Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
Nikki Finke, a Los Angeles-based journalist, earned the exclusive right to premiere the high-profile “Speechless” writer protest videos on her Web site, Deadline Hollywood Daily. “Like it or not, everyone in Hollywood reads her,” says Paramount CEO Brad Grey. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/business/media/26variety.html 11/26)
CAST: David Schwimmer, Kate Beckinsale, Chic Eglee, Susan Sarandon, Benito Martinez, Walton Goggins, Sean Penn, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Paula Garces, Garry Marshall, Lizzy Caplan, Holly Hunter, John Amos, Gary Dourdan, Matthew Perry, Bill Hader, Robert Patrick, James Lemar, Joshua Jackson, Matthew Modine, Bill Macy, Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000), Rosanna Arquette, Jill Kushner, Chazz Palminteri, Cch Pounder, Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Christine Lahti, Eva Longoria, Patricia Clarkson, Amy Ryan, Frances Fisher, Justine Bateman, Jason Bateman, Ed Asner, Nicolette Sheridan, Felicity Huffman, America Ferrera, Judith Light, Rebecca Romijn, Ana Ortiz, Ashley Jensen, Mark Indelicato, Tony Plana, Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, Christopher Gorham, Michael Urie, Laura Linney, Alan Cumming, Michael Jace
CREATIVE TEAM: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Kamala Lopez, Jill Kushner, Michal Shemesh
MUSIC: Mother Tongue
TECHNICAL TEAM: Joel Marshall, Justin Shumaker
HBO has signed up an additional 80,000 subscribers in the third quarter, bringing its total to 28.94 million at the close of the period, according to data from SNL Kagan. The increase, though not dramatic, is heartening news for the channel, according to this article, because it was the first full quarter without its iconic “The Sopranos.” (Yahoo!/Reuters/The Hollywood Reporter 11/26)
Some 53% of 300 media execs believe striking Hollywood writers should continue to “hold out for everything they want,” according to a poll by JackMyers.com. Also: Some striking screenwriters are launching Web sites that are attracting thousands of visitors. (http://www.jackmyers.com/commentary/media-business-report/11754231.html 11/23,
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aSAns1TayC.Y 11/23)
Top executives at News Corp., Disney, Viacom and NBC Universal jointly submitted a letter to the FCC last week opposing new cable industry regulation plans, writing there was “no conceivable justification” for government intervention in the industry. Meanwhile a majority of Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee joined a group of religious broadcasters in showing disapproval of expected changes that would force cable operators to offer programming on an a la carte basis.
A possible U.S. recession could harm certain media segments in 2008. Advertisers are expected to boost Web spending, benefiting companies like Google, while broadcast networks may feel the loss. The Hollywood writers strike, Facebook and the iPhone also could take a toll. (http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN2063405420071122 11/21)
HDNet owner Mark Cuban, in several filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, claims that both his HDNet and HDNet Movies are being unfairly treated by both distributor DirecTV and Liberty Media, which is seeking to acquire News Corp.’s stake in the satellite provider. (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6504679.html 11/21)
DirecTV, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable are among the providers of cable and satellite TV gearing up to compress high-definition video signals in the hopes of bringing more HDTV channels to consumer homes, according to this article. “HD quality is becoming a battleground,” Comcast Media Center Chief Operating Officer Gary Traver said. (Multichannel News 11/26)
Charter, which recently embarked on a switched digital video initiative with BigBand Networks, has announced that it will double the number of channels it offers in high definition by the end of 2008. In most markets, the company offers slightly more than 20 channels in HD, but it hopes to bring that to 40 or more next year with its bulked-up SDV capabilities. (Multichannel News 11/21)
Veteran cable-industry analyst Craig Moffett of Sanford C. Bernstein has told the FCC that it is not currently “mathematically possible” for cable to have reached 70% or higher household penetration in the U.S., a point at which the commission would have enhanced regulatory power over the industry. According to Moffett’s calculations, which include adjustments for vacant homes, cable penetration is no more than 60.5%. (Multichannel News 11/25)
The NHL Network, a Canadian channel that launched in the U.S. last month with carriage via distributors such as Cablevision Systems, Cox Communications and Comcast, is gearing up to debut it first TV ad campaign. The spots juxtapose old black-and-white TV telecasts of NHL games with today’s vibrant, high-definition technology. (Brandweek 11/26)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Activist group MoveOn.org joined the cacophony of complaints against Facebook’s new Beacon product recommendation system voicing concerns about user privacy. The main beef continues to be that Facebook users must “opt out” of the program in order to prevent their information from being shared, rather than making interested parties “opt in” to activate it. As of last night over 20,000 Facebook members had joined the group. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_hi_te/facebook_ads 11/21)
I know you’re thinking no big deal right? Well, imagine this: your entire Christmas list revealed to your wife after Facebook posts every single item as purchased online on sites that feed data to Facebook. Or how about: every single movie ticket purchased on Fandango listed on the Facebook news feed. It’s one thing when we post things that we want users to see. It’s quite another when we literally have Facebook following us around wherever we go. One could see how this data could be used in situations apart from friendly social networking. In short, I think this is a serious Facebook blunder. More on this tomorrow.
