Japanese company Toshiba Corp. (TOSYY) introduced the latest development in three-dimension (3D) television: glasses-free 3D.

The company's latest TV takes one of the biggest customer complaints about 3D TV technology (those bulky glasses) and eliminates said problem. Of course, there is some concern that consumers will not like the newest TV, as they have to sit rather close in order to see the images in 3D. It is recommended that the viewer sit 35.4 inches and 25.6 inches from the respective models.

Continue reading Glasses-Free 3D TV in the Works from Toshiba

Glasses-Free 3D TV in the Works from Toshiba originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading MLB Games Coming to Sony PS3

MLB Games Coming to Sony PS3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Newspapers Claim to be Classified Leaders

Newspapers Claim to be Classified Leaders originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Kicking Confidence Under the Belt (SCHW, BRCD, PALM, THC, STT, SPG, BAM)

Closing Bell: Kicking Confidence Under the Belt (SCHW, BRCD, PALM, THC, STT, SPG, BAM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading With NBC in Shambles, Jefferies Upgrades CBS

With NBC in Shambles, Jefferies Upgrades CBS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oprah Winfrey, arguably the most powerful woman in entertainment (if not the world in general), is preparing to pack her luxurious bags. She's announced that in 2011, after a quarter-century of favorite things and heartfelt interviews, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will be no more. The last program is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2011. One can only imagine who might be her guests.

In syndication across the country, Oprah's eponymous program is the top-rated U.S. daytime show (take that, Days of Our Lives!), with an average viewership of 7.1 million this year.

While not entirely unexpected, the news is likely a bit of a blow to CBS Corporation (CBS), as its CBS Television Distribution arm syndicates the program. Additionally, Walt Disney (DIS) might feel the sting of an Oprah departure as Disney-owned ABC is the primary network that airs the show. And will it impact O, Oprah's monthly magazine published by the Heart Corporation? To say nothing of all of the manic women in the audience who long for a chance at one of Oprah's favorite things.

Continue reading Oprah to pull the plug in 2011

Oprah to pull the plug in 2011 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It took a while, but the broadcast media community is starting to realize that Nielsen Media may not have the answers to all their audience-related questions.

So, 14 of the largest players in the space -- including programmers, advertisers, and ad buyers -- are shelling out some cash to see if there's a better way. The group claims it isn't looking for an alternative to Nielsen ... but let's do the math on this one. If they aren't looking for some new choices, then just what the hell are they doing?

Continue reading Broadcasters, ad folks desperate for a better audience-measuring mousetrap

Broadcasters, ad folks desperate for a better audience-measuring mousetrap originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This afternoon,the Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) is going to be reporting its fiscal third quarter earnings.

Analysts are expecting to see the company hit hard by the current recession, with all segments of the company's business have felt the impact.

Continue reading Disney's third-quarter earnings expected to decline

Disney's third-quarter earnings expected to decline originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week, World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) reported its Q1 results. Above all, investors interested in this business look at one thing: cash flow. Why? Take a look at WWE's dividend yield.

As of Tuesday's close, the stock was yielding almost 13%! That's high. And a high dividend yield often indicates that a dividend cut may be in the offing -- the theory being that if the yield were sustainable, then buyers would rush in, and their activities would eventually lower the yield by driving the price higher.

Well, WWE hasn't had a great time of it when it comes to cash flow. I found this out when I examined the company's third quarter. Net cash from operations, unfortunately, has been overpowered at times by the dividend obligation. In fact, according to the Q4 report (pdf file), operational cash flow for 2008 dropped significantly to roughly $36 million, and the dividend obligation was over $80 million.

And that was before capital investments. That's sort of like the Undertaker throwing Mankind off the top of a steel cage. In other words, it's not pretty, folks.

Continue reading World Wrestling Entertainment: How was the cash flow in Q1?

