Outgoing Viacom CFO On Changing Media Landscape

Viacom CFO Richard Bressler, who will retire in March 2006, when his current contract is up, sees few ways that media companies can outspend tech/portal companies like Google and Yahoo. A way out of the conundrum is for big media companies to find a low-cost, low-risk strategic entry into new media using their content as powerful leverage.

“The big media companies never have and never will invest $10 billion-$15 billion on technology annually like Yahoo! and Google do. But the value of their content will always be important. So I think they will have to find a way to come together,” he says. “But I don’t think you will see this happen through equity structured deals. I think you will see it in marketing and other partnership alliances.”

A great quote: “Technology allows consumers to be the venture capitalists of the future,” he says.

Comments have been disabled for this post