JUMP!!!: THE MOMA NYC
When asked what I did this weekend, I’m happy to respond, “Ah, you know. I went to the MoMa with some friends, jumped in front of some art. . .”
Why you ask?
Well, it happens that I was inspired by something that a dear friend sent me via e-mail about a month ago. Let’s just call her Nita. Nita sent me an e-mail with a link to an amazing web site: http://jumpinginartmuseums.blogspot.com . Being a girl who likes to jump and be photographed doing it, I found this site intriguing.
So, what’s a fellow blogger to do? I e-mailed the site mistress Allison, explained to her my intentions of planning a jumping excursion in my home city of NYC and asked if she would post. She responded hell yeah and warned me about the MoMa security guards.
Hence, Jump!!! came to be this past Saturday at the MoMa. We jumped for hours and I have joint issues to prove it. We were microcelebrities for a few hours inspiring a gathering of paparazzi to take our pictures and watchers to laugh out loud. It felt good. It felt like we had truly inspired happiness in the few passers by that day.
So what did I learn? Apart from the fact that some of my friends have cheerleading background, I learned that the power of the internet comes not only from the ability to consume, but from the ability to create as well. And given the power to create, its amazing what we come up with. For a gallery of the remaining photos, click here. I’ve sent the photos off to Jumping in Art Museums and hope to see the photos posted in a few weeks there as well. I’ll update when I have that link and post here. Big thanks to all of my crazy jumping bean friends for producing some really amazing photos. You guys rock.
Live it loud.
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
Disney CEO Bob Iger is “ensuring a bright future” for the media giant, according to a Barron’s cover story. Only 22% of Disney’s revenue is from reception-vulnerable advertising. (http://online.barrons.com/article/SB120372700801387237.html 2/25)
CEO Bob Iger and Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana)
Viacom and Disney, which distributed best-picture winner “No Country for Old Men,” won seven Oscars each at the 80th Academy Awards on Sunday night, the most of the major studios. Films from Universal won five, Time Warner won four and News Corp. won two. Sony Corp. took home one. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aqF3X8LdElDY 2/24)
No Country For Old Men
ABC and Cox cable systems are establishing an on-demand video service that will allow viewers to watch ABC shows like “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” any time they choose. Viewers, however, will not be able to fast-forward through the commercials. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/business/media/25abc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 2/25)
NBC and Universal Media Studios will not pull the plug on its script orders for the 2008-09 season, scripts the writers didn’t have a chance to deliver before the strike was called. This is contrary to the announcements from other broadcast networks who pulled back on dozens of early script orders.
Sci Fi Channel’s “Ghost Hunters International,” the spinoff of the popular “Ghost Hunters” series, averaged 2.1 million viewers and 1.6 million households during its seven-episode first season, according to Nielsen Media Research. Sci Fi executives said the show was No. 1 in its time slot among adults 18 to 49 and 25 to 54. (Multichannel News 2/23)
A handful of CBS scheduling notes:
- CBS will debut the pilot of Dexter, the Showtime drama about a forensics expert who happens to be a serial killer, on February 17 at 10p.
- Power of 10 comes off the CBS schedule effective immediately, and will replace the time period with a variety of sitcoms (all repeats), reports Variety. Look for Power of 10 to return this summer.
- Price is Right returns to primetime with Drew Carey, starting Friday, February 22 at 8p. That scheduling move will push Ghost Whisperer back to 9p, and Moonlight goes on hiatus.
TBS will introduce its new BITCOMS this month to compliment its line-up of comedies. A BITCOM is a :30 commercial adjacency within sitcoms on TBS, each including an original stand-up routine that also integrates an advertiser, followed by a :30 commercial from the sponsor. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! will begin its BITCOMS this week during Everybody Loves Raymond.
Starz Entertainment signed deals with five major studios for new film content including exclusive first-run output agreements with Disney-ABC Domestic Television and Sony Pictures Television until 2012 and 2013 respectively. Other deals comprised of movie library acquisitions from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, MGM Worldwide Television Group and Universal Pictures which will provide nearly 1,200 films and TV series. The agreements also give Starz Entertainment the ability to offer content on multiple distribution outlets including its 16 linear channels, HD, Starz On Demand, Starz Play and Vongo.
TNT has ordered up ten episodes of a new project from Steven Bochco called Raising the Bar, produced by ABC Studios and Bochco Media. The legal drama stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Ruben and Jane Kaczmarek, about a public defender looking to help the down trodden.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will hold a special hearing today at Harvard Law School to review charges that Comcast deliberately slowed down the file-sharing traffic of the users of BitTorrent. Critics call Comcast’s action a “disaster for free speech.” (http://news.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1075209 2/22)
Cablevision is quietly working with Bear Stearns on ways to enhance shareholder value, including putting a value on AMC and IFC parent Rainbow Media ahead of a possible sale, as well as drawing up a list of Web sites and music venues for potential acquisitions. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/02252008/business/dolans_designs_99163.htm 2/25)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Some analysts say that the $40 billion Microsoft is prepared to pay to acquire Yahoo might be better spent in other ways. Driving the view is the perception that Yahoo is a “dying business.” Also, a combined Microsoft-Yahoo still might not be an effective challenger to Google. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/02242008/business/microsoft_holders__yahoo__40b_a_joke_99003.htm 2/24)
Two Detroit pension funds are suing Yahoo, accusing the company of breaching its fiduciary duty by trying to squash a deal with Microsoft. “Yahoo’s ‘Just Say No to Microsoft’ approach” does not represent a “good faith focus on maximizing shareholder value,” the lawsuit says. (http://www.thestreet.com/s/pension-funds-sue-yahoo-over-microsoft-offer/newsanalysis/technet/10404683.html 2/22)
News Corp.’s Fox Interactive Media is rumored to be in negotiations with Microsoft take Google’s place as the advertising partner on MySpace. Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s recent thinly veiled “buyer’s remorse” reportedly angered execs at News Corp. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/02/25/fox-exploring-termination-of-google-advertising-deal 2/25)
A deadline for Google to turn over documents in Viacom’s $1 billion copyright lawsuit against the Web search leader is being extended by two months by a federal judge. Google’s attorneys say they are wading through 4.5 million documents: “It’s a daunting task.” (http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2262726720080223 2/22)
As Google looks to monetize YouTube, television could be the next industry to become Internet roadkill. If Google succeeds in marrying advertising to online video, broadcasters could find themselves in a bind similar to newspaper publishers. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120389566416389289.html 2/25)
Seattle-based Getty Images struck a deal with Lionsgate to license its library of film scores and soundtracks to third parties, beginning with the score for 3:10 to Yuma and followed by music from Madmen, Weeds, Crash and Monster’s Ball. The deal is the first in what Gettyimages.com hopes will be an expansion of its commercial music platform, already strong in alternative music.
