Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Arts, Mark Wahlberg, New York City, Rob Weiss, Sci Fi Channel, Stephen Levinson, Sundance Channel, Television
The premiere of season #3 of Sci Fi Channel‘s original series Eureka debuted on Tuesday night at 9p and delivered 2.808 million total viewers. In the key demos, Eureka deliver 1.426 A25-54, and 1.301 million A18-49. That makes this premiere episode the most watched performance of the series since its series premiere in July 2006, and made it the #1 cable program for the day among A25-54. (Cynopsis 7/31)
New HBO project called How to Make it In America, focused on a group of 20-somethings out to make it big in New York City. Executive producing the project are Stephen Levinson, Ian Edelman who will also write the script, Mark Wahlberg and Rob Weiss. (Cynopsis 7/31)
Prior to the launch on its linear channel, Sundance Channel will bring six new films from the upcoming season of Asia Extreme to Sundance Channel on Demand, beginning tomorrow. Asia Extreme showcases the work of innovative filmmakers in a variety of genre movies – crime, thrillers, sci fi, comedies, etc. The six films are Old Boy (revenge/thriller), The Ghost of Mae Nek (ghost story), The Maid (horror), The President’s Last Bang (thriller), Re-Cycle (thriller), The Red Shoes (thriller). (Cynopsis 7/31)
I’m pointing this out, being that Old Boy is one of my favorite movies of all time. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out Park Chan Wook’s trilogy on revenge, of which Old Boy is a part, I strongly suggest it. A cinematic masterpiece.
Discovery Channel has ordered six one-hour episodes of a series tentatively titled “Doing Da Vinci.” The premise of the show will be to actually construct the designs found in the Italian artist’s sketchbooks. The Hollywood Reporter (7/31)
Citing higher ad revenue and affiliate payments, ESPN reported that its profit rose 9% in its fiscal third quarter, which ended June 28. The sports network and its Web sites helped fuel parent Walt Disney Co. to overall revenue and net income gains of 2% and 8.5%, respectively. The New York Times (7/31) , Financial Times (7/30) , OneTRAK (7/30)
Comcast, the country’s largest cable company, added 555,000 telephony customers and 278,000 broadband subscribers during a second quarter in which total revenue was up 11%, to $8.55 billion, and net income was $632 million, or 8% greater than the comparable period in 2007. The news sent Comcast shares 4.6% higher, to $20.07. 
ClipSyndicate/Bloomberg (7/30) , The New York Times/Associated Press (7/31) , The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (7/31)
Cox Communications has announced it inked a carriage deal for the 2010 Winter and the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which will be covered by NBC Universal. The agreement extends the relationship between the two companies: Cox said earlier this week that it would provide some of its systems enhanced coverage of the Beijing Summer Games, which also are being presented by NBCU. Multichannel News (7/30)
Viewers with digital video recorders don’t fast-forward through advertising nearly as often when they perceive the ad to be relevant, according to new research by DVR maker TiVo. The study showed, for example, that households with kids 12 and younger were 22% more likely to watch a toy or game ad. Adweek (7/30) , CNET (7/30)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Anne Wojcicki, Copyright infringement, Dark Knight, Google, Motion Picture Association of America, Sergey Brin, Time Warner, YouTube
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
The WSJ is reporting that Google is set to launch a venture fund to give it the option of investing in startups instead of just flat out buying them. The fund will be led by Google’s SVP Corporate Development David Drummond and Bill Maris, a long time business friend of Anne Wojcicki, Sergey Brin’s wife. Maris is a tech entrepreneur with a degree in neuroscience and worked with Wojcicki at a San Francisco-based for-profit company called Catalytic Health. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/30/google-to-launch-venture-fund 7/30)
Indicating increased interest in video customization, YouTube purchased video mashup/presentation toolmaker Omnisio in a rare acquisition. Omnisio enables users to select clips from multiple sites, post them on a profile page then superimpose comments. (Cynopsis 7/31)
The Motion Picture Association of America is filing a lawsuit against FOMDB.com and MovieRumor.com, claiming that the two sites “profit from massive copyright infringement.” Both sites offer free streams of recently released films, including Time Warner‘s “Batman: The Dark Knight.” (http://www.informationweek.com/news/management/legal/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209900532 7/30)
Sci Fi is trying to generate buzz as well as viewer engagement for its new “Eureka” show by creating a Twitter.com account for an artificially intelligent talking house named S.A.R.A.H. The house plays a key role on the series, and more than 1,000 viewers have signed up to receive the updates from S.A.R.A.H. Adweek (7/30)
Apple, which most recently updated its iTunes software on the day before the debut of the new iPhone, came out with yet another upgrade Wednesday night. The company said that version 7.7.1 “includes fixes to improve stability and performance.” Macworld (7/30)