ABC News and Facebook are teaming up to allow users of the social-networking site to electronically follow ABC reporters, view reports and participate in polls, all within a new “U.S. Politics” category. The two will also sponsor Democratic and Republican presidential debates. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/technology/26abc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 11/26)
(Below) Thanks to Jedi for bringing this to my attention. I fully support the re-invention of the set-top box loaded with open source applications. The more control I have over how I choose to watch TV, the better. The question is, how will most users respond to these additional applications? Google on.
In fact, Google may very well want to do to the set-top box what it is trying to do to the mobile phone with its Android operating system—create an open-source hardware platform and attract developers to build applications on top of it. At least that is the unconfirmed rumor Techcrunch heard from two knowledgeable industry sources. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/11/20/the-google-set-top-box-think-android-for-tv 11/20)
Google’s stated goal is to organize the world’s information, not buy it. But, at some point down the road, the Internet giant will start buying content companies, media observers predict. Google “will have no choice,” as its torrid growth eventually tails off. (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_49/b4061083.htm 12/3)
News Corp. is said to be talks to buy business social networking service LinkedIn, according to TechCrunch UK. If the deal were to happen, it would bring MySpace and LinkedIn under the same corporate roof. A spokesman for LinkedIn says there is “absolutely no truth in the rumor.” (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/11/22/bcnlinked122.xml 11/23, http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/22/rumour-news-corp-to-buy-linkedin 11/22)
YouTube is refusing to filter out threatening material, despite calls for more restrictions in the wake of the recent school shooting in Finland. Peter Fleischer, privacy counsel at Google, which bought YouTube last year, says: “We don’t want to become censors of the Web.” (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/24/internet.youtube 11/24)
Webisodes can be produced at a fraction of the cost of a network television series. However, very few people are having success “in a money-making way,” admits Comcast emerging-networks head Diane Robina. The 12-to-29 demo will “decide the fate” of these 90-second clips. (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6504729.html 11/24)
Major marketers are increasingly attaching advertising to selected words on newspaper and other media Web sites. So-called in-text ads pop up in small windows when a reader moves a cursor over highlighted, double-underlined words in a story. Up to 10% of Web users click on in-text ads. (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_49/b4061070.htm 12/3)
RE/MAX International is testing a new service from Navic Networks that allows marketers to make their ad-buying decisions based on viewer data from set-top boxes. Navic’s system includes data from three different cablers, allowing advertisers to make multiple buys within a single market. (The Wall Street Journal (free content) 11/26)
Amway founder Daniel H. Adler launched the beta version of Fanista.com, a retail website that combines Amway-style social networking with the online retail model. Fanista users create custom profiles and list their favorite DVDs, CDs and soon other media to recommend to friends. Like Facebook, the site generates revenue from user recommendations. But this time they’re cut in on the action; each time someone buys something recommended by a friend the recommender get 5% of the sale in cash or credit. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/business/media/20amway.html?pagewanted=1 11/20)
IAC/Interactive Corp. plans to launch a Chinese version of its Ask.com search engine within two years, and will invest a further $100 million in a new Internet venture in the country, says CEO Barry Diller. IAC’s move into China follows entries by U.S. search giants Google and Yahoo. (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/iacinteractive-considers-online-gaming-venture/story.aspx?guid=%7B91571FC7%2DB3B9%2D40FB%2D9595%2D87ED0B158064%7D 11/23)
Online retail spending grew by 22% on Black Friday to $531 million in the U.S., according to ComScore, with sales of video games, consoles and accessories driving the increase. Sales of Nintendo’s hot Wii platform, Sony’s newly priced PlayStation 3 and the hotly anticipated Halo 3 game helped increased sales in the category by 134% over last year. Online spending today, dubbed “Cyber Monday,” is expected to surpass $700 million.
