Wednesday, October 28, 2009
CBS Digital Boss Quincy Smith’s Not-Quite Exit Interview: “Hulu’s a Great Service. That’s Part of the Problem.”
The man who helped shape CBS’s standalone Web video strategy explains himself, for the record.
Monday, May 11, 2009
CBS Digital Boss Quincy Smith Plans His Next Deal: His Own M&A Shop
Quincy Smith, who guided CBS through a series of big transactions during the Web 2.0 era, is planning his next deal: a move to start his own boutique investment bank or consultancy. Smith is still running the CBS Interactive unit, a job he took in November 2006. But he has been telling associates that he plans to start his own company, possibly as soon as this summer. Other people close to Smith say that his departure isn’t imminent and doesn’t have a fixed date and that he’s still working closely with CBS CEO Les Moonves. Statement from CBS spokesman Dana McClintock: “We decline to comment on rumor and speculation.”
Friday, May 1, 2009
Why It Took More Than Four Months, and Millions of Dollars, to Get “Lost” on Hulu
What does it take to add a third player to a joint venture between two media conglomerates? More than four months of negotiations. Tens of millions of dollars help, too. That’s what finally got Disney to join up with GE’s NBC and News Corp.’s Fox in Hulu, the fast-growing Web video site. Here’s what that means for the three networks and the rest of the Web video business.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Hulu Makes Room for a Third: Disney Deal Coming Soon
A deal to bring Disney’s TV shows and movies to Hulu has supposedly been imminent for weeks. But people familiar with the negotiations between Disney and the video site insist that discussions are now very, very advanced and that a deal could be struck any day. At this point, I’m told, Disney and Hulu, the joint venture between GE’s NBC and News Corp.’s Fox, are haggling over the finer points in the tie-up: Details like which Disney shows and channels will be included in the pact and how many seats Disney will get on the joint venture’s board. And opponents of the deal are plotting their next moves.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
CBS: Things Are Bad, But We Can Pay Our Bills; Dividend Slashed
CBS had a lousy fourth quarter, but that’s not news. Wall Street expected it, and Les Moonves and company met revenue expectations while beating earnings. The real news: The company is trying to resolve a looming debt problem by slashing its dividend. CBS’s quarterly payout to investors is dropping from 27 cents to 5 cents.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A March Madness Win for Microsoft: CBS Taps Silverlight
Do you love college basketball but hate Microsoft? Then CBS has a tough choice in store for you next month. That’s because the network will be delivering its March Madness coverage using Redmond’s Silverlight streaming media technology, which for some reason stirs apoplectic emotions among a subset of tech zealots.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Big Media Debt Headaches: Clear Channel Today, CBS Next Week?
Just like everyone else who racked up lots of loans when the banks were giving cash with almost no strings attached, big media have a debt hangover. Clear Channel, whose private equity owners took on $17 billion in debt to acquire it last year, is getting hammered by investors who think it won’t be able to pay that money back. Next up for scrutiny: CBS, which has a big debt payment due next year and not that much cash on hand.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
CBS Thinks Now’s a Great Time to Launch a Finance Site: Meet Moneywatch.com
CBS used to have a personal finance Web site, but it sold it after the last boom. Now the company thinks it would be a good time to start another one from scratch, with the help of its recently acquired CNET staff.
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About Peter
Peter Kafka has been covering media and technology since 1997, when he joined the staff of Forbes magazine. Most recently, he has been the managing editor of the tech and media Web site, Silicon Alley Insider. Read more »
Ethics Statement
Here is a statement of my ethics and coverage policies. It is more than most of you want to know, but, in the age of suspicion of the media, I am laying it all out.
