Anne Sweeney - TVSpy

ABC Set to Launch Live-Streaming App

Merrill Knox — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:59:50 +0000

This week, ABC will become the first major broadcaster unveil an app that allows users in New York and Philadelphia to live-stream local programming. Content from WABC and WPVI will be available first, with plans to introduce it in other markets later this year, The New York Times‘ Brian Stelter reports:

ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Company, said the live stream would be available in the other six cities where it owns stations sometime this summer. It is also in talks with the companies that own ABC’s more than 200 affiliates to make the “live” button work in their markets.

ABC finished the first of its affiliate deals, with Hearst Television, on Sunday afternoon; it said the live streams would work in Hearst’s 13 markets, including Boston and Pittsburgh, in the coming months.

The app is also a way for ABC to get ahead of Aereo, the streaming television service that allows subscribers to watch over-the-air programming on Internet-connected devices. Anne Sweeney, the president of the Disney-ABC Television Group, told The New York Times that plans for ABC’s app were in place before Aereo was launched.

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ABC Announces Deal with Couric that Includes O&Os’ 3 p.m. Time Slot

Andrew Gauthier — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:41:54 +0000

It’s official: Katie Couric has signed a new deal with ABC to host and produce her own syndicated talk show as well as join the ABC News team.

In announcing the multi-year, multi-platform agreement, ABC said that Couric’s new talk show, which will be helmed by Jeff Zucker, has already been cleared in the 3 p.m. time slot at the eight stations owned and operated by ABC, which reside in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.

“Katie Couric is one of television’s iconic figures and we are thrilled to have forged such an exciting partnership with her,” said Anne Sweeney, president of the ABC Television group, in making the announcement. “We look forward to having Katie join the best News team in the business, and to working with her to create a dynamic and successful talk show franchise.”

Couric’s daytime talk show is set to premiere in September 2012. Clearing the show in a coveted time slot was a major factor in Couric’s negotiations with networks this spring. According to The New York Times, the former “CBS Evening News” anchor tried to get NBC to clear its stations’ 4 p.m. spot for her.

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Disney Reaches Agreement with ABC-Affiliates Over Retrans Money

Andrew Gauthier — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:23:07 +0000

A handful of ABC-affiliates have struck a deal with Walt Disney Co. to share a portion of the retrans fees they collect from cable and satellite providers.

Here’s Bloomberg on the development:

The agreement, along with accords Disney-owned stations have reached with pay TV operators, covers 64 percent of the U.S., Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney/ABC Television Group, said at an investor meeting today. Stations may pay a license fee to Disney or share fees they collect from cable and satellite TV systems, she said. Other terms weren’t disclosed.

The agreement comes days after Disney reported that its profits were up 54%, with 43% of the overall revenue coming from the company’s media networks division.

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