Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Cable television, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, New York Times, Television, Television movie, Television network, Television program
Anyone who watches TV during the summer months knows network TV does not have much to offer in terms of quality. But on cable, according to this analysis, networks including — but certainly not limited to — TNT, AMC and Disney Channel are just beginning to hit their strides with fresh episodes of shows such as “The Closer,” “Mad Men” and made-for-TV movies such as “Camp Rock.” The New York Times (6/26)
Television and film are absorbing recent lessons (the writers’ strike, strides in cable, reality programs, expanded viewer options) as they assess their schedules.
Bravo’s popular “Real Housewives” series, which has had stops on the West and East coasts, will now turn south … to Atlanta. The NBC Universal cable network will present a preview episode of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” at midnight Eastern time July 30. (Broadcasting & Cable 6/26)
Comedian Katt Williams is expected to sign a deal with Comedy Central for a sketch comedy series pilot and a special, reports Variety. Katt’s current comedy tour, “It’s Pimpin’ Pimpin’ will conclude July 4 in Las Vegas, and the special was shot during the Washington, D.C. tour stop. (Cynopsis 6/27)
CBS Corporation will finalize its tender offer for all remaining shares of common stock of CNET Networks, Inc. The deal will be complete in the next several business days and in the end, CBS will own about 78% of the outstanding shares of CNET common stock. (Cynopsis 6/27)
Charter Communications, which last month began offering gasoline gift cards to subscribers who sign up for additional services such as broadband or telephony, has increased its online conversion rate 27% since the start of the promotion. The gift cards come in $25, $50 and $100 denominations, depending on the number of services added. (The Hollywood Reporter 6/26)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Arts, FNMTV, Lil Mama, MTV, Music, Music Video, Myspace, Pete Wentz
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
MySpace unveiled the open standard MySpace Data Availability Project, allowing third party developers to build applications that place user profile information on outside sites and automatically notify friends and family when profiles are updated. (More details here.) (Cynopsis 6/27)
MTV is starting to allow fans to post their own versions of music videos on the Web. The Viacom music channel’s new “FNMTV” show airs new videos every Friday night and invites viewers to go online to comment on them and upload their reinterpretations at MTV.com. (http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2635572920080626 6/26)
Below is an example of a fan reviewing Lil Mama’s new video, I’m What It Is (Strike a Pose). Review aside, I’m mesmerized by whatever is going on on top of this poor boy’s head. Scary. I can’t believe MTV just got around to doing this but I love the direction none the less.
SouthParkStudios.com is providing a glimpse behind the magic that goes into creating SouthPark, including raw animation footage, storyboard sequences and production art. While you’re at it check out the new Scene Mixer mash-up tool. (Cynopsis 6/27)
NBC.com is expected to generate “tens of millions” of dollars in revenue next year, according to NBC Universal exec John Eck, speaking at a PricewaterhouseCoopers media conference in New York. The Web site is “a business that didn’t exist a few years ago.” (http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN2630161320080627 6/26)
YouTube is growing in popularity, but owner Google is yet to figure out how to make money from the video-sharing site. YouTube may seek direct response affiliate deals and make products clickable within videos, says CEO Chad Hurley, speaking at a dinner in Palo Alto, Calif. (http://newteevee.com/2008/06/26/hurley-youtube-looking-for-affiliate-revenue-streams 6/26)
Microsoft agreed to buy both Portuguese mobile software creator MobiComp and (according to VentureBeat) Silicon Valley-based semantic search engine Powerset on Thursday. (No purchase prices were announced.) MobiComp designs contact and calendar suites for handsets as well as social networking plug-ins for sites such as Facebook. Powerset has developed an algorithm that gleans meaning from phrases or partial sentences. One of Powerset’s most popular tools so far is an iPhone app that speeds information retrieval from Wikipedia. (Cynopsis 6/27)
Time Inc. plans to launch Maghound.com, a Netflix-like service for magazines, in September. Maghound will allow consumers to choose titles from different publishers for “subscriptions” where they pay one monthly fee and have the ability to switch magazines at any time. (http://www.foliomag.com/2008/maghound-com-set-debut-september 6/26)
Addressable-advertising solutions being developed by Time Warner Cable will allow the company’s subscribers to see an ad during a show, get more information on the product being advertised and then return to the program. Steve Riedl, one of the company’s leaders in addressable-advertising technologies, said at the Cable-Tec Expo that interactive applications like this added benefit to the subscriber’s experience and to the company’s bottom line. (CED Magazine 6/2008)
