FCC Commissioner Accuses Paramount of Yielding to Political Pressure
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 6 hours ago
0mins
Should l Buy DIS?
Source: Benzinga
- Free Speech Concerns: FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized Paramount for allegedly yielding to political pressure by not airing an interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, labeling it a troubling example of corporate capitulation, and emphasized that the FCC lacks authority to pressure broadcasters for political reasons, which could chill free expression.
- CBS Legal Block: On 'The Late Show,' host Stephen Colbert revealed that CBS lawyers informed him he could not air Talarico's interview or even mention the prohibition, indicating that Paramount may be reluctant to antagonize FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who has suggested revisiting rules that exempt talk shows from equal-time requirements for political candidates.
- Equal-Time Review: The FCC is reviewing whether ABC's 'The View,' owned by Walt Disney Co., violated equal-time rules after Talarico appeared on the program, highlighting an intensifying scrutiny of media exposure for political candidates by regulatory bodies.
- Stock Price Movement: Despite facing political pressure, Paramount's shares rose by 4.94% during Tuesday's regular session and an additional 0.50% in after-hours trading, reflecting market optimism about its short-term performance, although it continues to show a downward trend in the long term.
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Analyst Views on DIS
Wall Street analysts forecast DIS stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 105.450
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
Current: 105.450
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
About DIS
The Walt Disney Company is a diversified worldwide entertainment company. The Company's segments include Entertainment, Sports and Experiences. The Entertainment segment generally encompasses its non-sports focused global film and episodic content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Entertainment segment along with their business activities include Linear Networks, Direct-to-Consumer, and Content Sales/Licensing. The Sports segment encompasses its sports-focused global television and direct-to-consumer (DTC) video streaming content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Sports segment include ESPN and Star. The Experiences segment includes Parks and Experiences and Consumer Products. Parks and Experiences consists of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Resort in California, Disney Cruise Line, and others. Consumer Products includes licensing of its trade names, characters, visual, literary and other IP.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
FCC Commissioner Accuses Paramount of Yielding to Political Pressure
- Free Speech Concerns: FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized Paramount for allegedly yielding to political pressure by not airing an interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, labeling it a troubling example of corporate capitulation, and emphasized that the FCC lacks authority to pressure broadcasters for political reasons, which could chill free expression.
- CBS Legal Block: On 'The Late Show,' host Stephen Colbert revealed that CBS lawyers informed him he could not air Talarico's interview or even mention the prohibition, indicating that Paramount may be reluctant to antagonize FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who has suggested revisiting rules that exempt talk shows from equal-time requirements for political candidates.
- Equal-Time Review: The FCC is reviewing whether ABC's 'The View,' owned by Walt Disney Co., violated equal-time rules after Talarico appeared on the program, highlighting an intensifying scrutiny of media exposure for political candidates by regulatory bodies.
- Stock Price Movement: Despite facing political pressure, Paramount's shares rose by 4.94% during Tuesday's regular session and an additional 0.50% in after-hours trading, reflecting market optimism about its short-term performance, although it continues to show a downward trend in the long term.
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Colbert Criticizes CBS for Blocking Interview
- Show Blocked: Colbert accused CBS of blocking his broadcast of Texas Rep. Talarico's interview, labeling CBS's statement as 'crap' and urging the network to stand up against 'bullies' in the Trump administration.
- Legal Intervention: CBS lawyers informed Colbert that airing the interview could violate new FCC guidelines requiring adherence to the equal time provision, resulting in the show's inability to air as planned.
- Social Media Impact: Despite the interview not airing on television, the video garnered over 4.4 million views on YouTube, indicating significant public interest and support for Talarico, which could influence the outcome of the Texas Democratic primary.
- Political Context: This incident occurs amid Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially affecting the company's relationship with the Trump administration and its political stance in Texas.
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- Tourism Resurgence: Xishuangbanna reported over 4 million visits and tourism revenue of 5.04 billion yuan (approximately $730 million) during the holiday, demonstrating the resilience of local tourism markets in attracting visitors despite economic challenges.
- Theme Park Launch: iQiyi opened its first theme park in Yangzhou, featuring virtual reality and live performances to meet the rising demand for offline entertainment, positioning it as a new growth driver for the company amid fierce competition in the streaming market.
- Luxury Market Trends: Despite retail sales in China growing only 0.9% in December, Louis Vuitton opened two new stores in the past year, emphasizing the use of social media and celebrity endorsements to attract consumers, showcasing the resilience of luxury brands during the festive shopping season.
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- Cable News Growth: Cable news channels saw a 13% rise in viewership from December, with FOX News Channel and CNN experiencing gains of 17% and 29% respectively, highlighting the appeal of an active news cycle and enhancing the competitive positioning of these networks.
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FCC Commissioner Accuses Paramount of Yielding to Political Pressure
- Free Speech Concerns: FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized Paramount for allegedly yielding to political pressure by not airing an interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, labeling it a troubling example of corporate capitulation, and emphasized that the FCC lacks authority to pressure broadcasters for political reasons, which could chill free expression.
- CBS Legal Block: On 'The Late Show,' host Stephen Colbert revealed that CBS lawyers informed him he could not air Talarico's interview or even mention the prohibition, indicating that Paramount may be reluctant to antagonize FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who has suggested revisiting rules that exempt talk shows from equal-time requirements for political candidates.