Mygazines.com, a new Web site that enables users to “share” popular consumer magazines, is prompting threats of legal action from the Magazine Publishers of America, as well as publishers including Hearst. The service is accused of “blatant copyright infringement.” (Iwantmedia 7/31, http://www.foliomag.com/2008/another-free-peer-peer-magazine-portal-launches 7/30)
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Apple, Garmin, Global Positioning System, GPS, Microsoft, Mobile phone, Smartphone, Windows Mobile
It was revealed at WWDC that Apple would soon push out a service that allows for applications to run in the background, but in a different manner than what we’re used to with other smart phones. The Push Notification Service doesn’t run in the same manner as Windows Mobile task manager, though. The PNS connects to a server that watches the threads through a persistent IP connection that would push out notifications, so you can close out AIM, for instance, and go about your business until someone IMs you. (http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/31/apple-hands-out-push-notification-service-api-to-developers-background-apps-ftw 7/31)
Garmin, a maker of GPS devices, has pushed back the introduction of its Nuvifone cell phone from the fourth quarter of 2008 to the first half of 2009, the company said while also lowering its outlook for this year because of slowing sales for GPS devices. Garmin cited obstacles in dealing with the various individual needs of each cell phone carrier for the delay. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (subscription required) (7/31)
A Microsoft executive blamed delays in bringing some wireless products to market for falling 2 million units shy of reaching its goal of selling 20 million licenses for its Windows Mobile operating system last year. But despite the shortfall and heightened competition, the executive said, Windows Mobile still increased its share of the global mobile market. Seattle Post-Intelligencer (7/30)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Blu-ray Disc, LG Electronics, Movies, Netflix, Sony, Television, Toshiba, Wall Street Journal
TECHNOLOGY
LG Electronics will introduce a device in September that not only plays Blu-ray movies in high-definition but can also be used to stream movies from Netflix via the Internet. The LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player represents Netflix’s latest attempt to transition from a video-by-mail distribution system to an online model. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (7/31)
About 143 million digital set-top boxes were shipped globally last year, an increase of 18% over 2006, and worldwide revenue reached $14 billion, according to market-research company In-Stat. Of those 143 million, nearly 30% were digital-cable set-top boxes. Cartt News Service (subscription only) (7/30)
Looking to get into one of the hottest segments of the computer market, Sony, Toshiba and Fujitsu have announced plans to develop ultra-low-cost laptops. The trend was started by Asustek, whose EeePC sells for as little as $300 and has already spurred HP, Dell and Acer to launch their own cheap notebook PCs. Financial Times (7/30)
Dell is once again ramping up its effort to take a bigger slice of the CE pie, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reports the company is in the process of testing a digital music player. The device, if it makes it to market, is expected to have downloadable-content and content-organization features. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (7/30)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: HBO, Liza Palmer, Maggie, NBC Universal, New York Times, Rock, Summer Olympic Games, Summer Olympics
HBO has picked up a project based on the novel by Liza Palmer called Conversations with a Fat Girl. The story focuses on Maggie and her now not-so-fat friend who is getting married to a guy Maggie thinks is all wrong. Author Palmer won’t be writing any of the episodes, reports Variety. (Cynopsis 7/30)
On Aug. 24, IFC will premiere “Z Rock,” a comedy about a band that plays heavy-metal music at night and children’s birthday parties during the day. The 10-episode series will feature the actual band members of ZO2 as they perform hard-driving rock sets and then transform into the Z Brothers to entertain the kids of the rich and famous. The New York Times (7/30)
Advertising sales for NBC Universal‘s coverage of the Summer Olympics are moving so briskly that the company will soon have to hold back inventory so that it can be sold during the event, NBCU said. With the opening ceremonies set for Aug. 17, NBCU has sold 96% of its inventory during the Games, according to Seth Winter, senior vice president of sales for NBC Sports and the Olympics. Mediaweek (7/29)
MTV parent Viacom is reporting lower-than-expected advertising sales at its cable television networks, and says the short-term economic outlook is “difficult to predict.” CEO Philippe Dauman adds: “Low ratings at a few of our networks also contributed,” citing BET. (http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN2937112520080730 7/29)
DirecTV is still winning the HD race, confirming plans to add more than 30 new HD channels next month including Planet Green HD, ABC Family HD and 23 regional sports nets, bringing its total offering to 130 HD channels. DirecTV will also be the first to offer all of its HD programming in MPEG-4 coding standard and Dolby Digital audio and plans to offer HD movies in 1080p later this year. (Cynopsis 7/30)
