Viacom

Zola Mashariki’s lawsuit claims that Black Entertainment Television, Viacom and its largely male leadership foster a climate in which women are systematically harassed and denied opportunities. Her suit filed Wednesday in federal court seeks an unspecified amount in compensatory and punitive damages for alleged losses including back pay and benefits.

Viacom is expanding its international Play Plex apps, which offer programming from its core networks, to the U.S. and other markets. The suite of apps, which are run by Viacom International Media Networks, includes Nickelodeon Play, Nick Jr. Play, MTV Play and Comedy Central Play.

When Viacom’s Paramount Network formally launches early next year, executives want some of the commercials to be as can’t-miss as some of the series they expect to run. Among discussions being held with advertisers are running programs with limited commercials as well as getting first-run ads that have not been seen elsewhere, says Sean Moran, Viacom’s head of sales.

Viacom named Julia Phelps as its senior vice president, communications and culture, a newly created role at the New York entertainment conglomerate, which controls Nickelodeon, MTV and the Paramount movie studio, among other assets.

Over the past 13 years, McCarthy’s methodical, Moneyball-like approach to rejuvenating Viacom’s networks has proven that he is peerless when it comes to fixing seemingly unsalvageable problems. Finally, last October, McCarthy was given his most grandiose challenge yet: he was named president of MTV as well, becoming the third network chief in 13 months tasked with trying to revive the iconic, adrift brand, which had been hemorrhaging viewers for years.

CBS and Fox networks have the best multiyear investor outlook, Wall Street research firm MoffettNathanson said in a report for investors today. The report noted that the viewership trends for media companies in the first quarter of 2017 will historically be seen as some of the weakest numbers ever. But the media sector was still “a strong out-performer in the first 100 days of the year,” and MoffettNathanson’s research team raised its EPS estimates for Viacom, 21st Century Fox and Time Warner.

Accenture will run — with support from Nielsen and comScore — OpenAP, a new TV ad sales targeting consortium formally unveiled today by partners Fox Networks, Turner and Viacom.

MGM is about to become the sole owner of Epix with a deal to buy the stakes held by Viacom’s Paramount and Lionsgate that values the joint venture at $1.28 billion.MGM agreed to pay $1.03 billion for Viacom’s 49.8% interest and Lionsgate’s 31.2% of the premium network business. The partners expect the deal to close this month, following approval by antitrust officials.

Three of TV’s biggest players are teaming up in hopes of convincing Madison Avenue to accept a different yardstick when it comes to measuring the effectiveness of millions of dollars in advertising. Viacom, 21st Century Fox’s Fox Networks Group and Time Warner’s Turner say they will all back a single system to facilitate a type of advertising buy that has become more common in recent years as new technology allows marketers to pick and choose the audiences they pitch with a greater deal of precision.

Kern Schireson has assumed the newly created role of chief data officer for Viacom, where he’s tasked with applying data science to grow all areas of the media conglomerate’s business including TV, film, digital media and consumer products.

MGM Holdings is in talks to acquire the 81% of Epix it does not already own from two of its partners in the premium U.S. channel, Viacom and Lionsgate, people familiar with the matter say. The deal would give MGM, a privately held U.S. movie studio best known for its classic film library, control of Epix and would be a boon to its TV business, as it seeks to build a stronger platform to distribute its content.

MTV President Chris McCarthy reaffirms VH1 and MTV2 aren’t going anywhere as the executive opens up about the network’s role amid Viacom 2.0.

Viacom, long the poster child of the supersize cable TV bundle, is planning to narrow its strategic focus to six key channel brands as it seeks to reset its frayed relationships with distribution partners, according to people familiar with the matter.

The news comes roughly a week after Bob Bakish was formally named CEO of ailing media company Viacom.

Sumner Redstone will step down from the Viacom board of directors in February after the company holds its annual meeting, Viacom said today.

Viacom announced Monday that Bob Bakish will stay on as the permanent president CEO of the media conglomerate. Bakish took over the position on an interim basis in November. 

Shari Redstone withdrew her proposed merger of CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. today, ending negotiations for a deal that would have recombined her family’s media holdings to create a new colossus in the television industry.

Viacom CEO Bob Bakish unequivocally squashed the rumor that Viacom was interested in buying an interest in Vice. Speaking Monday at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference, Bakish said Viacom has “no interest” in the pursuing a deal. “We’re not going to do it,” Bakish said.

