Filed under: MISC
TWO ONLINE VIDEOS OF THE WEEK: SEX COMES BACK TO THE CITY & CHRISTMAS TIME WITH THE DEMON BARBER
The Sex and The City movie trailer is finally available. Click the image above to watch.
And nothing says Christmas like Sweeney Todd. Two movie trailers. Two COMPLETELY different types of movies. Can’t wait to see them both. Happy weekending all.
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
MTV Networks employees in New York are reported to be planning a walkout on Monday. A new benefits package for freelancers includes reduced health coverage, “no 401K plan, no paid holidays, and more.” MTV Networks includes MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. (http://gawker.com/news/evil-corporations-in-action/mtv-networks-employees-plan-walkout-for-monday-330922.php 12/6)
News Corp.’s Peter Chernin, CBS’Les Moonves and other media bosses are said to be “pessimistic” about a quick resolution in the Hollywood writers strike. Due to reported “mistrust” between the participating parties, negotiations are expected to continue long past the holiday season. (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/exclusive-talks-day-7-stalling-tactics-what-they-could-mean/ 12/6)
James Murdoch is stepping down as CEO of British Sky Broadcasting to take on the job of running News Corp.’s European and Asian operations. The move clearly positions the 34-year-old as the most likely successor to his father, Rupert Murdoch, as CEO of News Corp. (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3014453.ece 12/7)
Macrovision, which develops technology to prevent unauthorized distribution of digital content, is buying Gemstar-TV Guide, the publisher of TV Guide magazine and the cable channel. The combined company will let consumers receive personalized content and guides on their TV screens. (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071207/gemstar_tv_guide_macrovision.html 12/7)
Super Bowl XLII is nearly two months off, but only two of 63 30-second slots remain available, says broadcaster Fox. “You used to have choices for mass audiences,” says Jim Nail of brand tracker Cymfony. Now, the choices are few. “This is the one event” for reaching a mass audience. (http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2007-12-06-super-bowl-ads_N.htm 12/6)
USA and World Wrestling Entertainment have made final a two-year carriage extension that will keep WWE’s popular “Monday Night Raw” in its 9 to 11 p.m. time slot through 2010. As part of the deal, WWE will also provide content to other NBC properties, including NBC, Telemundo and mun2. (Multichannel News 12/6)
Bravo has given nods of approval to shows “Shear Genius” and “Top Design,” both of which were renewed for a second season. “Shear Genius,” hosted by Jaclyn Smith, focuses on competing hairstylists while “Top Design” is all about battling interior designers and architects. (Broadcasting & Cable 12/6)
Job cuts within NBC News and MSNBC are expected to begin today, with 15-20 positions getting pink slipped, in a wide range of areas within the news division. According to a statement from NBC News, “There’s an ongoing process at NBC News to reallocate, reorganize and right-size the division given the business pressures that every major media organization is facing.”
Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne says Comcast stock is undervalued when the company’s growth prospects are taken into account. Swinburne, who dropped his target price from $29 to $24, said the combination of growing consumer interest in high-definition TV and increased broadband speeds would generate significant growth for Comcast and other cable companies. (Houston Chronicle/Associated Press 12/6)
A Charter official said the company would more than double the number of high-definition channels it offers in Louisiana during the next eight weeks. The company plans to serve up as many as 44 networks in HD, including Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC, The Science Channel and The Food Network. (Multichannel News 12/6)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
The owners of hipster music Web site Stereogum, which include former AOL exec Bob Pittman, former MTV digital guru Jason Hirschhorn and founder Scott Lapatine, are entering a deal to flip their equity stakes in the company to BuzzNet.com, a fast-growing pop culture and music social network. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/12072007/business/pittman_flips_stake_895835.htm 12/7)
Jason Hirschhorn is and will remain one of the best panel speakers I have ever seen. Currently President of Sling Media Entertainment Group, he is one of the only panelists I have been witness to who speaks his mind and actually says something. He’s one of those people in the digital space you should always pay attention to
ESPN’s online and cable college-sports network ESPNU is turning to its audience of college students and universities to generate content. The initiative, dubbed “ESPNU Campus Connection,” will “engage consumers.” Coopting consumer-generated media is seen as a growing trend. (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=72281 12/7)
A movie studio and a user generated video site are hitting the road with their hottest property. The Landlord star Will Ferrell will be criss-crossing college campuses next February to promote FunnyOrDie.com and Semi Pro, his latest feature from New Line Cinema. The site will also release a new viral video starring Ferrell and his Semi Pro co-star Andrew Daly each week leading up to the film’s premiere on Leap Year Day, Feb. 29th. The “Will Ferrell’s Funny or Die Comedy Tour” pairs Will with three of the site’s regular stand up comedians, Zach Galifianakis, Demetri Martin, and Nick Swardson.
The Sundance Film Festival is expanding its Short Film Program this year to distribute entries on multiple digital platforms. The 83 short films selected from the more than 5,000 films submitted will be available for purchase on iTunes and Xbox 360 for $1.99/each beginning Jan. 18, 2008. Netflix subscribers will be able to view them online for no additional fee. The Sundance website will again feature one free short each day during the festival, which kicks off on Jan. 17
Google cofounder Larry Page is set to marry his girlfriend, Lucy Southworth, this weekend on a private island in the Caribbean, owned by the best man, Richard Branson.
