Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Amazon.com, Barack Obama, Candidate, Declassified School Survival Guide, John McCain, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Nickelodeon, United States
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
FX, one of cable’s the most acclaimed producers of original programming on the web, is finally bringing full length episodes of its shows to its web site, reports B&C, including Hulu hit It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and new biker drama Sons of Anarchy. (Cynopsis 8/26)
Shelfari, a social network for bibliophiles, has been acquired by Amazon for an undisclosed amount. Amazon has been a longtime supporter of the Seattle based startup, having invested $1 million in the site in February 2007. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/25/amazon-aquires-shelfari-moves-to-corner-social-book-space 8/25)
Last March, Google began inviting a select number of publishers within its AdSense network to test a new hosted advertisement management tool called Google Ad Manager. The search company has now announced
that the tool is out of beta and available to all publishers with AdSense accounts. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/google-fully-releases-its-hosted-ad-management-system 8/26)
Who is doing a better job of getting his message across on the Web: John McCain or Barack Obama? Conventional wisdom says that it is Obama, whose performance on the Web has been strong since the beginning. And conventional wisdom is still correct when it comes to blogs and social networks. But a new study by Attributor that is being released today shows that McCain is actually leading on mainstream news sites and catching up on blogs, especially as he and his supporters have been increasing their attacks on Obama. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/study-blogs-love-obama-news-sites-love-mccain-but-mccain-is-catching-up-by-going-negative 8/26)
In a first for a Viacom-owned basic-cable network, Nickelodeon has signed a deal with Amazon.com that will allow the online retailer to duplicate and deliver a large selection of the network’s content through a DVD-on-demand platform. The agreement, announced Monday, includes hits such asDrake & Joshp; Josh,” “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” and “Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.” Broadcasting & Cable (8/25)
MTV Networks’ mtvU has formed a partnership with online-search firm Zvents to create a new fraternity of Web sites spotlighting events and other happenings at 25 colleges and universities. Steven Friedman, general manager of mtvU, said the sites, which launch today, would be “encyclopedic” in their coverage and also would have robust potential for national and local advertisers. Mediaweek (8/26)
The RIAA shut down Muxtape but that doesn’t mean its memory won’t linger on the hearts of those who must share their love of the Hold Steady with the world. Enter OpenTape, an open source package that essentially recreates the Muxtape experience on a personal level. You simply download the application, unpack it on your web server, and then upload songs. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/muxtape-reborn-unofficially-as-opentape 8/26)
Building on the strategic partnership formed in March between Microsoft and Move Networks, the ubiquitous software giant will make an undisclosed investment in Web TV provider Move Networks. The fruits of the companies’ work together thus far are being showcased at this week’s Democratic National Convention, where Democrats are streaming coverage on their site using the duo’s technology. CNET (8/25)
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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: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: George Lopez, George Lopez Show, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Nick at Nite, Nickelodeon, Nielsen Media Research, Television
A lot of people were waiting for the Season Two premiere of AMC hit “Mad Men” on Sunday night … about 1.95 million of them, according to Nielsen Media Research’s fast nationals data. The show, about advertising in the 1960s, attracted young and old alike: 996,000 adults 25 to 54 tuned in, and 955,000 viewers 18 to 49 watched the show. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (7/28) , Mediaweek (7/28)
Nick at Nite, Nickelodeon‘s prime-time and overnight block, gained more than 400,000 viewers during the second quarter. The ratings rebound, according to this article, is in no small part due to programming decisions at the channel that have replaced golden oldies such as “I Love Lucy” with more contemporary offerings such as “The George Lopez Show.” The New York Times (7/29)
Building on the success of “The George Lopez Show,” Nick at Nite is adding more original programs to attract viewers whose parents were weaned on Nickelodeon. Among the new shows is “Glenn Martin D.D.S.,” an animated family comedy show about a dentist who takes his family on a cross-country trip.
