For Viacom, losing both Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart is no laughing matter. One of Viacom’s (VIA) jewels has been its popular and critically acclaimed Comedy Central channel, boasting the dynamic satirical duo of Stewart’s “The Daily Show” and Colbert’s “The Colbert Report.” Viacom, which also owns BET Networks, Nickelodeon, MTV and Paramount Pictures, is losing two of its biggest stars as the company and its industry undertake a major
Morgan Stanley downgraded Time Warner and Viacom (VIA) and shifted its outlook on the media sector to cautious on worries that growth in online video licensing will slow and that pay-TV companies will resist higher programming fees. Analyst Benjamin Swinburne downgraded Time Warner to equal weight and Viacom to underweight. Time Warner (TWX) stock fell 2.9% in the stock market today, while Viacom stock fell 3.4%. “Media was an in line performer in
When it comes to appreciating Viacom’s impact on popular culture, three letters can explain it: MTV. “How many television channels have been responsible for creating an entire generation, like the ‘MTV Generation?'” said Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture at Syracuse University. Viacom (VIA) launched MTV in 1981 and gained an identity as a hip company that connected with coveted young television