Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
MTV will run Sept. 9 a live simulcast of its Video Music Awards on Sprint TV and offer viewers a number of new wireless and online ways to interact with the program. The channel will offer instant updates through its MTV On Demand and will create an online “virtual world” based on the show. (The Hollywood Reporter 8/30)
AOL Latino announces the top 3 finalists of Fashionista today, the online reality design contest sponsored by Mercury Milan. As part of the finale, AOL Latino will debut three webisodes on Friday showcasing the finalists as they design outfits for a runway show. The winner will then be announced Friday at aollatino.com. Meanwhile AOL Music Live! premieres an exclusive live concert with platinum artist Daughtry, also on Friday night.
National Lampoon launched its own video channel on Yahoo! Video, featuring clips from classic comedies, webisodes of made-for-internet shows from nationallampoon.com.
Google is turning to new attention to its often-ignored social networking site, Orkut.com, with a redesign intended to prettify the site’s Spartan look. Despite its low profile, Orkut now draws 38.2 billion page views a month worldwide — 7.8 billion more than Facebook. (http://www.forbes.com/business/media/2007/08/28/google-brazil-network-tech-cx_ag_0828orkut.html 8/28)
Netflix doubled the amount of viewing via PCs during the past 6 weeks. As of August 22, Netflix users watched 10 million movies and TV episodes as more subscribers became aware of the feature rolled out slowly from January.
The theft of contact data for job seekers in the database of Monster.com may be much greater than the 1.3 million individuals reported earlier, admits CEO Sal Iannuzzi. While investigating the recent theft, the company learned that its Web site had previously been hacked. (http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSWEN072620070829 8/29)
YouTube signed an agreement with the MCPS-PRS Alliance of 50,000 UK-based music writers, composers and publishers to license 10 million tracks of music for a flat fee, reports The Financial Times. After YouTube hands over the funds the alliance will decide how to distribute it among its members based on online usage. This is the first such deal struck by YouTube outside of the U.S. (http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2355094.ece 8/30)
The U.S. is lagging behind in terms of speed and affordability of broadband access, according to a report in the Washington Post. For instance Japan, once a laggard in the race, offers speeds 8-30 times faster than U.S. broadband services for half the price, in some cases. Competition among DSL providers has pushed the rates down to around $22 for a speeds that exceed what Comcast and Cox offer in the U.S.
Using “powerboost” technology, Comcast has begun increasing its upload speed to 2 megabits per second. By comparison the typical speed of AT&T’s DSL service is between 384 kilobits and 512 kilobits per second. The service is available to Comcast cable-modem customers who subscribe to services with 6- or 8-megabit download speeds. (The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) 8/30)
Many assume the growth in online video consumption is driven by teens and twenty-somethings watching amateur content. But according to a survey conducted by Advertising.com and InsightExpress, streaming video fans are mostly over-35 news junkies. (http://www.clickz.com/3626896 8/30)
U.S. Internet advertising spending is poised to overtake radio advertising for the first time, says a report from eMarketer. Radio ad spending will inch up to $20.4 billion, short of online’s of $21.7 billion. Radio station Web sites will become a “principal driver” of radio ad growth. (http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/29/advertising-radio-internet-cx_lh_0829radio.html 8/29)
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
Deutsche Telekom AG is in talks with Apple Inc. about selling the iPhone in Germany and expects the U.S. company to announce its German distribution partner soon, a senior executive said Wednesday in Berlin.
