NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Big media stocks soared in 2013 as the country's largest entertainment companies demonstrated they can still extract handsome fees from pay-TV operators and television-station owners eager to carry their programming.
But the pay-TV bundle, most often sold in a package with broadband and telephone service, needs improving, says Time Warner (TWX) CEO Jeff Bewkes. Viewers want a platform that allows for lots of video-on-demand, and at present, he said, only Comcast (CMCSA) comes close to delivering such a system.
"We need to give the consumer a better viewing experience," Bewkes told a gathering of investors Tuesday at UBS' 41st Annual Global Media and Communications Conference in New York. "If we don't fill that need, then it's going to get filled by somebody else, and that will have been a lost opportunity."
Bewkes wouldn't name names but he was clearly thinking about technology companies such as Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG) and Intel (INTC) that have made known their interest in building a platform that will make video-on-demand easy, convenient and very portable. Some call this TV Anywhere or Virtual-TV, but the point is the same: getting high-quality TV programming on any device, whenever or wherever the consumer wants it.
Chase Carey, the man responsible for the day-to-day operations of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox (FOXA) acknowledged that major media companies haven't been innovators in owning the digital-TV medium via the Internet.
"TV-Everywhere is the right path but has been poorly executed," Carey said. "We have to be part of the solution, not just sitting here, picking and complaining." Time Warner and Fox along with Disney and Viacom (VIA), are well aware that they could make even more money if they can figure out how to get paid for all their digital programming. Carey added that "we haven't scratched the surface."
It's clear that the success of Netflix (NFL! X) still smarts. Sure Netflix has branched into content production but that's only because they built a platform right under the collective noses of the biggest media companies in the world. Carey countered that he's pleased Fox, Disney (DIS) and Comcast at least decided not to sell Hulu. Maybe a few more years of tinkering will produce that breakthough platform.
10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch For 2015: Comcast Corporation(CMCSA)
Comcast Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. Its Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and phone services to residential and business customers. As of June 30, 2011, its cable systems served approximately 22.5 million video customers, 17.5 million high-speed Internet customers, and 9.1 million phone customers. The company?s Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, and Universal HD; news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and VERSUS; regional sports and news networks; international entertainment, and news and information networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and Universal Networks International portfolio of networks; cable television production oper ations; and digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned Websites and other Websites, such as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. Its Broadcast Television segment operates the U.S. broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo; 10 NBC and 15 Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television productions; and related digital media properties. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. Its Theme Parks segment operates Universal Studios Hollywood park and Wet ?n Wild water park, as well as licenses intellectual properties and provides services to third parties that own and operate Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA ) (NASDAQ: CMCSK ) Universal Orlando theme park resort in Florida is lavishing Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) with heaps of praise.�
Top 10 Media Stocks For 2014: News Corporation(NWSA)
News Corporation operates as a diversified media company worldwide. Its Cable Network Programming segment produces and licenses news, business news, sports, general entertainment, and movie programming for distribution through cable television systems and direct broadcast satellite operators primarily in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment produces and acquires live-action and animated motion pictures for distribution and licensing in entertainment media, as well as produces and licenses television programming worldwide. Its Television segment operates 27 broadcast television stations in the United States. The company?s Direct Broadcast Satellite Television segment distributes programming services via satellite and broadband directly to subscribers in Italy. Its Publishing segment provides newspapers and information services, such as publishing national newspapers in the United Kingdom, approximately 146 newspapers in Australia, and a metropolitan and a national newspaper in the United States; book publishing services, including the publishing of English language books worldwide; and integrated marketing services comprising the publishing of free-standing inserts, which are marketing booklets containing coupons, rebates, and other consumer offers, as well as provides in-store marketing products and services, primarily to consumer packaged goods manufacturers in the United States and Canada. The company also sells advertising, sponsorships, and subscription services on the company?s various digital media properties and outdoor advertising space on various media primarily in Russia and eastern Europe; and provides data systems and professional services that enable teachers to use data to assess student progress and deliver individualized instructions. News Corporation was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]
News Corp(NWSA) acquired Handpicked Cos., a luxury-shopping website in the U.K., continuing the newspaper publisher’s push into new online tools and resources. Handpicked, which launched its website in 2007, sells home decor, children’s toys and gifts. News Corp said the site’s offerings will be promoted through two of News Corp’s U.K. publications, The Times and The Sunday Times.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
News Corp(NWSA) swung to a profit for the fiscal quarter, as cost-cutting helped offset lower revenue. Revenue missed expectations, sending the publishing company’s shares down 2.4% to $17 premarket.
