Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Battlestar Galactica, Jeffrey Zucker, NBC Universal, Philippe Dauman, Sci Fi, Sci Fi Channel, Science fiction, Television
Speaking at a news conference in New Orleans at the opening of The Cable Show,Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman told reporters that he’s having “good conversations” with cable companies about carrying the pay-TV channel being developed by Paramount, MGM and Lions Gate. Dauman jokingly said that he kept a blank contract sheet for the upcoming venture in his pocket, just in case executives such as Comcast’s Brian Roberts have a pen that’s ready to write. (The Hollywood Reporter 5/19)
Sci Fi Channel has effectively expanded the boundaries of the science fiction genre and, not incidentally, the channel’s role in parent NBC Universal‘s global strategy. “For an international standpoint, we really have two global brands. We have CNBC … and Sci Fi,” said NBCU Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Zucker. “Business is universal. And science fiction is such a well-known global genre.” (The New York Times 5/19)
“Battlestar Galactica” is one of the Sci Fi Channel’s biggest hits.
Time Warner chairman Dick Parsons says he will probably step down after this year, a move that will allow CEO Jeff Bewkes to take over the position at the world’s biggest media company. “I am leaving the company in good hands,” says Parsons at Time Warner’s annual meeting in Atlanta. (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=admbfjxH4tAU 5/16)
Comcast agreed to carry linear network MGM HD across its footprint and offer MGM HD movie titles to customers via VOD. The service draws from MGM’s library of over 4,100 films. Additionally, Multichannel News report MGM HD also landed a deal with Time Warner, its fourth cable carriage deal in addition to Comcast, Dish Network (both signed this week) and DirecTV. (Cynopsis 5/19)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Barry Diller, Facebook, Google, Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft, Searching, World Wide Web, Yahoo
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Barry Diller‘s soon-to-split-up Internet outfit IAC/InterActiveCorp has created minimal value, analysts say. A new property, FiLife.com, a financial site joint venture with Dow Jones, is floundering and may never see an official launch. Diller seems “less a visionary and more a spastic dealmaker.” (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://www.portfolio.com/executives/features/2008/05/12/Barry-Diller-Profile 6/08)
Traditional media companies appear to be accelerating their acquisitions of Web startups. Recent deals include CBS-CNET and Comcast-Plaxo. The ascent of Google is said to have “forced old media companies to realize they must act immediately or lose relevance in the Internet space.” (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://www.news.com/8301-10787_3-9946149-60.html 5/16)
Microsoft is issuing another proposal to Yahoo that calls for a transaction, but does not involve the acquisition of all of Yahoo’s assets. The software giant is believed to be seeking to sell advertisements to be displayed next to Yahoo search results, in an effort to take on Google. (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9946767-7.html 5/18)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he wants to meet with Google and work out the privacy issues that caused his site to block the search giant’s new Friend Connect, which allows Web sites to add social-networking functions. “They launched that without asking us,” he says. (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/19/Facebook-CEO-wants-to-talk-with-Google-on-Friend-Connect_1.html 5/19)
When it comes to Web video, CBS has been one of the most promiscuous media companies out there. CBS has taken a strategy of superdistribution when it comes to spreading its videos across the Web. It wants its videos everywhere. Thus CBS has struck distribution deals with more than 300 sites—including YouTube, AOL, MSN, Joost, Veoh, Bebo,and TVGuide.com. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/17/cbs-centralizes-its-superdistribution-of-videos-on-the-web 5/17)
Scripps Networks — which owns cable networks such as HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network and Fine Living — will supply YouTube video clips from the channels and sell advertising to support them. The deal, which begins today, includes shows such as “Design on a Dime” and “What You Get for the Money” from HGTV as well as recipe demonstrations from chefs on the Food Network. (TVWeek.com 5/18)
Adobe announced the public beta of a new flash player, featuring improved 3D graphics and a P2P file sharing architecture that helps transmit large HD files by utilizing the bandwidth of hundreds of users. The solution could be a breakthrough for digital media distributors looking to stream more HD content without paying exorbitant Content Delivery Network fees. (Cynopsis 5/19)
Fox International Channels’Fox Networks launched Worthnet.Fox, a vertical ad network targeting international consumers of financial news and investment advice online. (Cynopsis 5/19, http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1640790620080519 5/19)
Conde Nast is acquiring Malden, MA.-based tech blog Ars Technica for around $25 million, reports TechCruch, to go along with earlier acquisitions in the space Wired.com and Reddit. (Cynopsis 5/19, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/business/media/19carr.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 5/19)
