5 ways to revive Viacom, CBS

Pushed to the back of the media stock pack, Sumner Redstone must be itching to do something. But his options are limited. By Richard Siklos, editor at large Sumner Redstone is not known for ignoring his companies' share prices. LOS ANGELES (Fortune) -- The drama around the possible defection from Paramount of the cinematic powerhouses behind DreamWorks is headline-grabbing - but it's only a distraction from what must really be driving Sumner Redstone crazy: In tough times for media giants, Viacom and CBS are doing even worse than their peers. Year to date (as of Friday's close), Viacom 2%, against a decline in the S&P 500 of nearly 13%. Typically, this is not a state of affairs that Redstone abides for long. One thing that sets the octogenarian apart from other media billionaires is his single-minded focus on his companies'... [read full story]