Comcast to spin-off NBCUniversal, split into two companies

  Separation to be completed next year Fifteen years after buying NBCUniversal, Comcast Corp. announced Monday it was separating its businesses, spinning off NBCUniversal into its own, publicly-traded company. This comes at a time when streaming is becoming a dominant force in how viewers watch television, and amid growing pressure from rivals such as Netflix and Amazon. The split, which […]

Fox buys Roku in blockbuster deal

Streaming power play would elevate Fox into the top five of most-streamed media distributors  Fox Corporation made a major streaming play on Monday, acquiring Roku, Inc. for $22 billion, or $160 per share in a stock-and-cash transaction, expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. “This is a defining moment for FOX, and a natural extension of the deliberate […]

The Media Notepad: NBC, Fox announce fall schedules

Also: Roku Channel to air Sunday MLB baseball  While back to normalcy is the word at Upfronts week after years of interruptions (from labor unrest and Covid), unfortunately so are the stupid and awful presentations to advertisers with Jimmy Fallon headlining NBC’s and Fox featuring Rob Lowe and new Fox Sports football analyst Tom Brady.  One tradition that didn’t return […]

Walmart buys smart TV set maker Vizio for $2.3 billion

Arkansas giant looks to expand ad business In a first, Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart announced Tuesday it is purchasing set-maker Vizio in a $2.3 billion, $11.50 a share deal. Generally, most sets are manufactured outside of the United States, either in Japan or South Korea. Some retailers partner with a manufacturer to produce branded TV sets, such as Best Buy with […]

The Media Notepad: CBC program turns an international spotlight on Chicago segregation

Also: DeCastro, Nyren return to management roles; Comic-Con HQ closes and shifts to Amazon; Mavs bottom in ratings before Bulls do Chicago’s violence epidemic is once again on the international stage – this time in Canada. Public broadcaster CBC recently aired an Chicago installment of Interrupt This Program, a series about “underground art scenes in cities under pressure and cities […]

2015: A look ahead

With 2014 now behind us, here’s what to expect in 2015: 1. The Cubs’ new media homes. This year, the Cubs enter a new era: a new over-the-air TV home (WLS-TV/ABC 7) and WBBM-AM, after 90 years with WGN-AM. What’s left unresolved is a package of 45 games, whose TV home is yet to be determined. 2. As the WGN […]