Can a TV ad spoil a song?
For example, that John Mellencamp song “Our Country” that has played, like, 16 billion times in Chevy ads. The album isn’t due out until January, nearly six months after the ads starting airing, and Mellencamp’s record label is worried it’s suffering from overexposure. You think? Plus, there’s the little issue of picturing a Chevy Silverado [...]
Google will expand newspaper ad sales program
In the two months that Google has undertaken a pilot program to sell advertising in newspapers, it has generated some buzz in the biz. Apparently it has also generated some success. Google is selling leftover ad space in 66 newspapers, and is pleased enough with the results that it intends to expand the program after [...]
Group wants Portland TV stations’ license renewals denied
The Oregon Alliance to Reform Media (ARM) wants the FCC to deny license renewals for every commercial TV station in Portland. The group says the stations’ coverage of the 2004 elections did not meet the minimum FCC requirements. Oregon ARM points to a study that showed that, in the four weeks leading up to the [...]
Rex’s predictions for 2007, or Why the iPhone is Like God
Rex Sorgatz (“The Godfather of Lists”) has his Predictions for 2007 in Media/Tech/Pop over at Fimoculous. Now, normally I don’t do or link to predictions. Why? They’re just predictions. But Rex’s list is a good one, written in his usual witty and irreverent prose. Examples: “…the iPhone: Nope, never. Why? Cuz the iPhone is like [...]
CBS TV pioneer Frank Stanton dies at 98
William S. Paley usually gets the credit but it was his partner, Frank Stanton, who was also responsible for starting up the CBS television network. Stanton died in Boston Sunday at age 98. He was president of the network in 1946 when it was primarily a radio operation. Paley didn’t want to get into TV [...]
Wikipedia founder to launch search engine
Jimmy Wales, who founded Wikipedia, is going to start up his own search engine. Wales has the backing of Amazon.com, and is calling the new search Wikiasari. (“asari” is Japanese for “rummaging search.” Nice.) According to the Times, the project has major funding from Amazon and a group of Silicon Valley VCs. Wales is calling [...]
James Brown on the T.A.M.I. show, same tape I’ve had for years
One of the greatest performances in rock history, the appearance of James Brown on The T.A.M.I. Show singing “Prisoner of Love/Please Please Please.” Features the now-cliche but then-amazing scene of JB being handed his cape and ushered offstage, only to throw it off and keep on singing. The performance that so stunned the Rolling Stones [...]
Remembering James Brown: A little medley for ya
A sad Christmas indeed with the news of the death of James Brown. Here is a performance of his from The Ed Sullivan Show on May 1, 1966. The man could move.
The best of ‘The Best of 2006′ list lists list
I think it started with Rex: bloggers putting together lists of “Best of the Year†lists. But it can be hard to sort out all those list lists, can’t it? Which best list of the best is the best list list? To help clear up any confusion, I have gone through the lists of lists, [...]
Japan’s ‘I’m a Mac / I’m a PC’ ads
The Apple Ads have a Japanese counterpart. Two Japanese actors play out what seem to be similar scenarios to what we’ve seen in the American campaign. The Japanese ad that shows the virus-prone “PC” character getting the flu, for example, is the closest reproduction to the esteemed work of John Hodgman and Justin Long. (via [...]
CondeNet teams with FeedRoom for video
CondeNet is expanding its fore into video by teaming up with The FeedRoom. The Conde Nast internet group will have its video powered by the NYC-based web video firm. Expect to see the vids first on Epicurious.com, Style.com and men.style.com.
Do this: Use YouTube as a promotional tool
There is still a fear among TV stations that sharing their video on YouTube will cannibalize from their site’s views. Ever the contrarians, we suggest using YouTube as a great way to promote yourselves. If you have a video you think could “go viral,” put it on YouTube. It’s the best promotion you’ll ever run. [...]
Google introduces patent search
Google Patent Search is now live – and a whole lot of fun. (Check out the pants from 1886 and, of course, the Flying Car.)
The CES/Macworld conflict: which to attend?
This year, the Consumer Electronics Show and Macworld are going head-to-head. Both are the week of Jan. 9 and those who cover our industry are choosing which to attend. Over at PaidContent, Staci writes she’ll be in Vegas at CES. She’s part of Robert Scoble’s “Dream Team” list of interviewees. Meantime, Microsoft is hosting a [...]
LinkedIn valued at $250 million
On my annual list of Stuff I Got Seriously Wrong was LinkedIn. I joined up a few years ago, and then didn’t really hear from anyone. So I thought it was passe. Classic journalist mistake: assume your experience is universal. All of a sudden, I started getting a ton of invites (still welcome: mail@stevesafran.com.) from [...]
‘Cyber Monday’ not even close to busiest
You remember the hype about the dubious “Cyber Monday” concept? The web sales industry put out – and we bought it – the notion that the Monday after Thanksgiving would be the busiest online shopping day of the year. Turns out it wasn’t even in the top 10. The busiest online shopping day thus far [...]
Inside the Venice Project
We’ve seen a small sneak peek, but now GigaOM has a good look inside “the most awaited new application on planet broadband,” The Venice Project. (If you’re not familiar with it, the new video site, currently in beta, is the product of the two guys who built Skype and KaZaa). The video quality is “stunning [...]
Congdon debuts another video blog
Fresh off her launch on ABCNews.com, Amanda Congdon is debuting “Starring Amanda Congdon” on Blip.TV today. The video blog is also available on iTunes, MySpace and this dedicated site. It’s sponsored by Dove and Paltalk, a video chat company. “More than anything else, I consider myself a videoblogger, and these sponsorships are evidence that the world is continuing to take notice of our community,” Congdon said. Press release with more details…
ABC.com streams more shows
Everyone is in the holiday spirit. ABC.com is adding Brothers & Sisters and What About Brian to its list of free streaming shows. And starting on Christmas, you can catch up with all of the season’s shows so far of Desperate, Grey’s and Ugly Betty. So far this season, ABC.com says it has streamed 30 [...]
NBC.com streams back episodes, uncensored SNL
For the holiday season, NBC.com is streaming the full back episodes so far of Heroes, 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights. When the shows return in January and February, they’ll revert back to single episodes. Plus, you can watch the uncensored version of SNL’s digital short, “Special Treat in a Box.”
