Here are the ratings that have Viacom execs worried about their ailing TV networks
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What's happening at Viacom
Last week, Viacom CEO Phillipe Dauman was elected the board's new chairman after Sumner Redstone, 92 and in declining health, stepped down from the position. Redstone's daughter, Shari Redstone, opposed Dauman's appointment and was the only vote against him. Her father, who remains a member of the board, was among those who voted for him. There's a glimpse into the drama at the top of Viacom.
Sales in the filmed entertainment division fell by 15% as the company put out fewer releases, according to Reuters. Its movie production has seen more misses than hits, though it does have Oscar nominee "The Big Short" going for it.
But Viacom's TV offerings - which include MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Spike, and TV Land - aren't faring much better. In its most recent quarter, Viacom reported a 3% decline in revenue from its media networks, including TV. The company reported a 6% drop in revenue to $3.15 billion.
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Once synonymous with youth and pop culture, Viacom's flagship channels like MTV and Comedy Central seem to have misplaced their finger on what their viewers want. MTV, for example, has been trying for years to create a stable of scripted offerings that resonate with young people and has failed more often than it has succeeded. The network has also seen an exodus of executives in the past year, including the exit of its president.
Business Insider took a close look at Viacom's cable network ratings from the fourth quarter of 2013 through the fourth quarter of 2015 with the help of Nielsen ratings research (Logo was excluded because it didn't meet minimum reporting levels for Nielsen).
The results give a snapshot of Viacom's TV difficulties over the past several years and one explanation for its internal struggles:
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