It’s official … Cablevision now owns 97% of Newsday. Cablevision Chief Operating Officer Tom Rutledge, who will oversee the newspaper, said Cablevision now would develop a strategy to pump up Newsday’s circulation in digital forms and introduce the newspaper’s subscribers and advertisers to the cable company’s offerings. Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (7/29) , Editor & Publisher (7/29)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Google, ITunes Store, Mediaset, Nickelodeon, Silvio Berlusconi, Television, Television program, YouTube
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ESPN today is expected to announce a new online offering called ESPN Action Sports Network. The portal will serve as a hub for a collection of Web sites that focus on unconventional sports, such as surfing, skateboarding, motocross and snowboarding. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (7/30) , paidContent.org (7/29)
Nickelodeon made some of its classic TV series available via Nick Rewind, a new catalog at the iTunes Store. Nick Rewind will feature a mix of full-length episodes, seasons and best of volumes of Nick live-action and animated shows including: The Amanda Show; Clarissa Explains It All; Rocket Power; Hey Dude; Doug; and a range of other titles. (Cynopsis 7/30)
Mediaset, the media company controlled by Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, is filing a lawsuit against YouTube and its owner Google, seeking “at least” $779 million for the “illegal distribution” of its audio and video files. Some 4,600 Mediaset videos are said to be on YouTube. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aoHtEN0evdos 7/30)
EarthLink says it wants to facilitate consolidation in the Internet dial-up access market, fueling speculation that it may be eyeing a deal with Time Warner’s AOL. “It simply makes good economic sense to consolidate,” says EarthLink CEO Rolla Huff. “It’s worth aggressively pursuing.” (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121736759842294717.html 7/30)
Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp is reporting a second-quarter loss after writing down the value of certain divisions before it splits into five parts next month. The businesses IAC is keeping post-breakup increased earnings because of a new advertising contract with Google. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aSpX5M1mTrpY 7/30)
More than 20% of viewers surveyed watch some amount of primetime television programming online and half of these users are watching programming as it becomes available online, according to a new report by Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI). The other 50% are using the Web as a tool to watch past programming they have missed, or to re-watch segments of episodes they have already seen. Online viewing of a particular program was higher than DVR viewing of that same program, suggesting that the fairly large segment of non-DVR owners are adopting the computer for time-shifting rather than buying a DVR or dealing with cable providers’ clunky user interface. Consistent with other recent findings, the largest segment of online television viewers are white, affluent, well educated, working women aged 25-44. (Cynopsis 7/30)
A study by Integrated Media Measurement shows that 50% of respondents who said they watch some amount of prime-time TV online are doing so instead of viewing the content on a TV set. The study suggests that an increasing number of consumers are using their computers to view longer-form programming and not just short snippets. Advertising Age (7/29)
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: BlackBerry Pearl, Business and Economy, Dolby Mobile, Mobile, Mobile phone, T-Mobile USA, Telecommunications, United Kingdom
T-Mobile USA unleashes its $149.99 Sidekick 2008 today, its answer to the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 and the first upgrade of the series since Microsoft purchased Danger, the device’s software designer. A hit with teens because of its advanced messaging features, Sidekick lets users customize the exterior through painted-on “shells,” retains the swiveling screen, offers expanded Bluetooth capabilities, a 2-megapixel camera and a 400 x 240 2.6-inch WQVGA screen. MobileBurn (7/30) , PC Magazine (7/29) , Pocket-lint.co.uk (7/30)
LG will become the first cell phone manufacturer to embed Dolby Mobile technology into its hardware on a global scale, the companies announced. LG said it would begin developing high-end multimedia handsets with Dolby Mobile’s features, with plans to release them by year-end. Pocket-lint.co.uk (7/30)
Service revenue from wireless-broadband technologies will reach $784 billion worldwide by 2015 as 2.1 billion people will have access to these services, according to a report from Analysys Mason. The firm said that during this time period, the HSPA and HSPA+ broadband technologies will retain a market share of 54% despite the development of LTE and WiMAX alternatives. cellular-news (U.K.) (7/30)
Verizon Wireless has added to its push-to-talk capabilities with the introduction of two phones that mark the company’s first foray into mixing VoIP with CDMA 1x EV-DO Rev. A technologies. The Motorola-built PTT solution — equipped on Motorola’s Adventure V750 model and the G’zOne Boulder — features quicker call setup and increased call capacity amid other upgrades, Verizon Wireless said. TWICE (7/29)
