Archive for April 2nd, 2007
When I first saw Channel 9 a year or so ago, I was stunned. This was so unlike Microsoft — an insider site that featured video interviews with Microsoft employees working on cool, upcoming projects. As in projects that have yet to be announced. Well, turns out the Microsoft staffer who runs the site wasn’t the most popular guy on campus after he launched it. As you can imagine, the marketing folks threw a fit. At first. Then they began to warm to the idea that transparency is a great way to build both employee and consumer loyalty. And besides, it’s a great recruiting tool. Well, Wired just did a story on Channel 9, and Microsoft decided to play along with the transparency theme by accidently emailing the reporter an internal memo that discussed how to spin the story. Wow, Microsoft is certainly taking this openness thing to heart.
Plus: Check out Channel 10, another Microsoft community site
April 2nd, 2007
Starting next week, Fox will begin testing a new way to try to retain viewers through commercial breaks. The network will run short animated clips of a taxi driver named Oleg in between ads. “It’s something that pops up that is unexpected and the viewer says, ‘What the hell is that?’ It may keep them around for a while longer,” says Jon Nesvig, Fox Broadcasting’s president of sales. In less than two months, Nielsen is rolling out its commercial ratings service. (WSJ sub. req.)
WSJ has a video report with a couple of the clips (runs after an ad.)
Adds Michael in comments: “Time and effort that could be funneled into creating better programming, which has a better chance of keeping me around. Or if I’m watching a show on TiVo, it’s just one more blur as I fast forward through the break.”
April 2nd, 2007
A couple weeks ago, we passed along word that Google was testing a cable TV advertising system. Now Google is moving ahead with satellite TV by placing ads on Echostar’s Dish network over the next several months. Advertisers would upload their spots with their desired targeted audience and maximum bids, and the Google engine would select the winning spots and play them on air. “Through this groundbreaking partnership with Google, we are confident we will be able to bring increased efficiencies to Dish Network’s advertising sales and more accurate, up-to-date viewer measurement with easily accessible online reporting to advertisers,” Charles W. Ergen, Echostar’s CEO.
April 2nd, 2007
As MSNBC.com slowly rolls out a redesign, the site is debuting its first new branding campaign since it launched. “A Fuller Spectrum of News” is the slogan and the artistic concept behind the TV, print and online ad campaign. “(It) speaks to MSNBC.com’s rich consumer experience, an online environment no other news site offers,” said Catherine Captain, VP of marketing. “It’s designed to bring to life compelling, original and even quirky stories, and showcase the diversity of media, sources and platforms consumers discover on the site.” One cool feature in the ad campaign is the banners will incorporate live RSS feeds from the site. And as we mentioned earlier, you can download a RSS screensaver as well as play the NewsBreaker game. If you didn’t see it before, here’s a link to MSNBC.com’s new video ad. Press release…
Read the full post April 2nd, 2007
We have a new online news competitor here in the Northwest, and it’s called Crosscut. “My colleagues and I bid you welcome to this experiment in local journalism,” writes publisher David Brewster, who founded Seattle Weekly back in 1976. “Our goal is to give you, readers across the Northwest, access to the best journalism about the region we can find and generate.” Crosscut is heavy on local aggregation — a cool feature — and it also provides its own coverage from formal contributors and citizen journalists.
Take a look around, kick the tires and tell us what you think…
Adds Eric in comments: “Good to see that long form lives. The JOA piece was great. Also nice that they link off to other local sites for day-of news and concentrate their efforts on exclusive content.”
April 2nd, 2007
The NY Times quotes several sources as saying that NBCU and News Corp. will give distributors (Yahoo, MSN, etc.) 10 percent of the ad revenue. The remaining 90 percent will be split between the venture and the copyright creators. (That’s a very favorable split for the NBCU-News folks, to say the least.) The NY Times reports that YouTube has been pushing for a 70-30 split before doing a distribution deal.
April 2nd, 2007
Apple and EMI, the world’s third largest music company, have agreed to sell songs on iTunes with twice the file size and without digital rights management for a .30 premium. You can also upgrade your existing EMI songs by just paying the 30 cents. “We believe that offering consumers the opportunity to buy higher-quality tracks and listen to them on the device or platform of their choice will boost sales of digital music,” said EMI’s chief executive, Eric Nicoli. He’s right, and it’s about time. Let’s hope both Apple and the music industry embrace the new DRM-free world and empower customers to listen to music we’ve purchased any way we’d like.
Adds Sam in comments: “When I first saw this, I was sure it was an April Fool’s joke.”
April 2nd, 2007
After months of deliberations, the Tribune Company has agreed to sell to real estate investor Sam Zell in an $8.2 billion deal that works out to $34 a share. At the end of the transaction — which will tap the employee stock ownership plan — Tribune will be a privately company with Zell as chairman. Zell has promised not to spin off Tribune’s TV stations, but he says he plans to sell the Chicago Cubs at the end of the season. “I am delighted to be associated with Tribune Company, which I believe is a world-class publishing and broadcasting enterprise,” Zell said. “As a long-term investor, I look forward to partnering with the management and employees as we build on the great heritage of Tribune Company.” Adds Dennis FitzSimons, Tribune chairman, president and chief executive officer: “As a private company, Tribune will have greater flexibility to transform our publishing/interactive and broadcasting businesses with an eye toward long-term growth.” Here’s the press release with all the details.
Adds Adam in comments: “There will be no growth after this transaction. With all this new debt all energy will go into cost cutting in order to service it. The television stations will be soon on the block in order to raise cash to repay debt.”
April 2nd, 2007
Ah, the April Foolery continues. Longtime sparring partners Nick Denton and Laurel Touby have “announced” they are now joining forces to face the emerging threat posed by Dead Horse Media. And the deal was “brokered” by Sean Mills, CEO of The Onion.
April 2nd, 2007