Citing data from Hitwise, PBS.org claims it is beating out the 6 commercial broadcast websites in the U.S. in terms of unique visits. PBS.org launched a major search optimization initiative and underwent a major redesign earlier this year, upgrading to a cleaner look and adding hours of new and archived video content. (Cynopsis 6/27)
Top Visited US Broadcast Network TV Websites (Week ending June 21, 2008)
Rank Network Website Market Share of Visits
1 PBS www.pbs.org 24.23%
2 ABC www.abc.com 19.35%
3 NBC www.nbc.com 17.85%
4 CBS www.cbs.com 17.69%
5 FOX* www.fox.com 17.32%
6 The CW www.cwtv.com 3.33%
7 MyNetworkTV www.mynetworktv.com .24%
Source: Custom report from Hitwise, *includes traffic aggregated from stand alone websites americanidol.com, amw.com, familyguy.com, thelot.com and thesimpsons.com
Despite the continued proliferation of video portals on the web, YouTube increased its market share of unique visits from 60% to 75% of the online video marketplace during the last year according to panel-based Hitwise. (Cynopsis 6/27)
Top 5 Online Video Websites ranked by Market Share of U.S. Visits
Rank Name May-08 May-07 Percent Change
1 YouTube 75.43% 59.95% 26%
2 MySpaceTV 9.01% 16.06% -44%
3 Google Video 3.73% 7.80% -52%
4 Yahoo! Video 1.92% 2.77% -31%
5 Veoh 1.13% 0.86% 32%
Source: Hitwise
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: 3G iPhone, Apple Inc, Customer service, FAQs Help and Tutorials, Handhelds, iPhone, News and Media, Smartphones
Apple store drones, PR agents and customer service reps are being as tight-lipped as can be regarding details of the 3G iPhone leading up to the July 11 launch. Apple has actually distributed a 3-page document to sales personnel instructing employees not to gossip about features or, under any circumstances, hold an iPhone for a customer, according to Apple Insider. A report issued yesterday from FBR Capital claims Apple has already upped its chip orders for the iPhone to more than 15 million units. (Cynopsis 6/27)
Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Console Platforms, GAME, MacBook Air, Nintendo, UK, United Kingdom, Video game, Wii Fit
Teen-targeted online virtual world Habbo celebrated a milestone this week, surpassing the 100 millionth avatar created. A UK user created #100 million and was rewarded with a real-life Macbook Air (in addition to a bunch of virtual booty, including cash, and a Habbo room made especially for the occasion.) (Cynopsis 6/27)
Don’t tell your children, but companies are increasingly putting out video games that are good for you: They are aimed at keeping people healthy by helping them quit smoking, lose weight and exercise more. The huge success of Nintendo’s “Wii Fit” is the most recent example of the trend that gaming developers say is backed up by research that shows people respond better when they are actively and enjoyably engaged in learning how to change bad habits. (The New York Times/Reuters 6/26)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Bill Gates, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, High-Definition Multimedia Interface, Microsoft, Sony, Television, Video
Today, Bill Gates is retiring as an employee of Microsoft to focus on his philanthropic foundation. More than any other single person, Gates defined the PC era. His products touch nearly every computer user on the planet. And he created what is still the biggest technology wealth machine in Microsoft. But now that he is leaving, who will fill his shoes? (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/27/who-will-fill-bill-gates-shoes 6/27)
Sony will begin streaming movies to its Bravia LCD TV sets as part of a new strategy to link electronics products to one another and the Web. The company said it would introduce video downloading across a broad array of its platforms, including TVs, PCs, music players and video game devices over the next three years while building network and wireless features into almost all of its product categories. (The Times (London) 6/27, The Wall Street Journal 6/27)
Sony has brought out three audio/video receivers designed for upscale home theaters as part of its “Elevated Standard” lineup. Priced at $800 to $1,500, the STR-DA4400ES, STR-DA3400ES and STR-DA2400ES models all support 1080/24p video signals and feature up-to-date audio codecs and technology for upscaling video sources to 1080p through HDMI connectors to compatible HD sets, Sony said. (TWICE 6/26)
Dell has launched its Studio line of laptops, which fit snugly between the low-cost Insperion and the top-shelf XPS. The Studio 15 has a 15.4-inch monitor and sells for about $800, and the Studio 17 has a 17-inch screen and retails for about $1,000; both come in seven color options. (InfoWorld/IDG News Service 6/26)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Academy Awards, Arts, California, HBO, James Gandolfini, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Sopranos, Tony Soprano
Twenty-five outfits worn by James Gandolfini in HBO’s The Sopranos were sold at a Christie’s charity auction yesterday which raised $187,750 for Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit that helps wounded soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. James Gandolfini attended the auction (which may have helped encourage the bidding) and vouched the outfits were genuine. What took the top bid? The ensemble Tony Soprano wore when he was shot by Uncle Junior went for a cool $43,750. (Cynopsis 6/26)
