Viacom | mediaME

Viacom profits drop 65% due to weak ad sales

Mon, 2012-02-06 11:08 - By

Advertising Business, Advertising News, Announcement, Media Business, Media, profit drops, The Los Angeles Times, Viacom, weak ad sales

Viacom's profits plummeted 65% in the fourth quarter due to lower advertising sales at its cable television networks. The media company depends almost entirely on its cable channels, including MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, VH1 and Comedy Central, for its income.

A second blow to Viacom's earnings came from a $383-million payment to former shareholders of Harmonix Music Systems, the company behind the Rock Band video game franchise. Viacom has had a long-running legal dispute with the company after a failed attempt to get into the video game business.

Facebook now the third largest video site in US

Tue, 2011-08-23 09:37 - By

editor

Announcement, Digital Media, Media, comScore, Facebook, Hulu, Microsoft, TechCrunch, Vevo, Viacom, Yahoo, youtube

Facebook now ranks as the third largest video site on the Web in terms of unique viewers according to comScore, with an estimated 51.5 million people on Facebook watching a video during the month of July.

The month before it was No. 6. It passed Microsoft, Yahoo, and Viacom. Only Vevo (with 62 million monthly viewers) and YouTube (158 million) are bigger. It is only a matter of time before Facebook passes Vevo, but can it ever take the crown from Google or Youtube?

Omnicom Media Group MENA and July Systems partner to develop mobile marketing opportunity

Mon, 2011-05-23 06:31 - By

editor

Announcement, Content Business, Media Business, Media, CBS, Dubai Media City, Elie Khouri, ESPN, July Systems, Omnicom Media Group MENA, Prem Bhatia, Viacom

Omnicom Media Group MENA and July Systems yesterday announced a partnership that will enable media owners to create and monetize content on mobile internet platforms.

Mobile internet is set to become the primary

Adobe announces availability of Flash Player 10.1 for mobile

Wed, 2010-06-23 07:10 - By

editor

What's next for Showtime-Orbit deal?

Wed, 2009-08-12 07:12 - By

editor

Media Business, Media, Arab Radio & Television, Gulf-DTH, Kipco, Mawarid Group, Noorsat, Orbit, pay-TV merger, Showtime Arabia, Viacom

Rapid TVNews reports that the pay-TV merger between Showtime Arabia and rival Orbit was concluded on time at the end of last month, according to reports out of Kuwait on Aug 11. A statement from Kuwait-based Kipco said the agreement was formally wrapped on July 31.The deal was announced last month, although no official valuation was given other than a very vague statement that the merger was worth “billions”. Neither was any information given as to who initiated the “merger”, although it is widely spoken of as a Showtime Arabia initiative. Showtime Arabia had reportedly bought out its Viacom minority partner in its Gulf-DTH operation. Kipco, an investment vehicle ultimately controlled by the Kuwait royal family, already controlled 75.3% of Gulf-DTH.