Go to AOL‘s fashion site Stylelist.com today for Joan and Melissa Rivers post-Oscar video commentary on who wore what and how well they wore it.
Sports Illustrated says its multimedia Swimsuit edition garnered more than 228 million page views during its first 10 days online (an increase of 41% from 2007). The digital spread set new standards for traffic, engagement (over 6 minutes per user), page views per user (31) and overall unique visitors (5.4 million), according to internal Omniture figures. New features include a mash-up tool that allows users to mix images of 4 or their favorite models.
CBS is reporting an increase of 92% in monthly uniques for its music-themed social networking site Last.fm since the site launched its free on demand music service, supplied by all 4 major music labels. CBS claims Last.fm now receives more than 21 million users worldwide per month.
I take any opportunity to promote my favorite artist.
Veteran media exec Dean Valentine is unveiling Comedy.com, a new comedy Web site that promises to house the largest jokes database on the Internet, as well as a slate of original stand-up comedy performances. The site is being funded by the San Francisco-based Walden VC. (http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=UPN022208.htm 2/22)
Their tag line: Your daily dose of funny. Really?!?! That’s the best they’ve got. Immediate thumbs down from me and I didn’t even have to watch the content. Don’t say I’m being judgmental. A site only has a few seconds to grab a consumer before she clicks away to somewhere else on the interweb.
Adobe Systems’ new AIR software will let people access their PC data when they are away from their desk, not only blurring the line between PCs and the Internet but also between PCs and smartphones. AIR faces significant competition as it is part of a wave of new software that moves information off the desktop and into the Internet through a browser. (The New York Times 2/25)
Filed under: WIRELESS
On-demand media solutions developer Akoo International’s m-Venue platform enables customers to use their mobile handsets to activate in-store entertainment and marketing, such as music, sports and fashion videos, in exchange for freebies. Akoo has teamed up with Universal Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Fashion TV for content clips. “This is the only digital out-of-home billboard network that’s fully interactive with mobile phones,” Akoo marketing vice president Andy Stankiewicz said. (The New York Times 2/25)
Six months after Facebook came out with a version of its social network for the iPhone, LinkedIn is finally coming around to releasing a mobile version of its own. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/02/24/linkedin-goes-mobile%e2%80%94finally 2/24)
Deborah Taylor Tate, a commissioner with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, says the agency is looking into how its indecency regulations could extend to content on mobile devices. Parents “want safe places for their children to play in the online world,” she says. (http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=141144 2/22)
The New York Times Co. is launching ShifD, an application that enables users to seamlessly shift content between their computers and mobile devices. Says Times exec Michael Zimbalist: “We see a future for device-independent media, with convergence around the user experience.” (http://www.rttnews.com/sp/breakingnews.asp?date=02/25/2008&item=14 2/25)
A new plug-in for Research in Motion’s BlackBerry users will convert voice mail into text for about $10 a year. SpinVox said its service carried a 97% accuracy rate and worked with all voice mail systems. (vnunet.com 2/25)
Filed under: GAMING
Video game giant Electronic Arts on Sunday made an unsolicited $1.9 billion offer for “Grand Theft Auto” publisher Take-Two Interactive Software. Take-Two immediately rejected the offer. The moves follow months of speculation that Take-Two would be acquired by Viacom or News Corp. (http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSWEN407520080225 2/25)
Grand Theft Auto IV
Microsoft officials have discontinued production of the company’s HD DVD players, which were sold as add-on components for its popular Xbox 360 gaming console. Microsoft will continue to offer warranty support to the estimated 300,000 customers that purchased the players. (The New York Times/Associated Press 2/24, Bloomberg 2/25, CNET 2/24)
Sony reportedly plans to set up an open platform to enable in-game advertising networks such as IGA and Double Fusion to place dynamic ads on PlayStation 3 titles. (Advertising Age 2/25)
Game developers will seek to duplicate The Nintendo Wii’s motion-sensitive experience as more than half of the top 10 titles last year did not use traditional controller technology. This year’s huge hit could be the “Wii Fit,” a package of fitness games that replicate such physical outdoor activities as skiing and mountain climbing. (Forbes 2/24)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
Downloading high-definition films and other content will pose a serious threat to the Blu-ray disc as the next-generation technology to replace DVDs, according to market researchers iSuppli and Gartner. They said that physical distribution of media may become obsolete because of the ease of buying content through such services as iTunes and Amazon.com. (Macworld 2/25)
Filed under: MISC
Massachusetts could take a major step toward becoming Hollywood East under a proposal to build a $200 million movie production complex near Boston. Seeking to persuade the state to expand existing tax credits, a team of Hollywood moguls will meet with local lawmakers this week. (http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1075580 2/24)
