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Media companies benefit from higher fees from cable, satellite operators; studio results mixed

The Canadian PressMay 1, 2013 14:45
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Media companies benefited from higher fees for cable television networks such as TBS, Comedy Central and CNBC in the first three months of the year. Time Warner Inc., Viacom Inc. and Comcast Corp. all saw growth in their cable network businesses, thanks to distribution fees they charge cable and satellite TV service providers for rights to carry their channels on subscribers' lineups. Those fees get passed on to customers of cable and satellite service.

Comcast profits rises 17 per cent in first quarter as lack of Super Bowl holds back revenue

The Canadian PressMay 1, 2013 07:45
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable company and owner of NBCUniversal, on Wednesday said its net income rose 17 per cent in the latest quarter, powered by continued strong results from its cable operations. Price increases on cable TV and customers upgrading to high-definition packages and digital video recorders helped boost numbers. Subscribers paid an average of $3.40 more per month for TV compared with the same period last year.

Tom Cruise takes back U.S. box office with "Oblivion"

April 21, 2013 12:45
By Lisa Richwine and Andrea Burzynski (Reuters) - Tom Cruise's post-apocalyptic thriller "Oblivion" wiped out the box office competition, racking up $38.2 million (25 million pounds) in weekend ticket sales during its U.S. and Canadian debut. The debut of "Oblivion" knocked baseball movie "42" into second place. The drama about Jackie Robinson, the first black player in the Major Leagues, earned $18 million from Friday through Sunday after leading the charts a week ago.

Baseball film "42" scores $27.3 million in box office win

April 14, 2013 16:17
By Lisa Richwine and Andrea Burzynski LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Baseball drama "42," the story of Jackie Robinson becoming the first black player in the major leagues more than 60 years ago, took home a win at the movie box office after scoring $27.3 million (17.8 million pounds) from weekend ticket sales in the United States and Canada.

Fox threatens to become cable channel amid Aereo dispute

April 8, 2013 17:30
By Liana B. Baker LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - News Corp's <NWSA.O> Fox TV network raised the stakes in its battle with Web startup Aereo Inc on Monday, threatening to remove itself from the free airwaves entirely and become a cable channel if courts do not shut down the online TV service.

Top US court deals fresh blow to class-action suits

March 27, 2013 11:45
The US Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit by more than two million concerned customers of telecom giant Comcast, further limiting so-called class action suits by a group. It overturned a lower court's ruling that current and former subscribers in the Philadelphia area could seek collective damages. The customers said Comcast kept unfairly high prices by controlling 60 percent of the market.

Comedy 'Identity Thief' back on top of North American box office

February 24, 2013 13:46
LOS ANGELES, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The comedy "Identity Thief" snatched back the weekend box office title in the United States and Canada, narrowly beating the new action movie "Snitch." "Identity Thief," which stars Melissa McCarthy, grabbed $14 million in ticket sales from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters.

Warner's 'Jack the Giant Slayer' may see soft U.S., Canada debut

February 22, 2013 18:00
By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Warner Brothers' "Jack the Giant Slayer," the first big-budget, special effects-filled action movie of 2013, could be headed for less than huge sales at U.S. and Canadian box offices when it opens on March 1. Industry tracking suggests the 3D movie based on the "Jack and the Beanstalk" fairy tale will debut with $27 million to $32 million in the domestic market during its first three days, according to sources who have seen the pre-release surveys.

GE, Comcast surge after big NBCUniversal deal

February 13, 2013 18:30
General Electric and Comcast both surged in heavy trade Wednesday after their $18 billion deal over NBCUniversal, as markets closed mixed on an otherwise lackluster day. Apparently unaffected by President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech late Tuesday -- in which he pressed for more middle class-friendly policies and argued against big spending cuts -- the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 35.79 points (0.26 percent) at 13,982.91. The broad-based S&P 500 edged up 0.90 (0.06 percent) to 1,520.33, barely extending a five-year high reached Tuesday.

US stocks close mixed on lackluster earnings

February 13, 2013 17:30
A collection of lackluster earnings reports and in-line economic data capped US stock gains on Wednesday, with the markets gaining no bump -- or loss -- from President Barack Obama's key policy speech. At the closing bell the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 36.10 points (0.26 percent) at 13,982.60. The broad-based S&P 500 edged up 0.89 (0.06 percent) to 1,520.32, barely extending a five-year high reached Tuesday. The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite climbed 10.39 points (0.33 percent) to 3,196.88.
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