Associate Producer, NBCU iVillage
New York
Read the full post August 18th, 2006
Archive for August 18th, 2006
Ramsey Circus: Daily Show speculates on speculation
Another devastatingly funny news analysis from Jon Stewart and the gang at The Daily Show. First, they show the media reminding us that speculation is bad. Then we see the media speculating anew. Then Rob Corddry… goes back in time to speculate.
9 comments August 18th, 2006
Specialization works best for new cable channels
Cable viewers like the newest channels with strong brands and a clear focus on what their programming is, according to Beta Research, a firm in New York. From the Media Life Magazine article: “Emerging networks ranking the highest in viewing interest were Fox Movie Channel, Hallmark Movie Channel, Science Channel, Discovery Home, History International, Biography Channel, Weatherscan, NFL Network, IFC and DIY.” Remember when people used to laugh at the idea of a channel dedicated to one topic?
6 comments August 18th, 2006
Sneak peek of Amazon video download service
Through some creative Googling, this guy has managed to unearth what appears to be a bunch of development pages for Amazon’s upcoming video download service. Apparently it will be called “Amazon Unbox,” and TV shows will sell for $1.99 — same as iTunes. Back in July, Amazon said the service would launch this month.
4 comments August 18th, 2006
First soap for sale on iTunes
NBC’s daytime drama Passions is now for sale for $1.99 an episode on iTunes. “Our dedicated ‘Passions’ fans have proven time and again that they are both extremely Internet savvy and unwilling to miss even one episode of their favorite show,” said Annamarie Kostura, Vice President, NBC Daytime Programs.
7 comments August 18th, 2006
Blaugh’s hilarious geek comic strip
Fellow Seattleite Chris Pirillo launched a new site a couple months ago that’ve I’ve been meaning to mention. Called the “MAD Magazine for the blogosphere,” Blaugh is a series of hilarious technology and blog-related comics drawn by the talented Brad Fitzpatrick. Here’s one of my many favorites…
Of course, in Pirillo style, you can subscribe to Blaugh’s RSS feed, leave comments on each comic and (as demonstrated) embed ‘em on your own blog. Think of it as the next generation comic strip. Cool, eh?
Add comment August 18th, 2006
Local sports folks think their segments could go away
A survey of sports departments in the top 50 markets shows little optimism for sports segments in the local news. The Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State conducted a phone survey of sports directors, anchors and reporters at local television stations in the top 50 markets. The survey found sporties have plenty of pessimism about their future. In a marketplace with ESPN and real-time scores on the web, it’s not hard to see the competitive forces. I strongly believe there is still room for local sports - it’s just not in trying to cover the major leagues. Go out and cover the great local sports stories in your community. If you are going to look at a major league team - do it with a critical and investigative eye and not as a rooter (think Barry Bonds). Highlights are dead. You can cover local news better than ESPN. Do it and you’ll appeal not only to sports fans but a wider audience as well. Do I really need another locker room post-game interview with a cliche-spouting ballplayer telling me nothing?
15 comments August 18th, 2006
Echostar-TiVo court battle raging
UPDATE: Now an appeals court has stepped in and temporarily blocked a judge’s order that Echostar disable several million DVRs currently in use by its Dish Network customers across the country. TiVo says the appeals court just wants time to examine the case — not that the court necessarily disagrees with the ruling judge. Four months ago, a jury ruled Echostar had infringed upon TiVo’s patent for DVRs in a $73.9 million judgment.
8 comments August 18th, 2006
