The Comcast logo. (Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images for Comcast)
On Thursday morning, Comcast’s soon-to-be co-chief executive Mike Cavanagh addressed investors following the communications giant’s third-quarter earnings report. The company beat Wall Street’s expectations, but disclosed that it had lost broadband customers for the fourth consecutive quarter—a trend that unnerved investors and sent shares down roughly 4% by the close of trading.
But what really sparked conversation wasn’t the financials. It was Cavanagh’s remarks about potential dealmaking. Ever since David Zaslav effectively hung a “for sale” sign on Warner Bros. Discovery, speculation has swirled over whether Brian Roberts’ Comcast might make a play for the storied Hollywood studio and HBO Max streamer, which David Ellison is aggressively pursuing, along with the rest of the portfolio, including CNN, TBS, and other linear assets.
Many analysts have waved off the idea that Comcast could feasibly obtain the studio and streamer (it has no interest in the cable channels and is spinning off its own into a separate company, Versant), citing Donald Trump’s open animosity toward Roberts, whom he has derided as a “lowlife,” and the company as “Concast.”
Cavanagh, however, suggested on Thursday’s call that…
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Gayle King. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Gayle Force Winds: Gayle King "is expected to depart” as the marquee anchor of “CBS Mornings” next year, Variety's Matt Donnelly and Brian Steinberg reported Thursday evening, citing four sources, in the latest CBS News-related report to rattle the industry. King's contract expires in May, and Donnelly and Steinberg reported that "there are signs" that CBS News "would like her to stay on board with the news division, potentially with a deal to produce her own programming for the network." The report comes amid chatter that Norah O’Donnell, who is said to be doing her best to ingratiate herself with new editor in chief Bari Weiss, could perhaps return to the morning show, as Status has previously reported.
Regardless, King's exit has long been whispered about inside and outside CBS News since David Ellison took over Paramount, given she is said to earn a hefty paycheck as the top host of "CBS Mornings." But some people close to her had…
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