AOL Reports Improved Q3 and 4 Media Titans Making Waves

AOL, Inc. (NYSE:AOL) earned 22 cents per share in Q3, or $20.8 million, which is a major improvement over its loss of $2.6 million, or 2 cents per share, that it earned during the previous year’s quarter. This excludes one-time charges and adjustments, and AOL earned 34 cents per share, beating the average analyst estimate of 29 cents per share. AOL’s revenue reached $531.7 million, in line with the previous year, and it exceeded the analyst expectation of $522 million. This was the first year that AOL did not show a year-over-year drop in revenue.

Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE:TWC) predicts that the advertising revenue at its cable unit will pick up during Q4 after the media conglomerate reported a fall in ad sales at its networks, including TNT, TBS and CNN.

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CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS) is thinking of letting online outlets stream the TV shows that are currently on the air, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) will likely report Q4 earnings after Tuesday’s market close on November 8 with a conference call scheduled for 5:00 pm ET. Analysts have been searching for EPS of 68c on revenue of $10.92 billion. The consensus range is 61c to 70c for EPS, and $10.72 billion to $11.1 billion for revenue, reports First Call. After it reported better Q3 EPS than predicted, Disney claims that it predicts that CapEx will fall over the next several years. The company also announced the $4.05 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm, and analysts and investors will listen for the company’s comments regarding its future plans for the company. Additionally, Disney may address speculation that it has been considering Hasbro (NYSE:HAS), owner of the toy rights to Star Wars and Marvel, both of which were acquired by Disney. Wells Fargo belie Lucas is “a great fit” for Disney. The firm views the deal as being similar to Disney’s acquisition of Marvel, but with more potential benefit for Disney. At September’s Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference, Disney stated that the company will see “extraordinary returns” from new cruise ships and that ESPN is still a growth vehicle.

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA): Time Warner (NYSE:TWX) CEO Jeff Bewkes is very near to choosing a replacement for CNN President Jim Walton when he leaves at the year’s end and speculation claims that it has the possibility of being former NBC Universal boss, Jeff Zucker. During its Q3 earnings conference call, Bewkes stated that it was possible for CNN to do a better job attracting and retaining audience when news isn’t breaking.

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