Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Comcast unveiled Fancast today during Brian Robert’s keynote at CES, a TV-and-movie search site that the company hopes will become a top entertainment destination. After a year of development, the site is far enough along to become the electronic programming guide that TVGuide.com only wishes it could be. (http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/news/2008/01/comcast_fancast  1/8, http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/01/08/comcast-launches-fancast-part-tv-guide-part-hulu  1/8)

Fancast HomePage

Fancast’s Six Degrees

Viacom’s MTV Networks is entering deals to make its videos available on online video services and Comcast’s broadband site, as the company aims to increase its presence on the Web. MTV is signing deals with services including Dailymotion, GoFish, iMeem, and MeeVee. (http://www.reuters.com/article/CMPSRV/idUSN0844831520080108  1/8)

TiVo subscribers will soon be able to select video from the Web for playback on televisions through its digital video recording service. Customers will be able to subscribe to video content from RSS feeds, ranging from network news to “indie” content from web shows like “Ask a Ninja.” (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2245821,00.asp  1/7)

Sony Pictures Television plans to provide 5-minute versions of several of its most popular television shows for viewing on YouTube. The “minisodes” of programs such as “Married With Children” and “Newsradio” are expected to help expand their brands to the online universe. (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/sony-provide-content-youtube/story.aspx?guid=%7BE5FAD55B-6445-4857-A631-C338D5CDD5A2%7D  1/7) 

Sony BMG is taking baby steps toward unlocking its DRM copy-protection by offering a modest selection of music for downloading and requiring consumers to go to a retail store to register for the service first. Starting Jan. 15 in the U.S. and a bit later in Canada, Sony BMG will make 37 albums available for downloading in the MP3 format to those who pay $12.99 to obtain a card with a secret code that users must enter online. (Yahoo!/InfoWorld 1/7)

Facebook’s tie-up with ABC News is credited for helping fuel a surge in television viewing of the New Hampshire debate held over the weekend. Facebook’s  U.S. Politics Application allowed users to participate in debate groups and express reactions to candidates’ performances. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/08/facebook.television  1/8) 

After years in which paid downloads saw little traction, Hollywood is focused on ad-supported streaming in ‘08. “People online want to watch for free,” says Fox digital media chief Dan Fawcett. “Downloading to own seems to be losing out. People like to watch on an impulse.” (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978614.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1  1/7)

MySpace is drawing young people away from television, according to a survey commissioned by the News Corp.-owned site. MySpace’s 18- to 24-year-old users say they would rather spend 15 minutes visiting social-networking sites than watching TV or reading, among other activities. (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e925b9bc-bcad-11dc-bcf9-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1  1/7)