Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
Cable providers should work to offer video-on-demand versions of every television network available, according to Time Warner president Jeff Bewkes. Combining VOD programming with targeted ads that would also reduce the demand for digital-video recorders, he says. (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6462732.html 7/24)
AT&T launched a Video Share service in nearly 160 U.S. markets, allowing users to send video clips one-way that both parties can view during cell phone conversations. The service costs $4.95 a month for up to 25 minutes of video sharing usage or $9.99 for 60 minutes. AT&T also plans to integrate it with its IPTV-based U-Verse service in the future for viewing on television screens. The company announced higher profits and 1.5 million addition wireless subscribers for the second quarter, saying it signed 146,000 iPhone during the first two days of its release. AT&T and Apple won’t see the real boost from the iPhone until next quarter.
The CNN/YouTube Democratic presidential debate Monday night was watched by 2.62 million viewers — less than the 2.78 million viewers who tuned in to the previous Democratic debate on CNN in June. But the YouTube debate did attract more younger viewers. (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6462782.html 7/24)
Paula Zahn is resigning from Time Warner’s CNN, ending speculation that she would leave — or lose — her low-rated spot in primetime. The move comes a day after CNN announced it hired NBC News’Campbell Brown, a potential Zahn replacement. Zahn says: “I plan to take a break.” (http://www.ajc.com/businesss/content/business/stories/2007/07/24/cnn_0725.html 7/24)
ESPN is offering evidence that English superstar David Beckham’s coming to Major League Soccer could bolster ratings for the league. The telecast of the game Saturday in which Beckham made his U.S. debut generated the highest ratings ever for an MLS game on ESPN or ESPN2. (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=64575 7/25)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Multiplatform news service ABC News Now will enhance its coverage of the Presidential debates in Iowa on August 5 and August 19, with user submitted video and emailed questions put to candidates by Senior Political Reporter Rick Klein. The broadband service and digital cable channel, currently in 31 million homes, will offer live coverage of the debates, as well as post-debate analysis, roundtable discussions and insider looks at preparations leading up to the events.
Current TV picked up the popular web series Hometown Baghdad, planning to air the series in five 3-7 minute pods cut exclusively for Current viewers. The news show is shot by an all-Iraqi crew and tells the story of three young survivors of the ongoing Iraqi war. The shorts will begin airing on Thursday, July 26, with new pods running once a week through August 23.
Below is the second episode titled “The Dentist”. This episode revolves around the search for professional success in the middle of a war zone. These shorts offer a sincere perspective of the attempt at a normal life in Iraq. As the subject of episode 2 states, “I want to live.” Well shot and extremely interesting series.
Comcast’s FEARnet.com & Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures are teaming up to promote the upcoming Sony Pictures’pre-Halloween horror release 30 Days of Night with “Blood Trails,” a 7 episode mini-series launching on FEARnet.com September 13th. The vampire tale is scripted by Ben Ketai and directed by Victor Garcia, with graphic novelist Steve Niles serving as creative consultant.
Bravo’s new posh resort docudrama Welcome to the Parker began streaming live on five popular portals – Yahoo! TV, MSN, WindowsMedia.com, TV Guide.com and Zap2it.com – in advance of its July 26 on air premiere. The show’s microsite on BravoTV.com will feature blogs from the Parker Palm Springs’hotel staff, as well as video extras and synopsized clips of each episode.
CMT announced that its broadband player Loaded streamed more than 100 million videos since its launch one year ago. CMT Mobile, which is launching a WAP site next week, has also experienced strong growth, with a 44% jump in usage in June 2007 over May 2007.
From the land of koalas and kangaroos, MTV will debut The Real World: Sydney on August 8 at 10p. A sneak preview of the first episode air August 1 at www.RealWorld.MTV.com, where fans can also find cast blogs, cast and house photos and 2-minute peaks of upcoming episodes. Exclusive content will also be available via MTV.com, and starting August 8 through Virtual Real World at www.vmtv.com. Episodes can be downloaded the day after airing on MTV through a variety of services: iTunes Store, Amazon Unbox, AOL Video and Walmart Video Downloads, plus the preview episode can be downloaded for free starting August 2. The network has ordered 24 episodes of The Real World: Sydney from Bunim Murray Productions.
