AT&T bows to pressure from activist investor, may sell ailing DirecTV unit

Mere weeks after activist investor Elliott Management publicly pressed AT&T to slash costs and dial down its acquisitions strategy, it appears as if Chairman-CEO Randall Stephenson has knuckled under to those demands. Speaking today on AT&T’s third-quarter earnings call, Stephenson laid out a three-year plan that includes a pledge to conduct a comprehensive review of all non-essential businesses that may be be sold or spun off, while also making a commitment to retire all the debt related to its $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner. Stephenson also said that he plans to stay aboard through at least 2020. This is particularly important, as speculation that he was about to hand the reins to WarnerMedia boss John Stankey may have been one of the factors that precipitated Elliott’s decision to put the squeeze on the AT&T board. “I believe we’re on the threshold of something really remarkable, in terms of the next chapter of AT&T’s storied history,” Stephenson said. “I have every intention of being here, and I will be here through 2020.” Stephenson added that when the time comes for AT&T to choose his successor, the CEO and chairmanship positions will be made separate, a split for which Elliott advocated in its Sept. 9 letter to the board. Stankey, who recently was upped to chief operating officer at AT&T, remains the heir apparent. “Following five-plus years of heavy investment, it’s now time to reap the rewards of these investments and deliver... Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-28 20:32:03 UTC ]
News tagged with: #streaming services #investment fund #hbo max #unique position #time warner

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Print Unit Sales Post Another Week of Solid Gains

Two anti-racist titles, each selling more than 100,000 copies, and books bought for Father's Day led to a 9.1% increase in unit sales of print books last week at outlets that report to BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bobit Business Media Sells Automotive Aftermarket Division

Torrance, Calif.-based Bobit Business Media has sold its automotive aftermarket division, consisting of two controlled-circulation magazines as well as a paid membership program, to 10 Missions Media, a St. Paul, Minn.-based publisher of five B2B publications serving various segments of the... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-06-22 15:09:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #financial terms #current location #existing teams #press release #glossy magazine


Print Unit Sales Rise 5.6% in Mid-June

With all categories except adult nonfiction posting increases, unit sales of print books rose 5.6% in the week ended June 13, 2020, over the comparable week last year, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Had Small Gain Last Week

Led by sales in the adult nonfiction category, and especially by sales increases in titles on race and social justice, unit sales of print books rose 1.6% last week at outlets that report to BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Black Bookstore Selling Out of Books For First Time in 30 Years: Critical Linking, June 14, 2020

An awesome daily roundup of the most interesting bookish links from around the web. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-14 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Increased 6.8% in Early June

Unit sales of print books rose 6.8% in the week ended June 6, 2020, over the similar week last year, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Coronavirus Impact: Italy’s Publishers Keep the Pressure on the Government

The chief of the Italian publishers association tells Rome that its support for badly damaged cultural organizations is not enough: A family allotment for cultural spending is the next ask.  The post Coronavirus Impact: Italy’s Publishers Keep the Pressure on the Government appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-06-05 17:15:10 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Fell 5.5% Last Week

The 5.5% decline in print unit sales last week compared to the previous week was mainly due to a 25.5% sales drop in the young adult category, in which 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' sold more than 270,000 copies in the week ended May 23. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Units Jumped 11% in Mid-May

The release of Suzanne Collins’s prequel to her Hunger Games series in the week ended May 23, 2020, drove up unit sales of print books by 11.1% over the comparable week in 2019, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Boosted by Hunger Games Prequel, Unit Sales Rose 5.5% Last Week

Led by 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,' Suzanne Collins’ prequel to her blockbuster Hunger Games series, unit sales of print books rose 5.5% last week over the week ended May 16 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Macron’s mission: Rescue France and unite Europe

William Drozdiak outlines the French president’s vision and the challenges it faces. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-05-22 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Units Up 7.7% in Mid-May

Unit sales of print books rose 7.7% in the week ended May 16, 2020, over the comparable period in 2019, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Fell 7.8% Last Week

After two weeks of consecutive double-digit growth, unit sales of print books fell last week compared to the week ended May 9, 2020, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bauer to Close, Merge or Sell Ten Magazines as Covid-19 ‘Accelerates Trends’

Magazine publisher Bauer Media plans to close, merge or sell ten of its print titles it says will not be Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2020-05-19 17:01:09 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Up 9.9% In Early May

Led by big gains in the juvenile categories, unit sales of print books rose 9.9% in the week ended May 9, 2020, over the comparable period in 2019, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Post Another Double Digit Gain

Last week, unit sales of print books had their second consecutive week of double-digit growth over the previous week at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. For the week ended May 9, 2020, print units were up 10.5% over the prior week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BINC, Comicbook United Raise $950K for Comics Retailers

The Book Industry Charitable Foundation, in partnership with the newly created Comicbook United Fund, have raised more than $950,000 to be used to support comic shop retailers struggling to survive during the pandemic lockdown. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of Print Units Rose 10.9% Last Week

Strong sales in the adult nonfiction segment helped to drive up unit sales of print books by 10.9% last week at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Rise Nearly 5% at the End of April

Solid gains in the adult fiction and juvenile nonfiction categories lifted print unit sales up 4.7% in the week ended May 2, 2020, over the comparable week in 2019, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Flat in Late April

A huge gain in the juvenile nonfiction category helped offset a decline in adult nonfiction to keep unit sales of print books in the week ended Apr. 25, 2020, nearly even with sales in the similar week in 2019, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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