Disney (NYSE: DIS) did its best to act like a good corporate citizen when it released a "green" film on Earth Day. The title? Appropriately, it's Earth. I didn't see the movie, I'm sure it was decent enough.

Over the three-day weekend, Boxofficemojo says that Earth grossed $8.5 million as of early estimates. If you include the Wednesday and Thursday showings, Earth has so far banked about $14 million for itself.

In terms of ranking, though, that $8.5 million statistic places the project in fifth place, behind such multiplex entries as Sony's (NYSE: SNE) thriller Obsessed, starring Beyonce, Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) 17 Again, and Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) The Soloist.

Continue reading Did Disney's new nature movie make enough green?

Did Disney's new nature movie make enough green? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The boobs who watch Comedy Central and MTV on Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) will not have their viewing pleasure interrupted. Viacom (NYSE: VIA), the parent of the two content networks, has come to a financial deal with TWC to keep the programming on the air. Viacom wanted more money for having its shows on the cable system. It looks like it got that additional cash.

According to The Wall Street Journal, "Viacom had publicly threatened to pull its networks off Time Warner Cable's system on New Year's Eve in a bid to win higher payments from the cable giant in its negotiation over carriage fees."

Both parties can claim that they walked away with something good. Viacom gets more money for its programming. TWC keeps shows that are appealing to its paid subscribers. That means that what TIme Warner customers pay for the service over time will probably go up to offset the higher fees to Viacom, but not more than a dollar or two a month.

It is too bad that the programming was not taken down. People in front of their TVs, sitting in lounge chairs six or seven hours a day, might have been forced to get up and exercise or volunteer to help the poor. Instead they get the intellectual benefit of watching Beyonce and Britney Spears.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Time Warner Cable and Viacom cut a programming deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our feature on Money Winners of 2008. See all 20.

The recent release of Beyonce Knowles' Sasha Fierce album has garnered the singer, song writer, and producer her fifth number one hit song. She also has two motion pictures coming out soon, Cadillac Records and Obsessed, and will go on a world tour in 2009. That should considerably increase her already sizable earnings.

I don't own any of Beyonce's albums, but after listening (and watching) her AOL Sessions version of "Irreplaceable" a few times, I plan to put one on my Christmas list. Which one should I ask for, Beyonce fans? Her second solo album, B'Day, which has "Irreplaceable" on it, or her new double-album?

I also plan to see Cadillac Records, in which she plays the legendary Etta James. The New York Times says her performance is impressive. In the interview, it's clear that Beyonce has designs on being legendary herself.

At 27, Beyonce certainly is well on her way. And she is clearly a money winner this year -- Forbes estimates she pulled in $80 million between June 2007 and June 2008, ranking her the top celebrity earner under 30. But with her album, tour, movies (not to mention her clothing line and endorsement deals with Pepsi and L'Oreal), next year could provide even greater riches.

Beyonce made our Money Winners for 2008, but she looks like a shoe-in for our 2009 list as well.

Be sure to check out more Money Winners of 2008.

Money winners of 2008: Beyonce, one smash hit after another originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Who can forget the advertising campaign a number of years back that threw social watch dogs into fits over Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF). That particular advertising foray employed the lithe bodies of teen and preteen boys and girls in a way which, while certainly drawing attention, underscored today's excessive use of underage sexuality in advertising. Parent groups and child protective agencies were enraged, as well they might be. However, a recent ad campaign launched by Beyonce and her House of Dereon, clothes for girls, makes Abercrombie's misadventures look about as harmless as a day at the zoo.

A blog post presented by our sister blog Styledash, reveals the shocking truth about the clothing ad campaign, which is the brainchild of Beyonce and her mother, Tina Knowles. Blogger Kristen Seymour espouses the danger in this type of advertising by describing the presentation in the terms of "Go on, baby, and earn your lunch money the old-fashioned way."

The gallery provided by Styledash is self-explanatory and might serve to turn the stomachs of little girl's parents everywhere. Certainly, Beyonce and her advertising agency have accomplished what they wanted to. We can also believe that Abercrombie & Fitch shall benefit slightly with a parallel focus to its own questionable advertising strategy. However, we need only to remember the enigmatic fate of JonBenet Ramsey to realize down which road this type of advertising strategy may lead.

(Thanks to Styledash for the tip, Additional thanks to Gawker)

Beyonce gives Abercrombie a run for its money originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 10 May 2008 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our Money Face-Offs feature. Let us know who you think comes out ahead in this head-to-head match-up, and check out our other Money Face-Off posts.

It's small wonder hip-hop stars and brand empire builders Diddy and Jay-Z are known as much for their rap sheets as their balance sheets; after all, they have more AKA's than most mafiosos.

P. Diddy is only "P." in New Zealand and the U.K., and I'll always know him as "Puffy" (and "Puff Daddy," "Sean Combs," and "Sean John"). He's gone through more name changes than Prince and all those formerly-known-as such.

Jay-Z, whose given name was also "Shawn" (though spelled differently from Diddy/Daddy/Puffy's "Sean"), also goes by "Jiggy," "Jazzy," and "Jay Hova." While it seems obvious that Jay-Z would win in a battle of the boys from the block (after all, he's dating Beyonce), and he is, after all, officially richer, still there is controversy. Whose business empire is more diverse and eclectic? Whose criminal record is more sordid? Whose clothing line is more inappropriate for the toddlers they market toward?

Putting criminal records aside for the time being (and for the record, I think Jay-Z, with a stabbing incident on his rap sheet, beats Diddy, whose gun controversy ended with an acquittal and -- most importantly -- zero bullets actually connecting with human flesh), let's compare the rappers' empires:

Continue reading Money Face-Off: P. Diddy vs. Jay-Z

Money Face-Off: P. Diddy vs. Jay-Z originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Sep 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In what may be a first, a company is buying air-time to show infomercials without the intent of really selling us anything. The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is buying late night airtime on cable stations like Lifetime and USA Networks to show infomercials, basically with the intent of convincing employees and consumers that the company really isn't so bad after all.

They've pulled out all the stops. You get to hear from Wal-Mart workers serving in the military, watch footage from the company American Idol-like competition for employees, hear about the company's organic initiatives, and even listen to singer Beyonce talk about how much she "loves" Wal-Mart.

If this seems bizarre, it is. It's unheard of, but it might not be such a bad idea. It will show the company's employees that they want to do something about their reputation, and may even win over a few consumers who are on the fence about the company. A Wal-Mart spokesman said that the infomercials weren't that expensive, and that this is seen as a kind of low-risk gamble.

This seems smart. Since there is so much coverage of Wal-Mart in the media (BloggingStocks's Brian White has an excellent Wal-Mart Weekly feature on the company), much of it highly negative, it seems right for Wal-Mart to air its side of the story.

It would be pretty exciting if this catches on -- Will anyone facing negative press start buying airtime to defend themselves? Could Paris Hilton film infomercials of herself teaching chess to her fellow inmates to win over public opinion?

Wal-Mart turns to infomercials to boost its reputation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 02 Jun 2007 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.