News Broadcasting
Viacom lowers forecast for full-year profit
NEW YORK: This is bad news for US networks who strongly rely on local advertising as a source of revenue. Media conglomerate Viacom has decided to reduce its full-year profit and revenue forecast because local advertising sales have not been picking up as rapidly as had been expected.
The alert is being seen as a signal that the US economy might not be rebounding as rapidly as the stock markets have anticipated. Reports indicate that Viacom gets around half its revenue from businesses that rely on advertising sales.
Last year, it had $24.6 billion in revenue. A Herald Tribune report estimates that about $5.5 billion, or 22 per cent of that total, came from local advertising sales. Worsening the situation is the fact that the company generated nearly 46 per cent of its revenue from advertising in the first half of this year.
Viacom expects revenue and profit growth to be in the mid- to high-single digits. The announcement comes just two months after the company’s CEO Sumner Redstone raised his projections for this year to high single-digit growth in revenue and double-digit growth in operating income.
However it is expected that 2004 will be fairly healthy for advertising, with the Athens Olympics and the presidential elections. At this time, spending goes disproportionately to local radio and television, reports indicate.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