- [By Sue Chang]
On the earnings front, News Corp (NWSA) �is expected to report fiscal first-quarter earnings of 5 cents a share, according to a consensus survey by FactSet. In June, the media company separated its entertainment arm to operate as 21st Century Fox Inc. (FOXA) �while the publishing business retained the News Corp name. News Corp owns The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch, the publisher of this report.
Top 10 Media Stocks For 2014: Discovery Communications Inc(DISCA)
Discovery Communications, Inc. operates as a non fiction media and entertainment company worldwide. The company provides original and purchased programming across various distribution platforms. Its content covers science, exploration, survival, natural history, sustainability of the environment, technology, docu-series, anthropology, paleontology, history, space, archaeology, health and wellness, engineering, adventure, lifestyles, forensics, civilization, and current events. The company owns and operates nine national television networks in the United States, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Military Channel, Planet Green, Discovery Fit & Health, and Velocity. Discovery Communications also has interests in Oprah Winfrey Network, a pay-television network and Web site; The Hub that features original programming, game shows, and live-action series and specials; and 3net, a three-dimensional network. In addition, it o ffers network branded Web sites, and mobile and video-on-demand services; and distributes various national and pan-regional television networks. Further, the company develops and sells curriculum-based products and services to public and private K-12 schools, such as access to an online VOD service that includes curriculum-based tools, professional development services, and student assessment and publication of hardcopy curriculum-based content; and postproduction audio services to motion picture studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies, and interactive producers. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 150 distribution feeds in 40 languages. The company is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Evan Agostini, Invision/APCBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves ranked No. 2 on a list of highest paid CEOs. LOS ANGELES -- Once again, media company CEOs are among the highest paid executives in the nation, occupying six of the top 10 earning spots, according to an Associated Press/Equilar study. Compensation experts say a variety of factors are at play, including the gain in media stocks, the intangible value of talent in a hit-or-miss business, the control of shareholder power in very few hands, and the decline of the financial sector. Stock Outperformers Outsized stock growth boosts the value of stock and option grants. Media companies' shares have rebounded strongly since the 2008 recession, mainly because advertising spending grows in tandem with a growing economy. That means higher-priced ads and higher-priced execs. Stocks of the six media companies on the list all outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC), which grew 128 percent in the five years through December 2013, according to FactSet. CBS (CBS) shares grew a whopping 699 percent in that period; Discovery Communications (DISCA) went up 539 percent; Viacom (VIA) rose 377 percent; Walt Disney (DIS) rose 250 percent; Time Warner (TWX) climbed 259 percent and Comcast (CMCSA) grew 223 percent. "If shareholders are happy they don't care how much a person makes," said Paul Dorf, managing director of consulting firm Compensation Resources. "When they complain most is when the market doesn't do well and their stock is going down the tubes." Talent Quotient Making it big in media means generating hits. And while top executives may not be hands-on with every decision, they are where the buck stops. Take Disney's animated blockbuster "Frozen," which grossed $1.2 billion at box offices worldwide. While Disney CEO Bob Iger didn't make the movie, he did orchestrate Disney's $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar in 2006, which brought in talented executives to help reform Disney's faltering a
- [By Patricio Kehoe] d that precise strategy and now owns several cable networks available in over 200 countries worldwide. The national and pan-regional networks, distributed through 130 feeds and in 40 languages, have established this media firm in virtually every market. So, let�� take a look at what might have encouraged investment gurus Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) and Lee Ainslie (Trades, Portfolio) to add more of this company�� shares to their portfolio.�
Working Through the Niche
As the niche cable network provider in the media industry, Discovery�� flagship channel addresses topics like science, technology, history and exploration. With TLC, Animal Planet and Discovery as the three key domestic channels, the company reaches 100 million households, and despite the mature U.S. market, sales have grown 6% and revenue 10% in fiscal 2013. This is mainly due to the media giant�� unique content programming and line-up refreshments. Hit shows like Shark Week, for example, have become so popular through advertising that the network experienced in 2013 its all-time best viewership with over 50 million viewing rates during one episode. The men�� lifestyle cable network, Velocity, also experienced a 30% viewership increase in quarter four of 2013, and is now the fastest-growing network in that segment.��
Furthermore, in addition to the namesake channels, Discovery also owns Investigation Discovery, The Learning Channel, a 50% stake in Oprah Winfrey�� new cable channel OWN, and The Hub, a children�� network created with Hasbro Inc. (HAS). The strong universal appeal of content which transcends cultures and languages, add a differential value to this company and has allowed international distribution across multiple media platforms. In fact, 100% content ownership gives this firm a competitive advantage, as it can seek benefits from non-traditional content distribution. With companies like Netflix Inc. (NFLX)�or Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) looking to push t
- [By Julianne Pepitone]
At $45 a share, Wieser pointed out, Twitter's valuation isn't too far below more established media companies like CBS (CBS, Fortune 500), Discovery Communications (DISCA) and Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500).
