• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, October 16, 2015

With a kick in the pants coming from recent stock market declines, and questions over traditional advertising-supported media -- broadcast and cable television, in particular -- consolidation talk, if not action, is in the air.

Mel Karmazin, former president and CEO of CBS and then Sirius Radio, speaking at an industry event, said he believes in light of marketers and their media buying agencies going through a wave of consolidation, media sellers need to do more to ramp their side of the leverage ledger.

Obstacles? Federal regulators, says Karmazin. He notes it took 17 months for satellite radio players XM and Sirius to leap through hurdles in getting approval to merge.

There has been a number of billion-dollar deals of the last couple of years. The latest: Meredith and Nexstar Broadcasting fighting over a chance to acquire Media General.

Is there something to worry about regarding big media deals? Is the need for big media companies dying, as new digital tools will allow consumers, professionals, and those in between all kinds of new creativity and video distribution?

Those that believe big media consolidation is necessary would point to recent weak stock market prices -- all the while as the likes of Netflix’s stock price continues grow.  Fear-mongering TV executives might already say it’s too late.

Didn’t 21st Century Fox try to buy up Time Warner in 2014 for $80 billion? If all this tells you anything at all it, would be that -- despite existing and perhaps future obstacles -- attempts will continue.