- Equal-Time Review: The FCC is reviewing whether ABC's 'The View,' owned by Walt Disney Co., violated equal-time rules after Talarico appeared on the program, highlighting an intensifying scrutiny of media exposure for political candidates by regulatory bodies.
- Stock Price Movement: Despite facing political pressure, Paramount's shares rose by 4.94% during Tuesday's regular session and an additional 0.50% in after-hours trading, reflecting market optimism about its short-term performance, although it continues to show a downward trend in the long term.
See More
Colbert Criticizes CBS for Blocking Interview
- Show Blocked: Colbert accused CBS of blocking his broadcast of Texas Rep. Talarico's interview, labeling CBS's statement as 'crap' and urging the network to stand up against 'bullies' in the Trump administration.
- Legal Intervention: CBS lawyers informed Colbert that airing the interview could violate new FCC guidelines requiring adherence to the equal time provision, resulting in the show's inability to air as planned.
- Social Media Impact: Despite the interview not airing on television, the video garnered over 4.4 million views on YouTube, indicating significant public interest and support for Talarico, which could influence the outcome of the Texas Democratic primary.
- Political Context: This incident occurs amid Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially affecting the company's relationship with the Trump administration and its political stance in Texas.
See More
Surge in Travel Demand for China's Lunar New Year
- Travel Predictions: Preliminary figures indicate that Beijing is expected to see 110 million trips during the Lunar New Year, with a staggering 9.5 billion trips nationwide, reflecting a strong desire for new experiences among China's 1.4 billion population and signaling economic recovery.
- Tourism Resurgence: Xishuangbanna reported over 4 million visits and tourism revenue of 5.04 billion yuan (approximately $730 million) during the holiday, demonstrating the resilience of local tourism markets in attracting visitors despite economic challenges.
- Theme Park Launch: iQiyi opened its first theme park in Yangzhou, featuring virtual reality and live performances to meet the rising demand for offline entertainment, positioning it as a new growth driver for the company amid fierce competition in the streaming market.
- Luxury Market Trends: Despite retail sales in China growing only 0.9% in December, Louis Vuitton opened two new stores in the past year, emphasizing the use of social media and celebrity endorsements to attract consumers, showcasing the resilience of luxury brands during the festive shopping season.
See More
ValueAct Capital's Q4 Portfolio Adjustments Highlight Fintech Focus
- Portfolio Restructuring: ValueAct Capital significantly increased its investments in fintech during Q4, notably adding nearly 14 million shares of Rocket Companies to reach a total of 39,380,652 shares, indicating strong confidence in this sector.
- Restaurant Tech Investment: The firm also boosted its stake in restaurant technology platform Toast by 4,618,077 shares, bringing its total to 8,015,277 shares, highlighting its belief in the digital transformation potential of the food service industry.
- Emerging Investments: In Q4, ValueAct established new positions in BlackRock and Liberty Live Holdings with 695,000 shares and 1,799,319 shares respectively, demonstrating a strategic pursuit of diversification in its portfolio.
- Reduction Strategy: Conversely, ValueAct reduced its stake in Disney by 1,314,000 shares, leaving it with 3,077,931 shares, reflecting a cautious outlook on the traditional media sector's future.
See More
Nielsen Report Shows TV Viewership Hits 12-Month High
- Sports Viewership Surge: Nielsen's January report indicates an 82% monthly increase in ESPN viewership, primarily driven by the College Football Playoffs, significantly boosting cable sports channels and reinforcing ESPN's leadership in the sports broadcasting market.
- Cable News Growth: Cable news channels saw a 13% rise in viewership from December, with FOX News Channel and CNN experiencing gains of 17% and 29% respectively, highlighting the appeal of an active news cycle and enhancing the competitive positioning of these networks.
- Broadcast Performance Improvement: Broadcast viewership increased by 4.2% in January compared to December, with NFL games dominating the top 15 broadcasts, and ABC's drama series 'High Potential' further enhancing the audience base, showcasing the strong draw of sports and entertainment content.
- Streaming Dominance Continues: Despite the rise in traditional TV viewership, streaming still commands 47% of the market share, with Netflix's 'Stranger Things' contributing 15.4 billion viewing minutes, underscoring the importance and growth potential of streaming platforms in daily entertainment consumption.
See More
Ten-Year Review: Performance of Five Stocks in a Bear Market
- Market Performance Comparison: Over the past decade, the S&P 500 has risen by 274.3%, while the average return of the five stocks stands at 568.5%, highlighting the potential and importance of stock selection during bear markets.
- Carter's Poor Performance: Carter's stock price fell from $85.04 to $38.07, a 55% decline, primarily due to a decreasing birth rate in the U.S. and a deteriorating retail environment, leading to insufficient demand and margin compression.
- Challenges for IPG Photonics: Although IPG Photonics' stock rose from $81.59 to $113.26, a 39% increase, it faced four consecutive years of declining revenue, indicating intensified industry competition and weak market demand.
- Mercado Libre's Success: Mercado Libre's stock skyrocketed from $87.71 to $2041.50, a staggering 2227.6% increase, driven by its dominant market position in Latin America and robust growth in e-commerce, providing substantial returns for investors.
See More
