{"id":130581,"date":"2024-11-27T07:53:51","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T00:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=130581"},"modified":"2024-11-27T07:53:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T00:53:51","slug":"liberal-cable-news-channel-not-for-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=130581","title":{"rendered":"Liberal Cable News Channel Not For Sale"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn April 2022, shares in Twitter Inc. soared after a securities filing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/elon-musk-twitter-stake-stock-1235124807\/\">revealed<\/a> that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/t\/elon-musk\/\" id=\"auto-tag_elon-musk_1\" data-tag=\"elon-musk\">Elon Musk<\/a> had acquired a multi-billion dollar stake in the company. What followed over the course of the next few months is now the stuff of internet legend: Musk would go on to cut a deal to acquire all of Twitter for $44 billion, before trying to back out of the deal, and then finally following through.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tHe subsequently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/new-twitter-ceo-linda-yaccarino-elon-musk-cto-1235486330\/\">hired<\/a> NBCUniversal\u2019s former head of advertising sales, Linda Yaccarino, to be Twitter\u2019s CEO, and then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/digital\/elon-musk-twitter-name-change-to-x-1235541959\/\">changed the brand<\/a> to \u201cX,\u201d saying that it would become an everything app, and the home of free speech on the internet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tNow, Musk has been on a posting spree about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/t\/msnbc\/\" id=\"auto-tag_msnbc_1\" data-tag=\"msnbc\">MSNBC<\/a>, the left-leaning cable channel that is owned by Comcast\u2019s NBCUniversal. Musk, who has posted about MSNBC nearly every day for a week, has been suggesting that he wants to buy the channel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<strong>So Is MSNBC For Sale?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tNo, MSNBC is not for sale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tA Comcast spokesperson says: \u201cWe are looking forward to the planned spin of our cable networks, which will create a new company owned by our shareholders \u2013 none of these assets are for sale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<strong>Why Is Everyone Talking About It Being Up For Sale Then?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAs alluded to in the statement, Comcast, the cable giant that owns NBCUniversal, announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/comcast-cable-spinoff-msnbc-bravo-sports-1236068481\/\">a major spinoff<\/a> of its cable channels last week, including USA, Syfy, E!, Oxygen, CNBC and, yes, MSNBC. The way it\u2019s going to work is that in roughly a year, the new company (called \u201cSpinCo\u201d for now) will be spun out from Comcast, but existing Comcast shareholders will be shareholders. Just as Brian Roberts and the Roberts family own about a third of Comcast, they will own the same amount of SpinCo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe company is hoping that a standalone cable company can be more strategic, pursuing M&amp;A deals or other ventures that are challenging to do as part of the larger company. \u201cThe company will have significant cash flow, a strong balance sheet, and the financial flexibility to pursue growth opportunities, both organically and potentially through acquisitions,\u201d Comcast president Mike Cavanagh said in a memo to staff announcing the spin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<strong>Would They Sell Off MSNBC Once The Spin Off Is Complete?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tDon\u2019t count on it. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tMSNBC, like all cable channels, has been grappling with cord-cutting, viewership declines, and the larger issues facing both cable news channels and cable writ large. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIf MSNBC were severed from the rest of the cable channels, it would be dramatically harder to ink distribution deals that comprise essentially all of MSNBC\u2019s profits. There is hope that under the new structure, SpinCo could be in a situation to invest in MSNBC, and figure out a path forward given the larger industry declines. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThere are also some other complicating factors (see below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<strong>Couldn\u2019t Musk Just Buy The Entire New Company?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tUnlikely! It would be difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Because the new company will have such centralized control in the Roberts family, it would be very difficult to do a deal without their buy-in. And either way, it would be very expensive, requiring a hefty premium on its market cap.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAnd of course, the deal is being structured as a tax-free spinoff, a structure that means that large scale M&amp;A cannot be done for at least two years in order to retain its tax-free status. That would make any deal extremely difficult in the medium term, without causing a major tax headache for shareholders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<strong>Why Is Elon So Interested in MSNBC Anyway?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tMusk has been critical of MSNBC for years, attacking segments or comments from hosts. The current news cycle seems to originate from a meme shared by Donald Trump Jr., which suggested (again, wrongly) that the channel is being put up for sale, and adding \u201cHey @elonmusk I have the funniest idea ever!!!