Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

Some 7.3 million viewers tuned in last Friday to see the hourlong season finale of “Zoey 101,” which was the first episode broadcast since Jamie Lynn Spears, 16, announced she was pregnant. The episode was the most watched in the Nickelodeon show’s history. (http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=c7d795d7-32f5-47eb-9339-3aeb124fd00d  1/8)

Golf Channel is suspending anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks for saying that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.” Golf Channel says in a statement: “There is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this.” (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080110/ap_en_tv/glf_golf_channel_anchor  1/10)

The judge in CBS’ motion to dismiss Dan Rather’s $70 million lawsuit over his being fired says he is leaning toward allowing the case to proceed. The defendants’ lawyer asserts: “When you blow all the smoke away, this is a case of Mr. Rather being disappointed.” (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080110/ap_en_tv/tv_rather_lawsuit 1/10) 

 
NBC News’ broadcast of a stripped-down Golden Globe Awards raises questions about the influence of entertainment on news, according to industry veterans. Putting an entertainment show under the auspices of NBC News undermines the news division’s credibility, they say. (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nbc10jan10,1,5875127.story?ctrack=3&cset=true 1/10)

Disney, Viacom, CBS, and Gannett and other media companies fell in New York trading Wednesday after analysts cut their profit estimates because of the slowing U.S. economy. The analysts cite “the writers’ strike, TV audience deterioration” and other concerns. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601213&sid=ajkTXf4ZDX58  1/9) 

As the Internet becomes a larger provider of video, and technology makers ease the flow of that content to television sets, it threatens the cable and satellite industries. Consumers may be more inclined to keep their less-expensive Internet services than their cable-TV subscriptions. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119992779457079683.html  1/10)

The Writers Guild of America is entering a tentative deal with CBS on a new contract for the network’s newswriters, editors, researchers and other Guild members who have been working under an expired contract since 2005. Employees will get a 3.5% pay increase, among other benefits. (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/writers-guild-newswriters-reach-deal/story.aspx?guid=%7B3FC47E65%2D3C15%2D4CEB%2DBA6A%2D3FB179E683C5%7D  1/9)

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

News Corp.’s MySpace is launching a Celebrity Channel, giving users one-stop access to the personal pages and blogs of some 300 actors, musicians and athletes. The channel could attract big advertisers and serve as a promotional platform for Fox films and television. (http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-01-09-myspace-celebs_N.htm  1/10)

News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch reportedly has sent a letter to the board of Monster.com offering $4.8 billion for the online job-search company. SeekingAlpha says: “The only real threat” is Yahoo, which would “also love to buy MNST to grow their HotJobs offering.” (http://seekingalpha.com/article/59435-rumor-murdoch-bidding-for-monster-com  1/8)

Video-sharing Web sites watched their typical daily traffic double through 2007, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, with nearly half of U.S. Internet users stopping by YouTube and similar sites. The heaviest visiting activity came from men, age 18-29. (http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/10/youtube-video-sites-grab-more-visitors 1/10)  

CES Buzz: Automotive Hotness 

Driverless Car: It drives.  You chill.

GM Chevy Tahoe

Check out GM’s Chevy Tahoe that can literally drive itself.  Using a laser that spins 360 degrees to detect all objects along with a GPS system to navigate, you can sip that double latte while the car does all the work.   

The Lidar: A spinning scanner with 64 individual scanners in it.

GM teamed up with engineers from Carnegie Mellon to create this concept car.  Expect road-ready vehicles in about 10 years.  The car was developed in 18 months to compete in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Challenge.  My only negative feedback after the test drive: the car was a bit jerky from start to stop.  My car can do 60 in 3.6 seconds.  Oh yeah!?!?  Mine can drive itself.  Word.

Steven Colbert digs it.  Check out his piece about the self-driving car and his hope for a self-writing script to save him from the Writer’s Strike. 

BMW’s Pit Lane Park

First, I stopped into a kiosk off the track to catch BMW fans playing racing games from within the formula cars.

And then I plopped down to watch Chris Viper attempt some general scariness on a BMW motorcycle.