Time Warner’s AOL is completing its acquisition of Bebo, the global social media network, which will form the centerpiece of AOL’s newly created People Networks business unit. People Networks will integrate AOL’s other applications and tools, including chat and e-mail into Bebo. (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080519/aol_bebo.html 5/19)
Time Warner’s AOL brand is taking a back seat as the company long associated with dial-up Internet access launches dozens of Web sites targeted at specialized audiences, such as the new Asylum.com for young men. The AOL brand is seen as “out of date; probably a kiss of death.” (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080517/aol_unbranding.html 5/17)
Just a few months after the bomb that was NBC’s “Quarterlife” appeared to kill the idea that the Web could foster TV development, ABC is announcing plans to pick up for midseason “In the Motherhood,” a mom-targeted series produced by MindShare Entertainment for MSN. (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/digital-downloads/broadband/e3i9b83c368b14067226eef9f9bc536bb64 5/19)
Online ad spending surpassed $21 billion last year according to a new report from the IAB and PricewaterhouseCoopers, an increase of 26% from 2006. Search remained the dominant category accounting for 41% of spending, almost double what display claimed (21%). Digital video ad dollars accounted for about 2% of the overall pie. (Cynopsis 5/19)
A new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds the internet has very little effect on purchasing decisions compared to traditional influences. For those who bought music during past year, 83% said they learned about it from the radio, television or movies, compared to 56% who said they discovered it using online tools and resources. Just 22% of all music buyers said their most recent purchase was online (either a digital download or ordering a compact disc), while 74% said their most recent purchase was at a store. Among a smaller set of music buyers using the internet to find out about music, one-third said their most recent purchase was online. (Cynopsis 5/19)
Nielsen Online’s Parent Company rankings for April confirm Google‘s rise, although the unique audience numbers differ from ComScore’s figures by almost 13 million uniques. Time Warner Sites led in the stickiness category, with users spending an average of 3 hours and 40 minutes on the sites during April. (Cynopsis 5/19)
Top 10 Web Sites by Parent Company Combined Home & Work (U.S.) – April 2008
Rank Parent Unique Audience (000) Time Spent Per Person (hh:mm:ss)
1 Google 128,188 1:46:39
2 Microsoft 122,059 2:17:01
3 Yahoo! 117,065 3:08:40
4 Time Warner 105,566 3:40:04
5 News Corp. 76,453 1:49:21
6 eBay 67,047 1:52:41
7 InterActiveCorp 64,098 0:21:27
8 Wikimedia Found. 56,259 0:17:51
9 Amazon 55,677 0:26:30
10 Disney 49,721 0:43:05
Source: Nielsen Online
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Business and Economy, Mobile, Mobile phone, Nokia, Nokia Nseries, Services, Telecommunications, United Kingdom
Nokia has introduced Nokia XpressPrint, a service that enables owners of compatible N-series cell phones to print directly from the device, the company said. Alternatively, they can print photos, photo books and gifts from a Web site. (Pocket-lint.co.uk 5/16)
Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Basketball, Electronic Arts, Gameloft, NBA, NBA Playoffs, Professional, Sports, Takeover
Electronic Arts, which has failed to attract majority support from Take-Two shareholders for its hostile takeover bid, has announced that it will extend the deadline for its offer. EA said it believed that regulatory approval of the takeover would fuel shareholder acceptance, but many analysts say they believe the offer is too low. (The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires 5/19)
In the midst of the NBA playoffs, Gameloft has reached a deal with the NBA to develop and distribute two games for the mobile market, simulation and arcade-style titles. “NBA Smash!” will be available this month, while the 5-on-5 simulation game will hit the market in September. (GameDaily BIZ 5/16)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Displays, LG, LG Display, LG Group, Liquid crystal display, Samsung, Samsung Group, The Korea Times
Samsung has unveiled an 82-inch LCD panel that a company executive termed the “optimal display for future TVs.” The display, which one report described as “massive,” has a resolution of 3820×2160 pixels — for a total screen resolution of 8.3 megapixels — and is said to be four times better than today’s 1080p TVs. (TG Daily 5/18, The Korea Times 5/18)
LG Display is likely to begin operating next year a new $960 million production line for LCDs, CEO Kwon Young-Soo told analysts last week. The move by the world’s No. 2 LCD maker concerns analysts and investors who say it could cause a glut of the screens in the market. (The Wall Street Journal 5/19)
Large-screen LCD shipments slipped 1.6% in April, to 36.6 million units, a 29.7% annual increase, fueled largely by the information-technology segment, according to LCD researchers WitsView. The firm reported that the TV segment shipped 7.8 million units, a 2.9% decline as demand remained weak for LCDs at 40 inches and above. (Smarthouse 5/19)
With plans to sell Blu-ray players for under $300 this month, Wal-Mart will become a low-cost purveyor of the device, which has failed to gain traction among mass-market consumers largely because of their high price. Wal-Mart will sell a Profile 1.1 Funai player under the “Magnavox” brand with picture-in-picture functionality. Best Buy is expected to offer the player under the Insignia brand for about $350, beginning in July. (Pocket-lint.co.uk 5/19)
