Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
Some of the writers on strike for CBS’s “The Young and the Restless” plan to return to writing to keep their jobs. Also: Striking Hollywood writers hit Wall Street on Tuesday, saying that media companies brag that the Internet is a growing revenue source but then stiff the writers. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119500394547492177.html 11/14, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-strike14nov14,1,6607636.story 11/14)
The Writers Guild of America, East set up picket lines at the edge of Battery Park, a subway stop away from Wall Street but as close as municipal officials would let them get to the New York Stock Exchange and the iconic bronze sculpture of a bull. Supporters of the WGA strike included Michael Imperioli, right, who played Christopher on “The Sopranos.”
“Project Runway,” Bravo’s sometimes catty but always addictive look at the fashion world, embarks on its fourth season tonight at 10 Eastern Time. As usual, the popular series will feature a palette of off-the-wall characters who must produce under frenzied deadline pressure. (Boston Herald 11/14)
Who knew a leopard print dress shirt and a neon green tie went well together? Chris did.
Back in 1984 when cable was still relatively new, there was a law passed that reads in essence, once the cable industry surpasses the 70% US households served mark, the FCC gets more regulatory power over the industry. The reminder of that law is contained in the FCC’s annual report and that report will be presented to the full Commission on November 27, according to a Reuters report. As you might imagine, several from the cable side are more than a little concerned at this prospect. One of the new regulations that is already on the Nov 27 agenda as a result of this law is a proposal from FCC Chairman Kevin Martin that would require cable operators to charge programmers less for leasing spare channels.
Elsewhere at the FCC, Chairman Martin has relaxed his stand on the cross-ownership rules of owning a television station and the local newspaper in the same market. His latest proposal allows for the cross-ownership in the top 20 markets, and while it can also happen in the smaller markets, there are some pretty hefty rules you have to get pass. For instance, for Tribune which owns the Fox and CW stations in the Hartford-New Haven market, as well as the local Hartford Courant, for it to hold on to all of these assets, there are some criteria it needs to meet. For instance, if a newspaper is being acquired there must be at least “8 independent voices” beyond the acquisition; and if a station is being purchased it cannot be one of the “top 4″ watched stations in the market. A vote is scheduled for December 18. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-fcc-chairman-proposes-relaxing-consolidation-rules-in-major-media-marke 11/13)
WGAE response to Ellen’s decision to not tape in NYC: “We’re delighted that Ellen DeGeneres has decided not to come to New York to tape her program. She knows that the Writers Guild East would have been there to protest her lack of solidarity, not only with her Guild writing staff but all the striking members of the Writers Guild, of which she is a member. We will be even more delighted if she does not cross the Guild picket lines at the NBC Studios in Burbank, where her show usually is produced.”
News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch describes broadcast television as a “highly challenged industry in America.” Big events such as the Super Bowl can still prosper, but ho-hum-rated TV series are at risk, he says. Failed TV series can be profitable when “sold as DVDs.” (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=70976 11/13)
Comcast probably won’t buy Clearwire, the wireless Internet service provider whose shares surged Tuesday on speculation the cable giant will offer to acquire it, according to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Comcast is “more likely” to strengthen its business relationship with Sprint. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=at0qdFprszNY 11/13)
ESPN’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens matchup drew 9.89 million total viewers, according to Nielsen’s live-plus-same-day data, and helped the network top the cable ratings again. The “Monday Night Football” game also scored in key demographic segments: 2.73 million adults 18 to 34, 5.4 million adults 18 to 49 and 5.16 million adults 25 to 54. (Mediaweek 11/13)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Marvel Comics is launching an online subscription service giving readers access to full issues dating back to the first editions of Amazing Spider Man, X-Men, Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four. Marvel Digital Comics subscribers can pay $9.99 for a single month to access up to 2,500 digital titles or $4.99/month if they commit to a year. Marvel will add at least 20 new titles a week based on user requests and editorial decisions. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-marvel-to-unveil-subscription-based-online-comics-outlet 11/13)
Also available for the time being are 250 free titles. Below is a screenshot of the reader screen.
Bebo is offering programmers yet another way to reach young audiences. The company launched an ambitious Open Media platform with 22 major content partners and promised to create more interactive programming following the success of Kate Modern. Programmers such as CBS, ESPN, MTV, Next New Networks and Turner Broadcasting can publish content to Bebo’s 40 million users, who can freely collect and share it via “Personal Video Profiles.” The system will also carry advertising, revenue from which broadcasters won’t have to share with Bebo. The social networking site is second only to MySpace and Facebook in terms of unique users, who spend an average of 40 minutes per day on the site. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-bebo-launches-open-media-platform-for-social-viewing-22-tv-partners 11/13, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5ad225d2-91b1-11dc-8981-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 11/13)
A new video service named WorldTV.com launches in beta format today as an aggregation utility for online video. WorldTV’s Flash-based player pulls video from sites such as YouTube, Blip.tv and AOL and offers editing tools to help users create their own branded TV channels. The site has invested heavily into software that helps clean up lower quality video to make it look good in a larger format and is working toward launching localized versions in several countries in the coming weeks, according to founder Alx Klive. A consumer version with additional features is also in the works.
