Archive for September 14th, 2006
CBS is going to offer eight of its programs on Comcast’s digital cable VOD, and the shows will be available for free. This is a big improvement, obviously, over the previous 99-cent, only available in O/O markets, pay-per-view model. The three “CSI” shows will be on, as will “Survivor,” “NCIS,” “Numb3rs,” “Jericho,” and “Big Brother.” The programs will have ads - so it will be interesting to see if you can still fast-forward through them. Restrictions? Episodes will only be put on VOD the day after they air, and will only be available for four weeks. I like how the press release refers to these shows as “primetime entertainment series.” With VOD there is no primetime. Or every time is primetime. (Usual disclosure: My client NECN is 1/2 owned by Comcast.)
September 14th, 2006
Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris stopped short of announcing a lawsuit against YouTube and MySpace at an investors’ conference on Monday - but he’s hinting, big time. “We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars. How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly.” That’s either a strongarm negotiating tactic, or a badly veiled lawsuit threat. Partner with social networking sites - don’t sue them out of existence.
September 14th, 2006
Seattle web designer Jason Fortuny posted an ad on Craigslist posing as a 27-year-old woman looking for a little action. Then after he received 178 responses — 145 of them with, ahem, revealing photos attached — he posted them online for all to see. Doh! Did Fortuny break any laws? “It’s one of those questions that could find its way onto a law school exam because it is comparatively new territory,” said Jonathan Zittrain, a law professor at Oxford and Harvard universities. Meanwhile, Craiglist says it took down the ad on numerous occasionals, only to have it reposted. (Here’s what appears to be Fortuny’s LiveJournal page — caution, very graphic language.)
September 14th, 2006
CBS CEO Les Moonves told a gathering of TV execs in London that CBS is not interesting in buying YouTube. “It is obviously phenomenally successful,” Moonves said. “I doubt we would buy it at this point. Maybe we would look for the next YouTube, the next great idea that’s not spread across the world.” Moonves was seen chatting with YouTube CEO Chad Hurley earlier this year, fueling some speculation. Moonves also said the network has no immediate plans to acquire any social networking sites, but CBS is on the hunt to acquire new media ventures.
September 14th, 2006
As ABC.com prepares to launch its ad-supported streaming later this month, a top exec reveals to Mediapost that the network has shifted from a CPM to a sponsorship model for video ads. And while up to now advertisers were able to buy the streams separately, ABC will look to package those sponsorships with TV advertising. (Free reg. req.)
September 14th, 2006
It hasn’t been that big of a secret, but today Microsoft unveiled its digital media player Zune. First you’ll notice the large 3-inch video screen, which can be viewed vertically or horizontally. But the best feature is its ability to wirelessly share “select” songs, playlists and pictures with friends who also have Zune players. And coming in a later software update, Zune will allow you to broadcast what you’re playing to other Zune listeners nearby. Think of it as a social music device. The unit sports 30GB of storage and three colors: white, black and brown. Also launching soon is the Zune Marketplace, a Microsoft version of iTunes. But wait, the player isn’t available “until the holidays,” and Microsoft has yet to reveal a price tag.
September 14th, 2006
It’s too easy to blame Nancy Grace for the suicide of Melinda Duckett. Nancy didn’t kill her. But Ms. Duckett’s death was an assisted suicide, and although Nancy will not own up to it, her aggressive, irresponsible grilling of a clearly unstable woman played a role in this sickening drama. The death of a guest on a news talk show was inevitable, just as surely as it happened on “Jenny Jones” before. I hope CNN will take this opportunity to examine “The Nancy Grace Show” and its role in journalism. (Read on, after the jump…)
Read the full post September 14th, 2006
With the new NFL season underway, ESPN.com set a new one-day traffic record on September 10th with… get this… 95.3 million page views. During the same 24-hour period, the site also streamed 1.6 million NFL-related video clips. Four of ESPN.com’s 11 all time most-trafficked days have occurred since Sept. 2. Wow. I still find it amazing that local TV doesn’t understand the dynamics of how sports have changed. People who want national sports coverage will not watch local TV — they go to ESPN.com, and to a lesser extent, ESPN on TV. The web now rules pro sports coverage, and it’s changing the game.
September 14th, 2006
Injured ABC anchor Bob Woodruff’s wife said he’ll return to ABC “more regularly” this fall. “I think if you haven’t seen Bob, you would be amazed. His hair has grown in, (and) he has been playing some killer tennis,” writes Lee Woodruff. “He looks and sounds so much more like himself each week.”
September 14th, 2006
You may remember all the hubbub surrounding AP’s launch of its Online Video Network about six months ago. Powered by MSN Video, it failed to support Macs and Firefox, which sent the non-IE crowd into a frenzy. Now there’s word that MSN is working together with AP to launch a cross-platform player which is expected to launch next month. NOTE: The Flash player is in beta on a few sites. For an example, go to the Houston Chronicle site at chron.com.
September 14th, 2006
