Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
Many media stocks are slumping because investors worry that the mortgage problems wreaking havoc on Wall Street will filter through the economy and cause big corporations to pull back on advertising spending. Analysts expect media stocks to remain “a little stuck” for a while. (http://mediabiz.blogs.cnnmoney.com/2007/10/01/no-rally-for-media-stocks/ 10/1)
British Sky Broadcasting, the U.K. pay-television company controlled by Rupert Murdoch, may be forced to sell its 17.9% stake in ITV after the antitrust regulator backed Richard Branson in saying the holding restricts competition and is against the public interest. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/10/02/bcnsky102.xml 10/2)
Leaders of the Writers Guild of America say they will ask members for authorization to call a strike if the union is unable to negotiate a new three-year contract with major studios. A thorny issue: pay for work that is distributed via the Internet and other new media. (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-guild2oct02,1,2376550.story?ctrack=6&cset=true 10/2)
Deutsche Bank is downgrading CBS to hold from buy, saying disappointing rating trends and poor local advertising growth are likely to offset much of the political advertising upside the broker had expected. Cost controls are “unlikely to drive further revaluation.” (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/cbs-cut-deutsche-bank-soft/story.aspx?guid=%7BEA694331%2D8CFB%2D4368%2DB2F2%2DBC8942C575CB%7D 10/2)
ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” is the most expensive show on network television, capturing $419,000 per 30-second spot. The medical drama tops last year’s leader, network sibling “Desperate Housewives,” at $394,000. So far, ABC is the priciest broadcaster for advertisers in the new season. (http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=120838 10/1)
National Geographic Channel will preview all 35 new episodes of Dog Whisperer this season on NGC On Demand, the day before they air on the linear channel Friday nights at 8 pm ET/PT. The new season kicks off Thursday, October 4.
Tivo formed the Interactive Direct Response Advertising Group, a think tank/ad sales unit designed to help the DVR community better understand advertising challenges presented by time-shifting while educating them about TiVo’s Interactive Advertising Platform. Robert Barnett will oversee the group, reporting to Karen Bressner, SVP/Ad Sales for Tivo.
Comedy Central renewed the weekly Mind of Mencia for a fourth season and new episodes will premiere next spring. Mind of Mencia: Season 3 Uncensored DVD can be purchased starting October 23. Comedy Central also voted to bring back the animated series Lil’Bush for a second season, with ten new episodes debuting next spring. (Mediaweek 10/1)
Martha Stewart On Demand begins this week as the latest VOD service for Comcast Digital Cable subscribers in the Life & Home section. Right now ten hours of “how-to” Halloween-themed content will be available from Martha Stewart Living and The Martha Stewart Show as well as Petkeeping With Marc Morrone and Everyday Food. Beginning early next month, Thanksgiving and Christmas-themed content will be offered. (Variety 10/1)
AT&T plans to bring Internet telephony into its bundling fold in part to reduce network operating costs by replacing standard phone service with VoIP. “It’s a big step forward for us because we’re putting all our services — U-verse TV, broadband, voice — over the same IP infrastructure using the same billing system. It begins a transition to the future where we can dismantle the (older) voice circuits,” said Ralph de la Vega, AT&T’s group president, regional telecommunications and entertainment. (CNNMoney.com/Investor’s Business Daily 10/1)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Internet wunderkind Niklas Zennstrom is stepping down as CEO of online communications firm Skype as its owner eBay prepares to write down around $1.4 billion in third-quarter charges in part to settle buy-out obligations. Skype doubled its revenue and registered user base to 220 million during the second quarter of 2007, compared with the same period last year. Mr. Zennstrom, who launched Skype and file sharing service Kazaa with partner Janus Friis, will now turn his attention to P2P TV service Joost, which officially came out of private beta over the weekend.
Now how much would you pay? Radiohead is making its newest album In Rainbows available online at whatever price point consumers feel they should pay for it. Radiohead has been on its own since fulfilling its contract with EMI in 2003.
To be very clear on this, consumers can either buy the diskbox, which includes the album on CD and on vinyl and a second CD with more songs and additional photos and artwork, or a simple download. The diskbox costs £40.00. The download can be purchased for whatever price the user so wishes.
Starbucks launches its Wi-Fi music download service this morning at select locations in New York and Seattle. Users can buy whichever track is being played in the store for 99 cents a pop. (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-radiohead2oct02,0,746341.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail 10/2
)So, here’s how this works folks. Chill out at your local Starbucks. Connect to the T-Mobile Hotspot Wi-Fi in your wi-fi enabled Starbucks location. You can purchase any song you hear or any one of the 10 that have played previously by tapping the iTunes button on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Starbucks will additionally give away one free song from now through November 7th in an attempt to sponsor usage of the iTunes store at Starbucks locations. Very nice. Now, if you need me, I’ll be working remotely at Starbucks.
Today’s Song of the Day: Band of Horses
Pictures from My Local Starbucks in Bryant Park
I tried to test out the Starbucks iTunes functionality. I connected to the Tmobile hotspot and my Starbucks button did appear. But, alas, I could not connect to the Starbucks music and download my free song. I could, however, still log on to the iTunes store. From what the store clerk told me, every Starbucks in Manhattan is Wi-Fi enabled. In this particular location’s case, this is shocking considering that the space is barely big enough to contain the line ordering coffee. I suppose I am supposed to download my song in line while trying to figure out what coffee drink I want? Sweet.
