>Amid a recent industry-wide focus on restructurings and staff layoffs to boost profitability, the media and technology giant also disclosed $638 million in severance costs, or $541 million higher than in the year-ago period, that hit its earnings in the fourth quarter. That included $305 million in higher severance costs related to its cable systems division, $182 million in severance costs related to NBCUniversal and $53 million in higher costs related to Sky.

The big negatives on the balance sheet right now is paying severance to employees which is over half a billion more than last year.