Comcast has reached an agreement with Nielsen to begin testing commercial ratings for viewing that takes place on iPads and mobile devices starting this summer.
Comcast announced today that its Skype for TV service just launched in Seattle and Boston, with eight more markets launching by the end of the week. The $9.95/month Xfinity add-on includes an HD camera, Skype adaptor and full-keyboard remote control. Once you’re wired up, you can access your Skype contacts — even import from Facebook.
Comcast Corp. has put the wheels in motion to sell the bulk of its small but valuable stake in A&E Television Networks whose holdings include cable channels A&E, History and Lifetime.
The FCC on Wednesday ordered Comcast to move Bloomberg TV next to other news channels, such as Comcast-owned MSNBC and CNBC, on its cable system news lineups.
Comcast’s NBC Broadcast TV Rev Up 37%
Super Bowl drives performance, but even without it, revenues were up almost 18%.
Exclusives
Hulu, which attracted 31 million unique users in March under a free-for-all model, is taking its first steps to change to a model where viewers will have to prove they are a pay-TV customer to watch their favorite shows, according to sources. In fact, the move by Hulu toward the new model — called authentication because viewers would have to log in with their cable or satellite TV account number — was behind the move last week by Providence Equity Partners to cash out of Hulu after five years, these sources said.
Comcast Corp. has accused Bloomberg LP of lying to the government in the latest twist in the battle between the two media behemoths.
Bloomberg says Comcast should include its business news channel in a cable news “neighborhood” on the dial, alongside CNBC and MSNBC.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Oprah Winfrey’s cable channel has struck a distribution deal with Comcast Corp., lifting the number of homes in which the network can be seen, according to people familiar with the situation. Wall Street Journal subscribers can read the story here.
The initiative is part of “NBC News: Hiring Our Heroes” program in conjunction with The Chamber of Commerce that’s designed to help veterans and military spouses find employment.
Comcast will launch four minority-owned networks on its cable TV systems in the next two years, including channels spearheaded by music mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and NBA great Magic Johnson. The new channels are part of an agreement reached by Comcast with the FCC and Department of Justice when it was allowed to become majority owner of NBCUniversal.
The channel, called Revolt, will be announced by Combs today, and may start by the end of 2012. Comcas will carry Revolt on some of its cable systems, although the total number of homes is unclear. It is the latest of several challenges to MTV and BET, both owned by Viacom.
A Year Later: Comcast Walked Its NBC Talk
When Comcast first announced its plans a year ago to buy NBC Universal from General Electric, the experts felt it was the cable networks, not NBC and its television stations, that Comcast really wanted. There was across-the-board gnashing of teeth about what would happen to NBC. But Comcast executives assured regulators and tried to persuade the experts that that wasn’t the case. They really believed in broadcasting, they said. They looked forward to reinvigorating the business and restoring the Peacock’s colors. And over the past 12 months, Comcast has shown that it meant everything it said.
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission made the announcement today. Justice is filing a civil suit against the Comcast chairman, but with the proposed settlement agreement that includes the fine. Officials went after him because this is the third time Roberts failed to report that he had been granted stock above a government-set threshold that required him to make an official disclosure.
Verizon will pay $3.6 billion to Comcast, Time Warner and Bright House Networks to use a swath of cellphone airwaves that the cable giants own but do not use. That would cement Verizon’s status as the dominant wireless carrier and give it access to valuable spectrum at a time when its primary rival — AT&T — is struggling to expand its network through a controversial proposed merger with T-Mobile.
The executive, president of West Coast business operations since August 2010, is exiting under “absolutely amicable” terms, according to an NBC spokesman, who said a mutually convenient timetable is being worked out for his departure. He had been at the company since 2000.
The FCC is hoping to close the digital divide by developing cheap high-speed Internet access for low-income households. Today, the commission will announce commitments from most of the big cable companies in the United States to supply access for $9.99 a month to a subset of low-income households. The low introductory price is meant to appeal to new customers who have not had broadband in the past.
Comcast promised to spend more in program development and other areas to revitalize the NBC network. So far, the spending hasn’t yielded much, but Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis said there is no need to increase the level— just allow time for NBC entertainment chief Bob Greenblatt to craft hits.
Does An NBC Turnaround Matter Any More?
By the time Comcast gets things right, broadcast’s prime roost won’t be the same.
Comcast’s NBCU Revenue Up 4.6% In 3Q
The Philadelphia-based company reported net income of $908 million, or 33 cents per share, for the July-September period. That’s up from $867 million, or 31 cents per share, a year ago.
NBC has fallen further behind its competitors this fall, heightening the challenge facing its new owner Comcast as it works to mount a turnaround.
Microsoft Corp. plans to offer online pay television service from Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) and Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) through Xbox Live, in an bid to channel more entertainment to its video-game console, people with knowledge of the situation said.
The day after NBC had an uninspiring first night of the season, Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis reiterated that the company believes it will take a while for the fourth-place network to move up the charts.
A federal judge has denied Comcast’s request for a temporary restraining order against DirecTV ads promoting its popular NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Comcast Corp, the largest U.S. cable operator, has sued pay TV rival DirecTV, accusing it of misleading consumers by promising “free” broadcasts of National Football League games.
Comcast Posts Higher 2Q Profit
The cable MSO and owner of NBC today reported that its net income of $1.02 billion, or 37 cents per share, for the April to June period, up 16% from $884 million, or 31 cents per share, a year ago. Its broadcast TV segment revenue rose 18.5%, boosted by its acquisition of the NBC and Telemundo networks and stations.
The newly expanded Pac-12 Conference has partnered with cable operators Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks to create a national network and six regional networks.
Comcast Corp. is moving to earn money off its popular video-on-demand service by “dynamically” inserting advertisements into TV reruns.
Media and entertainment company Comcast Corp. said Tuesday it is expanding the carriage of eight Hispanic networks by about 14 million total subscribers. Comcast said that while acquiring NBCUniversal, it […]