The EU’s European Commission is opening up an in-depth probe into Google’s proposed $3.1 billion of DoubleClick. Its concerns range from antitrust issues to privacy worries, as Google is believed to control 70% to 80% of the world’s paid search ad market. The commission expects to make its decision within the next 90 working days. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-eu-to-expand-probe-into-googleclick-report 11/13)
NBC Universal is making a major Internet advertising push for news year’s Beijing Olympics in a bid to tap the growing market for online video, offering some 3,600 hours of events at NBCOlympics.com. Clips may also be distributed through Hulu, the nascent online video portal. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/11142007/business/olympic_dream_738145.htm 11/14)
Yahoo, reeling from a growing backlash over human rights and its China operations, is settling a lawsuit that accused it of illegally helping the Chinese government jail and torture two journalists. Neither side is disclosing details other than to agree Yahoo will pay the attorneys fees. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071113/ap_on_hi_te/yahoo_chinese_journalists 11/13)
Turner’s Court TV is laying off half of its web staff and reducing another 8 positions in other areas as the channel approaches its January 1st transition to TruTV. The Court.com website will become TruTV.com while online trial coverage will shift to CNN.com. CNN.com/crime will replace CNN.com/law to reflect the new emphasis. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-court-tv-fires-half-of-their-online-staff-shiting-trial-coverage-to-cnn 11/13)
Twentieth Television is developing a series built around viral web videos with Yahoo!, hoping to launch it into syndication next fall, according to TV Week.
HD service Mojo began offering some of its original content for sale on the Amazon UnBox platform. Three Sheets, After Hours with Daniel, King of Miami, Wall Street Warriors, Uncorked with Billy Merritt and other titles are now available on the download-to-own service, with additional content to be added on an ongoing basis.
TV Guide in canceling its live Online Video Awards ceremony in lieu of the labor dispute between the WGA and AMPTP. The awards will continue online however, with winners of 18 separate categories to be announced on Nov. 26. More than 1.6 million votes have been cast so far, according to TV Guide.
The merger of Digital Music Group with indie music provider The Orchard has been approved by overwhelming ratio-99 percent-after a shareholders vote today, reports Bizjournals. Orchard CEO Greg Scholl will lead the combined company, which will be headquartered in New York City. The company’s trading symbol on Nasdaq will also change from DMGI to ORCD. The combined business will all be conducted under the name “The Orchard.” (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-draftearnings-digital-music-group-grows-revs-and-losses-in-q2-vote-on-o 11/13)
Santa Clara-based Vobile, a maker of anti-piracy technology, has received a sub-$10 million investment round from AT&T and Disney’s Steamboat Ventures, according to the WSJ. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-anti-piracy-firm-vobile-raises-sub-10-million-first-round-from-att-disn 11/13)
Comcast and Microsoft have forged a partnership to offer Internet-related services to small- and medium-size businesses. Dubbed the Microsoft Communications package, the offering will include e-mail, calendar and document-sharing functions and will be free to companies that subscribe to Comcast’s high-speed Internet service. (Reuters 11/13)
Filed under: WIRELESS
In a bid for the tween and teen market, Zipit Wireless has rolled out a TV and Web campaign for its portable IM device Z2, which plays music, displays photos and has IM capabilities but doesn’t make calls. The effort from Brandon Advertising & Public Relations, Myrtle Beach, S.C., includes animated spots running on Nickelodeon and a dedicated Web site. (Adweek 11/13)
Click below to play the ad.
According to the blog round-up, Apple’s iPhone the it smartphone of the year in the U.S. — bombed like the latest Hollywood movie on the other side of the Atlantic. Does this mean the iPhone has no future outside of the United States? (http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/11/did_the_iphone.html 11/12)
More consumers are accessing sites like MySpace through cell phones to upload photos, send messages and check up on friends. But industry experts say the trend has a long way to go before it becomes profitable for phone companies and others. (USA TODAY 11/13
Filed under: GAMING
Blue Orb, a small Florida company, is moving into the gaming business with a joystick that makes entering text easier on PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. The company made a name for itself with orbiTouch, a typing device for people unable to use a keyboard. (Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) 11/13)
U.K. retailers expect demand for Nintendo’s popular gaming console to overwhelm supply during the holiday shopping season. Nintendo will ship an extra 3.5 million units globally; nonetheless, shoppers who find one may still face higher prices. (BBC 11/14)