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe popular comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan even jumped in, with a joking offer to take Rachel Maddow\u2019s job if Musk was successful. Maddow, it should be noted, recently signed a new long-term deal with MSNBC, giving the channel some security that its marquee talent will stick around even after the spinout is complete<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSince acquiring Twitter, Musk has been sharply critical of <em>all<\/em> news coverage, frequently declaring to users of X that \u201cyou are the media now\u201d and encouraging them to \u201cforward X posts\u201d to their friends and family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tMusk also has some personal issues with both Microsoft and its founder, Bill Gates, which may play a role.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tOf course, Microsoft exited its stake in MSNBC back in 2012. The \u201cMS\u201d in MSNBC is like an appendix, a vestige of the past that doesn\u2019t have any particular meaning in the present beyond  being a part of the brand itself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<strong>Wait, What Personal Animus With Bill Gates?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tMusk runs an artificial intelligence company called xAI, and he has been very vocal and critical of OpenAI \u2014 which he was involved in from its founding \u2014 and OpenAI\u2019s deal with Microsoft. Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, and named Microsoft as a defendant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn addition, Musk previously had a personal beef with Gates, stemming from when the Microsoft founder took a large short position in Tesla (a short is when you bet that the value of a stock goes down). So the personal animus vis a vie Gates and OpenAI, paired with a real financial incentive with xAI, could perhaps be at play there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<strong>Didn\u2019t He End Up Buying Twitter After Hinting That He Wanted To?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tHe sure did, but not without a fight! Musk and Twitter very nearly went to court in Delaware, before he acquiesced and closed the deal. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhile Musk is the richest man in the world (his net worth is nearly $350 billion as of writing as of writing), he doesn\u2019t just have that much cash stashed under his bed (or even in Dogecoin). Most of his wealth is tied up in Tesla and SpaceX stock. He can\u2019t sell Tesla stock without causing it to go lower, and SpaceX is private, making a sale inconvenient and difficult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tFor the Twitter deal, Musk sought outside financiers and took out a margin loan, secured by Tesla stock. It is not clear that he would be able to extend his margin loan to cover another multi-billion dollar deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<strong>If, Somehow, Someway, Musk Successfully Acquired MSNBC, What Would He Even Do?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tTwitter was and still is a platform that newsmakers, powerful people, politicians, celebrities and news media gather to talk about things, and platform dynamics mean that even as Musk has saturated it with users more accustomed to memes and trolling, the number of castaways seems to remain relatively limited.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tCable news is an entirely different business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhile returning Joe Rogan to the NBC family would likely be a ratings draw (just like the Rogan-hosted NBC reality competition series <em>Fear Factor<\/em> was, back in the day), blowing up MSNBC\u2019s lineup would likely cause its current viewers to flee. Unlike a social platform powered by platform dynamics, a TV channel is supported by fandom and familiarity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tPlus if Musk wants to give Rogan a show, he could just host it on X anyway!<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIt\u2019s also likely that Fox News wouldn\u2019t be too thrilled with a new cable channel, backed by the world\u2019s richest man and supported by members of the Trump family, taking aim at its own core viewers with more right-leaning programming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tMaybe Musk would consider bringing back <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dev_Null\" target=\"_blank\">Dev Null<\/a>, the first (and to this day only) cable news host who was also a computer-generated character (created by Leo Laporte), who used to banter with Soledad O\u2019Brien on the original MSNBC program <em>The Site<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/digital\/elon-musk-msnbc-cable-channel-not-for-sale-1236071748\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In April 2022, shares in Twitter Inc. soared after a securities filing revealed that Elon Musk had acquired a multi-billion dollar stake in the company. What followed over the course &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=130581\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=130581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130581\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=130581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=130581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=130581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}