(http://newsletter.infoworld.com/t?ctl=191CD0C:DA82C51354DCEC5D328C663D8C5E9746EFF29049075316B4 8/29)
LG Electronics Inc.’s battle to beat the iPhone is far from over. The South Korean electronics company has unveiled its second iPhone-like handset and this one packs several important features the iPhone doesn’t: 3G and high-speed cellular data networking. (http://newsletter.infoworld.com/t?ctl=191CD0B:DA82C51354DCEC5D328C663D8C5E9746EFF29049075316B4 8/30)
Filed under: GAMING
GAMING
Microsoft is signing up Fox as the newest partner for its Xbox Live Video Marketplace. The two are launching with “Family Guy,” a show aimed squarely at the service’s young male gamer demo. Video Marketplace allows Xbox 360 owners to download movies and TV shows. (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117971070.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1 8/29)
Sony and Microsoft might have found a way to better compete against Nintendo’s Wii gaming unit. By dropping their PS3 and Xbox 360 prices and introducing a bevy of appealing gaming titles, industry analysts predict Nintendo might lose market share to the two this upcoming holiday season. (Bloomberg 8/30)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Sony is introducing a new U.S. version of its Sony Walkman that includes the ability to play digital video, the latest potential rival to Apple’s dominant iPod media player. The announcement comes amid speculation that Apple will soon introduce new iPods. (http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSN3040394620070830 8/30)
Apple shares experienced a five-cent increase Wednesday after increased speculation the company soon will introduce new iPod models. “The product announcement is likely to include a full lineup of revamped iPods with significantly greater functionality at current price points, including the much-anticipated full-screen video iPod,” Goldman Sachs said. (The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Reuters 8/30)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
Three hot cable TV series — Lifetime’s “Army Wives,” MTV’s “Making the Band 4″ and HBO’s “Big Love” — wrapped up their seasons last weekend with impressive season-finale ratings. “Wives” averaged 4.1 million total viewers; “Making the Band 4″ averaged 3.5 million; and “Big Love” pulled in an average 2.9 million. (The Hollywood Reporter 8/29)
Marc Abrams and Michael Benson, who produced “Entourage” for HBO, have signed a two-year, seven-figure deal with Universal Media Studios. The pair will develop and produce drama, comedy and reality programming. (Variety 8/28)
Disney Channel, buoyed by the cable-record-shattering “High School Musical 2,” won the primetime summer ratings race, averaging a 2.5 household rating, placing it No. 1 among basic-cable networks. “High School Musical 2’s” Aug. 17 debut attracted 17.2 million viewers. (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6472317.html 8/28)
MTV is preparing a new series titled “The Paper,” which will follow a team of high school journalists working on their school newspaper. The series is scheduled to kick off its eight-episode run early next year. (Yahoo!/Reuters/Hollywood Reporter 8/28)
Katie Couric plans to leave Wednesday for an ambitious reporting trip to Iraq and Syria — the CBS anchor’s first time in the war zone — for a report on progress of the American military effort. Couric will anchor the “CBS Evening News” from Baghdad and Damascus next week. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/28/AR2007082801820.html 8/29)
News Corp.’s Big Ten Network, the U.S. television service aimed at fans of the college conference’s sports teams, plans to triple subscribers to 50 million in the next two years, says the channel’s president, Mark Silverman. The venture will see “tens of millions of dollars” in investment. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=ahF7MLcjzMTI 8/29)
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has given antitrust clearance for News Corp.’s $5 billion acquisition of Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones. The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter, pending approval by Dow Jones shareholders and other customary approvals. (http://www.smartmoney.com/bn/ON/index.cfm?story=ON-20070828-000549-2016 8/29)
Sundance Channel signed a deal with Virgin America to produce a custom inflight TV channel on the airline’s “Red” inflight entertainment system, which now offers 18 satellite TV channels, 25 PPV movies and a selection of video games and music files. Sundance originals including Nimrod Nation, Iconoclasts and Big Ideas for a Small Planet will be featured. (Multichannel News 8/28)
As part of the announced strategic plan to double its number of international cable channels in the next two to three years, NBC Universal agreed to purchase Sparrowhawk Holdings and its worldwide cache of pay TV channels from Providence Equity Partners, 3i and management shareholders. This deal includes 18 feeds of the non-US Hallmark Channels, airing across 152 territories to more than 60 million subscribers in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, Latin America and Asia. (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nbc29aug29,1,3511254.story?ctrack=1&cset=true 8/29)
Comcast, with cable systems in Big Ten states such as Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, is highlighting its planned football programming, even if a carriage deal is not in place with the new Big Ten Network, which launches Friday. The company intends to air about 150 college football games and 100 NFL matchups this season on various cable and broadcast networks. (Multichannel News 8/28)
Cablevision has rolled out Broadcast Video Transport, a video transmission and delivery system, for its business broadband clients. It’s aimed at companies that need high-resolution video capabilities, such as television stations, broadcasters and production facilities. (Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) 8/28)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
News Corp. and NBC Universal are naming their new online video joint venture Hulu. The two media companies say the site — referred to by some as a “YouTube killer” — will be available for private trials by consumers by October, a month later than originally planned. (http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSWEN072120070829 8/29)
They pushed back the site launch a month but at least they have a name. Click below to sign up for beta test availability starting in October.
