Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
Peter O’Toole will join the cast of Showtime’s The Tudors for a seven episode arc in the role of Pope Paul III. His episodes are scheduled to air in the spring of 2008. Elsewhere at Showtime, Keith Carradine joins the cast of Dexter as a regular in the role of a police investigator looking into the crimes committed by Dexter (played by Michael C. Hall).
NBC’s average prime-time audience of 4.8 million people last week was the smallest since at least 1991, the earliest Nielsen Media Research records could be traced. It is likely one would have to go back to the days of black-and-white TV sets to find a smaller number. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070605/ap_en_tv/nielsens 6/5)
CBS is in talks to bring back the post-apocalyptic drama “Jericho” with a seven-episode midseason order. The network is moving to resurrect the canceled series after legions of loyal fans campaigned to save the show. “Jericho” was popular on the Web and on other digital platforms. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i76b2705e1ee473a8b147745c2777d28b 6/6)
HDNet will be the new home of all 13 episodes of “The Black Donnellys” after the show failed to make it on NBC. HDNet negotiated a rights agreement with NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution. (Broadcasting & Cable 6/5)
Comcast is gearing up to offer new shows as well as increasing its production staff and on-air talent once it takes over Fox Sports New England later this year. Comcast, which agreed in April to buy the rest of FSN New England that it didn’t already own, is ramping up the new shows to better compete against New England Sports Network. (The Boston Globe 6/6)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Joost hopes they found the man to create on online masterpiece. The much-hyped P2P video start-up named former Cisco senior executive Michelangelo “Mike” Volpi as its new CEO. Still in beta testing, Joost has been used by a half a million viewers and now features more than 100 channels of content.
Below is a full screen snapshot of Joost. The program looks and functions seamlessly. Along with a collection of content, users can also utilize a variety of widgets including a clock, chat, blog links, ratings, etc. If you’d like an invite to use Joost beta, e-mail me at caroline@dailymarauder.com .
NBC Universal says it will allow personal Web sites and blogs to post video snippets of NBC programs, underscoring the Internet as a growing destination for video entertainment. Other media companies including CBS and the New York Times also let Web fans post their content. (http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSWEN859120070606 6/6)
BravoTV.com and OUTzoneTV.com will premier four new web-exclusive series this month. My Life on the Z-List: Jen’s Vlog is already up on BravoTV.com, a companion piece to the Kathy Griffin show from comedian Billy Eichner. Launching on June 13 on BravoTV is Miami Spice: Hot Recipes with Latin Flavor and Top Recipe: The Wong Way to Cook, following episodes of Top Chef 3 Miami. Beginning in mid-June on OUTzone.com is “Ask A Gay Man,” a weekly vlog from YouTube celebrity William Sledd.
Fox Reality.com has created its first original made-for-the-web series, Nightclub Confessions. Viewers join clubgoers inside a soundproof booth as they spill their deepest, darkest secrets and desires. A total of thirty 8-10 minute webisodes began in June, with the event culminating in a one-hour special on Fox Reality on June 30.
On air telecasts and live events continue to drive traffic to network websites. MTV.com Movie Awards content boosted unique visitors by 205% the day of the show and 159% the day after the show. A&E’s 24-hour live webcast of the Criss Angel Mindfreak Cement Block event in New York’s Times Square resulted in over 115,000 visits to AETV.com, the highest trafficked day of 2007.
Local online ad spending will rise by 31.6% this year compared to a 20% growth rate for national online ads, according to Borrell Associates annual Local Web Revenues survey released yesterday. Total online ad spending for 2007 is projected at $7.5 billion, with $3.2 billion going to newspapers and only $602 million going to local TV station sites. Most local media operators will generate 2% to 5% of their revenues from online operations this year, according to the report, up 0.5% to 1% from last year.
Online auctioneer eBay is ready to begin auctioning advertising airtime on 2,300 participating U.S. radio stations, expanding on an existing plan to sell cable television ads. The move puts eBay into competition with Google and its recent expansion into radio advertising. (http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN0524666920070605 6/5)
Last.fm, How Stuff Works, eBay and YouTube are among the top winners of this year’s Webby Awards, an international award ceremony honoring the best of the Internet. The hit TV series “The Office” is being recognized for its individual episodes created just for the Web. (http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3247052 6/5)
Michael Caruso, a former editor of Wenner Media’s Men’s Journal and Conde Nast’s Details, is launching The Daily Tube, an online video service that promises to compile the best new clips on the Web, eventually supported by advertising. “It’s got large potential,” he says. (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003594300 6/5)
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
Melodeo has announced a new service aimed at delivering songs from a user’s iTunes library to a mobile phone. The service is expected to be commercially available in six to 12 weeks. The Washington Post/Reuters (6/5)
Mobile games are overtaking all other forms of handset downloads in the U.K., according to market-research firm GfK M2. Its study shows that U.K. consumers are spending more on game downloads than on ringtones, music or video. (GameDaily BIZ 6/4)
Filed under: GAMING
GAMING
Nintendo’s Wii gaming unit outsold Sony’s PlayStation 3 fivefold in Japan, according to May sales figures. Analysts have voiced concerns that Sony’s lagging console sales may offset profits seen in the company’s other departments, such as its popular TV lines. (Reuters 6/6)
On Tuesday, Microsoft introduced the first new Pac-Man mazes in more than 20 years as part of the company’s Pac-Man Championship Edition geared toward Xbox 360 owners. The release marks a departure from Microsoft’s usual game marketing, and it is an attempt to capture a wider audience, much as Nintendo’s Wii has done. (The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)/Bloomberg 6/6)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Anonymous sources tell Bloomberg News that Dell will stop producing its own branded LCD TVs later this month, although it will continue to sell TVs from other manufacturers. Dell declined to comment. (Chicago Tribune/Bloomberg 6/5)
