Fox affiliates to stream network shows
Updated: In an aggressive expansion of Fox’s existing owned-and-operated streaming initiative, more than 200 Fox affiliate websites will soon offer network programming, both as free streams and paid downloads. Under the new revenue-sharing deal that includes 20th Century Fox, the affiliates will be able to sell 30 percent of the streaming ad inventory. Video downloads — which include 24, Bones, and Prison Break – will sell for $1.99 an episode. Visitors to Fox.com will have the option to enter their zip code and be directed to their local Fox affiliate site for the video. “This is the next logical step in our partnership as the affiliate body and network move forward into the digital age,” said Joe Denk, VP and GM of KFXA-TV in Cedar Rapids and Chairman of the FOX affiliate board. Fox says it plans to begin rolling out the players by the end of March and to finish within three months. Press release with more details below…
Back to the new Lost Remote logo
After 24 hours of enjoying the retro Lost Remote logo (ah, the memories), I’ve switched it back to the new logo. The vote is in, 55 percent of you voted for the new logo, 42 percent for the old, and 3 percent said we should find a new one altogether. I do like the idea [...]
Your prediction: Will XM/Sirius merger go through?
There are only three things that stand in the way of the XM/Sirius merger: The FCC, The FTC and the Justice Department. Oh – and the NAB and Consumers Union. So five. Probably more. Still, Mel Karmazin’s a smart businessman. And he says he’s willing to have the new company cap prices and do the [...]
Embedded audio on NYTimes.com
This certainly isn’t new technology, but a great use of it. On today’s NYTimes.com homepage, just under the photo and headline of the Picasso stolen paintings story, is an embedded audio player with a report from the Times’ reporter in Paris. Just click and play. I like this idea of seamlessly embedding multiple media types [...]
CBS Interactive hires Google exec
CBS Interactive has hired former Google exec Patrick Keane to oversee marketing and selling CBS content on emerging media platforms. Keane headed up advertising sales strategy at Google. In December, CBS Interactive hired Yahoo! executive Michael Marquez as VP, strategy and corporate development.
AOL in talks to buy Third Screen Media
The WSJ reports that Time Warner’s AOL is in talks to acquire mobile advertising startup Third Screen Media, although the deal could still fall apart. MSN was in discussions with the company last year, but no deal resulted.
Do you usually report the 268th worst anything?
Well lookie loo. The Dow ended the day up 50. And all the papers are full of front-page graphs showing the huge downward roller-coaster of the disaster that was yesterday’s massive, disaster-ridden sell-off. It was a massive sell-off right? I mean – the Dow lost 416 points! That’s… the 268th biggest drop ever. That’s right. [...]
AP makes its video available to embed
The Associated Press has entered into a partnership to allow people to embed its videos on their websites. The AP announced a deal with syndication network Voxant to distribute the vids on the web, with the Voxant site TheNewsroom as the base of operations. Good start, but a few issues may get in the way [...]
Oscars clips yanked off YouTube
The Academy issued a DMCA request and YouTube complied by pulling down clips of Sunday’s Academy Awards show, which featured Ellen’s opening monologue and the entertaining bit by Will Ferrell and Jack Black, among others. Meanwhile, the highly-promoted Oscar.com features a single five-minute highlight clip and some backstage video, but nothing more from the 4-hour [...]
Trash-talking fans upload video to CSTV
The CBS college sports site CSTV has launched a new user video section in time for March Madness that encourages fans to upload video clips cheering on their team or trash-talking their competitors. Screen grab…
‘Media that can’t be manipulated is almost useless’
The Hollywood Reporter’s Steve Bryant says he’s been a huge fan of the movie Borat. He’s IM’d video clips to friends, linked to deleted scenes on YouTube and blogged about it ad nauseam. The DVD will be released next week, but Bryant says he won’t buy it. Why? “The cultural moment has passed. What can [...]
Like the retro Lost Remote logo?
I’m trying to figure out the logo for the Lost Remote T-shirts, which got me thinking about the old logo from 2000-2006. So I popped it up on the site to see what you think. Here’s the one that was there before. So which do you like? Vote here.
Comedy Central to bring ‘Web Shows’ to TV
The cable network experimented with some video shorts on MotherLoad, and now it’s bringing the best together along with video from Viacom’s AtomFilms in a new late-night TV show called Web Shows. Why will it air at 2 a.m.? The animated web short Baxter & Maguire is about a pair of testicles who are best [...]
Men 18-34 are key online video viewers
Some interesting but not surprising stats from Leichtman Research Group: Men ages 18-34 make up 41 percent of people who view online video but make up just 14 percent of the online population. The same group accounts for two-thirds of adults who watch user-created video online. And just 8 percent of men 18-34 who watch [...]
Gibson chokes up (a little) after Woodruff piece
Tonight’s World News Tonight just showed a piece on Bob Woodruff’s long climb back from the brink of death. I had no idea the extent of damage to his brain and how far Bob has come. Bob’s speech center was destroyed. It’s gone. And Bob had to teach himself to talk again. The brain is [...]
