News Broadcasting
Viacom board clears split into two entities
MUMBAI: Viacom’s board of directors on Tuesday approved the division of the media giant into two separate companies one built around MTV Networks and the other around CBS. The two new companies will be known as Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp.
It was also an occasion for Viacom chairman and CEO Sumner M Redstone to officially institute his succession plan by naming daughter Shari Redstone to the newly created position of non-executive vice-chairman of the board. Sumner Redstone, president of National Amusements Inc., has been a member of the Viacom board since 1994. National Amusements is the privately held movie theater firm through which Redstone controls Viacom via a stake of about 71 per cent.
As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com Redstone has been exploring the division of the company into two units in order to further unlock value. Following the spin-off, which is expected to be completed in early 2006.
Viacom Inc. will be led by Tom Freston and will be comprised of MTV Networks (including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, Spike TV, TV Land and many other networks around the world), BET, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home Entertainment and Famous Music. CBS Corp will be led by Les Moonves and will combine the CBS and UPN broadcast networks, Viacom Television Stations Group, Infinity Broadcasting, Viacom Outdoor, the CBS, Paramount and King World television production operations, as well as Showtime, Simon & Schuster and Paramount Parks.
Said Redstone, We celebrate our past successes by stepping forward to embrace the future. This transaction is the logical extension of the strategic vision that created Viacom and recognises the inherent diversity of our assets as well as the changing business environment.
“We believe that this transaction will enable Viacom shareholders to fully benefit from the important gains we realised in building this company by fully unlocking our significant untapped potential and creating new opportunities to build on our leadership positions, maximise earnings growth and fully exploit our considerable strengths.
I want to commend the Viacom board of directors and the Viacom management team for the careful and thorough strategic analysis that led to this important decision. The decision to create two new companies was the result of an intense study by the board, which worked closely with the companys management and carefully analysed all strategic options before reaching its conclusion.
“The board believes that the transaction will result in two strong, focused and nimble companies, and will better enable management to directly impact and maximise the strengths of their respective businesses. Additionally, the board believes that the transaction will provide current and potential stockholders with attractive investment options that are more closely aligned with their various investment objectives.
Talking about the two companies Redstone said, The new Viacom will focus on organic expansion through the creation of cutting-edge content, unrivalled brands, specialised and highly desirable demographics and the continuing expansion of delivery platforms.”
The new CBS will be a strong generator of free cash flow with industry-leading positions across television and radio broadcasting, television production and out-of-home advertising, Redstone said.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