BROADCAST/CABLE

NBC is offering some Golden Globes advertisers the option of getting cash back because the broadcast has been scuttled, and could end up returning up to $15 million. Meanwhile, ABC is reaching out to ad buyers to discuss what to do in case its Oscar broadcast is canceled. (http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=122954  1/8)

Up to 1,000 employees at Time Warner’s Warner Bros. studio in Burbank, Calif., could be laid off after Friday as a result of the Hollywood writers strike. The Warner Bros. notice represents the first concrete sign that the strike could trigger massive job cuts across Hollywood. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i1472d5304a5c1a5016cc9844f4f9e97c  1/9)

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts promised expanded HD channels and enhanced Internet services at rates up to 100 Mbps to International CES attendees Tuesday. Roberts also extended his beliefs that future PCs will soon offer full cable services. (InformationWeek/EE Times 1/8)

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Belo plans to designate 13 of its television stations as the exclusive provider of local news video to Yahoo. With the deal, Yahoo will host dozens of local news video clips each day in the local section of Yahoo News. The companies will share the advertising revenue. (http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSWNAS601320080109  1/9)

Time Warner is said to be investing an undisclosed amount in GaiaOnline.com, a virtual world for teens. Time Warner movie studio Warner Bros. has shown movies in the San Jose, Calif.-based Gaia, in a virtual theater that Gaia virtual world characters can attend. (http://venturebeat.com/2008/01/08/time-warner-invests-in-teen-virtual-world-gaia-online  1/8)

NBC.com is announcing a new slate of content for mid-season. Among the offerings: “Lipstick Jungle’s” Bonfire Magazine, in partnership with iVillage, will come to life online as a fully editorialized publication. NBC is also launching new sites for shows such as “American Gladiators.” (http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2008/01/09/nbc_unveils_slate_of_online_programming/6233  1/9)

CBSNews.com is entering a partnership with social news site Digg for online coverage of the 2008 election. The recognizable “Digg buttons” will be featured on CBSNews.com election articles and videos. In return, Digg’s election headlines will be displayed on CBSNews.com. (http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-9845364-36.html  1/8)

 
Comcast, the largest U.S. cable provider, says it will work with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to address concerns that it blocks customers from using file-sharing services. The company manages its Internet service in accordance with FCC policies, it insists. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aF9r.2GrrjaM  1/9)

BET Networks is launching a vertical advertising network in an effort to give advertisers more exposure to African-American Internet users. The ad network features 30 Web sites focusing on music, entertainment and lifestyle content aimed at the urban and African-American communities. (http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/08/bet-launches-online-ad-network  1/8) 

Panel participants from Google’s YouTube, Charter Communications and Vuze discussed the challenge of coming up with a viable economic model for online video, in a discussion Tuesday at the International CES in Las Vegas. (Multichannel News 1/8)

National Lampoon is acquiring CollegeHangover.com, a user-submitted photo/movie and gallery Web site, for an undisclosed amount. CollegeHangover, which launched in 2005, is moderated by its college student editors, who also post their own original photos and videos. (http://www.streetinsider.com/Mergers+and+Acquisitions/National+Lampoon+(NLN)+Buys+CollegeHangover.com/3252335.html  1/9)

WIRELESS

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has said that the company will stay the course on its strategy of partnering with wireless-phone makers rather than competing with them with a device like Apple’s iPhone. In an interview with a German publication, Gates said, “In the so-called smartphone business we will concentrate solely on software with our Windows Mobile program.” (The Boston Globe/Reuters 1/9)

MediaFLO USA will add a significant number of new shows, as well as some returning series, from CBS, NBC, Fox and MTV Networks to its FLO TV mobile offering this month. “Consumer demand for mobile TV is growing dramatically, and MediaFLO is committed to continually supporting this growth by providing subscribers with the TV content they want, where they want it,” Mike Bailey, vice president of programming at MediaFLO USA, said. (Broadcasting & Cable 1/8)

GAMING

New market research credits strong demand for Nintendo’s Wii and DS gaming systems for a record year in Japanese hardware and software sales. Nintendo’s DS portable sold 7.1 million units in 2007, according to magazine publisher Enterbrain, which also noted 2007 Wii sales of 3.6 million. (The New York Times/Associated Press 1/9)