Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Twitter’s business model (or rather lack of one) is a topic of endless debate. Like many successful startups that came before it the company has been successful in getting users and usage when it doesn’t charge a cent. But ramping up revenue is a different matter. And Twitter is now in the process of doing just that. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/16/twitter-hiring-product-manager-to-bring-in-the-revenue 12/16)

Gaia Online, a social network/virtual world hybrid that includes one of the web’s most popular forums, has laid off 36 employees, or around  13% of its staff. Of those laid off, 16 were full time and 20 were contractors. From what we’ve heard the layoffs were unexpected by most affected employees – the site raised $11 million in July, and has been hiring employees as recently as a month ago. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/15/gaia-online-cuts-20-of-staff-despite-claims-of-record-earnings 12/15)

Amazon’s movie database IMDb.com has acquired independent online box office site Box Office Mojo for an undisclosed amount. The two sites will share content by allowing users to access one another databases but LA-based Box Office Mojo will continue to operate as a standalone site. (Cynopsis 12/16)

Despite layoffs and cutbacks the digital divisions of NBC and CBS are planning a full complement of original web shows for 2009, per TV Week. NBC is developing 4 shows that have already been sold to advertisers and is currently seeking sponsors for another 5, including a late-night talk show targeted to female viewers. CBS has at least two new web shows planned for next year including a companion to the midseason replacement show Harper’s Island. (Cynopsis 12/16)

In a relatively short period of time, online video viewing has gone from watching clips on YouTube to enjoying full TV episode and movies, and this phenomenon, according to a new study from ABI Research, will help drive the number of Web watchers from the current 563 million to 941 million by 2013. “All stakeholders in the online video ecosystem are eyeing the living room,” said Michael Wolf, ABI’s research director. CED Magazine (12/2008)

Online video is expected to be a bright spot in the advertising universe in the near future, but perhaps not as luminous as first expected. Due to the recession, research firm eMarketer has revised its growth forecast for the segment from 49% to 45% in 2009. The Wall Street Journal (12/16)

Yet again, Hulu has the lead.  Hulu, Hulu, HULU!