Starz Entertainment acquired multi-year broadband rights to more than 100 feature films from Screen Media Ventures for subscription-based rental and sell-through distribution via Vongo.com. Titles include Piranha, Mojave Moon and Men Seeking Women. (Multichannel News 10/1)
Vongo’s Latest TV Spot
Yahoo is unveiling a revamped search engine that it says delivers faster and more relevant results than Google, which handles more than half of the Web’s search requests. Yahoo is “fighting an uphill battle,” says Standard & Poor’s. Google and search are “inextricably connected.” (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-yahoo2oct02,1,274808.story?ctrack=7&cset=true 10/2)
Microsoft is acquiring Jellyfish.com, the self-described “shopping search engine,” for an undisclosed amount. Jellyfish is based in Madison, Wis., and staffed by 26 employees. Microsoft says it thinks the site’s technology has “interesting potential applications.” (http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/10/02/microsoft-acquires-discount-shopping-site-jellyfishcom/ 10/2
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer believes that the craze for social-networking sites like Facebook risks being exposed as a “fad,” an admission that places questions over the software giant’s interest in buying a stake the Web site. “There’s a faddish nature” about social networks, he says. (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2573297.ece 10/2)
Meanwhile Getty Images rolled out Soundtrack, a new music licensing service developed by recently acquired Pump Audio. It gives customers access to more than 20,000 original tracks by independent artists and bands for use in broadcast and film production, advertising and other media projects.
I found this program extremely easy to use. Search functionality is quick and intuitive. To search, users input what genre of music they are interested in. Once a list of tracks is found (like the ones in the image below), you can listen to any track by clicking on a play button to the left of the selection. Pricing varies but in this one example, I chose one track to be used in a regional TV buy for 6 months and was to be charged $1500. Marauder seal of approval on this application. If only life could always be this painless.
TV Guide is officially launching its online video search service that sources more than 55 broadcast, cable and entertainment web sites for video content. Previewed in beta this past summer, the search engine points users to free online episodes, other related professionally-produced content and even high-profile user generated fare related to a given show.
Search Results for The Daily Show
Google’s YouTube is starting a short-film contest sponsored by Hewlett-Packard to help boost advertising sales. The entries must include the tagline “What do you have to say?” from H-P’s latest ad campaign. YouTube users will vote for the winner, who will get $5,000 and other prizes. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=awSTO78lavls 10/1)
Two Facebook applications up for sale on eBay ended up selling for more than $20,000 each. “I am Hungry” alerts friends you are looking for someone to eat with. “Changing The Present” teams with non-profits such as Amnesty International to raise money by getting Facebook users to buy gifts. Media documentation tool Logbook was the first Facebook app put up for sale on eBay, garnering a winning bid of $2,550.
A broad array of media companies have signed on to distribute content through the new Adobe Media Player, the first app built on the Adobe AIR cross platform that extends net-based rich media applications to the desktop. CBS, PBS, Yahoo! Video, Meredith Corporation, Blip.tv, Fora.tv, Motionbox, MyToons and StimTV will participate in initial trials.
(Below) Currently Office Live Workplace is available by invitation only.
Microsoft is rolling out online versions of its Office suite of productivity software, a move to try and counter Google’s free online apps. Office Live Workspace allows users to create documents that can be accessed for free from other online computers if they are licensed Office users.
ContextWeb signed 94 new sites in July and August to join its ADSDAQ online Ad Exchange including SI.com, AETV.com and Local.com, bringing membership up to more than 1,000 sites. ADSDAQ increased its reach 83% since August 2006 to 42% of online U.S. households, according to ContextWeb’s interpretation of comScore data.
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
Nokia agreed to buy Chicago-based navigation and digital maps company Navteq for $8.1 billion, with plans to use the technology to enhance its internet services. Navteq operates Traffic.com and provides digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions.
Nokia, the world’s top cellphone maker, is signing partnership deals with seven companies, including CNN and Sony Pictures, to bring video content to its multimedia phones. “Consumer desire to watch Internet videos on mobile devices is growing,” says Nokia exec Harri Mannisto. (http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSL0229961020071002 10/2)
Cox today begins offering wireless phone service to about 280,000 customers in northern Virginia. Pivot, which is offered through a joint venture with Sprint Nextel, allows the company to offer a quad play: cable TV, broadband, residential telephone and wireless phone. (The Washington Times 10/2)
Filed under: GAMING
GAMING
Nintendo Wii owners will be able to buy the controversial “Manhunt 2″ gaming title this holiday season. The decision to release the graphic game on the Wii platform comes as a shock for many in the industry, which see its violent nature as a stark contrast to the interests of the console’s base audience. (USA TODAY 10/2)
Nintendo officials don’t expect the supply of Wii consoles to meet increased customer demand this holiday season. “The Nintendo supply problems are linked to the fact that Nintendo outsources all of its console manufacturing,” Brian O’Rourke, an In-Stat analyst, told TechNewsWorld. “Coupled with the fact that demand has far exceeded their expectation, it has created problems for Nintendo.” (E-Commerce Times/TechNewsWorld 10/1)
