This could be my last communique -- at least according to the Mayans. If that's the case, no worries. The best part is that all television will have wiped the slate clean in more ways than one. Everything gets a new start in the new world -- no charter advertising deals, no pre-existing below-market CPM for long-time advertisers, no long-time costly and unproductive network deals for producers who lost their way a long time ago, and no big media» 1 Comments
Think that $8 a month deal for Netflix or Hulu Plus is good, especially when compared to an $80 average for the likes of DirecTV, Comcast, Dish or Time Warner? That's why you can expect prices to climb. A lot.» 1 Comments
How do you draw digital-centric millennials to a new entertainment company? If you answered, "Start another social media service, website, or premium entertainment service," you'd be wrong. For some, the better answer is to start an old-fashioned cable network.» 1 Comments
Are you a TV executive having a bad day or year? How about a 14,000-night losing streak spanning more than 40 years? The Washington Generals -- those hapless basketball players who play the Harlem Globetrotters in mostly entertainment-oriented games -- have that kind of sad record, losing more than 14,000 times to the Globetrotters since 1971.» 1 Comments
As a media company, how "busy" are you? Logo-wise, that is. Comcast Corp. took the iconic rainbow-laden peacock off NBCUniversal's logo when it became major owner in January 2011. Senior executive Steve Burke said the logo and the peacock were "too busy." But apparently not THAT busy for Comcast. In preparation for Comcast's 50th anniversary, the company is bringing back the peacock for its corporate logo.» 2 Comments
Higher prices to fly, rising baggage fees -- and, of course, flight delays. But we still can't use our tablets while flying to catch up on last week's "Modern Family"?» 0 Comments
Are you thinking about the fiscal cliff and what it might mean to your taxes? Have you also thought about the growing TV consumer sports "tax"? Liberty Media Chairman John Malone believes that's what TV consumers pay -- or at least viewers who don't watch sports regularly. "[Sports rights are] essentially a high tax on a lot of households that don't have a lot of interest in sports," said Malone.» 1 Comments