Wanted: HD camera for web

Ok, my fiancée and I are looking for an HD camera to get into this web video thing, which we hear is quite popular. But we’re finding that most cameras come with strange video formats, lousy audio and crappy editing software. We’d like a camera with firewire, a mic jack, 4:3 options (for YouTube) and the ability to interface seamlessly with Final Cut Pro. Any ideas without breaking the budget?

17 comments February 14th, 2007

Yahoo tries to protect turf from TV rivals

With three months to go until the upfront — the annual tradition when the networks pitch TV buyers for advertising commitments — Yahoo held an event in New York called “Yahoo In Front,” which aimed to convince ad execs and advertisers to spend more money on Yahoo. We think we should be a bigger part of your early planning,” said Yahoo CEO Terry Semel. Some Yahoo presenters took a few shots at TV. Wenda Harris Millard, Yahoo’s chief sales officer, said advertising on TV means reaching audiences “who may or may not be interested in the product being advertised.” She also pointed out that the web makes up 17 percent of media consumption but only 6 percent of advertising dollars. “Clearly a disconnect,” she said. Which, by the way, is a true statement. (WSJ sub. req.)

Add comment February 14th, 2007

Yahoo copies Digg, suffers the consequences

Speaking of Yahoo, the portal has launched suggestion boards that look… hmm… exactly like Digg. In fact, Yahoo explains on its own blog that the board has “Digg-like voting.” Well, that didn’t sit so well with the Digg kids, who retaliated by posting and voting up suggestions on Yahoo that read, “DIGG RIPP OFF” that dominated entire pages on every board. Oh, and check out those comments. “Wow, ripping off Digg UI? How low can Yahoo and it’s employees get? Grow a backbone and design something original,” writes one. Sure there’s no law against this, but Yahoo looks remarkably similar, which is a little too rip-off-ish for a company that was once rumored to be in talks to acquire Digg for millions. (Full disclosure: I’m a Digg fan from way back.)

Yahoo:

Digg:

Adds Stammy in comments: “I too am a Digg fan from way back, been using it since v1, but although I completely back them — since when did Digg own the copyright and patent to ‘website with posts that can be voted/rated?’ Think of it in other terms; FaceBook and MySpace…. My point is get used to it. People make something great, other people will recognize its use and utilize it.”

19 comments February 14th, 2007

Training Specialist, Internet Broadcasting

Minneapolis, MN

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NY Times, Monster form jobs alliance

Under the deal, 19 New York Times Company sites will power their career sections with Monster, including NYTimes.com and BostonWorks.com. Recently, Yahoo’s HotJobs — Monster’s biggest competitor — partnered with over 200 newspapers from 9 newspaper companies. Press release with a couple more details…

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New Northwest site to be modeled after NewWest

Those of you in online journalism circles are most likely familiar with the site NewWest, which has won numerous awards for its innovative journalism and user-generated coverage in the Rocky Mountains region. Now the founding editor of Seattle Weekly is moving ahead with plans to launch a similar site in the Northwest called Crosscut.com, which will cover Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and parts of British Columbia. David Brewster says he has 13 investors for a total of “several hundred thousand dollars.” Crosscut launches next month.

1 comment February 14th, 2007

Web journalist named NBC News political director

Editor-in-chief of National Journal’s “The Hotline,” Chuck Todd has been named NBC’s new political director, responsible for all aspects of NBC News’ political coverage. In addition to The Hotline, Todd has been writing a weekly column on NationalJournal.com and MSNBC.com. “I am honored to have the opportunity to cover this generation’s most important election on network television’s most influential stage,” he said. Release…

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Radio stations scramble to post video online

Radio station sites have been overlooked for years, but many of them are now racing to add video in an effort to draw new advertising dollars in a flat radio growth market. Beyond music videos, stations are shooting their own material and syndicating it to partner sites. “This is no longer the age of ‘having a face for radio,’” said Dianna Jason, the senior director of marketing and promotions at Power 106, a Los Angeles hip-hop radio station. Today the station’s site will provide a live stream of a Valentines event called, “Trash Your Ex,” in which participants can put momentos from past relationships through a big wood chipper. While radio sites will not drive online audiences as large as most full-featured TV sites, their sales efforts are beginning to go after the same online video dollars.

Adds Jack in comments: “Not sure why you don’t think radio sites are going to drive audiences as large as TV sites - there is no reason why they can’t equal if not beat them. In this space everyone is on an equal playing field. Radio might even have an advantage due to their very targeted and loyal audiences.”

19 comments February 14th, 2007