CBS still pondering CNN pairing (Deck chair re-arrangement/Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Variety ^ | June 1, 2007 | Michael Learmonth

[new yorker 77]

A couple of Dodo birds.

[spald]

CBS shares hit a 52-week high the day Redstone reiterated his interest in acquiring CNN, but analysts say there are no Wall Street forces compelling a move.

My late brother (may he rest in peace) was a stockbroker and he would assume that since this happened at the CBS meeting, the discussion would be called the old

Pump and Dump.

[Cicero]

CNN is enormously profitable for Time Warner

A curious detail. I wonder if this is true?

[spald]

But the type of programming that works best on cable news nets -- opinionated talk -- isn't exactly in CBS News' sweet spot. "Let's say you had a program at 8 p.m. that was the best of what CNN and CBS produced all day," posits one former network exec. "If that program went up against Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann, I'm not sure it would do any better than Paula Zahn."

These guys just can't face the truth or tell the truth.

Truth is, if O'Reilly, Olbermann and Zahn went head to head, for every 100 viewers O'Reilly got, Olbermann would get 5 or so and Zahn would get 2 or so. So really, there's only one program on at the time spot and two stations with filler.

Now if Jim Robinson had a half-hour of FReeping and then a half our of just blank screen, he'd outscore O'Reilly 100:1 because all the FReepers would be using the second half-hour on line posting at FR.

[abb]

A curious detail. I wonder if this is true?

"Enormous" has a very elastic meaning. Compared to some of the other losers owned by TWX, (Time magazine, etc) I'm sure it makes money. I'll see what I can dig up.

[spald]

The latest comments I could find were from a May 5 article in Morningstar Business News. An Excerpt:

Time Warner also saw flat revenue results at its cable networks and publishing operations.

At the cable networks, including TBS Superstation, TNT, CNN and HBO, revenue was $2.4 billion, as a 12% drop in advertising revenues was somewhat offset by higher subscription and content revenues.

[abb]

I don’t think they break out the revenues/earnings by business unit, at least publicly. CNN’s lumped in with TBS, TNT, TCM, etc.

[theFIRMbss]

I'd watch CBS if they replaced Couric with drunk Lindsay Lohan.

[Calvin Locke]

Years ago, in cable years, that is, there were plenty of articles commenting about why CBS was not joining the 24/7 cable news bandwagon.

Can't remember a thing from those articles, though.

Maybe they were hoping for an early shake-out.

My guess is that between Cap'n Dan's salary and perks, and his lack luster ad $$$ garnering ratings, they didn't want to detract from their bonuses to fund the startup of a new division.

[Rome2000]

Instead of paying that boring socialist retard Couric 15 million a year they should pay 365 different hot moms $41,000 each to read the news for one night.

People would watch, maybe mix in a few crack whores as well.

[Suzy Quzy]

No other way to get rid of Katie than to sell the whole company!! Katie is like a little herpes.....very hard to get rid of.

[Suzy Quzy]

Glenn Beck is the ONLY thing worth watching on CNN....there’s NOTHING on CBS worth watching.

[Milhous]

was somewhat offset by higher subscription and content revenues.

TWX's latest 10-Q does a fair job of illustrating timewarnersaurus' growing dependence on sticking it to cable subscribers to make up for ever dwindling advertising revenue.

Networks. Revenues, Operating Income before Depreciation and Amortization and Operating Income of the Networks segment for the three months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006 are as follows (millions):

		Three Months Ended
		3/31/07				3/31/06					% Change
						(recast)
Revenues:
Subscription		$	1,545			$	1,462				6	%
Advertising			655				743				(12	%)
Content			200				194				3	%
Other			10				11				(9	%)
Total revenues			2,410				2,410				—
Costs of revenues(a)			(1,067	)			(1,076	)			(1	%)
Selling, general and administrative(a)			(406	)			(452	)			(10	%)
Operating Income before Depreciation and Amortization			937				882				6	%
Depreciation			(74	)			(67	)			10	%
Amortization			(3	)			(3	)			—
Operating Income		$	860			$	812				6	%

[Dont Mention the War]

Moonves is insane. The only way CBS is ever going to acquire CNN is by buying Time Warner itself.

[bert]

Am I in the wrong place?

Is this the Friday silliness thread?

[N. Theknow]

If CNN is bought by CBS they should get Chelsea Clinton to read the news.

She is the original offspring of two POS's.