Google signed a multi-year online ad agreement with CNN.com, replacing Yahoo as the site’s ad partner. Google’s AdSense will deliver targeted text-based ads to CNN.com, though no video ads are included in the deal. (http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9767613-7.html 8/28)
The MySpace film channel is relaunching this month with exclusive footage from Rob Zombie’s upcoming Halloween movie opening in theaters August 31, as well as a personal video message from the heavy metal rocker/filmmaker.
News Corp.’s MySpace will hold a concert tour this autumn, stopping in several major U.S. markets, in a move that further shapes its image as an MTV-like pop culture hub. Tour co-headliners Hellogoodbye and Say Anything made their names as MySpace Music artists. (http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9768308-7.html 8/29)
Apple will sell television programs in Britain via its iTunes store as part of its push to become a one-stop shop for digital entertainment. Apple, which launched a similar service in the United States in 2005, will sell shows such as “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” for 1.89 pounds an episode. (http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSL2934315320070829 8/29)
Apple is sending out invitations to a Sept. 5 event called “The Beat Goes On,” fueling speculation that it will release new models of the best-selling iPod media player to spur holiday sales. A new video iPod may incorporate the iPhone’s 3.5-inch touch screen, analysts say. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aNK8XeCqVHT8 8/28)
Sweden-based virtual doll site Stardoll announced its 10 millionth registered user, according to ComScore figures, making it the top site for girls aged 9-17 among ComScore’s top 1000 sites. To celebrate, the site is giving each user a virtual “swag bag” as well as 1,000 “stardollars.”
Yup, I can completely see why. For this go around, I dressed Paris Hilton. Users can dress a myriad of celebrities and change their environments as well. They can then send their creations via e-mail to friends adding a viral component to this site as well. It seems imminent that a content provider like Disney with their High School Musical 2 success would jump on this bandwagon at some point and allow users to dress characters from their shows.
MSNBC’s Web site and CondeNast’s online arm CondeNet are forming a partnership that will allow MSNBC.com to offer content from Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue and other magazines. MSNBC.com aims to use CondeNet’s “impressive portfolio of leading brands” to boost traffic. (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/msnbccom-condenast-partnership/story.aspx?guid=%7B0F735284%2D2CDF%2D45DB%2DAFD0%2D609791913ECA%7D 8/29)
MySpace, Facebook and other social networking sites are yet to realize their full potential as advertising media, experts report. Analyst firm IDC says that some services may never be able to attract advertisers on a large scale, since they “cannot guarantee a brand-safe environment.” (http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2197566/social-networking-sites-miss 8/29
)Yellow pages publisher R.H. Donnelley is now selling ad placements on Yahoo Local in 14 Midwestern states. If the new partnership is a success, Donnelley will look at expanding the Yahoo arrangement to other parts of the country. Donnelley is the No. 3 U.S. yellow pages publisher. (http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/685660.html 8/29)
A new study from ABI Research finds that nearly half of U.S. consumers are using their PCs to watch video in one form or another. Of those people, 72% watch video through their browsers, 65% watch DVDs and 7.1% are watching premium content. ABI says its study illustrates that people are becoming more accepting toward using their PCs as video devices, but aren’t yet using a TV tuner on their computers. (Dealerscope 8/28)
Top-Visited US Broadcast TV Websites for Week ending August 25, 2007
Rank Network Website Market Share of Visits
1 CBS Big Brother 29.46%
2 NBC America’s Got Talent 5.13%
3 FOX American Idol 4.97%
4 FOX America’s Most Wanted 3.47%
5 FOX So You Think You Can Dance 3.00%
6 CBS Pirate Master 2.95%
7 CBS Power of 10 2.93%
8 ABC Grey’s Anatomy 2.37%
9 FOX The Simpsons 2.27%
10 NBC Heroes 1.99%
Source: Hitwise Custom Report
