UPDATE: Media Stocks Down, But With Exceptions, As Overseas Debt Fears Grow

UPDATE 4:10 PM: The markets couldn’t sustain an early afternoon rally amid concerns that France might lose its AAA debt rating and that Spain or Italy might default on payments. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4.6% while the S&P 500 dropped 4.4% and NASDAQ was down 4.1%. But media companies were mixed, with some showing big improvements from mid-day. Disney remained the hardest hit of the Big Guns with shares falling 9.1%. It was followed by Sony (-5.7%), CBS (-5.4%), News Corp (-4.7%), Time Warner (-4.6%), Comcast (-4.5%), and Viacom (-0.3%). Among other media companies, Crown Media, Westwood One, and E.W. Scripps fell at least 10%. Entercom, The New York Times, and Gannett were off at least 9%. And Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, AOL, and LIN TV were down at least 8%.  Some companies were up including Cinedigm (+8.7%), National CineMedia (+4.3%), New Frontier Media (+2.7%), DreamWorks Animation (+2%), Lionsgate (+1.8%), Pandora Media (+0.6%), and Coinstar (+0.1%).

PREVIOUS, 9:00 AM: Here we go again. Stock markets at mid-day have given up just about all of yesterday’s gains following the Fed’s pledge to keep interest rates low — and media companies are being hammered. The Dow Jones U.S. media index is -4.7% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is -4.1%. Similarly the S&P media index is off 5.5% while the S&P 500 is -3.8% and NASDAQ’s media shares are -4.8 vs. the overall exchange which is -3.3%. Here’s how industry giants are faring at mid-day: Disney (-10.7%), CBS (-5.2%), Sony (-5.1%), Time Warner (-4.5%), Comcast (-3.8%), and Viacom (-3%). The biggest loser is Westwood One (-12%). Others down at least 6% include AOL, The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LIN TV, Live Nation,  Gannett, E.W. Scripps, Time Warner Cable, and Rovi. The only company on our watch list that’s in plus territory is Lionsgate, up 2% after reporting a profit in the quarter that ended in June.