The top executive at CBS Corp. said the company was following a strategy based on wringing the most dollars out of content and distribution, even as it considers a potential tie-up with sister corporation Viacom Inc. “We are in the very early stages” of considering a possible merger with Viacom, said CBS CEO Leslie Moonves at an annual investor conference held by UBS. “There are a lot of lawyers, a lot of bankers. We are very happy with the way we are as a standalone company.” When it comes to Viacom, Moonves said. “Anything could happen.”

Viacom’s new chief executive, Bob Bakish, is joining a conga line of big media companies weighing a plan to acquire an interest in Vice, the millennial-focused news and pop culture destination that has been expanding around the globe.

On his first day as Viacom’s new acting chief executive, Robert Bakish wrote a $345 million check to buy Television Federal, a Spanish-language television company in Argentina. It was an interesting move, in part, because investors have been more interested lately in whether Viacom will take steps to reunite with its former corporate sibling, CBS.

In his first appearance on a Viacom quarterly earnings call, soon-to-be acting CEO Bob Bakish says he’s optimistic about the company’s “very strong footing” even though it faces “challenges.” He vowed to “accelerate our evolution while building a long-term vision for our future,” even as directors weigh a merger with CBS.

Sony’s PlayStation Vue is adjusting its lineup of television channels and droping Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and other Viacom-owned television networks. Viacom’s networks no longer will be part of the subscription service as of Friday.

CBS has retained banks Moelis and Goldman Sachs to advise the company on a possible merger with Viacom. National Amusements Inc. controls both and has asked the two to examine a possible combination.

The big question for CBS is whether — or, more likely, when — it will merge with Viacom. And CEO Les Moonves provided the safe answer to analysts in his quarterly earnings call. “If it looks right and is structured properly, it could be an attractive opportunity,” he says. But “we will only do a deal if it’s in the best interests of CBS and its shareholders.”

Viacom has named company vet Robert Bakish its acting president and CEO. He’ll officially start the new gig on Nov. 15, when Tom Dooley steps down. Bakish will take those same titles at new business unit Viacom Global Entertainment Group.

The former Viacom chairman’s lawsuit claims Manuela Herzer and Sydney Holland took advantage of him, leaving him with over $90 million in tax obligations.

Chris McCarthy has been given oversight of MTV along with his current supervision of VH1 and Logo, Viacom said today, adding to the executive’s portfolio at a time when the New York entertainment conglomerate is under severe pressure to make many of its TV outlets more relevant to a younger generation that has embraced mobile devices and streaming video. McCarthy takes up duties very recently held by Sean Atkins, who was named MTV’s president at the end of September in 2015

Viacom shareholders believe they’ll have a merger agreement with CBS by Thanksgiving, sources say.. National Amusements Inc., the controlling shareholder of both Viacom and CBS, said on Sept. 29 that it sees the deal as an all-stock transaction with an at-market price.

The two main pieces of the family’s $40 billion media empire — Viacom and CBS — are set to spend tens of millions of dollars on an army of bankers, lawyers and advisers as the companies work to determine if a merger of the two companies is feasible.

Two prominent analysts upgraded Viacom’s stock Thursday, sending shares up 2% to close at $35.82. The moves were based on hopes new management will reconfigure the cable networks, push aggressively into digital outlets and reverse studio losses.

Leslie Moonves holds the keys to the Redstone family’s $40-billion kingdom. The charismatic chairman and chief executive of CBS Corp. has emerged as the choice of controlling shareholders Shari and Sumner Redstone to lead a reunified CBS and Viacom Inc. — should the companies agree to merge.

CBS CEO Leslie Moonves is planning to seek autonomy from the Redstone family, the broadcaster’s controlling shareholder, in leading the company if it merges with Viacom, two people familiar with the matter said. While there is no certainty that CBS and Viacom will agree to a merger, Moonves is seeking to capitalize on his 10-year track record at the helm of CBS to gain as much influence as possible over the combined company, the people said.

The Viacom and CBS deal machines are revving up. The special committee of the board of Viacom has hired Morgan Stanley to explore a potential combination with CBS, people familiar with the matter say. CBS’s special committee, for its part, has retained Lazard as its financial adviser and Morton Pierce of White & Case as its legal counsel, the people say.

After hearing arguments from attorneys, Chancellor Andre Bouchard agreed to put the case on hold until he hears arguments in January on the motion to dismiss and issues his ruling. The shareholder plaintiffs are challenging actions taken by Viacom’s board in renominating Redstone, 93, as a director earlier this year amid concerns about his health and mental capacity, and efforts by Redstone and his daughter Shari to change the company’s bylaws and oust certain directors.

Shari Redstone and her father, Sumner, have made great strides in their personal relationship and the fight for control of his $40 billion media empire.