Viacom Inc. profile and media properties

Penny Duff    St. Petersburg, FL

Posted at 4:46pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012

TV Land has some of the stupidest programmers (outside of OWN) going--intelligent programmers don't put the exact same episode on 2 days running. This was done today with MASH. Stupid, stupid programmers.

phyllis porter    san diego

Posted at 12:18pm on Sunday, August 14, 2011

Enough already with Hot In Cleveland and Happ[ly Divorced. Who is your target audience for GARBAGE?

The constant commercials are crude.

Linda Cameron    Richland, WA USA

Posted at 7:59am on Tuesday, July 26, 2011

I watched an episode of Bonanza yesterday on TVLand but it was so un-enjoyable, I can't see myself ever watching that channel again. The whole time there were advertisements for Hot in Cleveland and Happily Divorced on the screen as the show was playing. The animated circus show was so distracting, it made me want to just put in a DVD rather than sit through the show I was trying to watch. I know many networks are doing this and I hate it and feel the same way anytime this happens. I never watch Lifetime anymore because they are some of the worst. My friends and family all agree. You are losing viewers with this type of advertising. Not everybody will bother to complain to the networks. They just quit watching.

Dave    auglaize county,oh

Posted at 4:20pm on Monday, July 4, 2011

My kids and I love watching the old shows I grew up with and they are fans. I control what they watch due to their age. While watching Bewitched I was upset over the Hot in Cleveland commercial, by the way I do not watch that program. The lady says something about her ex and calls him a bastard. I was not planning on my kids hearing that.

Media Owners editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 12:58pm on Thursday, February 17, 2011

MPAA’s Top Lawyer Leaving to Join Viacom

-- Top antipiracy exec will oversee the company’s litigation efforts, The Hollywood Reporter reported on February 16, 2011:

"Daniel Mandil, the MPAA’s top antipiracy executive and a key player in its efforts to fight global movie theft and counterfeiting, is leaving the organization for a big job at Viacom, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

Mandil, who serves as the movie industry lobbying group’s senior executive vp general counsel and chief content protection officer, has accepted a position overseeing Viacom’s litigation efforts. The MPAA and Viacom declined to comment on the move but sources say Mandil will start at Viacom’s New York headquarters on April 1."

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Media Owners editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 8:30am on Thursday, February 3, 2011

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" Return to Hulu.com

-- On February 2, 2011, Hulu and Viacom announced a new content partnership:

"Hulu and Viacom Inc. today announced a new content partnership that will return "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" to Hulu.com and bring many popular TV shows from Viacom's media networks, including Comedy Central, MTV, Black Entertainment Television (BET), VH1, Spike TV, and TV Land to the Hulu Plus subscription service.

Under the agreement, current full episodes and clips of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report", starring Stephen Colbert, will be available on the free ad-supported Hulu.com service and through the Hulu Plus subscription service beginning February 2, 2011. In addition, Viacom will make available to Hulu Plus subscribers a selection of current programs, like Jersey Shore, Tosh.0, Teen Mom 2, Manswers, Let's Stay Together, and Hot in Cleveland 21 days after they air. Viacom content availability on Hulu Plus will vary on a show-by-show basis.

Additionally, Hulu Plus subscribers will have access to more than 2,000 episodes of programming from Viacom's library, including The Chappelle Show, Reno 911, Beavis & Butthead, Real World, Punk'd, Baldwin Hills and many others on PCs, internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, set-top boxes, mobile phones, and tablets (in HD when available).

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Philippe Dauman, President and CEO of Viacom, said, "We are very pleased to partner with Hulu in a way that recognizes the value of our strong brands and the passionate young fans who are attracted to our content. The Hulu Plus service offers us the opportunity to connect with our audiences through an exciting subscription and ad supported platform that is complementary to our existing distribution arrangements. This innovative agreement allows us to benefit from the success and expansion of Hulu and we look forward to bringing our popular content to their growing audience."

"We are thankful that Viacom was DTS," said Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu, "Our first order of business in the partnership is GTL with Philippe and his team.""

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 12:11pm on Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Viacom Partners with the White House to Announce the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge

-- From the announcement, released February 1, 2011:

"Viacom and the Get Schooled Foundation are excited to be partnering with the White House again to support the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. The high-stakes contest encourages public high-school students to submit applications demonstrating how their high school best prepared them for college and career. The winning submission is awarded the premier commencement speaker, President Barack Obama. Schools can begin submitting applications for the Commencement Challenge today and applications are due by Friday, February 25th.

The Get Schooled Foundation partnered with the White House on the first Race to the Top Commencement Challenge in 2010.

Carl Folta, Viacom's Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, said, "We are excited to partner with the White House again on this important initiative – one that takes a unique approach to getting our youth excited about education. This campaign does two very important things: it shines a spotlight on a national priority that is the core of our nation's future success and it makes setting and achieving educational goals appealing and tangible for students."

The 2011 Challenge asks schools to submit essays, supporting data and an optional video to demonstrate their school's efforts to support post-graduation success. Last year, Viacom sent production teams from Viacom's media networks to assist each finalist in the creation of a short video that embodied how the school was helping achieve President Obama's goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. These videos were posted on the White House website and the public voted on their favorite. The President made the final selection and the winning school was Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Get Schooled Foundation then worked with several students from Kalamazoo Central High to create video diaries, which chronicled the days leading up to the commencement and the entire celebration.

Marie Groark, the Executive Director of the Get Schooled Foundation, said, "Dramatically improving our nation's high school graduation and preparation rates is fundamental to America's future prosperity. But we will not succeed unless we engage and motivate our young people and their families to join educators and policymakers in the effort to improve. The Get Schooled Foundation is proud to partner with the White House on the Commencement Challenge. We will use our unparalleled channels and platforms to encourage students and schools from across the country to participate in the Commencement Challenge."

Media Owners editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 1:28pm on Monday, January 24, 2011

Viacom Execs Get Big Pay Hikes in 2010

-- CEO tops $84.5 M in total compensation in 2010, Multichannel News reported on January 22, 2011:

"Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman got a $50 million raise in 2010, as his total compensation ballooned to $84.5 million, fueled mainly by big gains in stock options and awards.

According to a proxy statement filed late Friday, Dauman's total compensation in 2010 was $84.5 million, up from the $34 million he earned in 2009. Fueling that 148.5% increase were $54 million in one-time stock options and awards. Without those one-time incentives, Dauman's 2010 compensation would have been $30.2 million, short of the $34 million he earned in 2009.

The one-time awards were part of a new five-year employment deal Dauman signed in April 2010."

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Eva Guggenheim    Syracuse, NY

Posted at 12:15pm on Sunday, December 26, 2010

I am appalled by the vulgar and insulting program "HOT IN CLEVELAND"--I boycott any advertisers of this lowbrow offering and encourage others to do the same.

I once admired Betty White; I no longer do. Quality programming becomes increasingly difficult to find; how about raising sensibilities and degrees of dignity rather than lowering standards and insulting our intelligence?

"BAGGAGE" and "THE NEWLYWED GAME" fall under the same category.

"2 and 1/2 Men" on a different channel IS ANOTHER CREEPY EXAMPLE, by the way, and a show which we never watch.

Media Owners editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 12:44pm on Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Viacom Sued by Former Harmonix Shareholders, the Wall Street Journal reported on December 21, 2010:

"Former shareholders of Harmonix Music Systems, maker of the "Rock Band" music videogame, have sued its parent company Viacom Inc., alleging that the media giant is trying to cheat them out of hundreds of millions of dollars owed under the terms of Viacom's 2006 acquisition of the videogame company."

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