MTV’s season two debut of Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew on June 19 (10p) delivered a 2.3 P12-34 rating and averaged more than 2.3 million total viewers. (Cynopsis 6/26)
VH1′s “Critics’ Choice Awards” show has been scheduled for Jan. 8 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California. The annual event typically is seen as the first indication of how the Academy Awards field will shape up in the new year. (TVWeek.com 6/25)
While younger audiences drive growth in digital and mobile media, consumers over the age of 50 continue to devote “significant attention” to the more traditional formats, says a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The growing 50+ population will “help sustain” traditional media. (http://blogs.mediapost.com/research_brief/?p=1737 6/25)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Access Providers, Arts, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Google, Myspace, New York, Television, Time Warner Cable
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
MySpace, NBC News and MSNBC.com are running a contest among MySpace users seeking reporters to cover this summer’s U.S. political conventions. The contest is open to anyone over the age 18 who submits a short video answering questions such as: “Why do you vote?” (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia3615a89aeb51bb8b60a6fd408faeccf 6/26)
Google, which turns 10 later this year, is focusing on blending new media with new technologies for search queries, such as mobile phones, company execs say. The search giant plans to “offer more content than anyone else,” not just Web pages but also news, video and images. (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080626/NEWS09/806260355 6/26)
The trailer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Josh Wheaton’s 40 minute internet musical series Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog popped up on Vimeo . It stars Neil Patrick (Doogie Howser) Harris. (Cynopsis 6/26)
Professional actor in online content. I dig.
Trailer
Robert Zitter, HBO‘s chief technology officer, says the company will be more likely to expand its HBO on Broadband video service on the high-speed networks of cable providers with which it already has carriage agreements. So far, the service is available to customers of Time Warner Cable in Milwaukee and Green Bay. (OneTRAK 6/25)
Oil Press signed a deal with online production house 60Frames to create a series of web and print-based comic books beginning with Men with Guns: Assassin created by Tom Fontana (Oz, Homicide) and Ark from Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah (Freaks and Geeks, the Beverly Hills 90210 redux.) (Cynopsis 6/26)
NBC signed on to become the first broadcast network to release its show-specific demographic data for the shows it streams online measured through Nielsen Online’s VideoCensus, beginning in July. So far broadcast networks have kept this data close to the vest. (Cynopsis 6/26, http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/nbc-issue-show-specific-stream-data/story.aspx?guid=%7BB95C031F-1778-4E09-9CF6-311EEA8DA06C%7D 6/25)
As part of its VivaKi initiative (see below) Publicis announced it will create a buying tool compatible with Google’s DoubleClick, Yahoo’s Right Media Exchange, AOL’s Platform-A and Microsoft’s systems to help clients buy individual slices of audiences without having to go to each portal separately. (Cynopsis 6/26)
As Gay Pride events wrap up across the country this week, MTV’s Logo launched a new site devoted to celebrating Gay Pride, sponsored by Southwest Airlines and NYC & Company. The centerpiece of the site is The Pride Guide, featuring sponsored videos, guides to local events, photo albums and Pride-themed Logo programming. (Cynopsis 6/26)
Check out TubeMogul’s latest top 40 video provider list, which measures views of syndicated online video productions across top video sharing sites. (Cynopsis 6/26)
Next New Networks announced additional distribution deals with Yahoo, Hulu and Metacafe. Both Yahoo and Metacafe will offer access to NNN’s entire line up of web programming while Hulu will begin with 6 shows including BarelyPolitical, (starring Obama Girl) DIY fashion show Threadbanger and daily car vlog Fast Lane Daily. (Cynopsis 6/26)
The BBC’s high profile video streaming efforts have helped make online video viewing as common as taking afternoon tea in the UK, according to comScore’s latest Video Metrix report from across the pond. More than 80% of the UK users viewed video in March, watching a combined 172 million hours. BBC sites were second only to Google’s, of course. YouTube UK’s 20.5 million uniques watched nearly 1.7 billion videos (That’s an average of 47.3 videos/user.) (Cynopsis 6/26)
Top U.K. Online Video Properties Ranked by Total Unique Viewers – March 2008
Property Total Uniques (000) Ave. Videos Per Viewer
Total Internet 27,406 127.7
Google Sites 20,727 81.1
BBC Sites 6,318 6.7
Fox Interactive Media 5,450 5.5
Microsoft Sites 4,821 5.2
Yahoo! Sites 3,720 5.4
Viacom Digital 2,272 6.0
DailyMotion.com 1,773 8.8
Disney Online 1,603 8.7
FACEBOOK.COM 1,560 3.3
Metacafe 1,556 8.4
Source: comScore Video Metrix Rankings based on video content sites; excludes video server networks. Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video.
