Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Earlier this week YouTube launched a new feature for non-profit organizations called “Call to Action”, allowing these organizations to place special overlay ads on their videos free of charge. These overlays can direct viewers to the non-profits’ homepage, where users can elect to donate money, sign up for mailing lists, and interact with other members in the community. And unlike typical ads on YouTube (which video uploaders don’t generally have control over), non-profits can specifiy exactly which page they’d like to redirect to. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/27/special-youtube-ads-earn-nonprofit-10000-in-a-single-day 3/27)

GREAT for non-profits who are dealing with a particularly difficult economic climate.  If you’re a non-profit, click the image below to be apply for the program.

Google is developing technology to connect its television-advertising brokering business to YouTube and eventually video on other Web sites. The Internet giant sees an opportunity to wrest business from traditional TV-ad sellers such as stations and cable companies. (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123809601439550709.html 3/27)

Facebook is said to be trying to secure some $100 million in debt financing to help cover leases for the growing number of computers it needs to operate. The social network’s user growth carries huge tech costs; Facebook is now the world’s largest photo-sharing site. (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2009/tc20090326_604141.htm 3/26)

Federated Media is unveiling MarchTweetness, sponsored by AT&T. The aggregation of tweets devoted to NCAA college basketball’s “March Madness” is the second Federated Media-Twitter program, following on the heels of Monday’s launch of ExecTweets. (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://venturebeat.com/2009/03/26/twitter-madness-comes-to-college-basketball/ 3/26)

Are these types of pages to be more prevalent to come?  Will we have a separate page for every trending twitter subject?

ABC News is launching a daily 15-minute political webcast, “Top Line,” live on ABCNews.com. The webcast, featuring interviews and audience interaction, will be hosted by Rick Klein, political reporter and author of “The Note,” and political director David Chalian. (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/190726-ABC_News_Plans_Political_Webcast.php 3/26)

CBSNews.com also added a new weekly interactive webcast powered by UstreamTV. Backstage Live offers viewers the chance to query the guests following their appearance on The Early Show, including the musicians who appear on the weekly “Second Cup Cafe” segment. Correspondent Cali Carlin and CNET Senior Editor Natali Del Conte will anchor the webcast, available on Saturday mornings from 7-10 am ET. (Cynopsis 3/27)

Everybody’s doing it. Even YouTube has succumbed to Twitter mania. Below every video if you click on the “Share” link you will find three options: MySpace, Facebook, and now Twitter. You can expand the box for even more sharing options, but those are the main three and Twitter was just recently added. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/26/youtube-adds-a-twitter-button 3/26)

Video screens are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in modern society, and adults are exposed to them for about 8.5 hours each day, according to a study by the Council for Research Excellence. While video pops up on everything from cell phones to the backs of airplane seats, the study found that viewers are most engaged when watching television and playing video games. The New York Times (3/26) , USA TODAY (3/26)

Thanks to the Internet, the U.S. film, television and electronic gaming industries are starting to see their economic foundations overturned, observers say. In Hollywood, “there is a sense that it may all be coming to an end and that the old business models can’t survive.” (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603702.html 3/27)