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CBS and Viacom seeking to merge... again


The Frog

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Viacom and CBS vice-chairwoman Shari Redstone is pursuing a merger of the two media companies that split more than a decade ago, according to multiple insiders who spoke to TheWrap.

 

A time frame for any potential merger is unclear, but three individuals with knowledge of the companies said that Redstone is actively moving in that direction, which represented another shift in her back-and-forth mindset on the matter.

 

CBS chairman Les Moonves, who has long resisted talk of recombining the companies, is now open to the possibility, the insiders said. He would be the most likely person to run the merged companies, though Redstone is considering other candidates, according to two insiders.

 

An individual close to Moonves acknowledged the process to TheWrap: “He’s having active discussions with Shari and the board on a wide variety of issues all the time, including this one. And those discussions continue with regard to looking to merge the two companies.”

 

https://www.thewrap.com/viacom-cbs-seeking-merge-insiders-say/

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They tried to do this before, you know. It failed mainly because of the turmoil at Viacom over who was gonna succeed Sumner as head. It appears Shari won, so now she's pushing the idea again. Hopefully Les Moonves can get Viacom's stuff to more successfully integrate into the streaming age if this deal goes through-- I could easily see CBS All Access and Showtime's standalone streaming service merging and adding all the other Viacom nets.

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Hopefully, the possible CBS-Viacom re-merger would save the Star Trek universe in the way that the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Inc.--with the exception of the latter's broadcasting, news and sport assets; Fox Sports Regional Networks are included in the Disney deal--would save the Star Wars universe. My apologies for going off the topic.

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After Viacom sold their share in Epix to MGM, I’ve noticed an increase in Paramount Pictures films airing on Showtime.

 

The first merger, they sold WWHO here in Columbus and WNDY in Indianapolis to LIN. I’d have liked to have seen CBS keep WWHO and WNDY, and get WISH/WBNS.

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I guess this Day was coming. Two of the big three have large channel portfolios, successful movie studios with regular blockbusters and amusement parks. CBS has what two premium movie multiplexes, a book division and an art house movie studio?

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A CBS/Time Warner combo would have made more sense; but Ma Bell put a stop to that.

 

For now. Who's to say that won't fall apart?

I guess this Day was coming. Two of the big three have large channel portfolios, successful movie studios with regular blockbusters and amusement parks. CBS has what two premium movie multiplexes, a book division and an art house movie studio?

 

CBS is hyperfocused and Viacom has seen better days. This prospective deal smacks of size for its own sake, depending on who's going to be running the show if this comes to pass.

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I guess this Day was coming. Two of the big three have large channel portfolios, successful movie studios with regular blockbusters and amusement parks. CBS has what two premium movie multiplexes, a book division and an art house movie studio?

 

Paramount did away with the parks during the first split. CBS sold the parks to Cedar Fair a little over 10 years ago.

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and since Spike is being rebranded to Paramount Network this could also mean More opportunity to both of them.

 

What does the rebranding of one channel have to do with two media giants merging?

 

Most I could see is reruns of Blue Bloods, S.W.A.T. and some other CBS dramas running on Paramount Network + production of these dramas being turned over to Paramount Television from CBS Television Studios.

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What does the rebranding of one channel have to do with two media giants merging?

 

Most I could see is reruns of Blue Bloods, S.W.A.T. and some other CBS dramas running on Paramount Network + production of these dramas being turned over to Paramount Television from CBS Television Studios.

 

Paramount Television hasn't existed in over 10 years since the Viacom split. It's all under the CBS Television Distribution / CBS Television Studios banner now. Remember? Back in 2006 it became CBS Paramount Television that kind of had a revolving door of logos before they finally dropped reference to Paramount altogether. It's either under the CBS Television Studios or CBS Television Distribution banner now.

 

 

In the split, CBS got control over Viacom's syndication unit and they merged it with Paramount's syndication unit.

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And for your viewing pleasure, over 11 minutes worth of Viacom logos from the pinball logo, to the V of Doom, to the V of Steel, to the Wigga-Wigga logo to the glassy "Viacum" abomination it ended with.

 

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And for your viewing pleasure, over 11 minutes worth of Viacom logos from the pinball logo, to the V of Doom, to the V of Steel, to the Wigga-Wigga logo to the glassy "Viacum" abomination it ended with.

 

 

Viacom revived Paramount Television in 2013. It was initially revived to produce TV shows for Epix and CBS, and shows based on their movies.

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Have you seen what's been going on? It's size for the sake of survival.

Viacom's cable networks can't be in any good shape whatsoever. I'd argue that they are dragging down Viacom as a whole.

 

I can't help but think that this is a Sears-Kmart type merger.

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Viacom's cable networks can't be in any good shape whatsoever. I'd argue that they are dragging down Viacom as a whole.

 

I can't help but think that this is a Sears-Kmart type merger.

Yeah, but Les Moonves and Shari Redstone are still FAR better than that madman Eddie Lampert. At the rate Kmart stores are closing I’m wondering if they’ll even make it to 2020.

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Viacom's cable networks can't be in any good shape whatsoever. I'd argue that they are dragging down Viacom as a whole.

 

They have a number of digital channels that are spinoffs of MTV, BET, and Nickelodeon. I bet a lot of those could probably be shut down and/or merged back into their parent channels.

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