quarterly reports

Political contributes $15.6 million to the total $176 million in the quarter’s revenue. Also strong were both local and national spot, retrans and Internet advertising.

Sinclair Broadcast Group announced today that due to Hurricane Sandy,  it will report its third quarter 2012 earnings results at 7:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 1, followed by a conference call to discuss the results at 8:30 a.m. The earnings release and call had been set for tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Political and Olympics ads drive the gain, with core local revenue down 3% and core national up 18% thanks to automotive and media advertising.

The total of $87 million in the fiscal first quarter is helped by $12 million in political and a 5% increase in non-political money, led by automotive.

The gain to $93.8 million is powered by a 45% boost in automotive as well as political, retransmission consent fees from cable and satellite and website ad revenue.

Political and Olympics ad increases are helped by higher retrans and digital revenue.

Nomura Equity Research’s Michael Nathanson underscored his concern about the upcoming earnings reports by cutting his 3Q estimates across the board this morning. He dropped CBS by 5.2% (to 60 cents in 3Q earnings per share), News Corp. by 4.6% (to 40 cents), Disney by 4.5% (to 69 cents), Discovery by 3.2% (to 63 cents) Scripps Networks by 2.7% (to 77 cents), Viacom by 1.3% (to $1.16) and Time Warner by 1% (to 81 cents).

The company’s shares were up in after-hours trading Wednesday after slightly beating analyst expectations.

The lower sales result in an operating loss of $1.1 million. Company CEO Michael Wellesley-Wesley said: “We expect that the second half of the year will produce improved operational and financial results.”

Dish Network Corp Chairman Charlie Ergen says customers missing AMC Networks programs during a prolonged blackout should turn to Apple’s iTunes or Netflix to get their Mad Men and Breaking Bad fix. The billionaire’s pointed comments came as Dish reported weaker-than-expected second quarter revenue and earnings, and disclosed a potential furthering of its wireless ambitions with a new investment in a telecommunications company.

For its fiscal fourth quarter ending in June 2012, News Corp. said its Fox network unit had lower TV advertising, largely due to lower American Idol ratings. But revenues were offset by retrans revenues, which doubled versus the prior-year period.

Walt Disney Co. posted some strong third-quarter fiscal results — driven in large part by its parks and resorts business unit. Advertising results at its TV networks offered more of a mixed picture.

The company’s five full-power and four low-power stations account for $4.5 million, up from $4.2 a year ago.

The increase to $36.7 million, is driven by an 8% gain in core revenue, and 89% rise in retrans and a 355% boost in political money.

A better-than-expected surge in political advertising, the contribution of television stations that were acquired in late 2011, and solid growth in spot television advertising led The E.W. Scripps Co. to report significant year-over-year improvement in operating results for the second quarter of 2012.

Net revenue growth drives record 2Q operating income of $23.5 million, adjusted EBITDA of $34.5 million, and free cash flow of $19.3 million. Double-digit gains in political and retrans help power the results.

The broadcast TV division is the Washington Post Co.’s only one to report increased operating results as revenue rises to $43.7 million.

The boom is fueled by a 467% gain in political, 64% more retrans money and a 31% rise in Internet advertising.