TV Stock Snapshot: Stimulus Optimism Evident

TV station group stocks made a partial rally today along with the rest of the market on the expectation of multi-billion dollar government stimulus bill. The Dow had gained 280 points, or around 4 percent, when it opened today compared to a week ago. TVB’s 28 TV station stocks were up 7 percent in the same period.

Among them, New York-based Young Broadcasting, (Pink Sheets: YBTVA) announced it would skip a $4.5 million interest payment due Feb. 6, on a senior secured credit facility due 2012. The company has a 10-day grace period on the payment. Young previously announced it would skip a $6.1 million interest payment due Jan. 15. The company has 10 TV stations in 10 markets. It continues to work with creditors on a restructure. (Please pardon the appearance of the index while we work out some bugs in the system. For an undisrupted copy of the latest chart, e-maildmcadams@nbmedia.com.)

Television BroadcastTV Station Index forFeb. 2, 2009

NAME

Symbol

1/26 Open

2/2 Open

2/9 Open

MktCap mils

ACME Communications

ACME

$0.30

-20%

$0.24

25%

$0.30

$4.81

Belo Corp.

BLC

$1.80

-22%

$1.41

5%

$1.48

$150.24

CBS Corp.

CBS.A

$6.29

-10%

$5.63

14%

$6.40

$4,308.59

CBS Corp.

CBS

$6.25

-10%

$5.67

15%

$6.50

$4,288.58

Entravision Communication

EVC

$0.77

-6%

$0.82

-2%

$0.80

$63.40

Equity Media Holdings Corp.

EMDAQ

$0.01

0%

$0.01

100%

$0.02

$0.40

Fisher Communications

FSCI

$17.98

-13%

$15.71

11%

$17.44

$149.46

Gannett Co., Inc.

GCI

$6.73

-13%

$5.83

-17%

$4.85

$1,104.08

General Electric Co.

GE

$12.48

-4%

$12.03

-5%

$11.34

$134,976.67

Gray Television, Inc.

GTN

$0.46

0%

$0.33

51%

$0.50

$23.86

Gray Television, Inc.

GTN.A

$1.22

-11%

$1.08

-5%

$1.03

$30.19

Grupo Televisa, S.A. (ADR)

TV

$14.88

-28%

$13.80

3%

$14.25

$945,528.57

Hearst-Argyle Television

HTV

$4.22

-6%

$3.96

14%

$4.52

$419.96

ION Media Networks Inc.

IION

$3.00

0%

$3.00

N/A

N/A

N/A

Journal Communications

JRN

$1.96

-8%

$1.80

7%

$1.92

$100.19

LIN TV Corp.

TVL

$1.04

-33%

$0.70

-16%

$0.59

$25.53

Media General, Inc.

MEG

$2.53

-22%

$1.98

12%

$2.21

$50.10

Meredith Corp.

MDP

$17.41

-8%

$15.95

-1%

$15.75

$710.59

News Corp.

NWSA

$6.75

-9%

$6.16

13%

$6.97

$17,721.58

Nexstar Broadcasting Group

NXST

$0.75

-12%

$0.85

2%

$0.87

$24.73

Saga Communications

SGA

$1.12

291%

$4.38

-5%

$4.17

$17.24

Shaw Communications

SJR

$16.81

-5%

$16.00

5%

$16.80

$7,253.86

Sinclair Broadcast Group

SBGI

$2.10

-13%

$1.82

-20%

$1.46

$118.43

The E.W. Scripps Co.

SSP

$1.73

-12%

$1.53

7%

$1.63

$94.72

The McGraw-Hill

MHP

$20.40

6%

$21.55

15%

$24.84

$7,912.82

The Walt Disney Co.

DIS

$21.08

-5%

$20.08

-1%

$19.82

$35,901.51

The Washington Post Co.

WPO

$405.25

-5%

$386.00

9%

$420.00

$3,961.68

Young Broadcasting

YBTVA

$0.05

-40%

$0.03

-33%

$0.02

$0.55