World Wrestling Entertainment: How was the cash flow in Q1? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CBS (NYSE: CBS) programmed its Q1 earnings report Thursday after the bell. If the report had been a pilot, it would have been canceled immediately.

Revenues slipped over 13% to around $3.2 billion. CBS said it lost 8 cents per share. Talk about a failure of a quarter. Last year at this time, CBS made 36 cents per share. True, the comparison was a difficult one, since a change in distribution strategy for the international placement of the CSI asset enhanced the previous year's results.

But let's not get hung up on difficult comparisons. CBS simply had a bad three months. A very bad three months indeed. Oh, and I should note that analysts thought CBS might earn 7 cents per share. That seems almost comical at this juncture.

Continue reading CBS sees sales decline and a loss in Q1

CBS sees sales decline and a loss in Q1 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 May 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS), a media concern that competes with companies such as Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), Disney (NYSE: DIS), CBS (NYSE: CBS), and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal, issued its Q3 report on Wednesday after the bell. The numbers weren't that great, but you know what? The stock rallied anyhow in the after-hours session, rising over 3%. That's typical of what's been happening: Stocks are going higher even on weak news. Maybe the bears truly are heading back to hibernation.

News Corp. revenues declined by 16%. In terms of earnings, we'll look at operating income since, in this particular case, the numbers involve a lot of gains. This metric dropped 46%. And cash flow from operations for the nine-month period plunged well over 50%.

Continue reading News Corp. reports big declines in operating income and cash flow

News Corp. reports big declines in operating income and cash flow originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 May 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cable companies working to curb free online TV

Cable companies working to curb free online TV originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Tina Fey denies McDonald's product placement on '30 Rock'

Tina Fey denies McDonald's product placement on '30 Rock' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Whedon's 'Dollhouse' flops; how long will FOX hang on?

Whedon's 'Dollhouse' flops; how long will FOX hang on? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner Cable's one-penny promotion backfires originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading MLB teams up with the NHL to sell online video package

MLB teams up with the NHL to sell online video package originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There have been numerous stories about the plight of the newly unemployed former Wall Street hotshot and it really is quite sad. Hard-working paper pushers have gone from seven-figure bonuses to the unemployment office. and in particularly dire cases, they've had to transfer kids to less elite private schools or perhaps even sell an Aspen ski lodge.

All of this could make for a fascinating CNBC reality show styled after hits like The Surreal Life and The Simple Life. Call it The Severed Life. The show would feature recently laid-off high level corporate executives, including former CEOs who left with massive severance packages, there to serve as punching bags: Richard Fuld, Angelo Mozilo, and Ken Lewis -- Oh wait, he somehow still has a job. Lesser-known cast members might include investment bankers and hedge fund managers.

Continue reading Time for an ex-Wall Streeter reality show

Time for an ex-Wall Streeter reality show originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So, I just read that Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) purchased TVGuide.com and TV Guide Network from Macrovision Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ: MVSN) for over $250 million. Here's the press release. The question I have is: Why would Lions Gate want to do this?

I know I'm going to be called pretty ignorant by some for even thinking to disagree with this move, but nevertheless, I disagree with this move. The reason is simple (to me, at least). If I were a shareholder of the company, I think I'd rather have management focus on creating content as opposed to spending a lot of money to buy up a platform. Sure, these TV Guide properties have a high level of brand equity and are indeed widely distributed. But a quarter of a billion dollars is a lot of money, a sum that could have been allocated toward new movie franchises and content acquisitions.

Does Lions Gate really want the hassle of integrating the TV Guide portfolio into its business? Won't that distract the company from focusing on its desire to build a great library of movies and television shows so that it can become an attractive buyout candidate someday? I mean, let me get specific for a second. Take the Saw franchise. That's getting a little long in the tooth, isn't it? I look at that quarter-billion bucks and see a bunch of seed money for a ton of new concepts. If only a few made it to Saw-level, then I can only imagine that it would help shareholder value.

