TMS_BANNER-RAPTORS

Documentary Business

Peter Hamilton Consultants, Inc

National Geographic Society: Layoffs Prior to Expanded Partnership with Fox

The National Geographic Society has announced the largest employee layoff in its venerable history.

The move comes weeks before NGS expands its content partnership with Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox.

  • The Washington Post‘s Paul Farhi covers the layoffs here.
  • The headline: “National Geographic chief says layoffs done to avert financial derailment.”
  • Watch out for coverage of future impacts on NG Studios and Channels.

NG Channels Viewing Up!

  • I just checked the average primetime ratings for 3Q 2014 vs 3Q 2013.
  • Nat Geo Channel is up 12%, and plucky Nat Geo Wild gained 41%!
  • That’s very good news in a year of severe audience losses for the U.S. cable channel sector.
  • Read more next week.
Cross Ownership
BTW, in a reminder of the shrinking world of independent media ownership in our New Gilded Age:
  • The Post is now owned by Amazon billionaire, Jeffrey Besos.
  • With Netflix, Amazon is leading the global VOD boom that is shaking the documentary / unscripted sector.
  • Read our unique VOD coverage here, beginning at last month’s MIPCOM.

UPCOMING EVENTS

World Congress of Science & Factual Producers
Vienna, December 1-4. (Sold Out!)

EDN Online Pitching Sessions 2015: History
December 15, 2015 from 14:00-15:00 (Central European Time).