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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E-books by Sainsbury's sells Anobii brand

E-books by Sainsbury’s has sold the brand and social networking elements of ebook site... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paper Consortium to Sell Cars.com for $3B

A group of newspaper publishers, including Gannett, McClatchy, Tribune and others, has put the Cars.com online marketplace up for sale for as much as $3 billion, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Moelis & Co., which is advisin ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sell cars #newspaper publishers #including gannett #online marketplace #$3 billion


UK’s ValoBox: Selling, Sharing Books at Point of Discovery

UK-based startup ValoBox offers an attractive revenue sharing model for those who use social media as a catalyst to sell books, empowering discovery. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sell books


'Super Hawks' Sells Nearly 7k Copies First Week

Triumph's "instant book" about the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl win fared well in its first full week on sale. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #full week


Publishing Perspectives Monthly Magazine Issue #1: Selling and Sales

Publishing Perspectives has launched a digital monthly magazine optimized for reading on tablets and screens. Our first issue on Selling & Sales highlights new strategies for boosting book sales. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Brazil, Amazon Starts Selling Kindles Direct, Books are Next

After 13 months of using partners to sell Kindles in Brazil, Amazon is now offering direct sales. If they can do that, books are not likely far behind. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sell kindles


U.K. Indie Saqi Books Seeking Investor

London-based independent publisher Saqi Books is examining its strategy as it seeks an investor. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SpinMedia Gets New Investors, Hires New CRO

SpinMedia Group, a publisher of celebrity and entertainment sites, today announced that it's lined up new investors and hired sales vet Tom Morrissy as chief revenue officer as it attempts to put its struggling financial past behind it. The company has lately made headlines for laying off staff... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #brand dollars


Why Publishers Need to Embrace Automated Ad Selling

The president of The Media Kitchen sees private marketplaces gaining traction with top publishers, and that's a good thing.The post Why Publishers Need to Embrace Automated Ad Selling appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #top publishers #good thing


ReDigi Gets Patent to Manage and Sell Used E-books

The first online digital marketplace gets the nod for its invention of a system for "copyless" digital transactions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PP for Italy’s Giornale della Libreria: Does Social Media Sell?

Publishing Perspectives's latest column for the Italy's Giornale della Libreria looks at whether social media really influences readers to buy books. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest column #buy books


Guardian Media Group to sell 50.1% stake in Trader Media Group

Guardian, Observer and theguardian.com publisher to invest sale proceeds, thought to be £600m to £700m, in core businessGuardian Media Group is selling its 50.1% stake in Auto Trader owner Trader Media Group to private equity firm Apax Partners in a deal thought to be worth £600m to £700m to the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S Gets Court Okay to Sell Good Books Titles

The court overseeing the Chapter 7 liquidation of Good Enterprises has approved a motion allowing Simon & Schuster to continue distributing the Good Books titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #good enterprises


Barefoot Stops Selling Direct to Bookstores

As part of its transition to a lifestyle company, the Cambridge, Mass.-based publisher terminated its contracts with sales reps. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales reps


The Weekly Scorecard Tracking Unit Print Sales (in thousands)

Unit sales of print books fell 4% in the first week of 2014 compared to the week ended Jan. 6, 2013, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nielsen bookscan


Selling Speed Addiction

Are Americans working too hard, too fast, and too chaotically for our own good? Slate books editor Dan Kois was eager to find out when a review copy of Stephanie Brown’s Speed: Facing Our Addiction to Fast and Faster—and Overcoming Our Fear of Slowing Down landed on his desk. So he proposed a... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #human life


Selling Spanish Language Books in the US is a Rewarding Responsibility

Mark Haber of Brazos Bookstore in Houston argues that selling Spanish language books in the US is a challenging responsibility with unexpected rewards. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #brazos bookstore


Good Enterprises Wants S&S to Keep Selling its Books

Christine Shubert, the trustee overseeing the Chapter 7 proceedings of Good Enterprises, has asked the bankruptcy court to give Good Books’ distributor, Simon & Schuster, the authority to continue to sell the company’s titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #good enterprises #trustee overseeing #bankruptcy court #simon schuster


Sales of Print Units Slipped in 2013

Sales of print books through outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan’s retail & club channel fell 2.5%, to 501.6 million units, in 2013, compared to 2012. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #print books #nielsen bookscan


Why Is Hard News a Hard Sell for Advertisers?

Rob NormanNewspapers and news magazines' print editions are fading. Their readers are literally dying. Other industries have new demography and geography to conquer, but no new generation is acquiring a breakfast-table habit that has persisted for 200 years -- even in Myanmar, where 12 daily... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-01-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hard news #hard sell #print editions