Continue reading Lions Gate buys TV Guide properties: Why?

Lions Gate buys TV Guide properties: Why? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I found myself writing about General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC the other day, specifically about CEO Jeff Zucker's apparent flummoxed realization that radical changes may be needed to stanch the ratings erosion that have plagued the major broadcast networks in this brave new media world. Now, I have another, equally interesting subject to look at: Jay Leno will be given a talk show after he hands The Tonight Show over to Conan O'Brien. The program will air on weeknights from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

As we all probably know by now, NBC was intent on having O'Brien take over Leno's position as a way of ensuring that he would stay at the network. Leno, as one would imagine, reportedly hated giving the job up. NBC, however, did not want Leno to head over to another network. Supposedly, Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ABC was perhaps interested in taking Leno on. So, the powers that be at the Peacock net have secured the services of Mr. Leno by offering him the chance to do something new: namely, distribute his schtick at an earlier time.

Okay, I'll tell you, I think this is a ridiculous idea. On many levels. Let's talk about level one: is this even going to work? Do people want to see Leno at 10 p.m.? Hey, maybe they will. But I get the feeling that this might be too much of a change for people used to seeing Leno at 11:30. Let's go to level two: why does NBC want to program what would essentially be two Tonight Shows? Won't there be some cannibalization going on here? You always hear media companies whining about cannibalization.

Continue reading Should NBC have let Leno go?

Should NBC have let Leno go? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Get ready, Mouse fans. Disney (NYSE: DIS) will be letting Wall Street know this Thursday if its fourth quarter was a good one or not. A lot of eyes will be on the company. Shareholders will want to know the outlook for the theme parks and how the advertising marketplace is treating the company's media holdings. So far, things haven't been too bad at Disney, but many on Wall Street are expecting the recession is to catch up to the company. I expect this myself. So I'll be perusing the conference-call transcript for such items as guest spending at the parks and the quality of the scatter advertising market at ABC. I'll also be keeping my eye out for comments about the consumer-products segment and the company's investments in the video-game division. Disney is spending a lot on the latter, and I think shareholders need to have an idea of how the portfolio of games to be released during the holiday season is expected to perform. In terms of the former, I want to know if the Disney brand is working its magic in the retail channels.

In terms of the bottom line, Earnings.com says that income should be about $0.49 per share. That would represent growth of roughly 17%. I'd be happy with that double-digit number. And I'm pretty sure that estimates will be beat by a penny or two, knowing the company's reputation. But as a shareholder, I tend to be more interested in the cash-flow statement. I like to see how much free cash has been generated, and how the company is using it. In fact, we'll get the cash-flow number for the last twelve months this Thursday. I'll want to see how many shares have been repurchased, and I'll be interested in attempting to gauge what the next dividend increase is likely to be. Disney likes to take shares back as a way of rewarding shareholders, but management really needs to do a better job with the dividend, as I think it could be higher. I would expect that Disney will deliver a decent cash-flow statement.

And how are the Disney Channel franchises faring? Is Hannah Montana wearing out her welcome? Somehow, I don't think that will be the case; someday soon, sure, but not just now. And will the next High School Musical movie be released on the big screen with a new cast? I would appreciate one of the analysts out there inquiring about that. The whole Disney-Channel-incubator thing has been a powerful force for both the company and the brand, and I'm sure CEO Bob Iger will be crowing about it. But I'd love to know what his spreadsheets are saying about the longevity at this point for the current franchises. Will Disney know when it's time to sell out of one fad and invest in another? For that matter, how are the Jonas Brothers doing? We do hear about them, but they don't have the same iconic value of a Miley Cyrus, do they? They don't to me, at least, but maybe I'm just out of the loop. Iger should explain what plans the company has to turn them into the next truly big thing.

Continue reading Earnings preview: Will Disney resist the recession?

Earnings preview: Will Disney resist the recession? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.