MGM has launched THIS TV network, a 24/7 ad supported linear channel designed for the US broadcast marketplace and available to local broadcasters as a turn-key solution for generating revenue in the digital arena. MGM is targeting the local broadcasters newfound digital channels which will become a significant priority when the analog transmissions are turned off in February 2009. (Cynopsis 7/29)
Cox Communications said that triple-play subscribers were up 17% in the second quarter of this year and that HD customers had risen almost 50%, compared with the same period a year earlier. The privately held company does not reveal specific quarterly earnings figures, but CEO Pat Esser predicted that revenue from commercial services in 2010 would hit $1 billion. OneTRAK (7/28)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: National Hockey League, NHL, Nickelodeon, Nielsen Media Research, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, SpongeBob SquarePants, Stephen Hillenburg
A U.S. district judge in California has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an artist who claimed that he created the original cartoon character that eventually became the gold mine that is Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants. The artist, Troy Walker, drew a cartoon strip in 1991 that starred a “Mr. Bob Spongee,” but the judge found that Stephen Hillenburg, the creator and executive producer of the Nick show, first drew the now-famous SpongeBob in 1989. (CBS 5 (San Francisco)/Associated Press 5/14)
FOX will be-bop again when So You Think You Can Dance returns for season four with a two-night season premiere on May 22 at 8p and May 28 at 8p. (Cynopsis 5/14)
Comcast-owned sports network Versus scored a major victory this week with its coverage of the NHL’s Eastern Conference playoff series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. According to Nielsen Media Research, a game played on May 11 earned a 1.7 household rating — the channel’s highest-rated telecast ever. Multichannel News (5/13)
Disney’s ABC will introduce only two new series in the fall, in a schedule the network admits was severely affected by the 100-day Hollywood writers strike. “We certainly saw the affect,” says ABC Entertainment boss Stephen McPherson. “People found other things to do.” (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080513/tv_new_season_abc.html 5/13)
The CW will roll out its fall schedule early starting September 1, about three weeks ahead of the other networks. (Cynopsis 5/14)
For MTV’s 21st season of The Real World, production and action will head to Brooklyn, New York. MTV ordered 12 one-hour episodes of The Real World: Brooklyn which will debut in first quarter 2009. (Cynopsis 5/14)
CBS announced renewals for four series: How I Met Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Rules of Engagement and The Unit. (Cynopsis 5/14)
Actor Donnie Wahlberg will co-produce and is expected to star in a crime drama for TNT that is tentatively titled “Morse Code.” The story is about a war hero who becomes an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Boston. (The Hollywood Reporter 5/14)
NBC Universal’s Bravo, with shows such as “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and “Working Out,” was recognized as the country’s most gay-friendly company in a survey by Prime Access and PlanetOut. Apple was the runner-up, followed by two other cable nets: Showtime and HBO. (The Hollywood Reporter 5/13)
Starz Entertainment will launch its fifth high-definition channel in July. Early theatrical offerings on the subscription service, to be called Encore HD, will include “Cars,” “The Guardian” and “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby.” (TVWeek.com 5/13)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Arts, Choice Awards, Jack Black, Kids and Teens, Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, Nielsen, Orlando Bloom
Part-two of the CSI:NY episode “Down The Rabbit Hole” about a virtual world killer concludes today with a nifty 3D Machinima segment produced by The Electric Sheep Company. (Cynopsis 4/2)
Down the Rabbit Hole Part 1
Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards show Saturday attracted a record 7.4 million viewers, a 22% spike over last year’s version. The event, hosted by actor Jack Black, also brought in children of all ages: 3.8 million in the 2-to-11 demographic watched, and 2.7 million 9- to 14-year-olds tuned in, according to Nielsen. (The Hollywood Reporter 4/1)
Jack Black and Orlando Bloom Get Slimed
On May 25, HBO will premiere “Recount,” a drama focusing on the 2000 presidential election that resulted in George W. Bush’s first presidential term. The film stars Kevin Spacey as Ron Klain, Al Gore’s former chief of staff. (World Screen News 4/1)
The CW announced the premiere date for its reality series Farmer Wants A Wife on April 30 at 9p. This U.S. version from FremantleMedia North America takes one young farmer from Missouri and introduces him to ten city slicker gals who come to his hometown to learn about farming and country life in hopes of one becoming his wife. (Cynopsis 4/2)
How to Look Good Naked with host by Carson Kressley bares all for a second season on Lifetime as the show expands to a full hour with eight new episodes starting this July. (Cynopsis 4/2, Multichannel News 4/1)
All weekend CBS College Sports Network will air additional coverage of the 2008 NCAA Division I Mens Final Four and Championship Game as a compliment to CBS Sports live game broadcasts from San Antonio. CBS College Sports Network extras begin Friday at 1p with the live Final Four Team Practices and concluding with the National Championship Pregame Show on Monday at 8p and following the game with NCAA March Madness Highlights at 12a. (Cynopsis 4/2)
SCI FI Channel’s new original 13-episode series Sanctuary begins production this month with a debut set for this fall. The series, about bizarre creatures living among us that are only seen by a few, was originally a hi-def web series. The one-hour drama uses live-action actors shot mostly against virtual sets and is produced by Stage 3 Media, in collaboration with the network. (Cynopsis 4/2)
The three months TV writers spent on the picket lines, when the production of new episodes were halted, led to steep year-to-year ratings drops for four of the five broadcast networks, according to Nielsen data for the first quarter. Not surprisingly, cable networks such as ESPN, Nick at Nite, TBS and History all posted solid gains for the first three months of the year. (USA TODAY 4/1)
The Hills on MTV
Despite the slowing economy, mergers and acquisitions in the media industry are keeping up a fairly strong pace, according to a report released by media investment bank Jordan, Edmiston Group. AOL’s $850 million acquisition of Bebo helped lift the deal value in this year’s first quarter. (Iwantmedia.com 4/2, http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080401/FREE/995082902/1001 4/1)
CBS will cut about 1% of its 1,200-employee news work force, the network says, amid a tough media environment. Television news operations, whose viewers tend to be older, have had less success attracting a younger audience drawn to the rapid updates of news on the Internet. ((Iwantmedia.com 4/2, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN0131772320080402 4/1)
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has been a consistent thorn in cable’s side, and the industry has no option other than to bide its time until he is replaced, according to NCTA President Kyle McSlarrow. “It’s a given: This is what it’s going to be like while he is chairman,” McSlarrow said. “There’s nothing the industry does that’s going to be good enough. So we have to make our case to other people.” (Multichannel News 4/1)
