Filed under: MISC
MTV’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO FREELANCERS: TRIMMED BENEFITS
Freelancers and their supporters walked out of work today at 3PM after MTV Networks made the bold holiday decision to cut benefits. To be very clear, employers are not legally bound to provide benefits of any kind to employees either full time or freelancers. That said, perhaps pre-holiday trimming was a bit tactless in terms of timing no?
My favorite chant of the day: “What the fuck?! What the fuck?!” You tell it freelancers. I’m sure that got Viacom’s attention.
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
Talks between the WGA and the AMPTP broke down once again as the two sides seem further apart than ever on the issue of new media compensation. The writers say the AMPTP is sticking to its offer of a fixed $250 residual for unlimited one year streaming after a 6-week window of free use. They say producers are also refusing to offer a dime for made-for-the-web content. The producers group complained the WGA was making “unreasonable demands” and continued to insist writers are trying to get blood from a turnip, as the saying goes, asking for more than they actually receive in online revenues.
Google is demonstrating experimental technologies to U.S. regulators as part of its push to free up unused television airwaves for wireless Internet access. The technologies will “amply” protect occupied TV channels from interference, Google promises. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=a1Ys1hvN_D88 12/7)
Popular DVR maker TiVo recently partnered with NBC Universal and media-buying agency Carat to provide audience metrics and DVR advertising services as part of the company’s goal to transform itself into a media company. The Alviso, Calif.-based company is also expected to begin working on deals with Comcast and Cox that will allow viewers to download TiVo software onto another DVR. (The New York Times 12/10)
James Murdoch, 34, is poised to succeed Peter Chernin when the News Corp. chief operating officer’s contract expires in 2009. Also: News Corp. is appointing newly promoted exec James Murdoch to its board of directors. Plus: Where is No. 1 son Lachlan Murdoch? (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/355a9af6-a4f7-11dc-a93b-0000779fd2ac.html 12/7, http://www.smartmoney.com/bn/ON/index.cfm?story=ON-20071207-000650-1310 12/7, http://news.independent.co.uk/world/australasia/article3236152.ece 12/9)
Macrovision Corp. reached an agreement to acquire Gemstar-TV Guide for $2.8 billion in cash and stock. Plans are underway to combine Gemstar’s guide patents with Macrovision’s content distribution and delivery technology to create a one-stop PC/TV solution for digital homes. Macrovision also acquired All Media Guide Holdings last month, provider of metadata for music, movies and video games.
MTV Networks sold Tempo, the 24-hour pan-Caribbean cable television network, to a group of investors led by Frederick A. Morton, Jr., who founded the network while employed at MTV Networks. The deal was final on November 8, 2007 and specific terms were not disclosed. Tempo was launched by MTV Networks in November 2005 and currently is distributed in 25 islands reaching approximately 400,000 households and 1.6 million viewers.
A variety of cable networks — led by Sci Fi and its three-night “Tin Man” series — posted stellar ratings coming out of the November sweeps period. Besides “Tin Man,” which attracted a record-setting average of 5.3 million viewers, HBO’s “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project,” TNT’s “The Closer” and BET’s “Sunday Best” all put up big post-sweeps numbers. (Mediaweek 12/10)
The Independent Film Channel has acquired three new anime series that will premiere next year. The shows — “Witchblade,” “Speed Grapher” and “Hell Girl” — look to capitalize on one of the hottest programming genres among young male viewers. (Broadcasting & Cable 12/9)
(Below)Just imagine recommending this restaurant to a friend. Yup, I didn’t think so.