Top 10 Media Stocks For 2014: Gannett Co. Inc. (GCI)
Gannett Co., Inc. operates as a media and marketing solutions company in the United States and internationally. Its Publishing segment publishes 83 U.S. daily newspapers with affiliated online sites, including USA TODAY, a national, general-interest daily newspaper; USATODAY.com; USA WEEKEND, a magazine supplement for newspapers; Clipper Magazine, a direct mail advertising magazine; bi-weekly Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek periodicals; and military and defense newspapers. This segment also includes 17 paid-for daily newspapers; approximately 200 weekly newspapers, magazines, and trade publications; and approximately 600 non-daily publications, as well as involves in commercial printing, newswire, marketing, and data services operations. The company?s Digital segment owns and operates CareerBuilder, an employment Web site, which offers online recruitment and career advancement services for employers, employees, recruiters, and job seekers; ShopLocal, which provides multicha nnel shopping and advertising services; Planet Discover, which offers hosted search and advertising services; PointRoll, which provides digital marketing services and technology; and Schedule Star, which offers scheduling solution for high school athletic departments. Its Broadcasting segment operates 23 television stations and affiliated Web sites, which produce local programming, such as news, sports, and entertainment programming. This segment also includes Captivate Network, a national news and entertainment network that delivers programming and full-motion video advertising on video screens located in elevators of office towers and select hotel lobbies in North America. The company has strategic business relationships with online affiliates, including Classified Ventures, ShopLocal.com, Topix, and Metromix LLC, as well as strategic marketing agreement with Microsoft. Gannett Co., Inc. was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Here's something no one ever said: We don't see enough daily sports coverage, so we need a new website dedicated to cover it.�Yet USA Today, the�Gannett� (NYSE: GCI ) newspaper dedicated to giving you national news in bite-size snippets and graphics, is launching a new website dedicated to just that. Calling it "For The Win," it expects the new division to attract fans inside and out of sports.
Top 10 Media Stocks For 2014: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)
Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Beyers]
Promise: The bigger idea, of course, is to use television to expand the range and scope of the DC Cinematic Universe so that when Wonder Woman appears in 2015's Batman vs. Superman, a significant portion of the mythos will have already been established elsewhere. That, in turn, should make it easier for studio parent Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) to focus on epics rather than origin stories.
- [By Eric Volkman]
It's another instance of the new economy meeting the old. Sprint (NYSE: S ) and Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX ) Time unit have signed a collaboration accord. The deal will cover numerous aspects of content provision, advertising, and retail sales.
- [By Tim Beyers]
For Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) and HBO, Game of Thrones Season 3 ended in bloody fashion, with many questions left unanswered. That fans who dressed up as Starks and Lannisters and spent hours in line speaks to their hunger for more.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
We still have many key oil and energy companies reporting in the week ahead but we have now seen the sector leaders report earnings. Earnings previews have been prepared for the following stocks:
CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME) Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTZ) Kellogg Company (NYSE: K) DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) Office Depot Inc. (NYSE: ODP) and OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE: OMX) Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) T-Mobile US, Inc. (NYSE: TMUS) American Water Works Company Inc. (NYSE: AWK) Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) QUALCOMM Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM) Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFM) Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) Molycorp Inc. (NYSE: MCP) The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) Priceline.com Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) The Wendy’s Company (NYSE: WEN)CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME) reports earnings on Monday morning. With all of the exchange mergers of the last decade this remains one of the dominant exchanges. Estimates are $0.73 EPS and $713.3 million in revenue. Keep in mind that this exchange is now worth $25 billion. At $74.70, the consensus analyst price target is only just barely higher at almost $75.50.
