Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Bill Miller of U.S. asset manager Legg Mason — Yahoo’s second-biggest shareholder — says Microsoft must raise its unsolicited $41.6 billion takeover offer for the Internet firm. Miller estimates Yahoo’s fair value at $40 a share; Microsoft had offered $31 a share. (http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSN1226014320080212  2/12)

Yahoo and News Corp. are said to be in marathon talks to put together a bid to compete with Microsoft’s takeover offer. One possible deal structure would spin off Fox Interactive Media into Yahoo, along with a cash injection from News Corp. and an unnamed private equity fund. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/02/12/yahoo-and-news-corp-continue-marathon-discussions-possible-bid-to-counter-microsoft  2/12)

Yahoo on Tuesday began its previously announced layoffs of some 1,000 employees. Cuts are said to be hitting groups across the company, including media and search marketing. One exec says that managers have been told to lay off staffers without cutting projects that generate revenue. (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/layoffs-across-yahoo-finally  2/12)

MySpace plans to announce the formation of a business incubator called SlingShot Labs to spawn Internet startups for parent News Corp.’s Web properties, which now include WSJ.com. Chief Rupert Murdoch and MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe plan to be closely involved. (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2008/tc20080212_308910.htm  2/13)

Viacom may have filed a $1 billion copyright lawsuit against YouTube, but the company’s MTV Networks isn’t at war with technology. MTV now offers an embeddable video player that allows users to post network content. Nowadays, says MTV boss Van Toffler, “cats have to marry dogs.” (http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9870641-7.html  2/12)

After Microsoft invested $240 million in Facebook last year, chief Bill Gates is said to have spent 30 minutes a day on the social-networking site. But Gates is no longer using Facebook after he started getting some 8,000 friend requests a day “and spotting weird fan sites about him.” (http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/02/12/bill-gates-quits-facebook  2/12)

See now.  Tila Tequila would be all over 8,000 requests a day. . .

IFC.com will launch its first-ever daily web series “Lunchbox“ on March 10 during the 2008 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film and Music Festival, which the network and site will cover extensively again this year. Lunchbox, an online news magazine covering trends in music, film, culture and politics, will coincide with the re-launch of IFC.com and air every weekday on IFC at 12pm ET/PT.

ABC.com is sharing the love with digital Valentines Day cards featuring photos of the stars from hit shows Lost, Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty. The site has also put together a series of video montages of some of the shows’ steamier scenes.

Massify.com is hosting The Ghosts in the Machine contest to help After Dark Films develop a feature length horror film entirely on the internet. Massify offers tools to create and submit story ideas and audition for the movie. One filmmaker will be selected to produce, and four actors will have the chance to star based on community input.

(Below) Once a cable affiliate is allowed to discriminate access of any kind to the internet, we are all in trouble.  Here’s the analogy.  Freedom of speech exists even when that speech is highly regarded as offensive to most.  No matter.  Freedom of speech should stand.  Why?  Because once that freedom is removed, the flood of restrictions keep coming.  No love for Comcast on this one.

Comcast is telling the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that hampering some file-sharing by its subscribers is a justifiable way to keep Web traffic flowing for everyone. The cable giant is being accused by consumer groups and law professors of breaching “‘Net Neutrality.” (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080213/ap_on_hi_te/comcast_data_discrimination  2/12)

Multimedia platforms will capture $12.6 billion in ad revenue by 2012 according to a new report from Parks Associates, with broadband revenues accounting for more than $6.6 billion of that total.