday he said will give consumers more choice and control over their pay-TV services....

McCain is prepping legislation to overhaul pay-TV business

2013-05-09 04:30:00

The maverick wants to cook the TV industry's golden goose. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is preparing to introduce legislation perhaps as early as Thursday that would dramatically overhaul the television business and will probably be met with strong...

Give cable TV subscribers more freedom of choice

2013-05-07 00:00:00

President Obama has nominated venture capitalist Tom Wheeler, a former lobbyist for the cable and the wireless industries, to serve as head of the Federal Communications Commission. "Tom knows this stuff inside and out," Obama said. If that's true, I...

Economists predict modest growth in advertising spending

2013-05-03 13:22:00

Economists are forecasting slow growth in advertising spending for the remainder of 2013 amid encouraging signs from the U.S. labor market. Media companies are doing their best to grab a bigger slice of the pie. This week, Wall Street cheered Viacom...

Chinese Theatre closes for renovations

2013-05-02 14:54:00

Hollywood's best-known theater is going dark for several months. The former Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood shut down this week for several months of renovations and a digital face lift. The storied theater held its final movie showing last...

NBC's Harbert adds to duties. Lights-out quarter for CBS.

2013-05-02 07:23:00

After the coffee. Before trying to find a hardware store. The Skinny: It was a tough choice but I decided to go with the season finale of FX's "The Americans" last night instead of ABC's "Nashville," which I recorded for later. Let this be a lesson to...

Sumner Redstone faces IRS heat for delinquent 1972 tax bill

2013-05-01 18:48:00

Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. Chairman Sumner Redstone may be a billionaire, but according to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service he’s also a tax deliquent. Emphasis on the word delinquent. According to a U.S. tax court filing, first obtained by...

Wheeler rolling to FCC. DreamWorks Animation eyes AwesomenessTV

2013-05-01 07:09:00

After the coffee. Before a long morning of earnings calls. The Skinny: I got through the season finale of "The Following" last night. It wasn't easy. Fortunately,� afterward I watched the premiere of Comedy Central's "Inside Amy," which was a tad...

Economists and media companies are cautiously optimistic that advertising spending will grow modestly. Ratings were up in the first quarter for kids' channel Nickelodeon, home of "SpongeBob SquarePants," allowing parent Viacom Corp. to raise its ad rates.

2013-05-03 12:36:00

Bree Andrews, of Nickelodeon Games, pulls stubborn weeds out of a butterfly garden where she and several Nickelodeon employees help build at the back of Thomas Jeffereson Elementary School in Burbank on Friday, April 19, 2013.

2013-04-19 00:00:00

A federal judge in New York sided with YouTube, once again, in the long-running $1-billion copyright infringement suit brought by Viacom Inc.

2013-04-18 16:09:10