Top Visited US Broadcast Network TV Show Websites (Week ending November 17, 2007)
Rank Network Website Market Share of Visits
1 ABC Dancing With The Stars 19.50%
2 NBC Deal or No Deal 10.95%
3 NBC Heroes 6.90%
4 ABC The Bachelor 3.54%
5 FOX America’s Most Wanted 3.27%
6 NBC The Office 2.98%
7 ABC Grey’s Anatomy 2.30%
8 NBC The Biggest Loser 2.04%
9 FOX American Idol 1.91%
10 ABC Lost 1.91%
Source: Custom report from Hitwise
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
TV Guide and mobile content provider Helio introduced a new service offering TV show information, program listings, search functions and daily recommendations to Helio users. Text-based program alerts can be set to remind yourself and friends of what’s coming on the tube. TV Guide Mobile is available to Helio subscribers for $2.99/month, in addition to carrier data charges.
T-Mobile, which signed an exclusive deal with Apple in its native Germany, is planning to offer German customers a chance to buy the iPhone without a contract for 999 euros ($1,480). Competitor Vodaphone forced the action when it won a court case ruling against an exclusive carrier/device maker relationship. T-Mobile will also allow those who have already purchased an iPhone to unlock it free of charge, although not all music and web-browsing features will be enabled.
Filed under: GAMING
GAMING
Eighties new wave band The Romantics is suing publisher of play-along game Guitar Hero Activision, claiming a cover of the hit What I Like About You violates the band’s right to its own image. Apparently San Francisco-based band Wavegroup Sound totally nailed their cover version of the song, as The Romantics are complaining it sounds too much like the original. The band seeks unspecified damages and an injunction to prevent further sales of the game. Classic rock-themed Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock became Activision’s best selling opening-week title earlier this month, netting $115 million in revenues.
Sony Computer Entertainment America is giving PSP users in North America access to buying games or downloading free video content and promotional materials through a new PlayStation Store. Access is free, and gamers can transfer downloads from their computers to a PSP through a USB connection. (MediaPost Communications 11/26)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Amazon.com’s Kindle e-book reader, launched Nov. 19, has sold out despite skepticism about whether the device will prove popular. A notice on the Kindle pages on the Amazon Web store says “heavy customer demand” for the device means it will be out of stock until Dec. 3. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7107118.stm 11/22)
Indie bands appearing in Apple iPod commercials are selling thousands of records and drawing the respect and admiration of music fans around the world. Music industry insiders now compare Apple with Oprah Winfrey’s ability to create best-sellers through her book club. (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/24/MN4STFDOS.DTL 11/24)
Apple has reinvented its 201 stores in the mode of five-star hotels complete with a concierge in order to encourage more people to just hang out in them — and ultimately buy stuff. Adding concierges to greet shoppers is the latest of a series of innovations Apple has made to its stores, which include changing the layout, adding services and eliminating cash registers in favor of roving checkouts. (Detroit Free Press/Associated Press 11/26)
With only a limited supply so far in stores, Microsoft’s new Zune 80 digital music players are flying off shelves — real and virtual — so fast that they were selling for a $70 premium above their $250 price tag on eBay on Thursday, according to this article. Competing with Apple’s iPod classic, the players hold an 80-gigabyte hard drive and provide a larger screen, wireless networking capabilities, an FM radio and music subscription service. (USA TODAY 11/22)
The format duel between HD DVD and Blu-ray heated up over the weekend as retailers slashed prices for the next generation players. HD DVD players, supporting the Toshiba-led HD DVD format, are now selling for under $200 while Blu-ray players employing the Sony-devised format are down to $299 including an additional $100 gift certificate.
Dubai International Capital, the $13 billion fund manager whose investors include the emirate’s ruler, is buying a “substantial” stake in Sony, seeking to diversify its sources of income away from real estate and oil. Sony says it is “pleased” by the investment. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=afLg.HriX7o8 11/26)
Canon officials have unveiled details for its planned portable DVD burner. The DW-100 enables consumers to directly burn data from cameras and camcorders onto a DVD, and it is expected to hit store aisles in the spring of 2008. (Electronic House 11/26)
Filed under: MISC
MISC
(Below) Irony at its best.
For those hoping to catch a Broadway show in New York during the holiday season take heart, the striking stagehands and theater producers returned to the negotiating table on Sunday, almost two full weeks since stagehands walked out of their jobs shutting down about two dozen plays and musicals. One holiday-themed musical resumed despite the strike as Supreme Court Justice Helen Freedman ordered the $6 million Dr. Seuss’How the Grinch Stole Christmas production to be reopened due to the show’s limited run which ends January 6.