CBS is expanding its brand into restaurants, opening its first eatery, called CBS Scene, next fall in Boston. The 15,000-square-foot restaurant will feature table-side televisions running CBS programming, as well as a store selling DVDs of network shows, T-shirts and other merchandise. (http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2007/12/09/kraft_cbs_focus_on_a_concept_restaurant 12/9)
Comcast has joined Cablevision in challenging the FCC’s extension of the program-access rule through 2012. The rule, extended in September, requires cable companies to sell their satellite-delivered networks to rivals such as DirecTV, Echostarm AT&T and Verizon. (Multichannel News 12/7)
EchoStar Communications is filing with U.S. regulators plans to change its name to Dish Network, in connection with an anticipated spinoff. CEO and co-founder Charlie Ergen to want to keep the set-top box and satellite assets under the legacy EchoStar name. (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/07/echostar-seeks-name-change-to-dish-network 12/7)
AT&T will unveil its U-verse video service today in the St. Louis area. Among other features, the new offering will allow users to record up to four channels at once and set programs to record via cell phones. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12/10)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
More than 1,500 Facebook users are starting to place advertisements on their own profile pages, despite the social networking site’s rule against such ads. They are posting them with the help of a firm called Weblo that sells ads onto people’s blogs and social networking profile pages. (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/facebook-members-sell-their-own-ads 12/7)
Weblo Instructional Video
Universal Music is signing an agreement with music-based social networking Web site Imeem to provide free, on-demand streaming of its digital music and videos that will be supported by advertising. Universal is the fourth major music company to strike a deal with the site. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/12102007/business/web_content_now_universal_93955.htm 12/10)
LinkedIn, the professional networking site, is launching a developer platform that allows partners to build companion applications on their Web sites. Its inaugural partner, McGraw-Hill’s BusinessWeek magazine, will link keywords, such as company names, to the service. (http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3715506 12/10)
Hosted wiki provider WetPaint has launched a new white label wiki service called “Just Add Wetpaint”, which let’s businesses buy a customized version of their wiki platform (starting around $10,000). In at most 14 days, the company can pump out a customized community around a product. The communities are hosted by WetPaint on your domain, and share a common login with the rest of the over 600,000 wikis in the WetPaint community.It may seem trite, but thousands of people are already creating unofficial wikis or joining communities (like fanpop) to talk about shows and products they love. Just Add Wetpaint gives businesses an easy way to generate an official community, as has been done with CSI, Dexter, Tmobile, the always-awesome Myth Busters, and even Oracle. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/09/wetpaint-white-labels-for-businesses-and-brands 12/9)
Moviebeam, the rental service in a set-top box, has apparently shut down, a year after Movie Gallery bought it from Disney, according to online reports. Users paid $2 to $4 to watch a film — after laying out $250 for the box. (Electronic House 12/7)
Coke unveiled a new digital content site MyCoke.com featuring music downloads, videos, wallpapers and screensavers. The portal also links to CC Metro, Coke’s new 3D virtual world community site powered by There.com, formerly known as Cokestudios. Don’t worry, all your “furni” dollars can be converted into “therebucks,” the site’s new currency.
Some 38.4 million homes worldwide will receive television via the Internet by 2012, according to research by Informa Telecoms and Media. “We are forecasting 10.6 million IPTV households by the end of 2007, double the 2006 figure,” says Informa exec Adam Thomas. (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977374.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1 12/9)
(Below) For now, the site is only open to authors and investors. Red Herring reported last week that the site would be open to the public within 60 days.
The Red Room, a new online community for writers, allows authors to promote their work, list book-tour dates and post videos of readings. It is already attracting literary heavy hitters like James Patterson and Salman Rushdie. Craigslist founder Craig Newmark is among the investors. (http://www.redherring.com/Home/23248 12/5)
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
A new interactive Web service gives cell phone buyers a “virtual” experience when shopping online. TryPhone, which was scheduled to launch in beta today, lets users test-drive new devices by using their mouse to simulate the process of touching a phone’s buttons and scrolling its menus. (Forbes 12/10)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Consumers should expect a major marketing blitz from both Blu-ray and HD DVD camps, as both are heavily vested in their technology becoming the predominant form of high-definition DVDs. “Once you’re all-in, you have to go all the way,” said Steve Martin, president of WPP Group’s SicolaMartin. (Adweek 12/10)
The rampant popularity of HDTV and Apple’s iPod has caused some consumers to rethink their home-audio choices. Overall, the home-audio market has faltered recently, although home-theater-in-a-box products have peaked, as consumers look for products that combine minimal design with quality sound. (BusinessWeek 12/7)
