News::: NBC Universal buying Oxygen Media

[easttxtv]

Was just announced on CNBC, haven't seen any story text links yet...

 

[easttxtv]

The buyout price just announced: $925 mil.

Jeff Immelt, GE's CEO, will appear with the head of Oxygen Media to discuss the deal on the CNBC program Street Signs which airs beginning at 2pm ET/1pm Central.

 

[easttxtv]

Here's more: http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/corporate-20071009000000-nbcuniversaltoacq.html

NEW YORK - October 9, 2007 - NBC Universal is acquiring Oxygen Media, one of the nation's leading female-focused cable television networks, thus expanding its highly successful cable portfolio. The announcement was made today by Jeff Zucker, President and CEO, NBC Universal.

Under the agreement, NBCU will acquire Oxygen for $925 million. Net of financial assets, the purchase price is approximately $875 million. The network, which is available in more than 74 million homes, has been registering significant growth in both ad sales and viewership, with the just-completed third quarter being the most-watched in the history of the network. Launched in 2000, Oxygen is the only fully distributed entertainment cable channel launched in the last decade.

More at the linkie....

 

[JayR]

I noticed this in the above-linked article:

NBC Universal is selling its two independent Telemundo television stations: KWHY in Los Angeles, one of its two Spanish-language stations in that city, and WKAQ in Puerto Rico.

Is Telemundo PR included as part of the sale of WKAQ, or will NBC-U continue to own it?

 

[DToTheJ]

So much for NBC's alleged bankruptcy. Just what we need: another free network that NBC can park "Heores" reruns on...

 

[Vandelay]

Well this makes no sense, given the recent cuts of news staff at various o&o stations.
They don't have money for their core product, yet they get this. Nuts!

 

[genius]

More useless consolidation from a conglomerate who I was employed at one time that's glory days are long gone.

 

[rch66]

So much for NBC's alleged bankruptcy. Just what we need: another free network that NBC can park "Heores" reruns on...

Perhaps '30 Rock' and 'Bionic Woman', as they have female leads. 'Medium' runs may move from Lifetime to Oxygen also, although it's doubtful as Lifetime is greater exposure and 'Medium' isn't produced by NBC. Apparently in the cable tv world, having female leads means its a women's show for a women's network - Even though Tina Fey isn't very girly of a girl and humor of 30 Rock is dry. Just like if a movie has a black lead it goes to a Starz! Black, as its assumed that there is a connection.

I doubt 'Days of Our Lives' second-runs would move from SoapNet though, although it would free SoapNet's schedule for more CBS soaps.

If it was last year, you'd see Megan Mullally's show there also, as it was an NBC Universal Television Distribution thing... Too bad from NBC's side, that they can't rerun their 4 hours of the Today show to Oxygen so easily, although they can repurpose segments into an hour or so long show.

 

[captex]

i do agree with a poster on the subject of useless buying out of cable channels, i think there should be some cable industry ( not the federal government ) oversight on how many cable channels that can be owned by any network, cable networks. cable used to have good programming on cable channels when they were owned by independent owners. i watch less of network programming and cable programming.

 

[rch66]

NBC could also put the Suze Orman specials which were seen on CNBC to Oxygen too. She's a woman, despite the guyish look.

As far as Oxygen, they ran a lot more original programming when they first launched, but it was a loss leader for them to gain carriage on systems. Now, it's just another cable network and expect it as a rerun network with a bare minimal of original programming (mainly reality tv) just so that in the next round of negotiations with Echostar or Comcast - which will argue that they are paying too much for it- NBC can make an albeit weak case that the cable network they are forcing on the lower tiers has some original programming.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

So much for NBC's alleged bankruptcy. Just what we need: another free network that NBC can park "Heores" reruns on...

Perhaps '30 Rock' and 'Bionic Woman', as they have female leads. 'Medium' runs may move from Lifetime to Oxygen also, although it's doubtful as Lifetime is greater exposure and 'Medium' isn't produced by NBC. Apparently in the cable tv world, having female leads means its a women's show for a women's network - Even though Tina Fey isn't very girly of a girl and humor of 30 Rock is dry. Just like if a movie has a black lead it goes to a Starz! Black, as its assumed that there is a connection.

I doubt 'Days of Our Lives' second-runs would move from SoapNet though, although it would free SoapNet's schedule for more CBS soaps.

If it was last year, you'd see Megan Mullally's show there also, as it was an NBC Universal Television Distribution thing... Too bad from NBC's side, that they can't rerun their 4 hours of the Today show to Oxygen so easily, although they can repurpose segments into an hour or so long show.

I guess this also means that the horrible iVillage daytime show on the NBC O&Os won't be disappearing anytime soon...think of the greater synergistic possibilities...watch the numbers get even lower, and lower, and lower...

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyne:

So much for NBC's alleged bankruptcy. Just what we need: another free network that NBC can park "Heores" reruns on...

Naah. That will end up on USA Network someday.

If NBC puts anything on Oxygen, it'll be things like reality show "after-shows", Tonight Show, Conan & Saturday Night Live reruns during the day.

Just my opinion..

Cheers