TimeWarnerDisney or ComcastDisney

[Another Voice]

This morning's Studio Briefing (http://studiobrf.newshare.com/) had a little tidbit that touches on a couple rumors that have been wandering around Hollywood the last week -

WILL TIME WARNER BUY DISNEY?

With Time Warner's fortunes rising again and company Chairman/CEO Richard Parsons indicating that it may once more explore major acquisitions, a "long-shot scenario" has emerged that the company might buy the Walt Disney Co., Newsweek reports in its current issue. The magazine quotes an unnamed senior Time Warner exec as saying, "The easy thing would be for Parsons to buy cable. ... 'Is he going to buy Walt Disney?' is the more interesting question." The magazine also quotes other Time Warner execs as saying that Parsons is likely to make a bid for Disney only if an expected hostile-takeover attempt by Comcast materializes.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Ok, for the high finance impaired: How does Comcast making a hostile take-over bid of TimeWarner make Disney an atrractive take-over bid for TimeWarner ?

 

[JDH]

Comcast or Time Warner. If we would add MCI we could be like Dorothy and say Comcast, Time Warner, MCI oh my. Well if Comcast buy's WDC they wouldn't have to change the entire name on the CEO's door. Michael Arm$trong for Michael Ei$ner. Since they're both corporate weasel's the transition should be easy. If Time Warner buy's WDC Goofy could split time with Daffy.

Another win win win for the shareholders (especially Mikey) and the customer loses out again. Another plus Michael Ei$ner would be so busy ferreting out plots against him that he'd be too busy to micromanage.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

If ANY of these were to occur there would be years of regulatory hurdles to get over. I just dont see any of them happening.

 

[Another Voice]

There really aren't that many regulatory hurdles. The FCC has already ruled that a single corporation can own a "major" and "minor" network (Viacom owns CBS and UPN, GE Universal NBC and PAX - Comcast owns no one and TimeWarner owns the WB which would fit with ABC). There are limits to number of stations you own (as Disney owns several local ABC affliates), but those rules are being changed and I don't think either Comcast or TimeWarner are players in that area.

Disney doesn't own any cable assests to conflict with Comcast's harware. Besides the FCC sees no problem with media companies owning both the cable and content (TimeWarner owns a vast number of cable systems as well as HBO, Cinemax and other cable channels). Only Viacom has a lot of big cable channels (MTV Networks, Nick, Spike) - that might cause a problem with eating Disney.

In the world of mega media giants with lots of money to contribute to both parties - nothing is impossible.

P.S. Comcast's hostile takeover wouldn't be of TimeWarner - it would be of Disney. A combination of Comcast's delivery systems and Disney's content would be a good rival to TimeWarner. TW would step in to prevent it. Or so the rumors go...

 

[Daria]

While I don't really know about the buiseness case for thins I don't really like the fact that Disney would be owned by another company. Especially Comcast, they just became the Cable Provider around here and they're already talking about renaming the Tacoma Dome the Comcast Dome

 

[raidermatt]

I don't really like the fact that Disney would be owned by another company.

Well, if you are comparing it to the "Disney of old", really, it is already owned by a different company. I'm not the first to say this, but in a lot of ways, the takeover that some feared back in the 80's ended up happening anyway. It just happened from within.

Comcast has been mentioned in the past as a possible suitor. I've never seen anything concrete that they were actually considering it, just speculation as far as I know. Time Warner is a new one.

On the regulatory hurdles, I think AV is right... if the parties involved want to get it done, they will. They might have to sell off a few assets here and there, but nothing that would derail the deal if thats the route they wanted to go. This would seem especially true of Comcast.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Last mention that included Comcast went omething like: Enjoy your Comcast Snowglobe

 

[larry_poppins]

If this happens Michael Eisner will be very happy.

 

[crusader]

Nobody wants to work for Comcast - trust me. This is a major mistake for the company.

Comcast is the master at scrutinizing employee time management. They monitor every minute.

 

[Mr D]

I thought Comcast was heavily backed by the Chinese government.

 

[wdwguide]

Hm... AOLTimeWarnerComcastDisney... Where is this consolidation crap going to end?

 

[aeryn]

Originally posted by crusader
Nobody wants to work for Comcast - trust me. This is a major mistake for the company.

Comcast is the master at scrutinizing employee time management. They monitor every minute.

Depends on what aspect of Comcast you work for. I work for the group that runs the ISP side of the business. There is *no* sense of employee time management. I don't know that Comcast is in the position for a takeover of Disney --- We're still busy assimilating the AT&T buy.

 

[crusader]

Aeryn -

From your location, I'm going to assume you are at the Phila HQ which is actually the place I'm referring.

A very close friend of mine is also involved in the conversion within another department and from what I'm hearing you are required to be "chained to your desk" or called in. Your productivity is monitored through output reports and compared to your peers for inefficiency. If your numbers drop, your called in. It is a glorified assembly line working environment.

 

[wtg2000]

Well, if you are comparing it to the "Disney of old", really, it is already owned by a different company. I'm not the first to say this, but in a lot of ways, the takeover that some feared back in the 80's ended up happening anyway. It just happened from within.

I've been saying this all along as well. The key is how much respect the owners give to traditional Disney - the parks, the characters, the animation department. Will they treat it like a precious family heirloom or just another cog in a oversized wheel?

 

[Buzz2001]

The FCC has already ruled that a single corporation can own a "major" and "minor" network (Viacom owns CBS and UPN, GE Universal NBC and PAX - Comcast owns no one and TimeWarner owns the WB which would fit with ABC).

Does ESPN count as a separate network or under the ABC umbrella?

 

[wtg2000]

Time Warner - to quote Sam Gerard: "This company is a monster."

If they bought Disney they'd own ESPN, ABC, The WB, CNN, HBO, Disney Channel, etc, Disney parks, WB Parks, Time, SI, Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Studios... the list is endless.

If Comcast bought Disney they'd own the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and the Mighty Ducks (NHL) - and my local arena (London, Ontario) which is run by Spectrum Entertainment.

In the Timer Warner deal, I could see a lot of streamlining or selling off. Either way, Disney seems like a big fish to swallow.

 

[cristen]

Buzz,

My husband works for comcast, and from my understanding Comcast has to pay Disney seperately for all the variety of channels. So I am assuming it would be considered seperate.

BTW, ESPN is the highest channel that Comcast has to pay for out of ALL the channels, HBO, Showtime, ETC... For every customer that has ESPN, Comcast has to pay Disney $1.00, every month.

 

[anotherboardnposter]

If TW were to purchase Disney, there might be a possibility of seeing the classic Disney cartoons as "One Reel Wonders" on TW's Turner Classic Movies.

TCM airs a lot of Disney/Touchstone releases. To wit:

"The Color Of Money"
"Beaches"
"Dead Poets Society"
"Good Morning, Vietnam"
"The Black Hole"
"TRON"
"Shoot To Kill"
"Ed Wood"
"Dick Tracy" (debuting on TCM during 31 Days Of Oscar in February 2004)

Maybe TCM could gain the rights to the Disney animated theatrical titles as well (We may finally see an OAR presentation of the first "Little Mermaid").

Sorry...Just letting my imagination run free.

Sincerely,

John "anotherboardnposter" Kilduff

 

[Lesley]

I've been having some issues with Time Warner recently...their customer service is pretty much non-exitstant. Seems to me that my days as a Disney fan and guest would be over if this happens.

But, as usual, I'm not going to get worked up over "maybes"