time warner

Face-Off on Stocks: Disney, Viacom, Time Warner


It's award season in Hollywood, with the Oscars just weeks away. But stocks are forward-looking, so investors are already keying on summer blockbuster season. And a bigger-than-expected summer hit or two can indeed provide a catalyst for media and entertainment company shares.

After Olbermann, Is Comcast Set to Overhaul MSNBC?

Don't bet on it. While media chatter has it that the conservatives at Comcast are going to overhaul MSNBC's lineup, the problems with Olbermann were more managerial than political. The channel's demographics are actually quite favorable, and other shows' ratings are strong.

Can Google's Android Undercut iTunes for News?

Google is considering a plan to expand its Android newsstand -- and heat rivalry with Apple's iTunes -- by charging publishers a lower price to sell news to Android users than the 30% fee that Apple typically charges to sell apps on iTunes. Will that be enough to attract more news?

Mark Zuckerberg Racks Up Some Hefty Kudos

Time magazine has unveiled its Person of the Year for 2010: Facebook founder Zuckerberg. And in a separate accolade, his company was also named the Best Place to Work for 2011 in an employee survey. You can almost hear the seething over at Google.

First-Run Movies at Home -- for $20,000

That's the price tag for a Prima Cinema system that'll let you watch the latest releases at home from day one. The cost is sure to keep the market small, for now at least. The promise is that this is just the first step to more widespread at-home distribution.

Embracing Change: Why Netflix Keeps Winning

In its transition from mail-order DVDs to streaming video, Netflix's latest move -- a new plan that offers unlimited downloads and no DVDs for $7.99 per month -- highlights why the company has been so successful.

New Harry Potter Film Grosses $125 Million in Opening Weekend

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" had the most successful opening of the series so far, bringing in $125 million in U.S. box office sales last weekend. That gives the Warner Bros. title the sixth-most successful U.S. movie launch ever.

Are Fox News and MSNBC Mirror Images?

When News Corp. made high-profile donations to Republican organizations, liberals were outraged, saying it proved that Fox News Channel is a front for the Republican Party. On the opposite side of the political aisle, the same point was made after Keith Olbermann's suspension by MSNBC. The truth, though, is more ambiguous.

'The Hobbit' Gets $25 Million to Stay in New Zealand

After filmmakers last week threatened to shoot "The Hobbit" films elsewhere, New Zealand has come up with $25 million in incentives to keep production in the country. The prequels to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which also was filmed in New Zealand, will start filming early next year.

Is HBO's Boardwalk Empire Breaking a Modern Prohibition?

The cable network has a novel liquor-store marketing campaign tied to Canadian Club whiskey for its Prohibition-era drama Boardwalk Empire. Some critics fear it may have an influence on an unintended audience: children and young adults.

The 10 Biggest Corporate Givers to Politicians

What companies have shelled out the most to America's political campaigns? Using data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, we've created a top-10 list, offering a look at the candidates they support, the issues that concern them and their lobbying habits.

How to Exploit Your Employer -- and Why You Should

In these slimmed down times, employees often pick up more responsibilities at work without receiving more pay. But there is a bright side. James Altucher of Formula Capital explains how you can turn the tables to help your employer while also ensuring a better future for yourself. Here's what you need to do.

'Parker Spitzer' Is a Bust, and CNN May Already Know It

CNN says it's confident about its newest show, starring Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer, but there's reason to think the network is already quietly lining up the fire trucks next to the runway in expectation of a flameout.

Parker Spitzer: Low Ratings, Scathing Reviews

CNN's great 8PM hope, Parker Spitzer, garnered lackluster ratings in its debut Monday night, trailing Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and CNN's own sister network HLN. Television critics, meanwhile, savaged the program.

CNN Hopes to Spin Its Own Story with Change at the Top

CNN is sick of being the punching bag of the cable news world. Explaining why the network replaced the head of CNN U.S., CNN Worldwide President Jim Walton cited what he described as unfair press coverage focusing on CNN's declining ratings, while ignoring its growing profitability.

CNN Replaces Jon Klein as Makeover Looms

CNN president Jonathan Klein has been hard at work this year remaking the network's primetime lineup, its most important programming block. But whether or not his effort proves successful, he won't be around to find out.

Will Jeff Immelt Be Larry Summers' Replacement?

In theory, the role of the director of the White House National Economic Council is to present the president with an unbiased range of economic opinions. Larry Summers didn't do that -- he promoted his own views instead. But what will his successor do -- and will it make any difference?

Why SI Ignored Apple's iPad Guidelines

Magazine publishers are at great pains these days to please Apple, whose fast-selling tablet computer, the iPad, just may be the key to their future survival. But following all the persnickety dictates handed down by Steve Jobs isn't always easy, as Sports Illustrated recently realized.

Piers Morgan Finally Lands Larry King's CNN Job

The British newspaper journalist and TV personality will take over in 2011 from King, who was originally set to retire this fall. Morgan is already known to U.S. viewers of America's Got Talent, the British show's spin-off.

Paparazzi Take on People in Digital Rights Fight

People wants to use magazine photos on its iPad app for free, claiming the app is merely a product extension, not new content that must be additionally paid for. The photo agencies disagree, and they're threatening to pull their photos.

Calling All Conservatives: It's a Tea Party at the Newsstand

The citizens of Red State America are hopping mad, and they're doing something about it: buying magazines. Titles for gun lovers, hunters, conservatives and Nascar fans were among the fastest-growing publications in the first half of 2010.

Deflation Jitters Could Be a Buying Opportunity

Some analysts are now worried about falling prices, sending big investors fleeing stocks for safer assets. But earnings are healthy and pockets of strength are emerging, suggesting it's a good time to go against the grain.

Longtime Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore Stepping Down

The world's biggest magazine company is getting a new boss. Ann Moore, who has served as chairman and chief executive of Time Inc. since 2002, is relinquishing the CEO title to Jack Griffin, previously of Meredith Corp.