National Lampoon signed on to provide programming for P2P video service Joost. Initial programming includes National Lampoon webisodes, SpinCycle “mashimations” and the Fat Guy Nation series.
NowLive introduced a new Talk Show widget to enable users to host live, interactive talk shows directly from their personal profile pages. Calls can be made from a landline, a Google Talk or a Skype account, and the widget can be embedded on blogs, home pages or social networking sites. The software allows the host to chat with callers, then immediately post sessions for distribution on iTunes and other services.
Broadcaster.com released a free two-way video and chat interface allowing users to set up webcam conversations and chats while podcasting. The Social Video Network features three separate windows, showing the feed the user is broadcasting, a view of the person the user has selected to broadcast to and a view of people watching the live podcast.
Amazon’s profits soared 254% to $78 million compared to $22 million the year before. The Seattle-based e-tailer credited low pricing and Amazon Prime, its membership program that grants subscribers free shipping with no minimum purchase requirement. The company did not break out numbers for its Unbox download video service, which recently integrated with series 2 and series 3 Tivo devices.
Hearst acquired male-oriented online entertainment site UGO.com. Launching in 1997, UGO is one of the older anime/girls/gaming sites, claiming 11 million monthly users in the U.S. Reports put the acquisition price at around $100 million.
Facebook, the burgeoning online social network, is making a key appointment, recruiting former Yahoo and YouTube exec Gideon Yu as its CFO. Facebook has become a darling of trend-watchers who see the site becoming “the next Google.” (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/4e615722-3a46-11dc-9d73-0000779fd2ac.html 7/25)
A new study from MTV, Nickelodeon and Microsoft surveyed 18,000 kids from 16 countries about how they use digital technology, including cell phones, instant messaging, PCs, TVs, digital cameras, social networks and gaming. The report discovered that tech savvy youth develop more and closer friendships, influence each other’s actions as much as marketers do and use digital communications in conjunction with instead of to replace television. Globally, the number of friends that young males have more than doubles between the ages of 13-14 and 14-17, jumping from 24 to 69. (http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSL236796320070724 7/24)
Newspaper’s online audiences are growing at twice the rate of the general internet audience according to research Nielsen/Net Ratings conducted for the Newspaper Association of America. An average of 59 million people visited online newspaper sites during the first quarter, a 5.3% increase over the same period last year.
Newspaper Site Web Audience
Month Unique Audience Active Reach% Time Spent per user Visits per person
April ’07 58,680,127 37.40 42:01 8.01
May ’07 60,252,458 37.78 40:16 7.91
June ’07 58,624,422 36.74 39:55 7.55
Source: Nielsen/NetRatings Custom Analysis
Ivanka Trump is being courted to serve as a moderator for the upcoming MySpace Town Hall discussions with the 2008 presidential candidates. Wendi Deng, wife of MySpace owner Rupert Murdoch, suggested the idea to Trump, believing she would attract young, upwardly mobile voters. (http://www.wwd.com/memopad/article/117553 7/25) Some 29,000 registered sex offenders have been found to have profiles posted on News Corp.’s MySpace — more than four times the number cited by the company just two months ago. The number has skyrocketed “with no explanation.” MySpace declines to comment on the increase. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070724/ap_on_hi_te/myspace_security 7/24)
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
IDT Internet Mobile Group has formed Zedge Studios to develop and license digital content for distribution through web and mobile platforms. Additionally, IMG has acquired a controlling interest in indie comics publisher IDW Publishing known for horror, action, and sci-fi titles such as The Transformers, 30 Days of Night, CSI, Star Trek, 24, and Scarface.
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Sixty percent of PCs sold in the first five months of 2007 were bought in stores, according to NPD Group. Online retailers are vying for a bigger chunk of the PC business, with many e-tailers revamping sites to include forums and video to personalize the online PC-buying experience. (The Wall Street Journal 7/25)