Top 10 Media Stocks For 2014: Thomson Reuters Corp(TRI)
Thomson Reuters Corporation provides intelligent information for businesses and professionals worldwide. The company allows market participants to connect, access content, and trade in a secure environment through Thomson Reuters Eikon desktop, Thomson Reuters Elektron network, content integration and management technology, content feeds and databases, and transactions infrastructure solutions that support buy- and sell-side customers to trade in foreign exchange, fixed income and derivatives, equities, exchange-traded instruments, and commodities and energy markets. It also offers information, analytics, workflow, and technology solutions to buy-side and off-trading floor customers; access to liquidity in over-the-counter markets, trade execution, and connections for market participants and financial professionals? communities; and a suite of solutions offering informed outcomes to regulated industries and law firms. In addition, the company provides critical information , decision support tools, and software and services to legal, investigation, business, and government professionals; integrated tax compliance and accounting software and services for accounting and law firms, corporations, and government professionals; intellectual property and scientific resources that enable its customers to discover, develop, and deliver innovations; and data analytics, and performance benchmarking solutions and services to healthcare sector. Further, it offers coverage of global, regional, and national news in 20 languages covering politics, business, finance, entertainment, lifestyle, technology, health, science, and sports; and engages in advertising-supported direct-to-consumer publishing activities of Reuters.com and its network of Websites, mobile applications, and electronic out-of-home displays. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Associated Press]
Ron Brown, head of Elektron Analytics, a Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI ) unit that sells news feeds that computers can read, said that the words "explosions" or "Obama" alone wouldn't have triggered selling. But add "White House," and it's a combination even the slowest computer couldn't miss.
- [By Monica Wolfe]
Thomson Reuters (TRI)
On Feb. 11, Thomson Reuters declared a dividend of $0.330 per share, representing 3.80% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on March 17 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on Feb. 24, 2014.
- [By Rich Smith]
This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature an upgrade for Thomson Reuters Reuters (NYSE: TRI ) , a new buy rating for Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX ) -- but for Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP ) , a downgrade. Let's get that bad news out of the way first.
- [By Rich Smith]
Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI ) has acquired Canadian trademark search, monitoring, and screening firm Onscope, Thomson announced Tuesday.
Top 10 Media Stocks For 2014: Cablevision Systems Corporation (CVC)
Cablevision Systems Corporation provides telecommunications and media services. It operates in two segments, Telecommunications Services and Other. The Telecommunications Services segment is involved in television business, including video, high-speed data, and VoIP operations, as well as the provision of commercial data and voice services. The Other segment offers Newsday, a daily newspaper; amNewYork, a free daily newspaper; and Star Community Publishing, a group of weekly shopper publications; and newsday.com and exploreLI.com. This segment also engages in motion picture theatre business, Clearview Cinemas; provision of the News 12 Networks, a regional news programming services; and the MSG Varsity network, a network covering high school sports and activities, and other local programs, as well as cable television advertising. Cablevision Systems Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Bethpage, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
'Interconnection' The better access that Netflix is getting from Comcast is known as "interconnection," a term referring to digital content's journey to an Internet service provider's gates. That path technically isn't covered by the current definition of Net neutrality, which refers to how service providers treat digital content once it's inside the gates. Comcast has promised to honor the previous rules governing Net neutrality through 2018. In a blog post last month, Hastings argued that future Net neutrality guidelines should be expanded to address interconnection issues, too. "Without strong Net neutrality, big ISPs can demand potentially escalating fees for the interconnection required to deliver high quality service," Hastings wrote. "The big ISPs can make these demands -- driving up costs and prices for everyone else -- because of their market position." Google's YouTube video site and many other websites were paying interconnection fees to Comcast before Netflix struck its own deal with the carrier. Even with the March improvements, Comcast's delivery of Netflix content lags behind several other major service providers. Cablevision (CVC), Cox, Suddenlink and Charter (CHTR) each delivered Netflix video at higher speeds than Comcast in March, according to Monday's breakdown. Netflix has interconnection deals with Cablevision, Cox and Suddenlink, although those arrangements don't require Netflix to pay fees.
- [By M. Joy Hayes]
With no alternative candidates, there's no guarantee that directors will leave even if they fail to receive majority support. Consider the case of Cablevision (NYSE: CVC ) . In 2010 and 2012, directors Thomas V. Reifenheiser, John R. Ryan, and Vincent S. Tese remained on the board even though they all failed to receive majority support in the company's 2010 and 2012 elections. Worse, Cablevision renominated the shunned directors yet again in 2013.
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