PDA

View Full Version : Newport TV vs. Clearchannel


FrontierMan
Nov 12th 2008, 05:24 AM
Newsblues is reporting that Newport TV is in some deep doo-doo. Do you think they can survive? It appears as though Clearchannel aint doing much better. Do you think Clearchannel would have prevented the turmoil Newport is going through if they kept the stations? Or do you think Clearchannel predicted this and that's why they pushed this sale so bad?

What are people saying at a Newport station near you?

I copied and pasted a couple articles. How is a kid with no broadcasting experience deciding so many people's fate? WTF?

ON THE ROCKS

Newport Television, LLC, the television station holding company founded by Providence Equity Partners and Sandy DiPasquale in 2007 to acquire the 56-station Clear Channel Communications TV group, "is facing major economic issues," according to an industry source. The $1.2 billion deal, which closed earlier this year, "couldn't have had worse timing. The station group has shrinking revenue, shrinking advertising, shrinking cash flow."

DiPasquale, president and CEO of the group, had bypass surgery in Oct. 2007 and has "never fully recovered. There have been ongoing health issues." His son, Michael DiPasquale, an attorney with little broadcasting experience, is now making most of the group's day-to-day decisions.

"I think it's safe to say, Newport is no longer in the acquisition mode," said the source. "DiPasquale planned to build Newport into a major TV group. That dream has ended."


Clear Channel’s owner reports $90M 3Q loss

BLOOMBERG NEWS

CC Media Holdings Inc., the parent of radio broadcaster Clear Channel Communications Inc., reported a third-quarter loss as advertisers held back spending.
The net loss of $90.2 million compares with a profit of $279.7 million a year earlier, San Antonio-based CC Media Holdings said today in a statement distributed by Business Wire.

Clear Channel owns six radio stations in Philadelphia; it's spinoff Live Nation Inc., a concert producer and promoter, owns Philadelphia's Boyd Theater, which it is reportedly selling.

Sales at the largest U.S. radio broadcaster fell 3.8 percent to $1.7 billion on declines in radio and outdoor advertising.

CC Media became Clear Channel's parent with the company's $17.9 billion buyout by private equity firms Bain Capital Partners LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in July.

Shares were trading at $3.51 this morning, down $0.49 (12.25 percent).

FrontierMan
Nov 12th 2008, 06:48 PM
You guys suck.

No one here has a comment on this?

Quagmire
Nov 12th 2008, 08:03 PM
I'm glad to see that the mega owners are going down. There was a reason that home owned stations did so well for so long.

Galaxian
Nov 12th 2008, 09:28 PM
I worked at a Clear Channel station during the Newport buyout, and I was not too confident in where our new owners were going. Michael DiPasquale came to our station after the buyout to meet with us, and told us Newport already wanted to sell us, even though our station turned a profit.

I eventually left the station, and my former co-workers told me a hiring/wage freeze is in effect for one year. On top of that, the mandate from the corporate management is to do more with less, in even stricter ways. I guess I got out while the getting was good.

My bet? Newport is going to sink deeper into its financial hole, and the employees at the company's stations are only going to suffer further.

i'm in touch, so you be in touch
Nov 14th 2008, 12:38 PM
This deal was like having the owner of a mom&pop corner store suddenly be in charge of 7-Eleven Coroporate. Bad move. There is little future at a Newport shop unless things turn around. Bad morale, bad pay - and the wrong people making decisions. Someone needs to get real, and put people in place that will make hard decisions instead of sticking with loyalists.

Gail sirens
Nov 14th 2008, 03:47 PM
This deal was like having the owner of a mom&pop corner store suddenly be in charge of 7-Eleven Coroporate. Bad move. There is little future at a Newport shop unless things turn around. Bad morale, bad pay - and the wrong people making decisions. Someone needs to get real, and put people in place that will make hard decisions instead of sticking with loyalists.

Sounds like so many other owners!!
MG, Young, and others