CBS is Really Talking to Viacom This Time

The CBS and Viacom merger rumor has been swirling for a while now. If you recall, last week, among rumors that CBS was in talks to buy the cable network Starz, CNBC reported that “whether or not a Starz deal happens, CBS plans to continue its merger discussions with Viacom, which should heat up in June.” Well guess what tomorrow is?

An article from Variety yesterday points out that in response to another CNBC report, this time saying that CBS and Viacom are expected to start talks by the middle of the month, both CBS and Viacom stocks shot up at the start of trading. The Variety article takes care to say that representatives for CBS, Viacom, and National Amusements - the parent company of both - declined to comment. But the stock price jump of between 3%-5% is enough to indicate that investors, at least, expect movement in the near future.