The 600 guests are said to include Bill and Hillary Clinton, U2 singer Bono and Silicon Valley luminaries. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7132402.stm 12/7)
The Weather Channel Interactive’s weather.com debuted a newly enhanced ski minisite chock full of information on current conditions, forecasts, events, maps and a selection of “Top to Bottom” instructional videos courtesy of Warren Miller Productions. To promote Epic Conditions, the team also came up with snowjoke.com, an embeddable mashup tool allowing users to create their own personalized ski video.
Social networking site PeopleJam unveiled its first original online video series featuring one-on-one interviews with celebrities that go beyond the usual gossip. The site’s first batch of interviews ask NBA stars such as Vince Carter and Ray Allen what advice they would give others to help them succeed in life.
A couple of mainstream programmers reported their best traffic numbers so far last month. Bravo Digital‘s BravoTV.com and its suite of broadband channel claimed its monthly uniques count reached an all time in Nov. with 3 million visitors. Meanwhile ABCNews.com garnered 16.3 million unique users, an increase of 28% compared to Nov. 2006. ABC News launched a Facebook application last month featuring up-to-the-minute news, video and social networking functionality.
Top Visited US Broadcast Network TV Show Websites (Week ending December 1, 2007)
Rank Network Website Market Share of Visits
1 ABC Dancing With The Stars 29.62%
2 NBC Deal or No Deal 8.03%
3 NBC Heroes 5.43%
4 FOX America’s Most Wanted 3.88%
5 ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 2.49%
6 NBC The Biggest Loser 2.16%
7 ABC The Bachelor 2.14%
8 FOX American Idol 2.12%
9 ABC Grey’s Anatomy 1.95%
10 NBC The Office 1.93%
Source: Custom report from Hitwise
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
(Below) Following Verizon’s open platform announcement, it seems AT&T has jumped on the band wagon as well. Both Verizon and AT&T’s announcements follow Google’s Android cell platform announcement based on an open technology standard. Service providers seem to be responding in turn. I’m open. You’re open. We’re all open. . .
Starting immediately, AT&T customers can ditch their AT&T phones and use any wireless phone, device and software application from any maker — think smartphones, e-mail and music downloading. And they don’t have to sign a contract. “You can use any handset on our network you want,” says Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T’s wireless business. “We don’t prohibit it, or even police it.”
(http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/digitaldownload/mobile/e3i3743c78b6de09e1e8f1b83dd56ed4a2c 12/6, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2007-12-05-att_N.htm 12/6)
The newest episode of CBS Mobile’s original series Danny Bonaduce: Life Coach guest stars the voice and likeness of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. The two seem made for each other.
Filed under: GAMING
GAMING
CBS used a mixed-media puzzle involving online clues and outdoor billboards to stimulate interest in its cerebral detective show “Numb3rs.” The puzzle is just one example of how online and offline marketing combinations are being used in a bid to promote TV shows, capture new audiences and hold current viewers’interest. Shows like ABC’s “Lost” and “Jericho” on CBS have used similar strategies. (The Wall Street Journal 12/7)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Apple has filed a patent detailing a multitasking input technique designed to give iPod or iPhone users the ability to play mobile games, but still have access to a secondary application on the screen. “One aspect of the invention provides a game input area (surface or plane) that can receive input for multiple applications including an interactive application executed in connection with a scene displayed on a display,” Apple said in the filing. (AppleInsider 12/6)
Digeo has begun beta tests of a PC version of its Moxi digital media recorder, starting with a “select group of participants” at its moxi.com Web site. The application would allow PC users with TV tuner cards and Windows XP access to many of the features found on its set-top box sold through cable companies. (TWICE 12/6)
Moxi Multi-Room HD Digital Media Recorder
The new Slacker Personal Radio plays free preprogrammed Internet radio stations, thus eliminating the need to download or legally copy music onto players. It refreshes the music through a wireless connection and costs in the $200-$300 range. (The Wall Street Journal (free content) 12/6)
Gift-givers should seriously consider the latest Apple iMac, with a base model starting at $1,199, according to this guide to electronics gifts. New peripherals and applications for both iMacs and iPods can also be found on retail shelves. (MacNewsWorld.com/Washington Times 12/7)
International Data Corp. is forecasting slower growth in worldwide tech spending next year largely because of an economic slump in the U.S. But IDC still projects the global IT market to expand by 5.5% to 6%, compared with this year’s 6.9%. While other analysts project different figures, they all point to the same trend. (International Herald Tribune/Associated Press 12/6)
Both the Blu-ray and HD DVD camps are hoping to woo Warner Bros. exclusively to its side, as the studio — the only one to still support both formats — is seen as a possible deciding factor in who wins the HD-disc war, according to this BusinessWeek analysis. Warner thus far is mum on its plans. (BusinessWeek 12/6)
Sharp has geared its new LC-32GP3U LCD monitor for gamers. The 32-inch HD screen, set for sale later this month at $1,600, has such features as a processing mode for cutting lag time on action games, and a remote button for switching video inputs to a favorite game system. (Electronista 12/6)
